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HELP! What's this lump Minky has?

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Stewybus

Stewybus

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I've been treating Minky for a damaged eye but just noticed her walking in a jerky sort of way when I put some fresh grass in for her & Minnie. She seemed to have something hanging down in front of her front legs which was possibly affecting her walking. I got her out & examined her to find a large lump like a goiter or cyst. It is very hard like an egg. I got 2 of my other girls out to see if they had anything in same area but they haven't.

She doesn't appear to be in pain but is on Metacam because of her eye. I'm going to phone the vet first thing in the morning but does anyone know what this maybe & is it something easily treated.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.
 
It is not possible to give a safe diagnosis for a lump over the internet, as there is quite a range of possibilities. Good that you are having it seen by a vet promptly, as you should with any lump!
 
No advice, just wanted to wish Minky all the best at the vets. Hoping it is nothing sinister x
 
bubble&squeak4ever said:
It could just be a fatty lump but it's best to get it checked out by a vet :) hopefully it's nothing serious! Hope her eye gets better too! Here's a little bit of info on lumps on guinea lynx http://www.guinealynx.info/lumps.html Hope that helped!
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Thanks for the link, I'll look at that now. A far as her eye is concerned, I think she's lost sight in it & it's gone. I even had a word with my optician when I went for an eye test today. From the systems I gave him he said if it was a human it sounds like cornea damage. My bet thought it may have been caused by a hay prick. She's OK with it & eating OK, now this lump. The poor girl is not having a good time lately.
 
Wiebke said:
It is not possible to give a safe diagnosis for a lump over the internet, as there is quite a range of possibilities. Good that you are having it seen by a vet promptly, as you should with any lump!
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When I first saw & felt it, it was very similar to a swelling I got a few years ago. I discovered it about 8pm one night when I was camping. I went to the hospital early next morning & the doctor drained it of fluid. I saw my doctor when I got home & it turned out to be a cyst on my thyroid. I eventually had half my thyroid removed & have been OK since. I don't know if piggies have thyroids & can be treated. My vet's are pretty good with urgent appointments so I should have her in sometime tomorrow morning.
 
There's loads of different guinea pig lumps on that guinealynx link, well worth having a look at & definitely one for the vet to sort out. One of our piggies is prone to lumps, some of them just seem to be that way! Hope all goes well with Minky at the vets tomorrow.
 
I took Minky to the vets at 9.30 this morning & it appears that it's some sort of abscess. She drew some fluid of which was a creamy colour. She's going to remove it today so In have to ring back about 2.30pm to find out how Minky is. It's apparently a routine op so hopefully she'll be fine afterwards. I've got a busy afternoon so probably won't be able to post update till about 5pm. So just keeping fingers crossed that everything goes OK.
 
Abscesses are normally treated either of two ways: one way is by opening them up & getting all the gunk out & then letting them heal from the inside out with regular flushing of the wound. The second way is the vet can surgically remove the whole capsule & stitch up the wound. You need to make sure you're clear on what the vet has done & how it needs to be managed in terms of after-care at home. I would ask the vet about pain relief for after the surgery & make sure you have hand-feeding bits & bobs on standby just in case you need them.

It's good that you're getting it sorted out today as abscesses can sometimes grow pretty quickly & they're good to get dealt with sooner rather than later.

Best wishes for Minky for later on today x
 
Please ask your vet for a painkiller and make sure that you have/can get the things you need for post-op care. Your aftercare is as vital as the surgeon's skill. it is important that you get a piggy to eat and drink (and not just to nibble) in the hours after an op. If necessary, you need to syringe feed until it is eating and drinking normally on its own. Weigh daily to control the real food intake.

PS: If you haven't got it at home or can't get any recovery food from your vet, you can mush up pellets. Just cut off the thin bit of syringe. The trick for hand feeding is little but often, and if necessary through the night. It is not easy and no joy to try to get some feed into an unwilling piggy, but it is really a matter of life and death and can all the difference! You need to get about 120ml in over the course of 24 hours. Encourage feeding properly first and then top it up. Make sure that you also syringe water.

See the vet asap if you notice a new swelling further in the body or if she is not recovering well or suddenly going off food again. In that case, she may need a stronger antibiotic like mar-bocyl or zithro-max.

All the best for a smooth recovery!

http://www.guinealynx.info/postop.html
http://www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html
 
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Good news, rang the vet's this afternoon & Minky had come out of surgery & was eating. I picked her up just after 5pm & have been sat on the sofa with her making sure she was eating OK which she was. She also decided to wee when I had her on my knee & I'm just waiting for her to poo. She's now eating more & seems to have a very good appetite.

The op went better than expected as the capsule came out without puncturing making it better for aftercare. She's on Metacam & Baytri medication & I have to watch for any signs of swelling.

Here's a picture of her, she looks a lot worse that she feels (especially with her recently blind eye).
 
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Just caught up on this thread. Lots of healing vibes to your girl, hope she feels better soon. She is beautiful x)
Get well soon Minky x
 
Glad Minky's surgery is all done ok & the capsule came out intact. Good news that she has her appetite too, hugs to Minky :)
 
Minky had a restful night & didn't eat or drink much overnight. I kept her by herself in a 5ft x 4ft portable run which I placed on some carpet we'd got specially for the piggies bonding etc. I went down at 6am & took the run off the carpet and gave her some fresh grass & a few veggies. She fed on these then had a big wee & & did some poo. Everything seems to be working OK, I gave her her meds & she went back in her house. A while later I put Minnie in with her for company & she's done some more eating. I'll weigh her later this morning. She'll have lost a little weight but this should reverse over next few days. Overall I'd say the op was a big success, I won't be going out much for rest of this month but it was definitely worth it.
 
Oh thank goodness it all went well. I hope she recovers soon. What a beautiful girl she is.
 
Great that everything went well!

Please keep a close eye on any potential swelling and/or loss of appetite in the next days. Sorry to bang on, but that is how I lost my Mischief quite a few years ago; I wish I'd had the access to information and stronger antibiotics in my pre-forum days!
 
Wiebke said:
Great that everything went well!

Please keep a close eye on any potential swelling and/or loss of appetite in the next days. Sorry to bang on, but that is how I lost my Mischief quite a few years ago; I wish I'd had the access to information and stronger antibiotics in my pre-forum days!
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I really appreciate your help. I haven't handled her too much but there doesn't appear to be any swelling round the wound area, it looks really good (I'll have a better look when I give her medicine tonight). I've just weighed Minky & she's lost just under 2 ounces since she had her weekly weigh-in just before she went to the vet's yesterday. I expected something like this & as she's eating great now I expect her to stabilise by tomorrow & then gain after that. I know how hard it is to lose a piggie & lost Madam in February, she went downhill over a few days but Minky is definitely on the up.

Thanks also to everyone else who has contributed to this thread, it's nice to know that others are thinking about Minky.
 
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Welcome to the guinea pig surgery club ! Glad it all went well.
 
TAN said:
Welcome to the guinea pig surgery club ! Glad it all went well.
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I've only got 4 piggies & 2 have had surgery. Mousey had sebaceous cyst removed & now Minky.

I've just given her wound an examination & it seems to be doing OK. No excessive swelling or soreness. It wouldn't win a needlework competition but it's secure. I've put Minky back in her run with Minnie. I tried her on the top level & watched her come down the ramp safely. I'll leave night light on in the conservatory then I can check on her by looking out of bedroom window which is above conservatory. I'm pretty confident that she'll get better soon.
 
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