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Baby with lump on her neck - what could it be?

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Teejay

Teejay

Adult Guinea Pig
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Hi there, I got a new baby girl yesterday (about 9 weeks, I think) and this evening, while I was stroking her under her chin, I noticed a massive lump on her neck / under her chin.

It's hard, about the size of a large pea, and the skin appeared to be slightly red there (she's rough coated, and the coat is slightly split apart at the site of the lump).

I'll be calling the pet shop tomorrow with a view to her seeing a vet - I really don't want to return her :( - but I'm a bit worried about her, the poor little mite.

She's such a placid little thing, she's adorable, she'll let me catch her easily and she seems to enjoy her cuddles......I hate to think it, but maybe she's so placid because she's in pain....:(

Does anyone have any idea what it might be? Sorry, no pics....her coat is too long to see it and it's in a place that would be tricky to photograph anyway.

Tracey x
 
Hope it's nothing serious :(

Could be an abscess maybe? My brother's little pig had an abcess on his cheek - it was drained and treated and he's non the worse for it now :)
 
Oh dear sorry to hear about your new little girl :(
I'd be straight back to the shop and ask that you see a vet.
Or can you see one that you'd prefer?
All paws crossed that she will be ok XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 
Thanks for the replies, everyone. I called the pet shop this morning, and they seemed to think it was an abscess (I tend to agree). They agreed to reimburse me all vet bills to treat the lump, using my own (very good) vets, which is a relief.

They offered to take her back......nooooooo......they're not having my Coco back!

I had another look this morning, and the lump is larger than I thought, about the size of a grape, poor little mite.

She has an appointment at the vets this afternoon, so fingers crossed it's just an abscess. :(

Tracey x
 
Good luck and best of wishes.

I could bet my money that's an abscess and the neck area is the most common spot you can find them. My guinea had one, the vet thought it was a tumor because it was skin colored and deep under the skin. A day after turning pink it popped open on its own, before I got the chance to rush Ronti back to the vet.

The vet cleaned the wound, prescribed antibiotics and the wound healed in 3 days. He lived for 4 more years, until the age of 7.

Good luck once again and keep us posted.
 
Hi all, I took Coco to the vet this afternoon, and it was definitely an abscess. The vet lanced it and drained it, and Coco's back home now with a mahoosive hole in her neck (ick) and twice daily antibiotics (oh, joy, twice daily antibiotics again....:{)

The vet said not to clean the wound, but would you, a couple of times a day, just with cotton wool and plain water? Of course, I'll be keeping the cage scrupulously clean, but surely the wound will need need to be kept as clean as possible as well?

Anyway, the vet initially seemed to think there were two abscesses, one in front of the other, but in the end, she decided that the lump at the back might be her lymph node, enlarged cos of the infection.

Anyway, Coco is looking fab (apart from the gaping bloody wound, that is), she's clambering all over the cage and seems to have had a new lease of life since seeing the vet - maybe the pain from the abscess was subduing her?

Fingers crossed....the vet was worried about giving Baytril to such a little piggie (only 420g, bless her), but she had no choice really.

Tracey x
 
One of my boys was at the vets last friday with a lump on his back - they too opened it up and removed all the gunk inside - luckily it was nothing suspicious. They did say there was a 50/50 chance of it returning - but weren't overly concerned as they said to lance it off completely is a straight forward op (however there are always risks)

He also had a huge hole on his back - but within 24hrs it was healing and now it's scabbed over nicely - my only concern is that the area surrounding the healed hole feels slightly squishy - could it still have any gunk inside?

I refrained from cleaning the wound as i wanted it to heal over as quickly as possible - i just kept an eye on it and checked it numerous times daily :)
 
Don't clean the wound with anything that is meant to accelerate the healing of the skin, because it needs to remain open for as long as it takes for the additional puss to be naturally drained.

Just in case it bleeds a little or the piggy has pus and blood on the fur use a NON INJECTABLE NaCl 0,9% solution on a piece of soft cloth to soak off any residue. The solution I am talking about can be found in any drug-store and it's generally used to clean discharge from baby's eyes.

Do not use cotton buds because they leave little strings of...well...cotton on the affected area and that may lead to infections.

