[Gpdd] HEALTH: mammary tumor

[Monica Morris]

 all -

Haven't posted in a long while yet a member since approximately 1995.
Our first was Binny and now we're on numbers 11 and 12.

We discovered a ping-pong ball sized tumor on Jelly on 12/31/2010.  This
tumor made a sudden appearance as she is held daily and checked often.

After tests, Jelly has an inoperable and cancerous mammary gland tumor.
Inoperable due to size, shape and location. She is 3 yrs 8 months and
the first gpig we've had that we knew before birth, having had the
opportunity to feel her kicking and wriggling when we met her mother at
the rescue.

Our vet prescribed metacam for pain and inflammation and doxycycline,
which he said may lessen the blood supply to the tumor and perhaps slow
the progress. The metacam is the usual type and Jelly seems to enjoy it.
The doxy, not as much.  Her first bottle was rasberry, which she
protested everytime.  Now we have the butternut-vanilla suspension doxy
and she likes this.

4 months, post diagnosis, and we still have our Jelly.  Other than the
cumbersome size of the tumor, which has not grown, she remains graceful
and graze-full; hasn't lost any weight.  Her personality remains
affectionate and she loves her new cagemate, Tibby.  We lost her
life-long mate, Argyle, on 12/7/10, which I feel may have been the
unseen cause of the sudden tumor.

Perhaps sharing Jelly's experience might help somepig in a similar
circumstance.  Best luck to all guinea pigs everywhere and thank you to
everyone for all of the hints, stories, pictures and smiles over the
years.

Monica, Steve, Jelly and Tibby
with Binny, Buffy, Widget, Blaze, Beau, Carmen, Kippie, Mellon, Carlo
and Argyle in our hearts.

Some pictures  http://www.buinea.com/