Cyst and vet misdiagnosis / unhelpful

[Hannah Boyd]

Hello everyone,

I have an approx 5 - 6 year old female piggie who has had a lump on her back for some time (years), vets have always said since it wasn't bothering her to leave it alone and I agreed that yes it didn't seem to bother her at all. However, it burst on Friday evening and I expelled what I could and cleaned with saline, including flushing out the cyst. I continued to clean it over the weekend and took her to the vet on Monday. The vets I use are not exotics (I have used the recommended vets before when I lived elsewhere but now our closest is too far away really for what should be straightforward health issues), but I have always found them to be fine and am happy with their diagnosis etc before. The vet I had on Monday was very young and said she was new - I said I thought it was a cyst that had burst and was worried about infection etc. She checked piggies temperature for signs of infection but I don't think she inserted the thermometer into her bottom properly or at all as the reading was 34 degrees C and piggie wasn't bothered by the procedure - the vet was tried to insert it while the guinea pig was standing, I would have thought turn her over and hold her sort of sitting, which I did offer to do. Vet also kept saying it was an abscess, though she didn't seem sure in any of her advice if I am honest - but I don't want to be mean as she probably is knowledgeable in other species and she was a nice person. Anyway, was given hibiscrub and advised to clean 2x a day. The cyst had scabbed over by Monday afternoon and I had thought with cysts it was best to keep them open (although I didn't manage to do this), but the vet said let it scab over and it should heal no problems - I thought that perhaps she might need it opened up again to flush properly. The cyst is slightly bigger again this evening and discharges a similar material to when it first burst when squeezed, which only adds to my worry that the cyst may recur.

I have sent an email to the vets this evening explaining and hoping that since it seems like she needs another appointment, that they won't charge me for a second consultation, since it cost me £45 for a useless consultation and 10ml of hibiscrub.

Any opinions or advice on firstly, what to do with sebaceous cysts? What is the usual treatment approach? I have never dealt with one before despite having piggies for many years! And secondly, where do I stand with the vets and my first consultation that wasn't very good - is there ever hope of any financial reduction for a future consultation? Is there anything I can mention which may persuade them to do a second consultation for free / reduced rate? I know it may be recommended to travel further afield for a GP forum recommended vet, but as I usually like this vet practice, I am hoping it can be treated with a different vet. If she requires surgery, I also use another fairly local vet who have had one of mine for surgery in a piggie mouth before and I would take her there for that.

 

[Wiebke]

Hello everyone,

I have an approx 5 - 6 year old female piggie who has had a lump on her back for some time (years), vets have always said since it wasn't bothering her to leave it alone and I agreed that yes it didn't seem to bother her at all. However, it burst on Friday evening and I expelled what I could and cleaned with saline, including flushing out the cyst. I continued to clean it over the weekend and took her to the vet on Monday. The vets I use are not exotics (I have used the recommended vets before when I lived elsewhere but now our closest is too far away really for what should be straightforward health issues), but I have always found them to be fine and am happy with their diagnosis etc before. The vet I had on Monday was very young and said she was new - I said I thought it was a cyst that had burst and was worried about infection etc. She checked piggies temperature for signs of infection but I don't think she inserted the thermometer into her bottom properly or at all as the reading was 34 degrees C and piggie wasn't bothered by the procedure - the vet was tried to insert it while the guinea pig was standing, I would have thought turn her over and hold her sort of sitting, which I did offer to do. Vet also kept saying it was an abscess, though she didn't seem sure in any of her advice if I am honest - but I don't want to be mean as she probably is knowledgeable in other species and she was a nice person. Anyway, was given hibiscrub and advised to clean 2x a day. The cyst had scabbed over by Monday afternoon and I had thought with cysts it was best to keep them open (although I didn't manage to do this), but the vet said let it scab over and it should heal no problems - I thought that perhaps she might need it opened up again to flush properly. The cyst is slightly bigger again this evening and discharges a similar material to when it first burst when squeezed, which only adds to my worry that the cyst may recur.

I have sent an email to the vets this evening explaining and hoping that since it seems like she needs another appointment, that they won't charge me for a second consultation, since it cost me £45 for a useless consultation and 10ml of hibiscrub.

Any opinions or advice on firstly, what to do with sebaceous cysts? What is the usual treatment approach? I have never dealt with one before despite having piggies for many years! And secondly, where do I stand with the vets and my first consultation that wasn't very good - is there ever hope of any financial reduction for a future consultation? Is there anything I can mention which may persuade them to do a second consultation for free / reduced rate? I know it may be recommended to travel further afield for a GP forum recommended vet, but as I usually like this vet practice, I am hoping it can be treated with a different vet. If she requires surgery, I also use another fairly local vet who have had one of mine for surgery in a piggie mouth before and I would take her there for that.

