Growth on head/neck

[justjamiegee]

Hi all,

I have two degus that are about 5-6 years old. About a month ago, one of them was bleeding quite badly from the back of her neck/head and so I took her to the vet. I assumed they must have had a fight or something. The vet then did surgery on her and took out a mass that she said was necrotic (dead) tissue. She said it wouldn’t have been from a bite, but may just be a growth of some sort that she scratched open. She gave me pain meds and antibiotics for my degu and I put her in a separate cage while she healed. Her cut is now healed over but it looks like the lump is coming back. Has anyone had anything like this happen before?

Thank you!

[deguconvert]

It is not overly unusual for degus to have lumps and bumps, but the type of lump and bump is important. Some do not return upon removal, and some return quickly and more aggressively. I think you really should call your vet and talk with her. It is possible that it is not the lump that has returned, but infection, or scar tissue. However . . . if there is more dead tissue in there, you really need to have that examined and attended to. Probably you will need to take your degu in to be looked at.

This is definitely a concern. I'm glad you have asked. Please do have her looked at, and let us know what you learn.

[justjamiegee]

Hi everyone,

After the vet was able to take a look at the cells from the tissue in the growth he’s determined it is a round cell tumour, so we are giving her meds and keeping her comfy (basically palliative care) until she stops eating and drinking

[moletteuk]

I'm sorry it's not better news. Several people on the forum have had degus live for much longer than expected with tumours, with the degus managing to have decent quality of life while the lumps grow quite large, sometimes for a year or more. See how she gets on. If you don't already have one, I wholeheartedly recommend some kind of heatpad for keeping her comfortable.

[bouncy]

I'm sorry!

Tumours are becoming more common. Some can be removed, but others just have to be left. One of my lads passed last Friday, having had some lumps removed, one next to his heart for over a year, and a large external one on his shoulder. You'll know if the time comes when they don't want to carry on.

Ditto the heat pad. Spidey virtually lived on his for his last couple of months!

[teemu]

I'm sorry to hear the bad news as well. As others have said, it's possible that she could have a longer life and still be happy for a long time, but unfortunately it's impossible to say. The only thing that can be done is to take things one step at a time and see how it goes.

The dead tissue sounds like the tumor interfering with blood flow or otherwise causing tissue around it to die, basically creating a cyst in the vicinity. Your girl likely tore it herself because of discomfort. So that is something you should definitely watch for, in case she starts tearing at it again or it starts to get really pronounced. It might need to be lanced or otherwise managed later on as well.

Could you ask the vet for an opinion on how the necrotic tissue and the tumorous cells might be related? They might have an opinion on how to best manage that, because it sounds like it could become a problematic combination.

In any case, I wish you well and hope that she still has some good times left. I know it's hard to take care of a pet living on uncertain time, but try to think of the fact that you are her whole life, and that she will be grateful for all the kindness and good care.

[justjamiegee]

Hi again everyone,

Sad update here- I think it’s time. The growth has bled again and she is also now limping and will not put weight on one of her back legs. I did poke around her legs to see if I could see anything and she didn’t make any noise or anything, but I think it’s best now rather than to drag it out any longer selfishly. I will be bringing her in to the vet this morning. Any advice or anything would be greatly appreciated, especially with how to make this transition easier for her cage mate/sister.

Thank you all

[savvy]

I am so sorry, but I think you are making the right decision at the right time.

The best thing to do for her cage mate is to let her spend some time with the body as she will not only get a chance to say goodbye but will also understand why her cage mate has suddenly disappeared.

[bouncy]

Having been through this recently, I appreciate how hard your decision has been. I agree the time is right.

In terms of cagemates, bring your goo back with you after the PTS vet visit. Pop her back in the cage for an hour or so, so that they understand she's departed and can say goodbye. You need to think about future company (introductions etc) but, in the meantime, a heat pad, extra attention, and a cuddly toy or sock goo will help until you're ready.