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Specialist Help! Crusty nose and very large lumps - vet has been no help... (cervical lymphadenitis)

JessB

JessB

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hello all,
Just wondering if anyone can offer any help/advice at all. Our gorgeous piggy Amora has developed several large lumps around her neck and near her shoulders. She also has a crusty nose. The lumps seem fluid filled/wobbly to me. We took her to the vet who basically said it looked too serious to do anything about - he says it's not a cyst and may be tumours. He basically said to take her home until she was unable to eat and then bring her back to be put down. We are heart-broken, she's only 2 and a half and our other guinea pig, Ginger, will be totally lost without her.
Does anyone have any ideas at all? I don't think it is cancer, otherwise she wouldn't have a crusty nose.
Thanks so much
 
Hiya, welcome to the forum. I am sorry your piggy is so sick. I'm not a health expert but would offer the advice below. I'm sure one of our experts will be along soon to offer further help.

Not sure where in the world you live but if you are in the UK please take your piggy to one of vets recommended on this forum and get a second opinion. All these vets are guinea pig savvy and will offer the best advice. It is worth travelling to a good exotics vet rather than using a general (cat and dog) vet.

Recommended Guinea Pig Vets

I really hope they can help.
 
Hi and welcome

I am very sorry that the vet you have been seeing is unable to diagnose and not willing to treat. Can you get to a more piggy savvy vet?

What you are dealing with is unfortunately rather serious and requires a knowledgeable vet.
What Amora has got is a streptococcus infection that has got into the lymph nodes via the mucus in the nose (seeing that your guinea pig has crusts on the nose) and is causing the lymph nodes on the neck to abscess; the condition is called 'cervical lymphadenitis'.
It typically affects younger guinea pigs and it can be transmitted to other guinea pigs through the burst abscesses.
If you have other guinea pigs, please separate your girl asap!

The abscesses need draining, ideally marsupialising (i.e. the rim around the incision stitched open in order to keep the hole from healing shut quickly) and require regular flushing at home (2-3 times daily) in addition to an antibiotic like baytril. Abscesses heal from the inside out and need every little speck of infection flushed out until that has happened or they will flare up again. The longer you can keep a healing abscess open for flushing, the better.
Here is more information on cervical lymphadenitis: Cervical Lymphadenitis (CL) in the guinea pig - Guinea Lynx Forums

You need to syringe feed any guinea pig that is not eating and losing weight quickly in order to keep it alive. A painkiller for discomfort may also help with the appetite. In an emergency, you can syringe feed mushed up pellets, as long as you cut off the syringe tip as shown in the guide. Needle-free syringes are available from any pharmacy.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

Can you please add your country to your details so we can help you find a better vet if possible.
We have members and enquiries from all over the world.

I am linking our medically more experienced members into this thread for you.
@Jaycey @furryfriends (TEAS) @Abi_nurse
 
YvonneBlue said:
Hiya, welcome to the forum. I am sorry your piggy is so sick. I'm not a health expert but would offer the advice below. I'm sure one of our experts will be along soon to offer further help.

Not sure where in the world you live but if you are in the UK please take your piggy to one of vets recommended on this forum and get a second opinion. All these vets are guinea pig savvy and will offer the best advice. It is worth travelling to a good exotics vet rather than using a general (cat and dog) vet.

Recommended Guinea Pig Vets

I really hope they can help.
Click to expand...
Thanks so much Yvonne
 
Wiebke said:
Hi and welcome

I am very sorry that the vet you have been seeing is unable to diagnose and not willing to treat. Can you get to a more piggy savvy vet?

What you are dealing with is unfortunately rather serious and requires a knowledgeable vet.
What Amora has got is a streptococcus infection that has got into the lymph nodes via the mucus in the nose (seeing that your guinea pig has crusts on the nose) and is causing the lymph nodes on the neck to abscess; the condition is called 'cervical lymphadenitis'.
It typically affects younger guinea pigs and it can be transmitted to other guinea pigs through the burst abscesses.
If you have other guinea pigs, please separate your girl asap!

The abscesses need draining, ideally marsupialising (i.e. the rim around the incision stitched open in order to keep the hole from healing shut again) and require regular flushing at home (2-3 times daily) in addition to an antibiotic like baytril. Abscesses heal from the inside out and need every little speck of infection flushed out until that has happened or they will flare up again. The longer you can keep a healing abscess open for flushing, the better.
Here is more information on cervical lymphadenitis: Cervical Lymphadenitis (CL) in the guinea pig - Guinea Lynx Forums

You need to syringe feed any guinea pig that is not eating and losing weight quickly in order to keep it alive. A painkiller for discomfort may also help with the appetite. In an emergency, you can syringe feed mushed up pellets, as long as you cut off the syringe tip as shown in the guide. Needle-free syringes are available from any pharmacy.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

Can you please add your country to your details so we can help you find a better vet if possible.
We have members and enquiries from all over the world.

