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Lump Found On Back

Froggerella

Froggerella

Junior Guinea Pig
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I picked one of my boars, Rubix, up for a cuddle earlier and noticed a lump under the fur on his back (see pics below). It doesn't appear to have bothered him so far, as there's no fur missing or any other evidence of him over grooming or worrying at it. He was a little fussy when I was taking a look, but he's generally a fussy one if anyone is touching near his bum anyway, so I don't think it had anything to do with that.

I only bathed him (twice, thanks to the recent discovery of some small maggots in his hutch this weekend when I came to clean him and his cage mate out - thanks, hot weather) and clipped his claws a few days ago, and I didn't feel anything then which I feel like I would have done if it had been there.

As I've mentioned, I did discover a few small maggots in the hutch, which has since been thoroughly disinfected, a special hutch spray used to deter insects, and both pigs have been shampooed and inspected. I don't believe this is connected, as there's no evidence of eggs/flystrike.

Obviously, I'm going to phone the vet tomorrow morning when they open and see if I can get an appointment for tomorrow (it's a bank holiday today so they're closed), but I wanted to see if any of you lovely people have experienced anything like this before with your cavies?

Something potentially of note: I weighed him today and he's lost a little weight (normally he's around 1050g, today was 1014g), but he's eating and drinking fine and his energy levels are completely normal for him.


bix.webp bix2.webp
 
Hard to tell from the photo. Likelihood is the vet will attempt a biopsy to check the lump. Here's hoping it's nothing sinister
 
Hopefully its a sebaceous cyst, one of my girls had one &the vet tested the contents with a needle, a greasy cottage cheese type substance came out. Occasionally it needed emptying but was never really a problem. Some vets will remove them if they're in an awkward position or get infected.
Looks a bit small &on the skin opposed to under it as in a fatty lump.

But I'd make it a vet visit when they're open. Just to be on the safe side &get the correct diagnosis.
Keep us updated

Xx
 
Thanks, I've got my fingers crossed. Not the first vet visit Bix has cost me in recent months! We had a nail clipping incident which then resulted in him jumping out of my arms... He was fine in the end and enjoyed his painkillers a little too much from the vet, I noticed (to be fair, it did smell like honey). I'm just hoping this ends up fine, too. As he's a rescue, I don't know how old he is (there's absolutely no history on him), although I suspect he may be my oldest pig.

At least he's still running around for food though!

Will keep you all updated x
 
Piggies get all sorts of lumps. The vets may decide to pop a needle in to check whether it is pus filled, or solid. I had one piggy (long ago) with a big sebaceous cyst on the back. It hadn't been there on one weekend healthcheck and was there a few days later when we were having a cuddle. After my initial panic about it the vet was very reassuring. She lived for over 5 years with that cyst. It never burst.
 
How much do needles such as that hurt them? I can't stand seeing my pigs in pain, so I might have to genuinely hold back from hitting my (otherwise very lovely) vet if Bix is distressed at that :-(
 
Froggerella said:
How much do needles such as that hurt them? I can't stand seeing my pigs in pain, so I might have to genuinely hold back from hitting my (otherwise very lovely) vet if Bix is distressed at that :-(
Click to expand...
My BB had a needle aspiration on a lump on her back just last week and she didn't even flinch. The nurse was restraining her in a towel but I did expect a reaction and there was none at all
 
Froggerella said:
How much do needles such as that hurt them? I can't stand seeing my pigs in pain, so I might have to genuinely hold back from hitting my (otherwise very lovely) vet if Bix is distressed at that :-(
Click to expand...

Ellie was a complete diva generally, but I think with that she did a few rumbles &the most staggering 'stink-eye' look you've ever seen! :eek:
But a facefull of cucumber or grass later &she was back to her usual happy self :wub:

I always take distraction food,grass,dandelion, carrot sticks etc for after the ordeal! Lol!
Xx
 
Froggerella said:
How much do needles such as that hurt them? I can't stand seeing my pigs in pain, so I might have to genuinely hold back from hitting my (otherwise very lovely) vet if Bix is distressed at that :-(
Click to expand...

It depends on the piggy. Peter always squealed if there was any doubt about what you were going to do with him whereas when Isobel had an abscess on her face the vet was able to put a needle in and drain it without a sound from her, she didn't even flinch
 
So, when I got to the vet there ended up being an emergency - the only vet who dealt with small animals was the one caught up in it so, after waiting for an hour, we got rebooked for Thursday morning.

Frustrating, but I dread to think what the emergency was that took so long.
 
It's always so sad when there's an emergency at the vets! I just sit there feeling so useless :soz:
At least the lump isn't bothering piggy! I'm sure all will be fine until Thursday c: I took one of the piggies from work to the vet for a few lumps on her belly (just lipomas) and she didn't flinch at the needle at all! I don't think she even knew it was there :'D
 
UPDATE: Bix saw the vet today (who seemed to instantly fall in love with him - can't blame her!) She told me it was either an abscess or a tumour, and took him out back to stick a needle in and see... she came out 10/15 minutes later with a MASSIVE smile on her face, and told me the experience she'd just had was incredibly satisfying. It turns out Bix had quite a large abscess in there - she kept squeezing and more kept coming out!

Anyway, he's absolutely fine after his ordeal - he's got metacam once a day and antibiotics twice a day for the next week, and then I'm to make a follow up appointment, but the vet isn't concerned. I asked if she had any idea what might have caused the abscess, and she said sometimes they just happen without any obvious cause. Bix hasn't been fighting (the extent of his fighting with his cagemate, Cube, is pulling lettuce out of each others mouths and running off with it), no obvious injury that could have caused an infection - just one of those things.

I'm incredibly relieved. He's back in his hutch now, running about and making sure everything is as he left it. I've already given him two syringes of meds - he loves the metacam (he's had it before, and quickly realised it tastes sweet), but his face was a picture at the antibiotics.

What a relief! Thanks for all the advice on here, I really appreciated it x
 
No, no need to flush it out apparently - she got most of it this morning, and said he just needs the medication and then a check up in a week or so to see how he's been on it.
 
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