New Black Spot/Mole on My Guinea Pig’s Tummy – Has Anyone Seen This Before?

[Eleven]

Hi everyone!


I recently noticed a small black spot on my 5-month-old guinea pig Lilo’s tummy.


I’m not sure how long it’s been there. I honestly don’t recall seeing it before, but I could have easily missed it.


It looks like a tiny black mole or spot on her skin and feels slightly raised compared to the surrounding skin when gently touched. My husband also had a feel and thought it almost felt like a tiny hole.


I’ve been wondering whether it could simply be her belly button, natural pigmentation or perhaps a small mole.


Other than this, Lilo is completely normal. She’s eating well, pooping normally, playing and having her usual zoomies. Her behaviour hasn’t changed at all.


I’m planning to visit the vet to have it checked, just for peace of mind. I’m mainly curious whether anyone has noticed something similar on their guinea pigs or knows if this could simply be their belly button.


Just sharing out of curiosity and to hear about other owners’ experiences. I’ve attached a few photos for reference.


Thank you!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Welcome to the forum

It could be the belly button (you could compare to her cagemate as that may help you) but if you are worried about it being a growth of any sort then do see your vet

 

[Eleven]

Welcome to the forum

It could be the belly button (you could compare to her cagemate as that may help you) but if you are worried about it being a growth of any sort then do see your vet

Thank you so much for the welcome and for the suggest. I tried to compare with my other three piggies but was unable to locate. Looks like lilo needs a vet visit just to be sure

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome.

I agree, considering how young little one is, this a baby's belly button where the umbilical cord has not too long broken off. But good on you for checking and for asking.

Learning what is normal and what not with your piggies is part of the ownership learning curve and we are here to support you during this process. There are a lot of things that are not intuitive for a newbie. As a friendly place, we respect that and we are here for all those little and larger questions.

Here is our little guide for the most obvious 'traps' that new owners can stumble into.
Guinea pig body quirks - What is normal or not during the weekly check

If you wish to, take pictures of all body parts (including the underside of feet and the inside and outside of ears) for a reference file, which can help you spot changes. Update the file once a year because some changes are age related.

Here is the access link to our New Owners information pack, into which tens of thousands of questions over the course of 20 years have gone. Our guides aim to be as practical and precise as possible. You may want to bookmark this link, browse, read and re-read at need since you will pick up on different bits as your experience grows. But we are all on here still on our own never ending journeys and are all still learning new things all the time.
New Owners' Essential Information and Practical Tips Starter Collection

 

[Wheekallweek]

She’s a little cutie!