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The3LittlePigs

The3LittlePigs

Junior Guinea Pig
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My elderly boar Thistle had a fight with one of his companions a few days back and i believed he had some kind of dried wound under his eye. I couldnt see it properly due to his hair but the area was a little swollen and dry, like a scab, so i left well alone. It wasnt affecting his eyesight at all and everything seemed well. Today however i kept fussing and worrying over it so i decided to trim the hair and try to take a better look. I cant tell at all where the wound itself is but there was a white head on it, like with a spot. I squeezed it very gently to try and flush it out, presuming it was just puss buildup from the wound. It secreted a white liquid that smelled so awful i gagged. Although he was clearly uncomfortable he didnt seem to be in too much pain. Is this normal for a small wound, should i be worried and should i take him to the vets? I'd like to avoid it if possible as my parents hate me taking them and the vets nearby arent cavy savy at all. Like i said he doesnt seem to painful. Thoughts?
 
Its raher small, perhaps half the size of his eye, and more of a slight swelling than a lump. If this doesn't improve within a few days i'll book an appointment. Ive looked online however and it doesn't look at all like any abscesses on there. They're all eiher massive or like holes; his is neither, and the puss was more liquidy, not thick. Any ideas?
 
Nope, because only a vet will be able to diagnose I'm afraid :) It's difficult to guess at something when it needs to be looked at; smell coming from a wound or lump usually means bacteria are present so antibiotics will almost definitely be required. As it is near his eye it would be best to get him seen as soon as possible.
 
I would take him to the vet as soon as possible.

I've thankfully only ever had one guinea pig fight to deal with when a new neutered baby male viciously attacked one of my adult girls. It happened very fast, i separated them and went immediately to the vet with my injured girl.

The vet shaved around the wound and cleaned it thoroughly. My girl required a course of antibiotics and treatment and regular draining for the abscess it caused.

The fact that it smelled when the liquid came out from your piggies wound is not a good sign and this wound may already be infected.

But regardless of that, even if it didn't smell, i think your piggie needs a proper professional assessment of his wound because bites can puncture deeper than they initially look, i was shocked to see the wound after my poor girl was shaved.

So please don't try and deal with this yourself, i think your piggie needs to see a vet as soon as you can arrange it. He might need medicine to help him heal.

Best wishes, i hope he has a speedy recovery :hug:
 
I'll do my best but my parents won't like it after all that i've made them put up with with the pigs lately. How long do you hink is safe to wait whilst i try and persuade them? Also, my nearest vets are pretty bad with pigs. Should i still use them? I doubt they'd let me go anywhere else. Honestly everythings been a nightmare with them lately.
 
I don't know how old you are, but when I got my first piggies they were for my child & I have always taken responsibility for them & their health. If parents let their children have pets ultimately they are the ones that will need to foot vet bills & make sure they take pets to the vets when they are poorly. You sound like a very responsible & caring owner & are concerned about your piggy. Do you have a piggy vet fund ? Or can you get a part time job if you are old enough, so you can pay something towards the vet bills? Offering to do chores or give up pocket money will show them that you are taking your pet's health seriously. Good luck :)
 
Normally they'd be fine with it, the reason they might not is because i have three boys (their decision not mine) and they have all been falling out lately. Ive had to bring on inside to prevent the fighting and they hate having him inside as they think that they smell. Ive been asking them for another hutch to put him in outside because i know for a fact that if i put all 3 back together they will fight, but my dad is flat out refusing to get me another one, even for christmas, and if i even try to mention the pigs now they flip out at me. I'm turning sixteen in a month or so but have no time for a job due to exams and having to care for my mum and my sisters horses, as my sister works away now all over the uk and my mum is too nervous to ride her horse. I will mention it when my dad gets home but i cant see the outcome being too positive. Chances are i may have to get rid of one of the boys. I dont want to of course, the very concept sickens me particularly since they're my responsibility but i dont know what else to do if they won't let me get another hutch. Sorry for the whining lol, its just no one seems to want to listen or help me and its very stressful, especially with my mock exams beginning next week. I will approach the subject when he comes home.
 
