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Eek - Willow Has A Lump!

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Tiny

Tiny

Teenage Guinea Pig
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So, I took Willow and Marble for an introduction/basic nurse check at my local vets and Willow has a mouth/jaw lump :(

It's under her chin, about the size of a small marble and quite central, which is why I think I didn't notice it as I (perhaps naively?) thought she just had a podgier face than Marble. She has an appointment with the vet this afternoon; I feel terrible for not noticing it, as she has been normal in every way, very active, eating fine, poops are fine, has gained a bit of trust and is happy being touched and held etc. It seems to not affect her, it doesn't appear to hurt her. Just feel like a bad mum at the mo :(
 
Fingers firmly crossed! Don't feel bad; it has very likely not been there for long and it is still so small that is not visible or having any visible impact on her.
 
Firstly don't blame yourself.Guinea pigs can develop lumps and bumps at an alarming rate.
At least it has been found and she is being seen by a vet - you have done a great job to make this happen so fast.

And sometimes stuff happens - I currently have one guinea pig who has managed to knock out both of her top front teeth and I have no idea how or when!
 
Don't feel bad about it. Just be pleased that it's been picked up as an incidental finding in a piggy who is otherwise healthy and happy. Wait for the vet to take a look.
 
Thanks for the reassurance, guys!

It's ironic, as Willow is more confident around me and inquisitive, she's like the opposite of how you'd expect a potentially sick pig to present. But that's the nature of piggies, they do keep us guessing and worry the wits out of us :(
 
My Amy has similar, and our vet took a sample and only found fat cells so thinks it is a fatty lump but we have to monitor it's size. Hopefully Willow's is a fatty lump too.
 
I hope so - I'm very much keeping an open mind until we actually see the vet, though the nurse didn't seem alarmed and thought it could be a bit of hay had got stuck in one of her teeth causing a flare up at the root.
 
Thanks! We're just about to leave for our big pig adventure :)
 
It's suspected to be an abcess, she's having an exploratory/removal op on Friday morning. Apparently the local 'exotic expert' is in for that, I didn't ask his name cos I'm shy/an idiot :))

The anaesthetic will be light gas, I was concerned as she's only a baby :)

I'm aware of some of the aftercare processes and feel confident taking advice and follow up care from the vet, but is there anything extra that might help her recovery? Any particularly healing foods that might assist post-op?
 
I would make sure you have all her favourite foods to tempt her with and ask the vet for pain relief to give orally over the following few days. Have critical care in standby too in case she stops eating for any reason.
 
Just left Willow in the capable hands of William Lewis :)

It's a growth, very easy to miss (he praised the nurse who picked it up), it's movable, but from the position he can't tell if it's attached to anything. He can't tell until the op obviously, but if it is an abscess, he says it feels encapsulated so he will try to remove it in its entirety. If it's anything else (he mentioned cancer :() we'll have a 'later discussion'.

But, as all best vets are, he was very professional and as reassuring as he could be (given that he's not able to confirm diagnosis until the op).

Now stopping off for some veggie treats before going home and giving extra cuddle time to Marble :)
 
Oh no! I really feel for you, talk about being thrown in at the deep end! Good luck to your beautiful Willow, hope she has a full & speedy recovery and is soon back home with you and her buddy Marble. I have all my fingers and toes crossed and am sending a healing hug! :hug:
 
3Tyger said:
Oh no! I really feel for you, talk about being thrown in at the deep end! Good luck to your beautiful Willow, hope she has a full & speedy recovery and is soon back home with you and her buddy Marble. I have all my fingers and toes crossed and am sending a healing hug! :hug:
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Thanks :)
 
Just about to set off to pick up Willow. The vets haven't called so I'm guessing no news is good news, everything's gone as planned and I'll have a recuperating - and brave - lil piggie to pamper and be general hover-mum over! Marble has been noticeably quieter and needs her buddy back too :)

Oh, these gals have brought out the neurotic in me!
 
Tiny said:
Just about to set off to pick up Willow. The vets haven't called so I'm guessing no news is good news, everything's gone as planned and I'll have a recuperating - and brave - lil piggie to pamper and be general hover-mum over! Marble has been noticeably quieter and needs her buddy back too :)

Oh, these gals have brought out the neurotic in me!
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Sending lots of love and vibes x
 
Hope all goes well with the recovery. Plenty of herbs and snuggles.
 
@VickiA Oh there'll be that alright! I can see all this extra TLC leading to very spoilt, demanding piggies... wouldn't have it any other way though ;)
 
So relieved to have a squirmy, disgruntled piggy!

It was an abscess, they got the whole thing out, the wound is closed, no flushing/squeezing aftercare required, she's been given Baytril 2.5% 0.13ml and Metacam 0.07ml both twice a day for 7 days with a follow up on Tuesday.
 
:yahoo:YAY!
Now Willow can squeak at you in annoyance! We love our piggies so much more when they scare us- Godfrey got out of his outdoor run once; our garden isn't really piggy-proof and it was like a circus. Bear in mind he wasn't very confident with us so catching him was harder! Duncan got out too, but was easy to put back, then he sat and looked worried.
ANYWAY- congrats! Sending your darling girl hugs xoxox keep us posted!:luv:
 
She's eating! :)

Had the first doses of Baytril and Metacam, took them like a good girl, now sitting like a queen on the piggy sofa on the human sofa next to me, surrounded by her fave salad leaves, celery and (the one that did the trick!) kale ;)
 
TheCavySlave said:
:yahoo:YAY!
Now Willow can squeak at you in annoyance! We love our piggies so much more when they scare us- Godfrey got out of his outdoor run once; our garden isn't really piggy-proof and it was like a circus. Bear in mind he wasn't very confident with us so catching him was harder! Duncan got out too, but was easy to put back, then he sat and looked worried.
ANYWAY- congrats! Sending your darling girl hugs xoxox keep us posted!:luv:
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I'm waiting for the first demanding wheek ;)

Oh my, I've never had to catch an escaped piggy outdoors, only from out from under a bed in a relatively small room so I can only imagine how difficult that must've been!
 
Tiny said:
I'm waiting for the first demanding wheek ;)

Oh my, I've never had to catch an escaped piggy outdoors, only from out from under a bed in a relatively small room so I can only imagine how difficult that must've been!
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We had to sort of pin him down, he squealed, ugh it was heartbreaking. No harm done- except we had to chop down a large bush where he hid, and my arms were covered with scratches. He was fine though, he and Duncan got a special salad. Actually, after that the pigs have been loose but easy to catch. I think they find us entertaining:))
 
So pleased she is doing well!
 
sport_billy said:
So pleased she is doing well!
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Thanks, me too!

I'll be keeping a very close eye on her wound, as I was expecting for it to be kept open and for me to do the flushing etc. But I have to trust the vet - if he's confident he's 'got' it all, I've got to be confident too ;)
 
Ok, running the risk of being a neurotic mama here but the vet did suggest I look out for poops (poops = guts are working!) and... WE HAVE POOPS! :)

She's really zonked, bless her, really has not been moving about much and has only been eating if it's right in front of her. But we have eating, we have poops, it's a good start!

Hoping a good night's rest (and the hooman not checking on her every five mins!) will do her good. Can't promise I won't check on her multiple times though... :))
 
Not only do we have poops, we have many, many poops! We were having a cuddle and she 'gifted' me about 20 in my lap!

However, her belly fur is damp - where she's resting on the piggy sofa, I think she's peeing where she lays. They're indoor pigs, and the heating is on, so she's not likely to get a chill from this, but is this harmful to her skin? I'd rather not wash her (especially while she's still recovering) unless it's really necessary.
 
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