Lumps/tumours on rump

[Debbie Jones]

Pirouette will be 4 years old on 25th May. She is a French "dolly mixture", like all my 17 piggies - short haired, some rosettes, some hair growing towards the head. She came to me 2 years ago when her family emigrated to Australia, being then a lone piggie living in a hamster cage. She is now part of the 13-strong female herd, outdoors in a large run in summer, indoors free-range in large porch spring and autumn, shares cage with Cherry in living room in cold winter, like now. Her diet is more-or-less that recommended by GuineaLynx, although I am still in pursuit of Cavy Cuisine here - it's looking hopeful.

I noticed a lump on her rump about a year ago. It didn't come up suddenly like an abscess (I've dealt with several of those) and didn't seem to be bothering her, so I left it. It got slowly bigger. Then last summer another came up, nearer her bum. Still not bothering her. Never oozed.

At this point I should say that my vets don't have much clue about guinea pigs. I've tried several, all admit it. If I can get suggestions from the Net or the CCT, the local vets will sell me whatever drugs I've asked for. I have never yet saved a piggie this way. They have never anaesthetised a piggie, and use injected anaesthetics, not gas. I have one other pig with a large sebaceous cyst and another with what has been diagnosed, after an ultrasound scan, as a hernia, but the decision was made in each case, after diagnosis last summer, to leave well alone whilst they were not bothering the pig, which they weren't and still aren't.

Pirouette's lumps must measure more than 1 cm across now. They now look like craters, filled with yellow-brown dried cracked resin-looking stuff - sorry, hard to describe. I have taken photos of them, but don't know how to include them in a post - nothing seems to happen when I click on Img*. The later one, nearer the bum, is the larger and sometimes has spots of blood on it. They still don't seem to bother her. She is not significantly losing weight, and is active and lively as ever, eating well, pooping, drinking, piddling normally.

I am hoping some people from Cavies Castle (rodentologists) will be visiting me later this spring to do health checks on all my piggies (I drove a sick piggie under the Channel Tunnel to them last November in a last-ditch attempt to save him, though sadly he died a week later), and they may be able to advise me on this. But I do feel these things are getting bigger, and I wondered if there was anything I could do myself. After reading Wheekers' experiences, I am thinking veterinary intervention really is not an option.

I am wondering whether these could be basal cell tumours, which I've seen mentioned in Virginia Richardson's book? She suggests surgical excision, but I would not trust the local vets. She says they are benign.

Is there anything topical/homeopathic I could try? I have been reluctant to bathe because at present they look dry and not sore. I worry that if I soak off the crusty surface crater, I will allow harmful bacteria to enter and do more harm than good. A gradually acting cream, if such exists, would be better. I could isolate her so Cherry couldn't lick her - I don't think she can reach either lump herself.

She's not a particularly human-orientated piggie - well, I think she was attached to her original family, but she does not relate closely to me. I think she would find a trip to the UK very stressful, plus I don't think I could afford one right now.

I am still in regular contact with her family by email. They know about the first lump, but I didn't want to worry them with the second. They trust me to do what I can to ensure she has a long, happy life.


All advice/opinions gratefully received.

Debbie

[InkysMom]

Hi, Debbie -

Firstly, I just love your little girl's name! That is darling and I'm sure she is, too.

I am sorry she is experiencing these problem lumps on her bum. I am no medical expert, and hopefully someone will come along who knows for certain what they are, but I would suspect broken-open sebaceous cysts. Especially because you mention a "resin-like" material in the craters which sounds like dried up excessive skin oil. Having suggested that, I have no idea how to treat them. It's a very good thing that she is carrying on normally and they don't seem to be bothering her.

You are quite the devoted piggie-mom to drive to another country for your sick animal! And here I thought 45 minutes to my favorite vet was heroic...

I hope you can get some answers and Pirouette makes a complete recovery.

[Wheekers3]

It sounds like some sort of cyst, I would agree. Usually they are slow growing, and appear as you described. A picture would help.

Here is a simular post: about Follicular and Sebaceous cysts.

https://www.guinealynx.info/forums/viewt ... ious+cysts

I have never had to deal with anything of this nature. Someone will be along who can help you more I am sure.