Oh dear! I really feel for you that you are stressed and worried about your piggies and other things right now. I really encourage you to raise all this with your parents though, as between you there are some important things to consider and decisions to make which is a discussion that can't really be avoided. And also, it may not even turn out as bad as you are thinking right now :)

Your piggie does need to see a vet soon, and seeing the regular vet that your parents like to use is still far better than trying to treat this yourself. Even if you don't feel they are as in tune with piggies as you'd like, they are still qualified vets with medical training that have probably treated lots of bite wounds before.

And about the re-homing idea; this is a tough one. Because sometimes if it doesn't work out you need to look rationally at what is the best thing to do next.

After my piggies had a fight I had to seperate them. I am an adult with a full-time job, but also only room for 1 cage. And guinea pigs are sociable animals who do not like to live by themself. So I had to take this baby piggie who had bitten my adult piggie back to the Rescue Centre where he came from.

I cried all the way there, but i don't regret doing it. Because obviously he was never going to be friends with the piggies I already had. And i had no space for him to keep him. And it wasn't easy, but sometimes you have to be practical. Though it hurt at first for me to take him back, now i look back at his photo and feel happy that the Rescue centre I returned him to managed to find him a friend that he didn't want to bite and he then went to a lovely new home. That is a much better outcome for him than keeping him in a cage that's too small where he will be by himself all his life. Maybe deep down you can see that asking a rescue for help to rehome him might actually be the best outcome (and i'm so sorry that's not easy to hear, sometimes it is just kinder to make that choice).

I really am sorry you're going through this, it wasn't easy for me when I had this piggie problem. But please do talk and listen to your parents so that together you can act the best way forward.

Best wishes & big hugs to your piggies and family :hug:
 
I fully understand that you are stressed by the situation. And that you feel overwhelmed. But however we try to dress it up, the fact remains that an injured piggy with an abscess needs veterinary attention. I'm sure your parents wouldn't wish to be cruel or make the piggy suffer, so please explain to them that he needs veterinary treatment. If money is an issue please try to find a PDSA.
As for the situation with the trio, perhaps it may be best to surrender the odd one out to rescue if you cannot accommodate a second hutch/cage. You have to think of the welfare of the piggies and if they are together and fighting and causing injuries then you cannot allow that to continue.
I'm so sorry that you are in this position. There are no easy answers I'm afraid. But for the health, happiness and wellbeing of your piggies you need to sit down with your parents and discuss this with them. You can direct them to the forum if they would like to ask us questions. We'd be happy to answer them for them.
 
Thanks for the help and the advice, its probably what i needed to hear. If things dont improve they've agreed to let me take him to the vets but i may have to wait a few days for them to ensure it is neccesary.. will he be alright for a few days? And i'm still working on the trio sitaution.. hopefully i can persuade them to get anotherhutch, and then a friend for him. I intend on doing some guilt tripping when he gets back from work tonight so we'll see what happens. Thanks again, i'll do my best. Truly all i want is for them to be happy.
 
It sounds like you have a huge amount of responsibility which you are handling very well.
I would mention to your Dad that if it is an infection and is left (even for just a few days) then it will simply get worse and then take longer to fix and ultimately cost even more money.
Plus it does sound like you need to sit down and have a serious chat with them about the situation.
You sound extremely mature, but you should not be made to shoulder all of the responsibility alone.
If they are not prepared to provide your lone piggy with a new hutch and companion (further down the road) then the best thing may be to give him to a rescue who can find a home where he will have a friend.
I understand that this is an impossibly difficult situation for you, but if it is causing all of this stress and problems then it might be the best decision for everyone in the long run.
:hug:
 
A foul-smelling discharge from a wound is an indication of an infection. It will need to be treated, but in the meantime you can keep irrigating the area with sterile saline and expressing any more pus buildup from the wound.
I'm sorry your parents aren't being responsible for providing vet care when needed. You obviously want to do what's best and because you're not an adult your hands are somewhat tied. It's unfair to take on animals that you aren't willing to provide necessary care to.. hopefully your parents will come around to realizing how unfair this is to the animals that they've brought into their household. I'm a mom too and knew going into any animal that I was ultimately going to be responsible for vet bills as required, much as they have stacked up at times! Lots of luck. It sounds like a difficult problem.
 