Hi!

You will have sort out your unsatisfactory vet appointment with the clinic itself. Please ring them again tomorrow and see where you stand.

It is abscesses, which should be kept open and flushed as they need to heal from inside out.
Whether your burst sebaceous cyst is best operatively removed depends on the size and to some degree on the location. Burst cysts will refill and there is a certain risk of infection and them turning into an abscess. Most vets prefer to keep a harmless sebaceous cyst in location where it doesn't cause any problems under observation as many will stay put rather than drain (which is only a temporary measure) or operate unless there is a good reason for it (like bursting).

 

[Hhelen]

Hi I’ve had a guinea who had a cyst burst and one whose had an abscess.

The cyst that burst was like a horrendous thick glue like substance (Pollyfiller like) , she had to have surgery on this to clean it out fully, and healed perfectly. It was also like you said a lump she’s had a while, so yours would sound like a cyst.

An abscess you’re right needed to be kept open and I had to syringe saline into it twice a day and flush it out. The material out of this was runny, puss like. We washed it out for a week and then let it heal and used hibiscrub (which you can actually just get from chemists)

 

[Lady Kelly]

In my experience you would know if it were an abscess from the smell when it burst. The vets aspirated and drained one in an appointment while I was there and I nearly passed out it was so foul. I've also dealt with a burst cyst and again on an older piggy who also had other health problems. Due to his age and overall health I decided not to operate but the cyst grew a few times and I would use warm saline and cotton pads to clear as much of it as possible without causing him discomfort. I think I had to do that maybe 2-3 times before he passed away nearly a year later

 

[Hannah Boyd]

I think it was definitely a cyst as it originally had a thick black discharge, yes like polyfiller. however last night was a thinner more yellow pus like discharge which did smell and so an abscess may have formed now as well. I will phone the vet and get another appointment. thank you.

 

[Lady Kelly]

I think it was definitely a cyst as it originally had a thick black discharge, yes like polyfiller. however last night was a thinner more yellow pus like discharge which did smell and so an abscess may have formed now as well. I will phone the vet and get another appointment. thank you.

Yes it does sound like that. Cysts tend to have pus that reflects the colour of the skin it's under which I assume is why it was black? I would make sure you ask for a different vet this time as my surgery likes to book the same vet if they have already seen the piggy for the same issue

 

[Hannah Boyd]

Yes it does sound like that. Cysts tend to have pus that reflects the colour of the skin it's under which I assume is why it was black? I would make sure you ask for a different vet this time as my surgery likes to book the same vet if they have already seen the piggy for the same issue

I have another consultation later with a senior vet and free of charge consultation.

yes think the colour of the cyst discharge was black because she is all black. though the discharge has changed now to a more pus like consistency and does smell. It looks like it will need to be opened again and flushed out.

 

[Lady Kelly]

I have another consultation later with a senior vet and free of charge consultation.

yes think the colour of the cyst discharge was black because she is all black. though the discharge has changed now to a more pus like consistency and does smell. It looks like it will need to be opened again and flushed out.

I'm glad you are able to see a different vet later and for free. It does sound as though the cyst got infected unfortunately so fingers crossed today's visit is more useful

 

[Hils]

I hope it went well at the vets.

 

[Freela]

You'll have to address any issues with payment for followup with the office. To the best of my knowledge, there is no standard practice and it varies with the vet and office in question. My vet, for instance, will do a free followup after a paid consultation, which basically results in every other appointment being free for the same issue, which I really appreciated, considering the fact that one of my pigs had chronic issues and a lot of vet consults for them.

As for the cyst itself, it is likely to keep on refilling and leaking and may need to be removed, depending on the location. Linney had a cyst burst on her lower back and ended up having the whole thing removed surgically and the wound sealed up, as it clearly was not healing up on its own. It didn't appear to be abscesses (it didn't stink like an abscess, that is for sure!) but it was an open sore that was likely to get infected if left alone.

 

[Hannah Boyd]

vet visit yesterday was very useful and also free of charge. and they also discovered they overcharged me the first time too so I actually now have credit on my account!

approach with the cyst is to flush it with dilute iodine 4x a day for 4 days and then only clean the outside of it and hope that it heals up. but if it refills I am to call them and we'll discuss what to do next. there is no smell now and the cyst looks very clean.