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My pig has a lump...Please help!

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eddieiscool

Hello everyone...

I am hoping someone can help me...A few days ago, I found a hard lump under my pig's chin. Before taking him to the vet, I decided to have a look at the Guinea Lynx website to see if I could find some clue as to why this lump had appeared and it stated that it could be a thyroid problem.

Anyway, I took him to the vet the following day and was told that there was probably nothing that could be done for him because the lump had its own blood supply (which meant that it was not an abscess). He prescribed Baytril and this made the pig worse.

So I decided, based on the fact that vet showed that it wasn't an abscess, to not give him the Baytril. He is now eating, drinking and sleeping as he would normally but is losing weight and of course, still has a lump on his neck.

Personally, I am convinced that it is a thyroid problem because he seems perfectly healthy apart from his lump and losing the weight. The lump seem "bone like" and, if it was a swollen thyroid, would bleed if a needle was put in it. We are reluctant to have a biopsy done because I understand that pigs do not survive anaesthetic very well.

So, if anyone can offer some advice on how to proceed, please let me know. We want to do the best for our pig but I am not convinced, considering what happened while he was taking it, that Baytril is the answer.

Thanks!
 
I am so sorry that I can't help you; I understand your worry only too well!
 
Why do you think it is a thyroid problem?
A bony lump is just that.... a bony lump.
It is possible to have a bony lump beneath the chin, associated with the lower front teeth.
If the vet thought the lump was not an abscess there was no need for Baytril, which is an antibiotic.
I would suspect a dental problem. I think that the approach "nothing can be done for him" is wrong. However, can you please supply more details about the lump?
 
I had a guinea diagnosed with hyperthyroid, and she had the lump on her neck that you are referring to:

LottieDec08b.jpg


However, she had significant other symptoms including:
- Bulging eyes (giving a very wide eyed look);
- Chronic hair loss;
- Weight redistribution - no weight loss, but she became very bony all over while retaining a very rounded, distended abdomen.

A lump in itself does not indicate thyroid trouble, although such lumps can develop in pigs with thyroid disorders.

I hope you are able to determine what the lump is, and the cause of the weight loss. Good luck.
 
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Thankyou for your responses. In response to the first one, I thought it might be a thyroid problem because he was losing weight (despite eating a lot of food and still retaining a healthy appetite); he was still energetic and he seemed, apart from the lump, healthy.

In response to the second one, thankyou for showing me a picture of the lump on your poor piggy. I'm not sure if this is what Copernicus has because he does not have chronic hair loss.

We are going to take him to another vet to see if we can have a second opinion and maybe some different medicine.

Thanks again!
 
Weight loss can be caused by, amongst other things, a parasitic infection.
Whereabouts on the neck is the lump?
 
Hello!

The lump is on the side of his neck, just under the corner of his jaw...

Like I said before, apart from this, he seems fine...

Do you know of any other symptoms which are related to a parasitic infection? I just want to make sure we cover all angles before we think about having to do something drastic (as the vet suggested when we went to see him).

Thanks!
 
Hello Alcester,

Yes, it is. It doesn't seem to cause him pain when I touch it and he rests on that side too...He is still eating and drinking as normal, and he is still energetic...The only sympton he has, apart from the lump, is his weight loss...
 
It is not a thyroid problem if it is below the angle of the jaw.
Before I type a lot of questions, is there any chance of a photo?
 
Weight loss is a worrying symptom at any rate.

Did your vet offer to investigate the lump at all, perhaps by trying to take a biopsy of what the lump consists of... I agree with AP that it's pretty pointless to give your pig antibiotics when your vet doesn't think it's an abscess.

Do you have things you may need to force feed in case his weight dips too low?

Since you're familiar with GL, have a read up on tooth and jaw problems.
 
Hello everyone,

I'm sorry I haven't replied sooner. We still have Copernicus at the moment and thankfully, he has not lost any more weight. He still seems energetic and he's enjoying his food. I have attached a picture of him as he is at the moment.

As for the lump, it is hard but does not appear to be attached to anything. It is just above the shoulder joint but moves around when touched. Sadly, despite his sprightly disposition at the moment, it does seem to be getting bigger. So we've decided to make his last days with us as comfortable as possible and when it looks like he cannot do all the things a pig is meant to do (e.g. run around, find his food, etc), we will give him a peaceful end.

The vet did offer us a biopsy but, knowing the risks relating to infections and operations generally, we decided against it. I just don't think it is fair to put him through all the pain and discomfort of an operation, knowing that there is a strong possibility he won't survive.

Anyway, once again, thankyou for your advice. We will keep those who are interested updated on his progress.
 

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eddieiscool said:
Hello everyone,

I'm sorry I haven't replied sooner. We still have Copernicus at the moment and thankfully, he has not lost any more weight. He still seems energetic and he's enjoying his food. I have attached a picture of him as he is at the moment.

As for the lump, it is hard but does not appear to be attached to anything. It is just above the shoulder joint but moves around when touched. Sadly, despite his sprightly disposition at the moment, it does seem to be getting bigger. So we've decided to make his last days with us as comfortable as possible and when it looks like he cannot do all the things a pig is meant to do (e.g. run around, find his food, etc), we will give him a peaceful end.

The vet did offer us a biopsy but, knowing the risks relating to infections and operations generally, we decided against it. I just don't think it is fair to put him through all the pain and discomfort of an operation, knowing that there is a strong possibility he won't survive.

Anyway, once again, thankyou for your advice. We will keep those who are interested updated on his progress.
Click to expand...
Just read this thread, wish I'd seen it before! My Pheobe had a lump just like this, even down to how the hair looks on it, but under her armpit. We decided to have it removed as it was getting bigger and bigger, even after having baytril. She came round from the op better than she was before the op. It turned out it was a begnine tumor, basically a fatty lump, but I couldn't of left her without knowing either way. But I did feel as guilty as hell after! But it was worth it as I knew afterwards from Pheobe's reaction that the lump was making her uncomfortable
 
The majority of gp tumours are benign.

Why does the vet not try draining the lump via a needle/syringe, simple, painless, if nothing else it would confirm or deny an abscess?
What size is the lump?
 
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Good luck, I hope you have a while yet left with Copernicus. He is a lovely looking guinea.
 
Hello again everyone...

Thanks for your advice (and for saying my pig is lovely!). The lump/bump is pretty big (about the size of a golf ball). We are taking him to the vet tomorrow to see what can be done but we are really expecting the worst, I'm afraid. Still, what you have said about Phoebe the Pig is encouraging and I sincerely hope that Copernicus can be treated in the same way. The idea of putting him to sleep is very sad because he's such a lively beast even with his illness!

I will let you all know what the vet says and hopefully, it will be good news!

Thanks again!
 
It is what you say that matters more than what the vet says.
 
Hello everyone!

Just to let you know, Copernicus had his operation today and he seems to be doing as well as can be expected. He has eaten a small amount of food and looks comfortable in his box. The vet was very hopeful and said that she managed to remove the whole lump in what was described as a "clean" operation. I am glad that we took him because at least now he has a chance.

He is going back to the vet tomorrow for a post-operative check, and then again next week to make sure there are no infections. Of course, he has a rather large bald patch now which looks like velour but I don't suppose he minds too much now that he doesn't have his lump!

Thankyou all once again for your advice! I will try and update as much as possible over the next few days...
 
Hello everyone,

Just to let you all know, Copernicus seems to be making good progress after his operation. He's eating and drinking, and has started to sit up and move around. He still has a way to go but he is making progress.

Thanks for all your good wishes!
 
yay! well done you two! any results back yet? xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
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