The wound has changed quite suddenly. He must have scratched or caught the scab as it now looks like a normal fresh wound. Is this normal? A good or bad thing? My father came home some time ago and i must have been worrying a little too much about how cooperative he would be as he has allowed me to book an appointment with the condition being that he will take the money from my birthday money, which i am more than fine with. I'm unsure if he will need it know though, considering the wound looks normal and fresh? I'll probably go anyway to be sure. I am still persuading him about the third little pig. I am going to enclose a very bad blurry photo so you can see the change somewhat.

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Definately get him to the vet ASAP we had a bad scare with our dog today. He went to bed last night with a wound/sore patch last night the size of a penny, by this morning his head was 3 times as bad.
Although I am talking about a dog it illustrates how quick a wound can turn!
 
I'm happy he can have a vet appointment, i think he definitely needs one as soon as possible.

Bite wounds can look little on the outside, but think how long a guinea pigs teeth are - that's how deep this wound may be.

And infections can spread, so as it may already be infected it is likely to need antibiotics. Infections can have serious consequences which can develop quite quickly.

I would say seeing a vet should take priority, but yes, in the near future a solution will need to be found for his long-term best interests.

I really hope that your piggie gets well soon and that a good long-term solution can be found afterwards.

The very best of luck with it all :hug:
 
Thank you. He is actually fine in terms of housing, as is his little friend. It is my third boar who is at risk. We're booking the appointment tomorrow once the clinic has opened, hopefully they can get us in pretty soon. I tried to wash his cut but he wasn't having it so it's probably best i just leave it alone- i'm just glad the horrible smell has gone and my parents weren't as angry as i thought they'd be. Thanks again!
 
The3LittlePigs said:
Thank you. He is actually fine in terms of housing, as is his little friend. It is my third boar who is at risk. We're booking the appointment tomorrow once the clinic has opened, hopefully they can get us in pretty soon. I tried to wash his cut but he wasn't having it so it's probably best i just leave it alone- i'm just glad the horrible smell has gone and my parents weren't as angry as i thought they'd be. Thanks again!
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You're very welcome, we're all here to support each other :)

My apologies for mistaking him as being the lone piggie - though i'm happy he can definitely stay with you and his friend.

Just wanted to check you're certain that the lone piggie was definitely the one that inflicted this wound and that he is not at risk from the piggie he currently lives with?

Awww... he really is such a gorgeous piggie :wub:

Get well soon little guy :luv:
 
Yeah, i'm fairly certain. The piglet he is with now does rumble with him occassionally but the lone pig was far more agressive and he did seem to get the brunt of it, bless him, although his friend has a wound too. I'm worried mostly about this one because of his age but after his trip to the vets I'm sure he'll be okay. He is the sweetest little boy, but i really hope i can keep the third boy too, i've grown so attatched to all three of them. Thanks again, I appreciate all the kind words c:
 
You're very welcome :)

If your other guinea pig also has a wound then he will also need to see the vet. Only a vet can properly assess wounds, sort out effective treatment & prescribe any medication that is needed for them to heal properly.

My advice is to take them both down the vets together and get them both checked out.

After you've been to the vets you & your parents need to tallk and find a solution for your 3rd boy that is currently alone. The best solution would be for him to be in an environment where he has enough space and a compatible friend.

