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My Guinea Pig Has A Mysterious Lump?
- Thread starter MoonPiggy
- Start date
Lady Kelly
Senior Guinea Pig
Hi, if you are worried then please see a vet. There are a number of lumps that piggies can get. Yes they can get tumours but benign fatty lumps and sebaceous cysts are also very common and often do not cause any problems for the pig. My late Peter had more than his fair share of fatty lumps and did have one removed because it was under his leg and got too large but other than that they didn't cause him problems and he lived to be 7
Please have any lump seen by a vet. Only a hands-on diagnosis can give you a result. The majority of lumps is benign - and that includes a number of tumours, too!
Thanks, we had a vet check him out, and he said it was a fatty cyst and it was harmless... but Hershal is losing fur where it is and a bunch of puss came out yesterday... Is his normal? We are taking him to the vet again tomorrow.
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Doesn't sound like its a fatty lump, they're just harmless lumps under the skin. Sounds more like an abcess or erupted sebaceous cyst.
If it smells its more than likely an abcess that will need antibiotics such as zithromax(sp?) to clear it up (baytril isn't usually strong enough in these cases) the vet may drain it more/squeeze more pus from it &stitch it open to allow the infection to drain. But you'll need to clean it daily too.
Or if its a sebaceous cyst they usually have a thick cottage cheese type discharge that's similar in colour to the hair colour around it (eg black pig =dark grey discharge) not normally smelly unless its got infected.
Sometimes best left alone although may occasionally need attention.
I would take guinea back to the vets(maybe a different one to yesterday as you will need a guinea savvy vet-even if its the same vet practice ask for a second opinion from a different vet if available) to get them to check it out &diagnose exactly which it is.
Healing vibes &speedy recovery little one. Xx
If it smells its more than likely an abcess that will need antibiotics such as zithromax(sp?) to clear it up (baytril isn't usually strong enough in these cases) the vet may drain it more/squeeze more pus from it &stitch it open to allow the infection to drain. But you'll need to clean it daily too.
Or if its a sebaceous cyst they usually have a thick cottage cheese type discharge that's similar in colour to the hair colour around it (eg black pig =dark grey discharge) not normally smelly unless its got infected.
Sometimes best left alone although may occasionally need attention.
I would take guinea back to the vets(maybe a different one to yesterday as you will need a guinea savvy vet-even if its the same vet practice ask for a second opinion from a different vet if available) to get them to check it out &diagnose exactly which it is.
Healing vibes &speedy recovery little one. Xx
It turned out to be a cyst, but it had ruptured or something. My piggy is under surgery right now... the vet decided we should just remove it. :| Thanks again. The discharge was really cheesy, but it was a light color. Hershal is a chocolate piggy... even though his skin color is really light. Anyways, thanks for your help. 
CarnivalPiggy
Adult Guinea Pig
Hiya, how'd it go?