Black Swelling On Guinea Pig's Foot

[littlesphere]

Hello,

Today while cuddling my piggie, I noticed she had this black swell/growth on her foot. I checked her feet individually, and it was the only one with the swell. She walks and behaves as usual, and still loudly demands food/treats on the dot. What can I do about this? The weekend is here, so vet offices are closed.

Picture will be coming once my internet starts behaving itself!

 

[Critter]

My first thought is a spur. A spur is a hard growth that looks like crossed between a curly nail and a weird shaped hard poo growing out the foot! These are harmless but a photo will help members to recognise whether it is a spur or not. A spur can be clipped off near the foot with nail clippers, but I wouldn't clip it before someone lets you know for sure what it is!

 

[littlesphere]

Thank you for the help! Here's a picture:

 

[Critter]

Thanks for the picture. I am thinking it's not a spur, as spurs then to be small and thin, and often on the foot pads, but I've not seen enough of them to be sure.
I hope someone can help you very soon. May I asked where you are based? I ask because when one of the forum experts answers (which will likely be in the morning UK time) they will ask the same question in order to be able to tailor advice to your location (sometimes things differ from country to country, region to region).
I personally haven't a clue what this growth is (I'm sorry), but I hope it can be sorted out easily xx

 

[littlesphere]

Thank you. I live in the USA, south Texas.

 

[Critter]

I'll just ask another couple of questions if I may, even though I haven't a clue, but it's the sort of thing that perhaps may give further information to those who are more likely to know so my thinking is that it may save time in giving a good recommendation to you as to what to do with it.

Don't squeeze it, but is it hard or soft?
Did it grow really quickly?

 

[littlesphere]

It's hard. At first I thought it was just some piggy poo sticking to her foot, and so I tried to clean it with a wet cloth.

I can't say much on growth since I barely noticed it today, but I believe it may have taken some time as I didn't notice anything wrong with her feet last time pen cleaning happened.

 

[Critter]

Thank you for providing the extra info. I hope you get answers and that it gets sorted out soon x

 

[littlesphere]

Thank you as well!

 

[Mother Hubbard]

Nothing like I have seen, except perhaps try soaking the foot in warm water first. See if it moves or dissolves a little. It doesn't look like bumblefoot either.

 

[littlesphere]

Thank you for the advice!

My mother has suggested that it could be piggy poop very, very much stuck to her foot due to a change of bedding. Her pen got dirtier way faster and built up so quickly before I managed to switch her bedding back to normal. I'll try the warm water method tomorrow, as it's a little late for a surprise "bath".

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you for the advice!

My mother has suggested that it could be piggy poop very, very much stuck to her foot due to a change of bedding. Her pen got dirtier way faster and built up so quickly before I managed to switch her bedding back to normal. I'll try the warm water method tomorrow, as it's a little late for a surprise "bath".

My guess is also a stuck poo. Just let you piggy stand in a basin that you fill with a shallow amount of hand/elbow warm water. You may have to work away patiently, but very gently against the skin, as stuck poo can sometimes be rather firmly stuck!

 

[Freela]

I'm wondering if it's poop that has gotten stuck to a foot spur... I've seen things that look similar when my pigs have gotten poop stuck around a nail. It can take more than a wipe with a wet cloth to get it off. You may have to soak the foot by letting the pig stand in warm water, or by holding the foot into a cup of warm water to soften things up a bit and then see if it comes off or if it's truly attached.

 

[littlesphere]

Thank you for all the advice! I placed her in a basin of warm water and worked at her foot with a cloth as well. The "swell" shrank considerably, but is still stuck to her fur/foot. I'll continue working at it to see if it comes off completely.