I really hope all goes well, best of luck :)
 
The3LittlePigs said:
Normally they'd be fine with it, the reason they might not is because i have three boys (their decision not mine) and they have all been falling out lately. Ive had to bring on inside to prevent the fighting and they hate having him inside as they think that they smell. Ive been asking them for another hutch to put him in outside because i know for a fact that if i put all 3 back together they will fight, but my dad is flat out refusing to get me another one, even for christmas, and if i even try to mention the pigs now they flip out at me. I'm turning sixteen in a month or so but have no time for a job due to exams and having to care for my mum and my sisters horses, as my sister works away now all over the uk and my mum is too nervous to ride her horse. I will mention it when my dad gets home but i cant see the outcome being too positive. Chances are i may have to get rid of one of the boys. I dont want to of course, the very concept sickens me particularly since they're my responsibility but i dont know what else to do if they won't let me get another hutch. Sorry for the whining lol, its just no one seems to want to listen or help me and its very stressful, especially with my mock exams beginning next week. I will approach the subject when he comes home.
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Hi, if you do want to Rehome your 3rd piggy we should be able to help. We will find him a friend and a caring home x
 
@The3LittlePigs that is a great offer from @pig in the city. She is not too far from you and she fosters for BARC who have strict adoption and rehoming criteria. She does piggy dating and can find the lone piggy a new companion so they can be rehomed together. This would be a great solution for your problem.
 
I have checked the website for the rescue but i think it is quite far from where i am? Then again i could be wrong. I'm still waiting for my parents to actually let me sit down and have a conversation with me about it because at the moment all they'll do is ignore me completetly, shout at me or stand up and walk off. Obviously since I'm 15 i cant make that decision myself as they wouldnt be classed as my pets. I'd still prefer to keep him here if i can get him a hutch and a friend, but if i cant i know the only sensible thing to do is rehome him. I've spoke to my grandma however and she might be able to take him as shes moving house soon to a place with a nice garden and she loves pigs; she'd obviously be able to get him a nice little friend and i'd get to see him often, and i wouldnt have to be feel bad about contributing to a rescue. I'm still not sure whats going to happen but thanks again for all your offers, i'll consider them and bring them up if i ever get my parents to sit and listen to me.
 
The3LittlePigs said:
I have checked the website for the rescue but i think it is quite far from where i am? Then again i could be wrong. I'm still waiting for my parents to actually let me sit down and have a conversation with me about it because at the moment all they'll do is ignore me completetly, shout at me or stand up and walk off. Obviously since I'm 15 i cant make that decision myself as they wouldnt be classed as my pets. I'd still prefer to keep him here if i can get him a hutch and a friend, but if i cant i know the only sensible thing to do is rehome him. I've spoke to my grandma however and she might be able to take him as shes moving house soon to a place with a nice garden and she loves pigs; she'd obviously be able to get him a nice little friend and i'd get to see him often, and i wouldnt have to be feel bad about contributing to a rescue. I'm still not sure whats going to happen but thanks again for all your offers, i'll consider them and bring them up if i ever get my parents to sit and listen to me.
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We are in Sheffield but can usually help with transport if you are struggling. See what your gran says , sounds like a good solution x
 
The3LittlePigs said:
I'd still prefer to keep him here if i can get him a hutch and a friend, but if i cant i know the only sensible thing to do is rehome him. I've spoke to my grandma however and she might be able to take him as shes moving house soon to a place with a nice garden and she loves pigs; she'd obviously be able to get him a nice little friend and i'd get to see him often, and i wouldnt have to be feel bad about contributing to a rescue.
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I'm so glad that some happier options are presenting themselves and i really hope you do get to stay in contact with your 3rd piggie if you're not given the opportunity to keep him yourself.

Well done to you for thinking firstly of your piggies welfare throughout this difficult time, and for the maturity you have shown in seeking resolutions.

Your piggies are all very lucky to have you care for them and advocate so strongly for their needs. I hope this situation has the happiest possible outcome for both you and your piggies. Best wishes :hug:
 
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