# Lucy has a growth



## LoriL (Jan 20, 2009)

Hi all, it's been awhile since I've been around. Life has been pretty busy with two kids, but never too busy to spend time with my Lucy! 

About a week ago, I noticed that Lucy has developed a growth down by her skirt area. I took a picture, but I'm afraid it's not the best quality. We have an appointment with the vet tomorrow. I had to wait until then to see the vet I prefer. His associate could get us in sooner, but she seems to be afraid of Lucy ("Is she going to bite me?" :roll: ).

Anyway, she doesn't seem bothered by this thing. I can touch it and she doesn't pull away or huff. She doesn't seem to be scratching at it or trying to play with it at all. She's walking fine. Eating, pooping and peeing fine. The only thing that is abnormal, besides this growth, is that she is losing more quills than normal the past few days now. Example: when I took her out to take this picture, she lost 6 quills just while I was holding her.

My first thought was cancer, but I did some searching on the boards and now I'm thinking perhaps ingrown quill? Could this also cause the quill loss if there is an infection?

Also, Lucy will be 3 in April.

Here is the picture, I circled the growth:


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## sagesmommy (Sep 25, 2008)

im sorry about that growth that is a scary thing but i dont think that a quill would be ingrown in that area. it doesnt look like quills are growing that far in. Looks like a tumor ... but not all tumors mean cancer sometimes there can be "fatty tumors" just an overgrowth of fat....
I hope that helps a little?


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## LoriL (Jan 20, 2009)

Thanks for your response. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it is an ingrown quill, but I think deep down inside that I know that it is in the wrong spot for that.  I guess I won't know for sure until after the vet visit.


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## HedgiLover (Jan 21, 2009)

Tell me if you figure out! Good luck!


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## shetland (Sep 2, 2008)

I have followed your little Lucy for a very long time. I have wondered. how she was doing. I remember her quill loss and skin problems and how devoted you were in finding out what was wrong so long ago. I have just said a special prayer for Lucy as I know just how special she is to you. I will continue to hope and pray for the best results.


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Good luck at the vet today! Hopefully it turns out to be something minor.

And Lucy, you have a very nice little hedgie tush! Hehehehe :lol:


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## LoriL (Jan 20, 2009)

LizardGirl said:


> Good luck at the vet today! Hopefully it turns out to be something minor.
> 
> And Lucy, you have a very nice little hedgie tush! Hehehehe :lol:


Shhh....I told her I wasn't going to post this on the internet!


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

From what I can see of the image it almost looks like the little things NeMali used to get. I believe doc said they were little pockets of fat. They turned out to be nothing on her. I'm interested to see what Lucy's turns out to be.


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## LoriL (Jan 20, 2009)

Back from the vet. Lucy was pretty uncooperative. She was very grouchy today, to say the least, even when she was at home. 

Anyway, the vet had the brilliant idea of placing her in a clear plastic bin and waiting for her to unroll and start to walk around. Then he lifted it up and could see her tummy. He got a look at the growth, but then when I tried to pick her up so he could feel it, she rolled back up again. 

After 45 minutes of watching her get worked up, he told me that the growth was one of two things: and abscess or a tumor. He said that at this point, the only way to feel it was to put her to sleep and feel it and he didn't want to do that. She's also losing a ton of quills. He said that he would treat it as an abscess and give her antibiotics. The antibiotics should also take care of the quill loss. 

He said that if it gets bigger, then we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. If it's a tumor, then we'll have to decide if I want to remove it, or let it run it's course. 

I have a 14 day course of Baytril to give her. I haven't given her her first dose since she was still pretty worked up when we got home. I'll give her the first dose later tonight after she settles down and sleeps a bit.


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## sagesmommy (Sep 25, 2008)

oh i hope the antibiotics work! keep us updated i have been thinking about Lucy all day!


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## LoriL (Jan 20, 2009)

She's been quite the trooper with taking her medicine.


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## shetland (Sep 2, 2008)

I hope little Lucy is well on the way to recovery!!!!!!!!!!


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Just some of my thoughts...

I really dislike the wait and see method with hedgehogs. From experience, it often leads to having a small problem turn into something bigger to have to deal with. I have personally experienced, and seen many others report similar experiences. You take a hedgehog in with something the vet isn't certain what it is. Doc says wait and see. You wait. The problem doesn't get better, or it starts to grow. And becomes a bigger problem to have to deal with.

If it doesn't get better with the antibiotics, ask doc to do a fine needle aspirate of the spot.  With an FNA doc will stick a needle into the spot to collect a small sample. It may give him a chance to determine if the pocket is indeed an abscess or if he sees abnormal cells. Abnormal cells = cancer and you want that removed as soon as possible. The sooner cancer is removed, the better chances you have at a full recovery.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

I too would have wanted the growth to be thoroughly checked. Even abscesses usually need to be cleaned out and topical antibiotics applied as well as oral. 

I do agree with not gassing them for routine visits but when there is a concern, the small risk of gassing is worth it to get answers to what could be something serious and needs to be removed asap. 

If the round of antibiotics doesn't accomplish anything, you will still have to go ahead and gas her and do the fine needle aspiration only then it will be another couple of weeks and whatever it is will have had that much more chance to grow. 

I hope the antibiotic will clear up whatever it is and Miss Lucy makes a full recovery.


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## LoriL (Jan 20, 2009)

It appears to be an abscess. Tonight it broke open and let the infection out. I gave her a foot bath and just let the warm water clean it up a bit, which also allowed her to do her bathroom duty and then put more clean warm water in. I'm hoping this will keep that area cleaner a bit longer than her using her litter box tonight. She'll just go just a bit in her litter box now.


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## sagesmommy (Sep 25, 2008)

well, let us know how she is doing. I hope she is healing up alright!


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