[Gpdd] [HEALTH] piggy ovarian cysts/hormone treatment

[karen mims]

Hi Mary Ann,

I have an almost 7 year old female guinea pig who has ovarian cysts.
They were first diagnosed just over 2 years ago, when she was getting
huge bald spots on her body, flanks in particular.  I took her to the
University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Hospital, and she was treated
with hCG (human Chorionic Gonadotropin), a hormone found in pregnant
women.

After 3 treatments about a week apart her hair grew back.  She was
fine for about a year.

The next summer, she began losing her hair again, so I took her back
for more hCG treatments.  Once again, she regrew her hair in about a
month.

This summer, she did not lose her hair.  However, I could feel the
cyst on her right side getting really big.  It seemed cyclical--it
would get bigger for a while, then shrink for a while.  About a month
ago, my piggy had a loss of appetite and some lethargy, and the cyst
felt particularly big (about 6cm in diameter--really huge on a piggy
who is less than 2 pounds!).  So I took her back in to the vet again.
He was surprised at the size of the cyst and thought that her lethargy
and loss of appetite could have been explained by the huge cyst
pressing on her stomach and other organs and making it uncomfortable
for her to eat.  The vet thought that her cyst may have an
accompanying tumor, but he couldn't tell without ultrasound.

I decided not to get the ultrasound done, because if it revealed that
there was a tumor, the only treatment options were surgery and "benign
neglect."  Since I will not subject my nearly 7 year old piggy to
surgery (I think there's a very good chance she would not survive), my
choice would be benign neglect.  If the ultrasound revealed it was
just a cyst, then I would treat with hCG.

Since the hCG had worked in the past, we knew that there was at least
a cyst there (because tumor wouldn't respond to hCG).  So I chose to
just go ahead with the hCG, knowing that if there was a tumor there,
the hCG would do nothing.

She's had her first hCG treatment, and is going back this week for
round 2.  Already, the cyst feels smaller, so I'm glad I chose this
route again.

Treatment details:  the vet visit costs me about $50 for the first
visit, $30 for the bottle of hCG (which is enough meds for all the
treatments, and stays good in the fridge at the vet's office for up to
6 months), and $27 for the followup visits (he only charges me for a
nurse practitioner's visit, cuz it's just getting the shot).  The dose
is 1000mg, divided in half, and injected IM into each thigh muscle.

My vet's name is Dr. Boutette, at the University of Pennsylvania
Veterinary School.  The number for the Hospital appointment desk is:
215-898-4680.  There also seems to be a number for other vets to call
toll-free: 877-PENNVET.  (from this website:
http://www.vet.upenn.edu/ryan/services/referrals/ ).

I hope this has helped with your decision, and that your Truffle-pig
lives a long and healthy life.

Karen and Miss Fergusson (nearly 7 and kicking!)