my guinea pig has a lump
hi, my name is nancy and i have an approximately two or three year old guinea pig. today i noticed that she has a lump on her stomach that´s probably about as big as a quarter. it is soft, and does not appear to be tender to my guinea pig, lucy. it doesn´t seem to be bothering her at all, as it is not painful and she is eating and drinking as much as she always does. but it is raised quite a bit, and i am worried that it could be an abscess or a tumor of some sort, but i really have no knowledge of either of these things. i would like to take her to a vet, but our local vet here has no knowledge on guinea pig sicknesses or diseases, he only knows how to groom them and such. i have no idea where the nearest specialist is, as we live in a small town on the oregon coast. also, prices for taking lucy in are a problem, because i, being fifteen, cannot afford to be spending a lot of money, but i want her to be alright. i love her a lot. anyway, if anyone has any information on this lump and what i can do about it, i would really appreciate it. thanks!
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Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
It could be a cyst (sebaceous cyst), an abscess (infection) or a tumor (usually benign, sometimes cancerous).
I don´t know what is the most likely -- I´ve never had a pig with a lump. I think a vet would aspirate the lump (draw out some of it with a needle) -- and maybe could tell what it was. Some vets would just remove the lump. If it were a sebaceous cyst, it might not cause too much harm but an abscess would be dangerous left untreated.
If you can give a nearby city, maybe someone knows of a cavy knowledgeable vet. You would need one if surgery was necessary (anesthetics can be tricky). There is a thread on Abscesses in the medical reference forum (just below this one) that would give you some info on them.
I wish I had something to suggest to you but I know of no home remedies for lumps, especially when one doesn´t know what the lump is.
On this thread is a pic of a pig with harmless lumps. But we don´t know what your pig has:
https://www.guinealynx.info/forums/threa ... &boardid=2
Please read this thread too. It has information on lumps:
https://www.guinealynx.info/forums/thread.ph ... &boardid=2
Do you see an injury anywhere on the lump? Anything that would indicate it could be an abscess (injury that didn´t heal, closed up and got infected)?
I don´t know what is the most likely -- I´ve never had a pig with a lump. I think a vet would aspirate the lump (draw out some of it with a needle) -- and maybe could tell what it was. Some vets would just remove the lump. If it were a sebaceous cyst, it might not cause too much harm but an abscess would be dangerous left untreated.
If you can give a nearby city, maybe someone knows of a cavy knowledgeable vet. You would need one if surgery was necessary (anesthetics can be tricky). There is a thread on Abscesses in the medical reference forum (just below this one) that would give you some info on them.
I wish I had something to suggest to you but I know of no home remedies for lumps, especially when one doesn´t know what the lump is.
On this thread is a pic of a pig with harmless lumps. But we don´t know what your pig has:
https://www.guinealynx.info/forums/threa ... &boardid=2
Please read this thread too. It has information on lumps:
https://www.guinealynx.info/forums/thread.ph ... &boardid=2
Do you see an injury anywhere on the lump? Anything that would indicate it could be an abscess (injury that didn´t heal, closed up and got infected)?
Last edited by Lynx on Wed Aug 14, 2002 9:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
hey, thanks for the advice and links. lucy´s lump looks just like the one in that picture, and as in the thread, it is quarter-sized and squishy. also, it can move around and doesn´t seem to be attached to anything. and i can´t see an injury anywhere on the lump, and it doesn´t look infected at all. it almost looks like it belongs there, it´s covered with her hair and is just raised. just like the picture. um....the town i live in is seaside, oregon. if you don´t know where that is, it´s by astoria and is about an hour and a half from portland. anyway, thanks so much for the advice and links. do you think it´s necessary for me to go to the vet? and if it is, does anyone know of one that´s a cavy specialist, or at least can help lucy? thank you!
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Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
I live in Virginia. Hopefully someone will have some ideas for you. Thing is, we don´t know what it is -- hopefully it´s harmless but we don´t know. Is it at all warm to the touch? That might indicate an abscess.
There is a page on finding a good vet (check "Veterinarians" on Guinealynx, top right button). Maybe it will help you if no one here has a suggestion.
There is a page on finding a good vet (check "Veterinarians" on Guinealynx, top right button). Maybe it will help you if no one here has a suggestion.
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kleenmama
- I GAVE, dammit!
I had a pig with an abscess, and it felt soft and pliable, not attached also. He had to have it drained, then was on Baytril for 10 days.
I live in Tacoma, and have friends in Portland with a very good vet there. Check the links and see if there is one in Seaside. If not, I can get you the name of a good one in Portland.
Beautiful area, by the way. I´ve been there many times.
My best advice to you would be to try and get to a vet. If it is an abscess, it could rupture and spread infection throughout Lucy, making her very sick.
Best of luck and keep us posted.
I live in Tacoma, and have friends in Portland with a very good vet there. Check the links and see if there is one in Seaside. If not, I can get you the name of a good one in Portland.
Beautiful area, by the way. I´ve been there many times.
My best advice to you would be to try and get to a vet. If it is an abscess, it could rupture and spread infection throughout Lucy, making her very sick.
Best of luck and keep us posted.
By looking at that picture on the link you really should bring him into a vet. I have read and seen things far smaller then that become much more bigger problems. You never know how complicated it could get, and a vet visit shouldnt be too expensive, tho what you DO at the vet visit can add up. So ask clearly what needs to be done and how much and choose.
Although he/she may be eating at present it could become serious. One bad thing that it could be is an abcess, if left alone your pig will slowly stop eating. Become depressed. Given longer the abcess would begin to work its way into the blood stream and slowly poison your pig. This is basically what happened to mine. That is if it is an abcess and it isnt drained and left alone.
If it is an abcess it shouldnt be too expensive to get rid of. It can probably be drained out and flushed regularly.
Good luck.
Although he/she may be eating at present it could become serious. One bad thing that it could be is an abcess, if left alone your pig will slowly stop eating. Become depressed. Given longer the abcess would begin to work its way into the blood stream and slowly poison your pig. This is basically what happened to mine. That is if it is an abcess and it isnt drained and left alone.
If it is an abcess it shouldnt be too expensive to get rid of. It can probably be drained out and flushed regularly.
Good luck.
thanks for all the advice, guys, i really appreciate it. i really need to get lucy into a vet, to see what in the heck it is. hopefully it´s nothing. unfortunately, there is probably no one in seaside who can check lucy out, though i need to check to be sure. so kleenmama, if i could get that name, it would be much appreciated, and also a phone number if you have it. i could contact them, and if i can´t get to portland, the vet might know of someone a little closer. i´ll do whatever i have to do, lucy is very dear to me. anyway, thanks again for all the responses, and if anyone else has any other advice they´re willing to share, i´d be glad to take it. thank you!
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