# Tumor :(



## chaos_emerald (Jan 26, 2009)

Hi all. I have a 5 year old hedgie, who has otherwise had a near flawless health record. But last night I noticed a mass above her right leg, on her chest. 
We have a vet appointment today. Any advice for what the vet needs to do? What I need to do? 
Her quality of life still seems great: she eats like a pig, drinks water, runs miles every night, so I think she'll be ok for awhile at least. 
I've been quite sad about it... she's been my baby for quite awhile. I'm going to buy her all the meal worms today.


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## shmurciakova (Sep 7, 2008)

I just wanted to say good luck at the vets. I hope the mass is able to be removed, or better yet, if the vet determines it is not a tumor. I would assume they will do some kind of needle biopsy of it.
Please let us know what is said at the appointment so we can support you in any ways we can!
Good luck,
Susan H.


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## chaos_emerald (Jan 26, 2009)

Thank you so much  I'm trying not to assume the worst.... but it's difficult. I will post an update after our vet visit later this evening. 

Any advice still appreciated!


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## momIImany (Oct 14, 2012)

So, any verdict? What did the vet say?


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## chaos_emerald (Jan 26, 2009)

Well he took a sample, and said he saw a lot of lipid cells, so he thinks it may be a fatty tumor. Which means it would be benign, but still wise to remove it, because they can get to be very large. He sent the sample off, so we'll know for sure whether it is malignant or benign in a few days. Fingers crossed it's benign!! 
Thanks for checking up on her though, it's much appreciated  She's a little trooper.


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## AngelaH (Jul 24, 2012)

* sigh of relief * This is the first I heard of a fatty tumor on a hedgehog, but for other animals (and people!) they are fairly common and harmless  I've had one personally, and had a dog that got several.


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## shmurciakova (Sep 7, 2008)

Well, we will all keep our fingers crossed. Sounds like it needs to be removed no matter what. I had a hedgehog that had a breast tumor removed (2x) and she did very well after her surgeries. They are very resilient and yours has already lived to a ripe old age!
Best wishes,
Susan H.


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## chaos_emerald (Jan 26, 2009)

Oh that's good to know about yours that had a breast tumor removed twice. Hers is in a similar location. Thanks everyone! I should know the results sometime next week. My 5 year old buddy still has a lot of life to live as far as I'm concerned.


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## chaos_emerald (Jan 26, 2009)

Update: They don't know what it is. The pathologist said it could be a swollen lymph node, but there just weren't enough cells in the sample to be able to distinguish what the problem was. (So I'm assuming it isn't cancerous) My vet thought it was a fatty tumor because there were lipid cells in the sample, which the pathologist also noted. 
He just said to start measuring it frequently with a ruler, and keep an eye on it. If it becomes a problem he'll take it out and send the whole thing in so they can figure out what it is.

Any ideas on what its going on here? Anyone ever had a similar problem? 

Thanks so much again, y'all are great.


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## AngelaH (Jul 24, 2012)

Well that's a frustrating result! The vet's plan sounds like good advice to me, keep a close eye on it and go back if it changes. Fatty tumors really are harmless unless it starts growing more. Good luck with everything!


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

For what it is worth, here is what I would do. If it is in a location that is favorable and is small now, push to have it removed and tested.

In my experience, waiting to see what happens with a mass in a hedgehog tends to yield bad results. If you allow it to grow and later want to have it removed, you tend to end up with a larger surgical site and with a potentially more complicated surgery, or it starts to involve important parts of the body that it didn't before, or it simply spreads and is no longer removable. I've also seen what appeared to be a small tumor, but once we removed it we realized what we were seeing/feeling was just a small part as the bulk was "hiding" where it was hard to feel.

I have dealt with many different types of cancers and benign tumors in these little ones. Any time I see a mass, and its in a location doc can remove it without causing a long lasting decrease in quality of life, we have it removed as soon as possible. My policy is remove it and pray to the hedgie gods that it is benign. When it comes back benign, CELEBRATE. If it comes back cancer but with clean margins, CELEBRATE. If it comes back cancer with unclean margins, start asking the vet about what to do next.


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## chaos_emerald (Jan 26, 2009)

Hmm thanks Kalandra, that's solid advice. 

Is the surgery safe on a 5 year old hedgehog though? That's what worries me the most. Right now it's not even bothering her, but I'd hate for there to be complications during the surgery and it was only a benign tumor and she dies. I guess it's probably better safe than sorry and just to have it removed... it's just scary taking that chance.

Do y'all have experience with surgery on older hedgies like my little one?


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

I honestly don’t worry about the hedgehog’s age as much as I do their condition (Are they active? Is weight easy to keep on them? Etc…) and how large/invasive of a surgery we are considering. If the risks outweigh the potential benefits then I will decline surgery. I have had a couple have surgery that were over 4. I have not had one that lived over 5 and needed surgery. All of those over age of 4 have done fine. All were strong at the time of surgery and still active hedgehogs though. 

This is one of those things that you just have to do what feels right. If you feel she is getting too old and a surgery would be too hard on her, don’t do it. Discuss with your vet about removing it now vs later. He should be able to give you an idea of how invasive the surgery will likely be and what he thinks the likelihood of a full recovery will be. Of course there are risks. There is always a risk when you use anesthesia (including on ourselves).

Again do what you feel is best. I just wanted to throw out my thoughts on the matter. In particular if removal later once it grows is a consideration, then why not remove it when it’s smaller and is likely to be a smaller incision.

I’m sure I clouded the situation for you, and I apologize for that. But I have dealt with far too many cancers/tumors over the years and it’s a topic I am a bit passionate about.


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## chaos_emerald (Jan 26, 2009)

No don't worry you're being really helpful! And you're probably right... I'm just worrying over here.

She seems really happy and healthy, eats like a pig, still runs miles every night... so I suppose she's probably up to the surgery. 
It's very poor timing because I'm giving her to a friend this summer, as I am moving to Germany for a year thanks to a Fulbright grant. Silly critter! But maybe the timing is better since I can take care of her and get her well for her new home. 

I really appreciate everyone's help! I still welcome any and all advice. Looking like this won't be an easy decision! :? :?


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