ericf323232's Guinea Pig with Lump under Chin neck area

ericf323232

Post   » Tue May 23, 2017 2:31 pm


Hello, I am almost certain this happened from my other guinea pig biting the one with the lump I had just bought a new one and you know the whole dominance thing kicked in anyways there seperated now but I noticed a scab and now a few days later its a scab and a lump so more then likely its an abscess.I took him to the vet today and there first suggestion was surgery for 1500-2000 dollars if I was well off which i most certainly am not id have done it but... So the next best thing was they gave me medication Trimethoprim 0.75ml every 12 hours for 7 days but my hopes on this working are low because of all the stuff I read on the net saying it has to be lanced and drained etc.Does anyone have any success with just meds alone? And how much is a reasonable price to pay if surgery needs to be done.Im stressed out I cant afford 1500 dollars. But at the same time this has to be resolved these pigs are like kids to me lol.halp

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue May 23, 2017 2:41 pm


That sounds kind of expensive. Maybe you can call some exotics veterinarians and ask them how much surgery to remove a lump (give location) would be? Did you ask this vet if you could get the lump drained/cleaned so you could keep it open and help it to heal from the inside out?

Do you have any pictures of the lump?

ericf323232

Post   » Tue May 23, 2017 2:55 pm


I've called places but all of them are saying they cant really give a price over the phone and of course a visit costs 50 dollars and up
really hard to see it in a picture its not a huge lump but the vet told me its in a spot where all the vital stuff is its literally right under the chin bone

ericf323232

Post   » Tue May 23, 2017 3:02 pm


by the way he still has a scab in the what most likely is where the other pig bite him

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Tue May 23, 2017 5:44 pm


It may or may not be a bite. Lumps under the neck are often cervical lymphadenitis, and those lumps can leak/burst. It's very contagious, and that medication is not very effective for treating it.

Was this an exotic vet? There are plenty of vets in New Jersey, so you should be able to find someone who will treat him for way less than $1500.

ericf323232

Post   » Tue May 23, 2017 9:36 pm


Maybe can be CL I dunno but I do see a wound mark with a scab on it.Think I should wait 5 days for meds or just take it for surgery asap?

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Tue May 23, 2017 9:53 pm


The lump is almost certainly infection. A vet might be able to lance and drain it without it requiring surgery.

A cyst has a sac around it, and to keep it from recurring, the sac has to be removed. But a lump of infection, say from a bite, won't usually have a sac, and is more likely to respond to lancing and antibiotics than a cyst would be. Guinea pig pus is very thick and cheesy, and an antibiotic is not likely to penetrate it.

If I were you and could possibly swing it financially, I'd go to a good exotic vet and have him examined.

ericf323232

Post   » Tue May 23, 2017 9:59 pm


Ya I did take him to an exotic vet today and the options where surgery for 1500-2000 or give him meds I opted for meds because there was no way I was paying that much. I may have found a good place for alot more reasonable price but was hoping for a miracle that these meds will work but from the research ive done chances of that are not good.I kinda need some days to scrap up the funds anyways but was wondering if I should really kick it into gear and take him asap like tomorrow if I can

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Tue May 23, 2017 10:16 pm


How is he behaving? Is he eating/pooping/drinking/peeing normally? Is he as active as he usually is, or is he hiding? Does he seem to be in pain?

If he's otherwise ok, you might be able to get by with waiting to see if the medicine will work. If not, he needs to go soon. Of course, none of us can guarantee you that if you wait he'll be ok, because guinea pigs can go downhill in a hurry. But we also can't guarantee you that he'll be ok if you do go. The one thing I wouldn't do is wait until the weekend, because it will for sure turn into an emergency if you do!

ericf323232

Post   » Tue May 23, 2017 10:34 pm


Ya hes doing fine the bump is really not that big I caught it really early gonna sleep on it and decide what im gonna do the real issue is having the money
ill see tho if it gets worst gonna have to find someone to lend me money earlier thanks for the advice

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed May 24, 2017 7:17 am


This is the syringe that is often used to flush a pocket of infection:
Image

If it were me, I would be tempted to try to soak the scab off (hold a warm wet cloth to it) to try to get it to open so the infected material can be flushed out.

ericf323232

Post   » Wed May 24, 2017 5:28 pm


Update I found a place and they only charged me 125$ unreal from 1500-2000 to 125$ They didnt have to put him to sleep they just lanced it and now I have to flush it out etc hard part about finding a place is they wont give you a qoute on the phone and you have to pay for a visit

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