[Lynx]

It could be a tumor that should be removed, too. The vets in France don't use inhalant anesthetics? They are much, much safer than injected anesthetics.

You can send me a pic if it is crisp and clear and I will add it to this thread. Please include a link to the thread so I can find it easily.

[Debbie Jones]

I forgot to mention that Pirouette's brother, Claude (from a different litter - NOT deliberately bred by me, I assure you - was their previous owners) had a lump on his rump removed by the Cambridge Cavy Trust last autumn whilst he was there for his castration. I notice Virginia Richardson suggests in her book that there may be a familial tendency to the development of basal cell tumours.

The CCT do, of course, use a gas anaesthetic. The wound was large enough to have stitches - but his lump was nowhere near as big as Pirouette's. He made a full recovery.

I've looked at the photos in the links. Snowflake's was a lot smaller than what Pirouette has. Hers were quite large by the time I noticed them. But they did not appear or grow very quickly, and do not smell. I have treated 2 nasty abscesses on different pigs in the past (including one which I think was cervical lymphadenitis), and these lumps of Pirouette's are not like those were.

Debbie

[Lynx]

I got the photo you sent. It is not very crisp but reminiscent of some serious tumors on guinea pigs. It's my opinion that you must have it surgically removed and preferably biopsied so you know what you are dealing with. You need someone who uses safe anesthetics.

Your pic:


A simmilar pic by Latino22:

[Wheekers3]

Wow that is strikingly similar. Here is a link to that pig's thread:
https://www.guinealynx.info/forums/viewtopic ... highlight=

[Lynx]

Yes, I thought it was strikingly similar too. Kind of how I would expect it to look if Latino22's crust had been removed (note that the pics above are a new pic and one of Latino22's pig).

Latino22 was by recently posting about some new pigs. I never found out what happened to this one :-(

[Debbie Jones]

I read Latino's thread - it does look very similar, though in Pirouette's case, she has had no treatment. Like Latino, I have no access to a cavy-savvy vet. I have contacted the vet school in Paris and tried their recommendations, but I still end up with vets who think cavies need to starve before surgery and who use injected anaesthetic.

It is a long and expensive journey from here to the Cavy Cambridge Trust in Britain. At present Pirouette seems happy. Such a journey would be very stressful for her, and obviously any surgery would be frightening and painful. From Latino's thread, it looks likely that the lump might return after surgery. I would therefore have to leave her at the Cavy hospital, all alone and frightened - and for how long?

Obviously I need to consult with her family in Australia. As I mentioned initially, I am hoping 2 rodentologists from Cavies Castle will visit me later this spring. I might be able to persuade them to take her back with them to the CCT. But it's a lot to put Pirouette through, and hard when at present she doesn't seem to be suffering.

My book says basal cell tumours are benign and metastases are rare. Maybe these two will not infect her whole body and kill her? Maybe an anaesthetic would kill her? Maybe cutting her open and letting in infection when she is already in a stressed state from a long journey would kill her?

I will try to take a better photo - my partner says the camera has a macro button - and send it to the rodentologists for their opinion. But it looks like there isn't anything topical I can put on it in the meantime?

Many thanks to everyone for their input. It is very frustrating to have no access to proper veterinary care.

Debbie

[Lynx]

I think the surgery was unsuccessful in Latino22's case for other reasons. You need a complete excision.

Are any neighboring countries possibilities? I think both Germany and the Netherlands should have competent vets.

A better pic would be great. I'm sorry you're in this situation with this poor guinea pig.

[Wheekers3]

You are a good care-person to think so much of Piroutte. I am sorry there aren't any decent Vets where you are. You can try and print out the info we have and boss your way perhaps? As Lynx said the person with the other pig never really said what happened to him.

At the very least I think antibiotics are in order. There is a list of applicable ones here, in the Medical and Care Guide. Can you list some suggestions and doseage, and bring them into the Vet that isn't cavy-savy?

Otherwise Piroutte seems okay? Eating and drinking and at a good weight?

[Lynx]

Not sure I would give antibiotics unless it is clear there is an infection. Could the vets culture it?