Bump on piggy's jaw

[hrsrdr]

So I have a five year old male guinea pig. He got a cyst on the left back side of his jaw a couple years ago. He got another one on the bottom of his jaw more recently. Both times, we took him to the vet, and he got some antibiotics for it. The first time, the cyst had already ruptured, and the second time, the vet had to make an incision to remove the puss. He healed well for a few weeks afterwards, and started gaining his weight back. Now he is losing weight, and has another cyst. The vet was able to feel his jaw, and said there didn't seem to be some sort of infection or tooth problem. I've been more careful with his hay, just to make sure it's not too pokey. I'm taking him to the vet soon, but I was wondering what else he could be getting these from?

 

[Freela]

Hmmm... from my own personal experiences, a lot of lumps along the jawline are abscesses. Did the wound smell bad the last time it was drained? Cysts may be odorless, but abscesses have a noticeable infected smell to them. Is the lump in the same place as before? If it is, I would think it's the same capsule filling up again as opposed to a new abscess/cyst forming.

Generally the treatment for an abscess is to open it up, lance it and drain it, and then to continue home care of irrigating it and expressing any pus until it can drain from the inside out, coupled with a good course of antibiotics. If the vet is just opening the capsule and not treating the abscess with antibiotics and aftercare, it is not going to clear completely and will refill one the skin heals over. It's also worth the vet checking the back teeth, as the abscess can be painful to chew on, leading to irregular wearing of the teeth and difficulty eating. Sometimes pigs with facial abscesses need dental work to even out overgrown teeth.

Hope this helps a bit, and hope your vet can get to the bottom of it.

 

[hrsrdr]

I think it had a smell last time. The vet said it was definitely infected. The vet was able to move my guinea pig's jaw back and forth, and he said that meant that the teeth weren't overgrown. The vet did give antibiotics, which I gave for the recommended time. My guinea pig was fine for a couple weeks, and then the bump came back, more to the left this time, but same general area. Me and my parents are puzzled as to why he keeps getting these.

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

The jaw needs to be able to move side to side as well as back and forth, to check if the teeth are overgrown. Also, the teeth can spur and cut into the soft tissue, which causes abscesses, but the jaw may still move despite this happening. Which antibiotic did the vet give and for how long? It sounds like it wasn't treated properly, which is why it keeps coming back. Where about do you live?

 

[Merab]

I can’t advise but to offer support

 

[hrsrdr]

Yes, his jaw can move all around. The vet did mention that tooth spurs could be a problem, and that giving him lots of things to chew on could help. I've given him cardboard and wooden chew toys, but he only chews the bars of his cage.