Lip lumps

[Rubys cafe]

Hello
My 9 year old boar has in last month developed these skin tags on his lips and a few inside his mouth . Some were crusty and just disgusting . I took him to the vet and she’s proscribed him sulfartim,metacam and F10 cream. She said bring him back in 2 weeks which I think is next week. It looked like it was getting better but I wondered if anyone else’s pig has had this?
Thanks

 

[Merrypigs Sanctuary]

Looks like cheilitis! It can be bacterial or fungal I believe? If you feed any acidic foods like apple, be sure to cut them into tiny pieces

 

[Wiebke]

Hello
My 9 year old boar has in last month developed these skin tags on his lips and a few inside his mouth . Some were crusty and just disgusting . I took him to the vet and she’s proscribed him sulfartim,metacam and F10 cream. She said bring him back in 2 weeks which I think is next week. It looked like it was getting better but I wondered if anyone else’s pig has had this?
Thanks

Hi!

Please stop feeding any fruit and tomato (which are actually fruit, too) and remove any sharp or abrasive edges or bedding from the cage (but NOT any hay, which makes over 80% of the daily food intake and is absolutely vital).
Fed too much and/or too often, the acid in fruit can then enter through cracks in the lips or the mouth through which bugs can get in, this can be fungal/yeast (candida), bacterial (staphylococcus) or even a pox virus (the last is sadly untreatable and ultimately lethal). Your vet may consider whether she also wants to try itrafungol to tackle the candida angle as the next step.

Your boy is a wonderful age, but his immune system is elderly and weaker, too. That is why the very old in all species are more prone to come down quickly and badly with any infection/infestation and struggle more to heal because their defence is no longer quite up to speed.

Guinea Lynx :: Cheilitis

 

[Posyrose]

I can't add anything else apart from @Wiebke 's advice

You've done so well to get your boar to 9 years old - serious respect to you xx

 

[Rubys cafe]

Thanks everyone !
He’s eating fine but he’s a nightmare biting the bars in his indoor cage. He doesn’t do this in his outdoor cage ! I’ve been bathing his lips with salt water too. I’m off to the cat and rabbit clinic on Saturday with my other boar he’s 9 years old too! So I’ll show them the photo too .

 

[YvonneBlue]

You must be a super piggy slave to have 2 boars that are 9 years old. Amazing.

 

[Rubys cafe]

They’ve had teeth issues in the last year but generally been fit and well previously !

 

[Rubys cafe]

Hi!

Please stop feeding any fruit and tomato (which are actually fruit, too) and remove any sharp or abrasive edges or bedding from the cage (but NOT any hay, which makes over 80% of the daily food intake and is absolutely vital).
Fed too much and/or too often, the acid in fruit can then enter through cracks in the lips or the mouth through which bugs can get in, this can be fungal/yeast (candida), bacterial (staphylococcus) or even a pox virus (the last is sadly untreatable and ultimately lethal). Your vet may consider whether she also wants to try itrafungol to tackle the candida angle as the next step.

Your boy is a wonderful age, but his immune system is elderly and weaker, too. That is why the very old in all species are more prone to come down quickly and badly with any infection/infestation and struggle more to heal because their defence is no longer quite up to speed.

Guinea Lynx :: Cheilitis

What can I do to their diet to increase immune system?

 

[DizzyD95]

Wow, 9 years old is amazing! Can't offer any other advice but I hope you get it sorted x

 

[Merab]

9 years is an incredible age - if he was human he’d be in the Guinness Book of Records.
Hope the lips heal wuickly

 

[Claire W]

Wow, 9 years is amazing! I hope his lip heals quickly xx

 

[Rubys cafe]

I know they’ve done well!
They were 4 years of age when we rehomed them .and we’ve had them 5 years.. I asked both vets recently what do you think their age is... am I right with 9 years?
Two different vets said they are very elderly Guineas pigs!