raised lymphnode or tumour - hold my hand :-(

[JokersGiggle]

Just got back from the vets. Found a lump in my little piggys groin yesterday. Vet thinks it could be a a raised lymphnode but is leaning more towards a tumour in mammary tissue that will need surgical removal.
I've got to leave it alone and feel next Monday for changes. Smaller is good, the same or bigger = surgery.
She's just turned 2 and despite an awful start (she's a rescue) her and her sister mean everything to me. If she needs surgery I will happily pay money.
Has anyone else has experience of this?
I've had a boy who had a bladder stone removed.
would this op be very different to my old boys?
Please no horror stories or telling me to put her down without trying to save her (like my neighbour who saw me crying while hanging up the washing)
Any advice/words of wisdom/support would be really appreciated.

And I've just accepted a new job that means I'll be out 3 afternoons a week I normally work from home and can be at their bec and call!
And they're booked into a holiday place in July for a long weekend - have to cancel that. If she's had surgery I don't want her exposed to other animals and germs.
Should I call and try and push my new job start date back a bit?

Hand Holding :

take it a day at a time. See how the lump progresses.

2 is young - if your GP was old, then I'd be inclined to say "don't".

Does your vet do a fair bit of small animal surgery?
How long would the recovery be?
Do they recommend removing it whether its a mammary tumour or a lymph node. You need to weigh up - will it get bigger and cause her trouble with it's size and location if it's non malignent?

I know from a previous thread that fortified had one of her sows operated on (IIRC she had a more internal problem, your pig sound like it's a palpable lump, so more superficial)

Would you be able to wait till after your break before you put her in for surgery?

WRT your job, I suppose it depends on what happens with piggie. Even if she has surgery done , you'll still be there part of the time, you might need to seperate her from her cagemate (side-by-side them maybe) while she recovers, he won't be able to sleep in hay. You can give it in a rack though, give her blanket or towel for bedding.

(Our older boy has got a lump in his chins, it's common with older pigs but doesn't get in his way. I don't think I'd put him through an operation though, he's nearly 4 and a bit doddery now )

My piggy had a lump removed. It was much easier than I thought. Wound was very neat but big shaved area!
Kept him with his cage mate as the wound was underneath so he couldn't get at it.
Kept them on newspaper covered in towels for a week.
It healed very quickly, stitches out at 12 days.
Vet was a GP specialist.

Thanks.
I couldn't separate her from her sister, they do everything together. Think having a day or two apart while she's at the vets will be hard for her sister, even side by side would stress them both out. They don't even like being carried one at a time to the same place, have to be carried together or they cry and shriek.
The vet said I could buy special bedding from them and just pamper her.
But I know each op is different. My last boy has 2 ops aged 4yrs 1 month and 4yrs 9 months and was fine, like nothing had happened the next day both for multiple bladder stones and lived til almost 7.
But I've never had a girl have a lump near her breast removed - is it more invasive?
Also will her poor start hinder her recover? She's very small due to spending the first 6 months of her life in a dark box with very limited food and what she got was poor quality.
Its so unfair - she's had 2 eye ulcers, a bladder infection, a limp that resolved itself and her sister has had nothing wrong with her!
whatever it is if its still there or bigger by next Monday its coming out. (according to the vet). It could be she's fighting off a bit of an injection and its raised for that reason (vet said its a possibly but a slim one) and should have shrunk some by next week if that's the case.
Fingers crossed is shrinks.

When mine went to the vet, big pig went too. It aids their recovery to have their friend there. Check with the vet if this is possible.

Good Luck this week.
YY to check with your vet about keeping them together/seperating. It depends on if she can leave the stitches alone (I don't think guineas can do the lamp shade collars) you might need to stay vigilant and practice your "Oi- leave it alone " voice.

Our pigs went in tandem to the vet- it would have stressed GP1 out (even though he wasn't the patient) to have GP2 take from him.

