• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Abscesses

Pearl and Zip

Pearl and Zip

Teenage Guinea Pig
Joined
Nov 4, 2017
Messages
574
Reaction score
343
Points
450
Location
East Bay Area, California
Zip is 5 years old. She is definitely senior, as she is less curious than before and more lazy.

Zip has three abscesses. One on her right side, one pea sized one above her right nipple, and another below her left nipple. The one on her right side has been there since we adopted her (1 year ago) and the vet says that we don’t need to do anything about it as long as it doesn’t grow. We don’t have a vet nearby that specializes in guinea pigs.

We don’t know anything about the other two, because they appeared awhile after the vet visit.

Are there any suggestions on what we should do? Is another vet visit absolutely necessary?
 
Pearl and Zip said:
Zip is 5 years old. She is definitely senior, as she is less curious than before and more lazy.

Zip has three abscesses. One on her right side, one pea sized one above her right nipple, and another below her left nipple. The one on her right side has been there since we adopted her (1 year ago) and the vet says that we don’t need to do anything about it as long as it doesn’t grow. We don’t have a vet nearby that specializes in guinea pigs.

We don’t know anything about the other two, because they appeared awhile after the vet visit.

Are there any suggestions on what we should do? Is another vet visit absolutely necessary?
Click to expand...

Hi!

We strongly recommend to have any lump checked by a decent general vet. The majority are harmless cysts or fatty lumps (which your first lump is most likely), but there are abscesses and benign or malign tumours.
Only a hands-on vet examination can tell you what it is and how it needs to be treated. How long is it since your last vet visit?
Some lumps can come up in groups at the same time. Most are harmless fatty lumps, but sometimes it can be more serious if it is tumours or is affecting the lymph nodes, so they swell up.

An abscess in an encapsulated bacterial infection and needs to be treated with a strong antibiotic. If untreated, it won't stay put for long, it is inevitably going blow up (and very quickly when it is fully underway; tripling or quadrupling in size over 24 hours) once it is large enough to be noticeable. If it is close to the skin, it will need lancing; if it is deeper in the body, it will need an operation. What you are reporting with your first lump is not behaving like that!

Can you check whether the lumps are sitting loosely in the skin or more firmly in the body. In the second case, they should be seen by a vet promptly.

Guinea Lynx :: Lumps
 
I can only second @Wiebke 's advice. I hope your piggy gets better soon

It would be really helpful if you could amend your profile to let us know where you live. We have members globally and sometimes our advice will vary depending on the part of the UK, US or elsewhere that you are located.
 
Wiebke said:
Hi!

We strongly recommend to have any lump checked by a decent general vet. The majority are harmless cysts or fatty lumps (which your first lump is most likely), but there are abscesses and benign or malign tumours.
Only a hands-on vet examination can tell you what it is and how it needs to be treated. How long is it since your last vet visit?
Some lumps can come up in groups at the same time. Most are harmless fatty lumps, but sometimes it can be more serious if it is tumours or is affecting the lymph nodes, so they swell up.

An abscess in an encapsulated bacterial infection and needs to be treated with a strong antibiotic. If untreated, it won't stay put for long, it is inevitably going blow up (and very quickly when it is fully underway; tripling or quadrupling in size over 24 hours) once it is large enough to be noticeable. If it is close to the skin, it will need lancing; if it is deeper in the body, it will need an operation. What you are reporting with your first lump is not behaving like that!

Can you check whether the lumps are sitting loosely in the skin or more firmly in the body. In the second case, they should be seen by a vet promptly.

Guinea Lynx :: Lumps
Click to expand...
Thank you so much! The one on her right side is definitely loose. Our vet never mentioned this though. Wish we had a guinea pig savvy vet...

I looked at the link and will probably read the links attached to it as well if I have the time.

Thanks again!
 
Posyrose said:
I can only second @Wiebke 's advice. I hope your piggy gets better soon

It would be really helpful if you could amend your profile to let us know where you live. We have members globally and sometimes our advice will vary depending on the part of the UK, US or elsewhere that you are located.
Click to expand...

Sorry I didn’t say my location awhile ago, I didn’t think my parents would let me. But now I asked and dad says I can. It’s San Ramon, CA, in the US. It’s in the east Bay Area.
 
Pearl and Zip said:
All of the ones in the link are far away except one. That one has a vet who owns two guinea pigs, but doesn’t specialize in guinea pigs. Should we switch to this vet?
Click to expand...

It won't harm you to get a second opinion. With a guinea pig owning vet you should have at least a better chance of them knowing some important basics that other general vets are often not aware of.

Sadly there is no even good vets distribution. You generally have a better chance in very urbanised areas, but even in larger cities it can be difficult to find a piggy savvy vet. :(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top