Is lump a possible cyst?

[Amy B]

Hello all,
I'm posting just as a query before contacting the vets tomorrow. We noticed our boar had a lump under his belly this evening, which we've not noticed before. Almost simultaneously my son who was holding him said he thought our piggie had wet himself on my son's coat sleeve, which he's never done before. I said I thought it must be related to the lump rather than wee, as too much of a coincidence otherwise.
I've been internet reading and have read burst cysts are more like pus than watery, but also that if it is a burst cyst then it will become infected quickly. Does anyone have any experience of this, we probably won't be able to get him to the vet until later tomorrow afternoon, providing they have an emergency appt available then etc.

 

[PigglePuggle]

Without a hands on examination and a needle biopsy to look at any fluid under a microscope, nobody can really say if this is a cyst or abscess or tumour or something else. Cysts don't normally appear and burst quite so suddenly, but only a vet can say for sure. Hopefully the vet can give you a diagnosis and treatment tomorrow, healing wheeks x

 

[Amy B]

Without a hands on examination and a needle biopsy to look at any fluid under a microscope, nobody can really say if this is a cyst or abscess or tumour or something else. Cysts don't normally appear and burst quite so suddenly, but only a vet can say for sure. Hopefully the vet can give you a diagnosis and treatment tomorrow, healing wheeks x

Yes, I know I was asking a bit much really!
It's definitely strange how quickly it seemed to appear, my son is adamant it wasn't there two days ago, and random for a wet patch to be evident the same time as he was being handled today.
Anyway, thank you for the reply x

 

[Lady Kelly]

Cysts, in my experience seem to be filled with thick pus a bit like soft cheese. Abscesses can be more liquidy but stink to high heaven! Usually you could tell it's burst as the lump would be open. There are a number of things that lumps can be so always best to get in asap with your vet

 

[PigglePuggle]

Yes, I know I was asking a bit much really!
It's definitely strange how quickly it seemed to appear, my son is adamant it wasn't there two days ago, and random for a wet patch to be evident the same time as he was being handled today.
Anyway, thank you for the reply x

If it appeared and grew very fast my best guess would be an abscess, just based on my personal experience of a lump bigger than a marble appearing almost overnight on my skinny pig, but that is just a guess! Make sure your vet does a needle biopsy to draw off a bit of the lump fluid with a syringe to look at under the microscope, only that will say for sure- that can usually be done conscious with just some local anaesthetic spray or cream, its not comfortable for piggy but it will only take a few seconds x

 

[Wiebke]

Hello all,
I'm posting just as a query before contacting the vets tomorrow. We noticed our boar had a lump under his belly this evening, which we've not noticed before. Almost simultaneously my son who was holding him said he thought our piggie had wet himself on my son's coat sleeve, which he's never done before. I said I thought it must be related to the lump rather than wee, as too much of a coincidence otherwise.
I've been internet reading and have read burst cysts are more like pus than watery, but also that if it is a burst cyst then it will become infected quickly. Does anyone have any experience of this, we probably won't be able to get him to the vet until later tomorrow afternoon, providing they have an emergency appt available then etc. ☹

Hi!

Unfortunately, any lump requires a hands-on examination and if necessary biopsy; we can only guess as much as you do.

Please have the lump seen within 24 hours if it has burst or is doubling in size every few hours; I would also have any lump that is not sitting loosely in the skin seen sooner rather than later.
If a lump is moving in the skin and is stable, then you can have it seen within the next week at your convenience as it is most likely harmless.

All the best!

 

[Amy B]

Hi!

Unfortunately, any lump requires a hands-on examination and if necessary biopsy; we can only guess as much as you do.

Please have the lump seen within 24 hours if it has burst or is doubling in size every few hours; I would also have any lump that is not sitting loosely in the skin seen sooner rather than later.
If a lump is moving in the skin and is stable, then you can have it seen within the next week at your convenience as it is most likely harmless.

All the best!

Thank you, much appreciated!

 

[Amy B]

If it appeared and grew very fast my best guess would be an abscess, just based on my personal experience of a lump bigger than a marble appearing almost overnight on my skinny pig, but that is just a guess! Make sure your vet does a needle biopsy to draw off a bit of the lump fluid with a syringe to look at under the microscope, only that will say for sure- that can usually be done conscious with just some local anaesthetic spray or cream, its not comfortable for piggy but it will only take a few seconds x

Thank you for your reply, it's appreciated!

 

[Amy B]

If it appeared and grew very fast my best guess would be an abscess, just based on my personal experience of a lump bigger than a marble appearing almost overnight on my skinny pig, but that is just a guess! Make sure your vet does a needle biopsy to draw off a bit of the lump fluid with a syringe to look at under the microscope, only that will say for sure- that can usually be done conscious with just some local anaesthetic spray or cream, its not comfortable for piggy but it will only take a few seconds x

Thank you!

 

[Amy B]

Cysts, in my experience seem to be filled with thick pus a bit like soft cheese. Abscesses can be more liquidy but stink to high heaven! Usually you could tell it's burst as the lump would be open. There are a number of things that lumps can be so always best to get in asap with your vet

Thank you!