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Lump On Face

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Gem789

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My boar Guiseppe appears to have a lump on the side of his face.I thought I could see it yesterday but thought it could be where his fur was wet from his weepy eye and just sticking out but today I've had a feel and I can definitely feel a lump.It feels hard to touch.Hes fine within himself.Still acting his usual self.Does anyone have any ideas what it could be?
 
It could be an abscess brewing in his jaw :( That could also affect the eye if it is the same side. I would get him checked by a vet & tbh I would book an appointment with Simon Maddock at the Cat & Rabbit clinic for next week when he gets back from holiday.
 
I agree with the above comment. I hope Guiseppe keeps well.Check his weight daily,maybe step in with syringe feeding if he loses weight or seems to have difficulty swallowing/eating.
 
It could potentially be a dental abscess, they come up fairly rapidly and are a hard lump along the jawline. A vet visit is definitely warranted to diagnose for sure and get a plan of action. Make sure that he is eating (weigh him daily to make sure his weight is stable.) Dental abscesses can be really painful and can affect chewing and food intake. Keep us posted- hope you get some answers!
 
It could be an abscess brewing in his jaw :( That could also affect the eye if it is the same side. I would get him checked by a vet & tbh I would book an appointment with Simon Maddock at the Cat & Rabbit clinic for next week when he gets back from holiday.
Thanks for your reply, I was worried it could be an abscess.He does seem to chew funny sometimes.I will get him booked in for when they're bk off holiday and I'll be keeping a close eye on him x
 
Nothing further to add (you have already had some great advice), but how is he doing today?
I've just got him out for his eye drop and a bit of metacam I had from my recently passed cat and he's sitting on my mum at the minute grinding his teeth which is another thing I've noticed him doing recently x
 
I agree with the above comment. I hope Guiseppe keeps well.Check his weight daily,maybe step in with syringe feeding if he loses weight or seems to have difficulty swallowing/eating.
Thanks for your reply.I will start weighing him daily and will step in with syringe feed if his weight starts to drop x
 
Agree with everyone else, I would assume the watery eye and the lump are due to dental issues.

Hope he can get sorted very soon x
 
I had similar with a rabbit several years ago, the lump appeared so quickly and turned out to be an abcsess in the jaw.
The only experience I have with abcesses is about 5 years ago with my 1st pig bill.He kept getting one underneath his chin and my local vets are not piggy savvy so just prescribed baytril which didn't help and he wouldn't eat and was trying to refuse syringe feed.I think if I'd have known about the cat and rabbit clinic back then he would've stood a chance x
 
The only experience I have with abcesses is about 5 years ago with my 1st pig bill.He kept getting one underneath his chin and my local vets are not piggy savvy so just prescribed baytril which didn't help and he wouldn't eat and was trying to refuse syringe feed.I think if I'd have known about the cat and rabbit clinic back then he would've stood a chance x

My rabbit had hers removed and packed with antibiotic beads.

So many vets don't have much of an idea with Guinea Pigs or Rabbits either :(
 
@Gem789 can you take a look at his front teeth? Are they slanted at all? My dental pig has slanted teeth from where she favours one side & she had an abscess brewing in her jaw. I would ring & book Simon for next week asap as no doubt he is going to be very busy. If you take him to see your usual vet you need to ask for Zithromax antibiotic as others just won't help at all I'm afraid.
 
I *personally* would get an appointment at your usual Vets today as your Piggy will no doubt be in a lot of pain. Even if you only get some Metacam until you can get an appointment next week.
 
@Gem789 Whereabouts on his face is the lump?

I would recommend getting it looked at. My boar had one on his face a while ago and we opted to have it removed. The problem with lumps on their face is that it can cause other problems quickly, whether it's teeth issues, eye issues or just the fact that if it gets too big then it's harder to remove as there's less skin on their face to close the incision.
 
@Gem789 Whereabouts on his face is the lump?

I would recommend getting it looked at. My boar had one on his face a while ago and we opted to have it removed. The problem with lumps on their face is that it can cause other problems quickly, whether it's teeth issues, eye issues or just the fact that if it gets too big then it's harder to remove as there's less skin on their face to close the incision.
I'd say it's along the jaw bone.
 
I *personally* would get an appointment at your usual Vets today as your Piggy will no doubt be in a lot of pain. Even if you only get some Metacam until you can get an appointment next week.
The local vets checked his teeth the other day and said they looked good.Luckily I've got some metacam so will give him it twice a day till I see the vet x
 
@Gem789 can you take a look at his front teeth? Are they slanted at all? My dental pig has slanted teeth from where she favours one side & she had an abscess brewing in her jaw. I would ring & book Simon for next week asap as no doubt he is going to be very busy. If you take him to see your usual vet you need to ask for Zithromax antibiotic as others just won't help at all I'm afraid.
I'll have a look once I get bk from work.When he was down my local vets Tuesday they said his teeth looked good.If I notice him going downhill I will book him in there till I can get an appointment with Simon x
 
Well that is good that his incisors aren't affected as yet. It's best to get hi some antibiotics & pain relief as soon as you can, as I said Zithromax is the best one & then book him in to see Simon next week :)
 
I'll try and get him in at the local vets tomorrow after work.I'm hoping they'll prescribe Zithromax.Ive started him on metacam today.Although it's the cat one x
 
My luck is not great today.On top of Guiseppe maybe having an abscess.Ive just got his cage mate Georgie out and one of his nostrils looks snotty and I can't tell if his eye looks runny or not.Can a snotty nose be anything apart from the start of a Uri?
 
You're going to need to be insistent when you phone Cat and Rabbit Clinic about needing him to be seen. They are already fully booked next week, but I suggest you say you are happy to just drop him in with them and don't need an appointment. Ask that Simon has a look when he has a minute and then lets you know what the situation is.
 
@Poppy'sMum Guiseppe has been to my local vets, my friend took him while I was at work.I told him to tell them if it is an abscess I wanted Zithromax.Apparently it's not an abscess but an infection of some sort.She felt in his mouth and pulled out something hard, apparently it was old food that had gathered and that's what's caused an infection.She prescribed baytril, emeprid and recovery food but his appetite has been fine and he's still pooping loads so I'm not gonna give the emeprid.Have you heard of this before? I don't see how old food would cause an infection?
 
Me neither :( Unless the food has been caught on a rough tooth or some other reason :( Baytril is harsh on the tummy, you need to give some probiotic after an hour or so to balance his guts. Emeprid is metoclopramide which helps the movement of the gut. I think @Stewybus 's vet prescribes a gut stimulant as well when they are on Baytril, see what he says. I would still get him in to see Simon next week, he will be able to take a proper look at what is going on in the mouth, it's not known for Guinea pigs to store food in their mouths at all.
 
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