I am linking our medically more experienced members into this thread for you.
@Jaycey @furryfriends (TEAS) @Abi_nurse
Click to expand...

Hi there - thank you so very much for this - it sounds exactly right. I do have a second pig and will get a new cage today and separate them. We'll also see if we can get in contact with a vet who has more guinea pig knowledge. Thanks again
 
JessB said:
Hi there - thank you so very much for this - it sounds exactly right. I do have a second pig and will get a new cage today and separate them. We'll also see if we can get in contact with a vet who has more guinea pig knowledge. Thanks again
Click to expand...

We have got access to lists of recommended vets in several countries; if we know where you are, we can help you.
 
Highly recommend grove lodge, they're good with exotics (piggies). I cannot offer much more advice as it has already been given. : ) it does sound suspicious like cervical lymphadenitis but without sampling the lumps and sending them for analysis then you cannot say for sure. There are a lot of other conditions which could cause this but this would be very high up there on the list of potential problems.

I hope you get to take her to a more exotic friendly vet.
Please let us know how you get on.
Abi
 
Welcome to the forum
Sorry you are dealing with a sick piggy.
Just want you to know you are in my thoughts and hoping for a positive outcome
 
Merab's Slave said:
Welcome to the forum
Sorry you are dealing with a sick piggy.
Just want you to know you are in my thoughts and hoping for a positive outcome
Click to expand...
Thanks you so much!
Merab's Slave said:
Welcome to the forum
Sorry you are dealing with a sick piggy.
Just want you to know you are in my thoughts and hoping for a positive outcome
Click to expand...
Thanks so much - we're taking her to another vet today so should know more soon.
 
So sorry you're going through this, unfortunately I have lost a Guinea partially through this & it's very difficult to treat.
However I think it's @eileen that has had success with the treatment of this with one of her guineas?
My Dopple was put on Zithromax to try & clear the infection (basically its like a huge abscess).
But Dopple was diagnosed quite late as I knew she was unwell but longer haired, so the swelling wasn't noticed as quick as it could have been :(

She was making improvements for about 7-10 days on the Zithromax & the vet wanted to drain it after the Zithromax had kicked in, unfortunately she took a turn for the worse one evening & was wobbling when she walked as though her balance/ears were affected.

I rushed her to the emergency vet&he wasn't the usual Guinea savvy one & I think he aspirated her with medication, but he thinks her heart gave out :(

I'm confident that she would probably have survived & pulled through eventually if I had waited to see the Guinea savvy vet I usually see.

As with all abscesses this will probably be a long haul, but it sounds like you've caught it earlyish which is in your favour :)

Apparently it's a common condition in human children, but cleared relatively easily with penicillin (do not let your vet give any form of penicillin to your Guinea - they don't tolerate it&would probably be fatal)

Good luck & a truckload of healing vibes being sent your way, for a full & speedy recovery :hug:
 
I'm so sorry all, but it's not good news. We did get her to a Guinea Savvy vet last week, who was wonderful, but after a biopsy they found she had lymphoma. I'm afraid she passed, very peacefully on Tuesday. We all had a chance to stroke her and since we had found out she had nothing contagious she did get to go back with Ginger for the last bit. We buried her yesterday and are all feeling very blue and at a loss about what to do with our poor Ginger who was so devoted to her.
 
I’m so sorry for your loss, sounds like you did everything you could xx RIP Amora xx
 
My Jess recently lost her cagemate of almost 6years and was very miserable, she’s got a new friend living next door (until the 20th when they’re safe to be together after his neutering) and has cheered her up no end.
Hope you and her feel better very soon x
 
So sorry for your loss.
You gave her a wonderful home and she will leave a big hole in your heart.
Be gentle with yourself and allow yourself time to grieve
 
So sorry for your loss.It's never easy to lose a much loved piggy.
Hope little Ginger is OK. Sending you massive hugs.xx
 
I'm so sorry for your loss... hope Ginger is ok and gets a new friend soon. Your piggie had a great life with you and its obvious you loved her very much.
 
5StarPigs said:
I'm so sorry for your loss... hope Ginger is ok and gets a new friend soon. Your piggie had a great life with you and its obvious you loved her very much.
Click to expand...
Thank you, we'll start looking for a companion for her soon, she looks so sad without Amora x
 
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