Best of luck.
 
Hi all, thanks for the advice. I've decided to leave the wound alone, cos it's dried up nicely and is scabbing over well. I think it looked worse than it actually was last night, cos she's long coated, so the blood had spread into her fur. The hole looks very clean and healthy this morning and she had her antibiotics like a little angel.

I'm keeping everything crossed that she comes through all this ok, cos she's such a complete little poppet - even the vet was smitten with her! - and so adorable, I'm totally in love with her already.

Thanks again, Tracey
 
Hi love i'm just saying from my experience......... abscess wounds need to be kept open so they heal from the inside out......not outside in.........
now i could be totally wrong in Coco's case i'm no vet, just a person that's had to deal with abscesses a few times!
Have a chat to the vets, all the info i've seen on here has been to keep it open so that the wound can heal, puss (sorry yuk convo here) will keep coming from the abscess until the meds etc.. have killed it off!

Have a look at some previous threads on abscesses........then speak to your vets with your questions :)

Wishing little COCO all the very best, healing wheeeeeeeeks and loves from the girls and I XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 
Agree with Glynis - I'd double check with your vets as any animals here with an abcess have had to have the wound flushed out daily to keep it open to allow any puss to continue draining. I've always been told never to let it scab over as there is a risk it could start to refill.

All the best to your little lady - she sounds adorable xx>>>

Teresa xx
 
My Marmite had quite a long course of Baytril for a very nasty URI when she was very tiny and she was just fine with it. I watered it down 50/50 with water at the recommendation of my vet after the first week though.

As for the abscess, when Boris (and my brother's Josh) had his, I had to clean and flush it twice daily with a hibiscrub mix to help it heal from the inside. Our vet actually picked off the scab when it started to heal to allow more air to get to it. We had the same thing when Pippa had a cyst lanced.

Just my experience of lumps and bumps :)

I hope Coco heals quickly and it doesn't come back x x
 
Hi all, thanks for the advice, it's always good to hear from people who've actually been through the same thing.

I did specifically ask the vet whether I should keep it open and flush it (I'd read about abscesses on this forum), and she said no, to leave it. I think I'll give her a ring tomorrow to double check what I should be doing.

Coco's lump is still 'lumpy' (for want of a better description), I would say there was definitely still some pus in there, poor little mite. I suspect she'll need to have a light GA and have it properly cleaned and drained.

Sigh....I'll keep on with the antibiotics til I can get to speak to the vet.

Thanks again, Tracey
 
Take the poor thing to the vet immediately, hopefully in the next 24 hours! I discovered a lump on my guinea pig Montana's (R.I.P) neck, and I didn't get to the vet in time, which caused her death. It is probably different because Montana's lump was about the size of a cherry, and Montana was 4 yrs old, but better safe then sorry. Try to get to the vet as soon as you can to get it removed or if it is full of puss, then drained. Some other things to check for are boogers/snot which usually gets stuck right near the nose, and if there is some fecal matter stuck to the cavie's bottom, it means they have diarrhea and are pretty sick.

Best wishes :laluot_22:
 
hi, now i am no expert but one of my guineas had an absess and i was told by vet to pick off any scabs (gross i know) and bathe in warm salt water daily so that the underneath skin healed first and the scab didn't hold any of the infected puss in. i would defintely get a second opinion as this worked wonders for my little man and depite me picking scabs off (gently once wet with the salt water) his hole closed properly from inside out in less than a week. his too was under his chin and was from a fight with cage mate,

i presume your little one was nipped by another pig at the shop. wish you luck i'm sure she'll be better soon x
 
I was tod by my vet recently to clean Bilbos recently popped and drained absess twice daily with medihex as you say to keep if as clean as possible. Keep an eye out that it doesnt re fill!
 
I'm glad to hear of a little one doing well, my baby is on antibiotics for an abscess on her jaw - lots of hugs x
 
Hi Tracey how's little Coco doing ? xoxoxoxoxoxo

Often abscesses will re fill many times ...... oh i HATE them :)>>>
I know it's not pleasant cleaning them out but for Coco's sake it's the best thing....
 
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