Guinea Lynx A Medical and Care Guide for Guinea Pigs

LUMPS

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Skin Lumps and Bumps -- What Are They?

Lumps may be abscesses, fatty lipomas, cysts, or tumors. Examine your guinea pig at least once a week for lumps and bumps, and see a vet for an evaluation.

Your vet will perform a thorough visual examination. He/she may also recommend:

  • A fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB)
  • A wedge biopsy (more material collected, more accuracy)
  • Surgical removal
  • Cleaning and installation of a drain (abscess)
  • Guinea pig-safe antibiotics (abscess)

Collected material would be examined by microscope in-house, sometimes sent to a pathologist for interpretation.

For more information, read:

  • Abscess - due to the cheesy nature of guinea pig pus, abscesses require complete removal or cleaning and daily flushing
  • Cervical Lymphadenitis (CL) or "Lumps" (See also Tracis' Links thread in the reference forum)
  • Cyst -- some cysts may require surgical removal to prevent recurrence
  • Lipoma -- these fatty deposits are usually benign
  • Mammary Tumor -- both male and female guinea pigs can develop mammary tumors
  • Thyroid adenoma -- see post in reference forum
    Another guinea pig with lumps was described in that thread with a diagnosis of lymphoma.
  • Trichofolliculoma -- these common tumors are usually not cancerous

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