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Lump on neck and head tilt

Reggie&Chunk

Reggie&Chunk

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
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I’m sorry that I only seem to come on here when I have problems!

Firstly, I have booked a vet appointment after work tomorrow unless he gets worse tonight and I call the out of hours.

So Chunk has a lump on his throat/neck that I have had checked by the vet previously a few months ago. It hasn’t grown in size at all recently. The vet used a syringe to try and see if there was anything like an abscess but all that came out was a bit of blood. I didn’t want to go down the route of surgery at the time so we decided to keep a close eye on it for any changes.

Last night I noticed he was more quiet than normal but not enough to get worried. Tonight I came home and he was quiet but I picked him up and seemed ok-ish, just a little off. He still has a piece of pepper in his cage from breakfast which he never leaves usually and he has got a slight head tilt to the left (same side as the lump).

I’ve given him some Loxicom and I have touched the lump and that general area and he jumps like I have zapped him! When my husband gets home, he is going to help me check in his mouth.

Any ideas?
 
He seems like he is finding it a little hard to eat (he is still eating a bit, just not as much as normal) normally he goes crazy when I put hay out but he has just gone to the back of his cage and curled up, should I try giving him some critical care? Sorry if I’m being a panicky pig mum!
 
If he's still eating, then I wouldn't worry, but I'd start weighing him daily. Hopefully the pain meds will help his appetite. If the lump is that sore it may be difficult for him to eat.

You're not being a panicky mum - just a caring one :)
 
If he has a lump near the mouth/head/neck area and difficulty eating, make sure they get a look at his back teeth, as dental abscess issues can present that way. Best of luck at the vet and hope you get some answers!
 
So I freaked out and called the out of hours vet, got some antibiotics to treat what is hopefully an infection, the vet thinks the lumps (there are actually two) are are swollen lymph glands. If that doesn’t work then need to take biopsies as could be lymphoma. But fingers crossed antibiotics work. Going to try and get some critical care into him as he has dropped some weight and I think the discomfort has put him off eating a bit. But feel much better now he’s been seen and been given meds that will hopefully make him feel better!
 
So Chunk has had his loxicom, baytril, Fibreplex and some critical care this morning as there were two poos in his cage overnight :( hoping that will get his tummy moving and he will get back to his hay again!
 
So a bit of an update - he is taking his meds but he is not really eating or drinking. He will take a few mouthfuls of carrot, cucumber and melon (which is normally his favourite) but that’s about it. It looks like he is going through the motions of trying to eat hay occasionally, he is pulling at it but just can’t seem to eat it? And is getting quite frustrated! So I think there is some appetite there. I am trying to feed as much critical care as I can as he is dropping weight and passing next to no poos. I’m managing to give 3ml at a time in three feeds (he’s not keen!) as I am at work. He was 1100g at the vets on Tuesday evening and this morning he is 950g. I am going to get hold of the vets when they open this morning but I’m not really sure what they can do?
 
So, another update! Friday he went in to the vets for sub cutaneous fluids and syringe feeding. The fluids seems to have really helped and he has perked up. Had more fluids at the vets yesterday morning and gut stimulant as he isn’t eating by himself and isn’t pooing much at all. He seems to be maintaining 950g weight and is attempting to eat soft Timothy hay and soft veggies. I mentioned this to the vet and she is hopefully going to get rid of some sharp edges on his teeth tomorrow in case that is what is stopping him from eating.

Any magic tricks to try and get a piggy to eat again? Trying all his favourite foods but he is really starting to resent syringe feeding now and is fighting me every time!
 
You could mush up some pellets and syringe then to him, it’ll keep his stomach going, just be careful not to let him get too reliant on the syringe feeding
 
Add some warm water to his usual pellets just enough to soften them a bit, leave it to cool and offer it to him in a bowl. I did this for Christian after his op and it got him eating again with the help of gut stimulants.
 
I know it’s a struggle syringe feeding but try hard to get critical care or mushed up pellets into him. Have you looked at syringe feeding guides they were a great help to me, I did not realise just how much Ted should have been getting while he was having post op troubles with his teeth. He lost a lot of weight too until I got mean and increased the critical care. Have you tried hand feeding him rolled up dandelion leaves, my Ted loved these when he couldn’t eat properly and they are full of vit C. Beetroot strips from Bistro Salad he found easy to eat too and they have lots of calories to feed him up, porridge oats are good calorie wise too.

Hope he improves and you find out what’s wrong x
 
I will try muster up pellets tonight :) the vets also gave me a jar of apple and mango baby food which they managed to get him to eat too.

