Grease gland

[kodakocun]

Good evening this is my first post. My male guinea pig (mr chocolate) seems to have an abnormal grease gland it’s looking a bit swollen on one side and slightly crusty looking. If I can figure out how to attached a photo I’ll do so here.
Let me know your thoughts please. I’ll plan to take him to the vet after the weekend to be sure. It doesn’t seem to be bothering him though and he’s his usual unsociable grumpy self demanding food every time he hears the faintest rustling of a plastic bag from a mile away.

 

[fluffysal]

Welcome to the forum. There is an information thread on grease glands and cleaning them, I'm sure someone who is not a tech dinosaur will be along soon with the link for you.
I am slave to Dignified Sir George and his boisterous companion Mischievous Master Boris. Master Boris is prone to getting a mucky grease gland. I put coconut oil on, leave it overnight and give him a bum bath. Some members leave it on and comb it out but my boy is not always very good at keeping his gentlepig underbits clean either and the bum bath helps with that.
If you are concerned about it not looking right then a vet check is always a good call though.

 

[piggieminder]

Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths

Welcome to the forum.
I second a vet check if the grease gland is looking odd.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome

Please have a read of our very helpful Boar Care guide link in the post above.

Any abnormalities in grease glands need to be vet checked, whether that is swellings/areas that disictingly are hotter to the touch (especially in darker skinned piggies where reddishness doesn't shop up), any crusts that don't come off or any growths in the grease gland.

At this moment it is not an emergency but you want to book a vet appointment for next week ideally today.

 

[kodakocun]

Thank you all. I managed to get Mr Chocolate to see the vet today and it was diagnosed as an abscess. The vet drained the abscess and prescribed a course of antibiotics. Mr Chocolate was not too impressed with having behind squeezed (there was a lot of gunk that came out) however he’s now happy back at home munching on salad.

 

[piggieminder]

Glad you managed to get Mr Chocolate seen. I bet he feels better with all that gunk gone.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you all. I managed to get Mr Chocolate to see the vet today and it was diagnosed as an abscess. The vet drained the abscess and prescribed a course of antibiotics. Mr Chocolate was not too impressed with having behind squeezed (there was a lot of gunk that came out) however he’s now happy back at home munching on salad.

Good that you could have him seen today. It wouldn't have been much fun if the abscess had burst over the long weekend. But it is my first abscess in a grease gland - there's always something new...

Mr Chocolate must be relieved that the pain from the pressure is gone.

 

[kodakocun]

Good that you could have him seen today. It wouldn't have been much fun if the abscess had burst over the long weekend. But it is my first abscess in a grease gland - there's always something new...

Mr Chocolate must be relieved that the pain from the pressure is gone.

It was actually just to the side of the grease gland. Seems it wasn’t really bothering him though it was something I noticed at claw clipping time. The advice from the vet was to just leave it be from now on. But of course to monitor it and see them again if becomes painful or excessively big.

 

[fluffysal]

Well done for getting him sorted so quickly. Do you have any pictures of him?

 

[kodakocun]

Well done for getting him sorted so quickly. Do you have any pictures of him?

I do but I’m not using any of the supported apps to post it. Or can I just upload a jpeg somewhere?

 

[fluffysal]

There is an attach files button on the bottom left of the reply box. Just use any photos you have saved.
These are my Beastie Boys, Dignified Sir George and his boisterous companion Mischievous Master Boris.

 

[kodakocun]

Here it is. He’s a bit untidy as I was trying to wash the area. A more dignified picture also attached.

 

[piggieminder]

Aww he looks lovely (except the grease gland). He is similar looking to my Freddie.

 

[fluffysal]

Handsome boy