Will speak to the vets tomorrow as she has got a bladder infection now.
I think her sister will be the problem with stitches as they spend hours grooming each other and hardly even groom themselves. have to wait and see what happens.
I'm hopeful that now she's got an infection showing the lump will turn out to be a gland (slim chance but possible). Vet was leaning towards tumour as she had no signs to go with an enlarged gland.
Hopefully it'll just turn out that I picked up on an infection before there were symptoms and before even the vet could tell! Oh yes, i'm just that goooooood!
Trying to think positive

YY it could well be a bladder infection (GPs are little blighters when you want them to drink)

Give her lots of fresh veg , maybe try some Ribena , diluted well (not something I'd give long term, but if you want to bribe a piggie)

If she has an infection, then she'll need antibiotics and probiotics but hopefully this lump is a lymph gland rather than a tumour.

If you hear hoofbeats it's more likely to be horses than zebras

Can you catch a pee sample from her in a small sterilised bottle . Swill a small bottle or jar in boiling water, let it cool then get a wee sample from her.
Easier said than done though

Oh dear poor piggy.

Sorry to say I did have a piggy that didn't make it. However, Fatimus had a lot wrong her. She needed a hysterectomy and a mastectomy at the same time.

Sadly she pulled out her hysterectomy stitches and did herself more damage needing more surgery to repair and it was all too much for her, she didn't eat and give up living.

Trying to be positive, I think a mastectomy operation on its own is not too deep an incision. Get a heat pad or wheaty she will be cold after the operation. The vet lent me a wheaty in a wee proof cover for Fatimus. Over the top of that put a fleece or towel so its not too hot.

Very important prevent piggy from getting to her stitches. Either make a vest from a large sock or advice given to me after the event from another forum; use a tubular bandage.

I hope all goes well for you and piggy.

I've got her a natural sugar substitute (recommended by vet) to put in her water and just found out she likes to drink from a kitten bottle! Very cute and she's drinking lots.
She did a wee on the vets white top so we could look at it! never thought a vet would be so happy to be weed on! Saw a different vet who was much more supportive and annoyed that I'd been sent away even though I was certain it was an infection. She kept kissing her and telling her she was lovely thankfully she's decided to take over my little girls case.
She's eating very well......but only the expensive stuff! £10 worth of Timothy hay in 48 hours lol got expensive taste (know any websites where its good quality but cheap-ish?)
She's just cuddly which is fine, between me and her sister she's always snuggled with someone. I think we're lucky that so far its only wanting to be constantly held that's the problem she's only got a 5 day course - in the past with other pigs its been 7-9 days......anyone else only had 5 days? Why so short?
Thank you all for your support, dp loves the girls but can't understand why i'm so worried and stressed about it.

Think i'm being played a bit! She's looked sad all day unless i'm.holding her or being groomed by her sister. I've just snuck up on her and she's bum wiggling at her sister and popping. Then she saw me, lay down and poofed up her fur and looked sad! cheeky cow!

IIRC GP2 had a 5 day course of antibiotics last year,
Trouble with antibiotics (and I'm wearing my human healthcare hat here ) is they can knock out other gut flora (which is why you need to probiotics. Humans can eat live yoghurt, guineas can't)
GPs can get a growth of yeast in their stomachs / intestines
And (certainly true of human patients ) alot of antibiotic courses don't get finished. So maybe the optimum is a good intensive 5 day rather than a 7 day "oh I forgot that one, I'll take it tomorrow" dose.

WRT hay- I've looked online - I buy bulk hay - but the deliver costs seem huge.
We got some from an eBay seller but it was so nice and fresh, GP1 got a hayseed in his eye , so I thought , mmm, no.

And yes, she's playing you. You seem surprised

YY to lovely Guinea-Pig Vet. I think some vets view guineas as useless scruffy bits of squeaky fur. But they are complex and precious (according to GP1 )

What's next on the agenda for your piggie?

I buy hay from The Range (it used to be £3.99 for 4kg) but I was always a bit at the twigs'n'sharp bits.I know it's a natural product grown without weedkillers but I've pulled thorns out of my hand and worried about my guineas skin - not to mention the wing complete with feathers .
They've recently changed brand (though the price is still £3.99, the bag is smaller. Did they really think I wouldn't notice?)

Jolleys Hay is lovely, smells of honeyed tobacco.

But occasionally, if I want some naice eating hay, I go to P@H and buy some timothy hay.
I don't buy those bags of dried leaves (with camomile or dandelions or marigold) my boars aren't impressed .
"We don't eat flowers they roar. What d'you think we are - bees???"