I am managing to get a total of around 10ml a day of critical care in him over 3/4 feeds, is that enough or does he need more? I’m hoping having his teeth done will help, it’s like the motivation to eat is there, there is just something stopping him. I just want him to get back to eating by himself :(
 
He really needs more, weighing him everyday will give you an idea if he is eating enough. I will tag you to @Wiebke as she is very experienced with poorly piggies, perhaps she can help you
 
Reggie&Chunk said:
I will try muster up pellets tonight :) the vets also gave me a jar of apple and mango baby food which they managed to get him to eat too.

I am managing to get a total of around 10ml a day of critical care in him over 3/4 feeds, is that enough or does he need more? I’m hoping having his teeth done will help, it’s like the motivation to eat is there, there is just something stopping him. I just want him to get back to eating by himself :(
Click to expand...

Hi! A guinea pig off its food needs get about 40-60 ml in 24 hours just to keep it alive and to keep the guts going. A healthy guinea pig eats about the equivalent of 120 ml in the prime of its life, over 80% of which should be hay and only 10% veg. Please feed either mushed pellets, better recovery formula powder or a mix of both - whatever goes in best. Too much or only veg is not good as it can cause fermentation/bloating/diarrhea in the gut if it is not balanced by much more fibre. Sadly too many general vets are not aware of just how much feed a guinea pig needs and that it should be mostly grass hay/fibre based.
If you feed mushed pellets in your mix, you need to cut off the syringe tip as shown in the guide in order to allow the crucial fibre to come through.

If you really struggle to get any feed in, then you need to feed every two hours (every three hours during the night). It is totally draining (as anybody who has been there will know), but it can really make all the difference.
Stop feeding if your guinea pig is too lethargic to swallow or is struggling much in excess of its feeble state. This sadly means that your piggy is not able to process any food anymore and is dying. Until you reach this stage, it is worth struggling through.
You need to weigh once daily at the same time to measure the weight/food intake, especially when your piggy is still eating a little - just watching that by eye can be extremely deceptive since piggies can chew a lot on crud and not really eat.
Please take the time to read these illustrated guides; they are specifically written and illustrated for inexperienced owners doing it for the first time.
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide (Includes tips on recovery formula and how to make mushed up pellets)
Administering Medications And Syringe Feed
First Aid Kit For Guinea Pigs

Please see a more experienced vet if you need to. All the best and hang in there. It takes practice, but any seriously piggy is a real challenge.
 
Wiebke said:
Hi! A guinea pig off its food needs get about 40-60 ml in 24 hours just to keep it alive and to keep the guts going. A healthy guinea pig eats about the equivalent of 120 ml in the prime of its life, over 80% of which should be hay and only 10% veg. Please feed either mushed pellets, better recovery formula powder or a mix of both - whatever goes in best. Too much or only veg is not good as it can cause fermentation/bloating/diarrhea in the gut if it is not balanced by much more fibre. Sadly too many general vets are not aware of just how much feed a guinea pig needs and that it should be mostly grass hay/fibre based.
If you feed mushed pellets in your mix, you need to cut off the syringe tip as shown in the guide in order to allow the crucial fibre to come through.

If you really struggle to get any feed in, then you need to feed every two hours (every three hours during the night). It is totally draining (as anybody who has been there will know), but it can really make all the difference.
Stop feeding if your guinea pig is too lethargic to swallow or is struggling much in excess of its feeble state. This sadly means that your piggy is not able to process any food anymore and is dying. Until you reach this stage, it is worth struggling through.
You need to weigh once daily at the same time to measure the weight/food intake, especially when your piggy is still eating a little - just watching that by eye can be extremely deceptive since piggies can chew a lot on crud and not really eat.
Please take the time to read these illustrated guides; they are specifically written and illustrated for inexperienced owners doing it for the first time.
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide (Includes tips on recovery formula and how to make mushed up pellets)
Administering Medications And Syringe Feed
First Aid Kit For Guinea Pigs

Please see a more experienced vet if you need to. All the best and hang in there. It takes practice, but any seriously piggy is a real challenge.
Click to expand...


Thank you for the info @Wiebke! To be honest, the vet is lovely but she didn’t really give me any guidance on syringe feeding, just said to keep doing what I’m doing.

He is currently having critical care and is fighting me off! But I’m persevering, I’m just about to give him his loxicom and baytril and I have soaked some of his usual pellets that I will try and get him to eat himself first rather than syringe. I will also do night time feeds too, didn’t even think about that :( my only problem is, I have to go to work. I leave the house at 7am and don’t get home until 6pm (I have my horses and dogs to sort before and after work). I will try and drive home in my lunch hour and get a feed in, my work have been very understanding with vet appointments.

Thank you again for the help!
 
Just managed 12ml of mushed pellets which he seamed to like more than the critical care and alarms are set for every 2/3 hours :) he is now resting in his cage on his snugglesafe :)
 
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