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Guinea pig's head is slightly lopsided, lump under chin

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KikiKaka

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi all,

Almost exactly a year after our last guinea pig got sick, we're running into an issue with our surviving one (fortunately the two new friends we rescued for her are fine!).

When I checked on them earlier, I noticed one of them was sitting with her head slightly lop-sided. She seems completely fine in herself and is eating her veg/grazing normally, but I gave her a quick rundown to see if there was anything obviously wrong.

I noticed a lump under her chin, probably around an inch in diameter. It's relatively hard and smooth, and she doesn't seem to be in any discomfort when I handle it.

Is anyone able to offer any advice on what this might be please? Everything I'm seeing online indicates that it's most likely a cyst rather than an abscess due to the relative hardness and lack of discomfort, as well as probably nothing cancerous due to it being relatively smooth.

I'm taking her to the vet first thing in the morning, but I'm wondering if this is enough cause for concern that I should be making an emergency appointment tonight. I'm concerned because it seems to have appeared quite quickly, unless we've somehow not noticed it growing previously.

Many thanks for the help!
 
Sounds more like a cyst to me too, but I think it's worth an emergency appointment so you know for sure what is happening — better safe than sorry. Guinea pigs are very sensitive, and their conditions change quickly. I hope everything turns out okay!
 
MenisMenis said:
Sounds more like a cyst to me too, but I think it's worth an emergency appointment so you know for sure what is happening — better safe than sorry. Guinea pigs are very sensitive, and their conditions change quickly. I hope everything turns out okay!
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Yes, we're definitely going in the morning regardless, was just hoping to get some reassurance that she didn't need to be seen to in the next hour or so! I slept at 3 and when I woke up at 5 she was in the same spot, but she may well have moved and gone back in the meantime. I got out some more hay and she's still happy to graze which is a good sign!
 
I’m sorry to hear this.
A lump definitely needs a hands on check and tilting her head can be due to pain.

I would advise you switch from the routine weekly weight checks and instead weigh her each morning so that you can ensure she is eating enough hay. Hay intake can’t be gauged by eye and they can lose weight quickly once hay intake reduces. The weight checks thus enabling you to step in with syringe feeding quickly if she is reducing hay intake due to pain

I hope she is ok
 
I second the advice from @Piggies&buns . Wishing you all the best for your vet trip. Any lumps in sensitive areas are always such a worry.
 
She's getting seen at 2:40pm today!

Will definitely swap to more regular checking now - is there any way of telling if it's likely to be cancerous/otherwise malicious vs. comparatively benign like a cyst/abscess?
 
You are best waiting for the vet as they will need a hands on evaluation of the lump. Good luck.
 
Just an abscess, apparently! She had to have some brief general anaesthetic because she was understandably fussing a lot, but they drained it in a matter of seconds; she's on antibiotics and painkillers for the next week.

She got home about 7 hours ago, but she still seems a little off - her head isn't tilting any more and she took her veggies with no issue, plus when I placed hay next to her she grazed on it, but she's not as active as I'd like her to be - could this still be the anaesthetic wearing off?
 
KikiKaka said:
Just an abscess, apparently! She had to have some brief general anaesthetic because she was understandably fussing a lot, but they drained it in a matter of seconds; she's on antibiotics and painkillers for the next week.

She got home about 7 hours ago, but she still seems a little off - her head isn't tilting any more and she took her veggies with no issue, plus when I placed hay next to her she grazed on it, but she's not as active as I'd like her to be - could this still be the anaesthetic wearing off?
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Hi

You must be relieved that it is not a cancerous lump.

However, has your vet told you that you need to flush it regularly to allow every little speck of infection to drain out? Abscesses heal from the inside out but any infection that is left in one of the pouches can cause it to come back again.

I hope that members with more practical experience with dental root abscesses can help you with their practical tips.
 
Wiebke said:
Hi

You must be relieved that it is not a cancerous lump.

However, has your vet told you that you need to flush it regularly to allow every little speck of infection to drain out? Abscesses heal from the inside out but any infection that is left in one of the pouches can cause it to come back again.

I hope that members with more practical experience with dental root abscesses can help you with their practical tips.
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He's told us to do a salt bath twice a day, and she's on antibiotics for it; he didn't make any reference to it being a dental root abscess though?
 
KikiKaka said:
He's told us to do a salt bath twice a day, and she's on antibiotics for it; he didn't make any reference to it being a dental root abscess though?
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It depends how deep the abscess runs and where it ends but they often start at the bottom of a tooth/jaw ; however abscesses can start deeper on the throat. My Hywel had a pouch similar to yours that was caused by an incisor root abscessing.

You need to squirt the salt water into the opening twice daily for as long as possible.
 
I’ve had a piggy with a tooth root abscess. He had a 6 week course of antibiotics. A very good one for abscesses is Zithromax. But it did completely stop his appetite while he was on it. Good luck I hope your piggy is soon feeling better ❤️
 
So far so good, seems to be shrinking nicely! She has a follow up visit tomorrow just to see how things are going, but I'm slightly concerned as I can feel a second lump with roughly the same texture and firmness.

Is it common for guinea pigs to have two or more abscesses in the same area at the same time?
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
How was the abscess dealt with? Was it marsupialised (drained and stitched open)? If it was drained using a needle or just by cutting into it, the capsule may be leaking under the skin and causing another pocket of pus to form.
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It was done with a needle, no flushing - so your theory sounds correct!

Obviously we'll bring it to the vet's attention, but if it's formed another pocket of pus, is that any greater risk, or would it just need to be dealt with more definitively?
 
Oh dear! Sadly I think that is exactly what has happened! It needs to be dealt with surgically, as it can just keep spreading. We had a guinea pig surrendered to our charity where that had happened and by the time he arrived with us the abscess had tracked right through his body! He was an extreme case! We did sort it, but it took 11 weeks of flushing various places it had burst through and very strong antibiotics. Which antibiotic has been prescribed?
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
Oh dear! Sadly I think that is exactly what has happened! It needs to be dealt with surgically, as it can just keep spreading. We had a guinea pig surrendered to our charity where that had happened and by the time he arrived with us the abscess had tracked right through his body! He was an extreme case! We did sort it, but it took 11 weeks of flushing various places it had burst through and very strong antibiotics. Which antibiotic has been prescribed?
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She's on Baytril at the moment but I'm thinking of asking if we can swap to Zithromax? Glad to hear it can be sorted, at least - even if it does mean flushing regularly!
 
To be honest, the abscesses under the chin are usually the easiest to deal with, so once it’s opened up, with the abscess capsule stitched to the skin, leaving a hole for flushing, it should be a relatively quick fix. Definitely see if you can get Zithromax xx
 
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