Haha I get Timothy hay from pet supermarket as out works out cheaper per kilo that PAH and if you spend over £20 its free p&p.
she was do convincing that I completely believed her! She's still getting special treatment (and so her sister to make them even lol).
Ran my finger over her.lump last night and its not changed. So its only got 3 days too shrink left. Surgery is looking more and more likely.

Just noticed that she's got squidgy poo poor thing. She's eating hay and hard food, is there anything else I can give her to sort out her poo? She loves jam - could I break up a wheatabix and mix it with a little Jam for her?
She hates being dirty and getting poo in her fur. Its more the mess that's upsetting her rather than being ill.

The squidgey pooh might be an antibiotic side effect.

Keep her hydrated with veg and give her the hay and pellets (plus fresh drinking water)

She might appreciate some Wheatabix but go easy on the jam - her little guts will be in turmoil with the medications.
It's a balancing act isn't it, you don't want them constipated but you don't want them squidgey.

Will she eat banana?

She didn't want the jam mix even though she normally loves it.
She smells of marmite so I think the bacteria balance in her tummy is gone. Any idea how to help that?
She won't eat banana - when I got her the vets said for maximum nutrition to feed the "good greens diet" which has worked wonders for them.
She's fine with her drinking (thought that would be our problem) but is off her pellet food.
she feels constantly cold, but won't sit on a warm pad. She is only happy if I keep her inside my soft (Ted baker! Bloody expensive taste) cardigan against my skin. Fine for now but I have a video meeting soon! Haha will look so funny!

Sorry didn't explain well - she thinks all food other than from "her special list" are evil and horrible. I will give her something if it will sort out her tummy but she prob won't eat it!
Is banana a "wonder food" for tummies?

Vets at 4! Decided I couldn't do nothing so we'll visit her friend (she loves the new vet!) & see what they say.

Banana can bind them a bit (starchy but quite high in sugar), if my boys have overdone the grazing a bit I cut their supper veg down and give them fresh hay, sweetcorn , banana, (though finding a slice of banana 24 hours later is a bit eurgh )

anything that won't make them squidgey,

Did the vet give you probiotics to counteract the side effects of the antibiotics? If not you can ask today.

@ "her special list" - someone has their paws right under the table don't they

The vet was really great! Gave her something to re-balance her tum and said to grind up Timothy hay in a food processor into dust, mix with water and spoon feed her the goo. Yum yum yum.
She can't have any fresh veg til Monday so going to have to feed her and her sister separately. And to keep up the antibiotics til Sunday night.
I'm very happy the vet felt her lump and she says its smaller!!!!!! Might move mondays appointment til later next week and hope it will have shrunk more.
Only got charged for the meds today as according to the vet dealing with my girl is a nice little break so having a friendly piggy saved me £18

Fingers crossed about the lump .

You'll need to buy her ver' ver' naice hay to make up for her non-special-list diet now.

One of our old sows used to have a right old temper tantrum , wouldn't be touched on her sides and jumped all over the place. We worried about her cagemate -who was her female piglet- being terrorised. So we put her in a box of really nice sweet meadow hay overnight. And she basically poohed twice her own bodyweight Poor girl was constipated.

She did it a couple more times over the years but we think she just wanted peace and quiet

Did she suggest mashed pellets as well? You can soften in water ? Or just the hay? I'd be concerned about Vit C with her having no veg.

You can give them Vit C in water through a syringe - Calpol bottles have them if you know anyone with young DC .

Vet didn't seem worried about vit c (I did ask) as its only 2 days maximum without it.
She's eating the pellet mix ok so vet said about the hay for the fibre.
Having said that I've been giving her 0.5ml water each hour and she has massively perked up. And is now eating lots of hay for herself. don't know why she didn't drink from her bottle (maybe more attention seeking as she seemed thirsty!). I've moved them into the bedroom so I can keep an eye on her overnight.

Just seen an email from my client asking about the fur trim on my top! The one I wore in the video meeting. Do I Confess that that was my sleeping guinea pig?! Her head was handing over my shoulder and out of sight lol

Do you want to admit that you wear REAL FUR ?