Oreos Lump Has Burst, Advice Needed Please.

[MycuteBoys]

Hi, the vet rang yesterday to say the test results are back and the lumps in oreos tummy are due to an infection in his memory glands. The vet has put him on Trimacare aswell as keeping him on Marbocyl for another week. We went to give him the Trimacare today after I fetched the new lot of meds...he had already had the marbocyl this morning along with his meloxidyl, we noticed his tummy was sticky (he was fine when I looked him over before I went to the vets) the largest lump has burst i carfully moved his fur out of the way to clean the area with warm boiled water as this thick creamy toothpaste like stuff was coming out just like if you squeezed a tube of toothpaste. I gently pressed the lump when it stopped which didn't bother oreo at all and more of this stuff came out I stopped as soon as he wheeked, now the lump is a awful lot smaller I'm guessing around 3 table spoons full come out in total. I'm just asking if any one knows how best to keep this area clean. He's bedded on fleece, vet bed and towels all of which I'm changing again today before he goes back into his hutch, I will keep his hutch really clean and dry (as always)
Many thanks Kell.

 

[Stewybus]

Was is white pasty stuff that came out, it sounds like a sebaceous cyst. Sometimes it's a black paste. It's a case of keeping it clean so there's no chance of infection. Sometimes these go away like a blackhead on a human but sometimes they need to be removed. Minnie has had one for about 6 months & it's not bothering her so we just left it because at about 6 year old an op may be worse for her than the cyst x

 

[Wiebke]

It sounds like a sebaceous cyst, which is harmless and not at all uncoomon in older piggies. it needs to be disinfected though.

 

[MycuteBoys]

Thank you for replying, the paste is slightly off white in colour I thought it had a very pale green colour to it also, he's been on antibotics for two weeks now and he's on them for another week. Am I best to just keep cleaning the area where the little hole would be where the gunk come out of with warm boiled water? It seems to of crusted over this afternoon so should I leave it alone now and keep an eye on it, I'm guessing he will clean the mess from the leakage around the lump himself. Thanks

 

[gizzy]

Hi there, it is in a very difficult place you are right to keep him as clean as possible,Given the location what I would suggest is that you watch out for fluid discharge from the nipple,

Though probably a Epidermoid or Pilar Cyst, both fall under the category of Sebaceous Cyst, though the texture of the discharge may be different (some thick some thin). Most are sterile some are not!!,

if the discharge is free moving then squeezes much out as you can,



NB but if the discharge is thick, and you feel a slight "resistance" when you are squeezing do not squeeze anymore than will flow freely, otherwise tissue damage then infection could result

 

[MycuteBoys]

Hi there, it is in a very difficult place you are right to keep him as clean as possible,
probably a Epidermoid or Pilar Cyst, both fall under the category of Sebaceous Cyst, though the texture of the discharge may be different (some thick some thin). Most are sterile some are not!,

if the discharge is free moving then squeezes much out as you can,

NB but if the discharge is thick, and you feel a slight "resistance" when you are squeezing do not squeeze anymore than will flow freely, otherwise tissue damage then infection could result

That is very helpful Gizzy, thank you. It was thick and free flowing when I noticed it i gently pressed it when it stopped and it contuined to free flow on its own so I kept gently pressing when it stopped until he wheeked then I didn't touch it again. That was about 11 this morning and the lump is still small it's not built up again

 

[lady liberty]

Was it white pasty stuff that came out?

 

[MycuteBoys]

Hi, It was glue like stuff I could not wash it off his tummy with the boiled water, It seemed almost smooth just like toothpaste, it was not dark in colour at all, (more of an off white not cream) a little lump burst lower down at the vets the week before so he syringed some of the gunk from this big lump (and sent it off to the lad for testing) he said it was like cottage cheese, I didn't think it looked like today.

 

[gizzy]

That is not unusual Depending on what type of cyst it was it is probably an oil based fluid from glands! so the water will just one off it, did you check the nipples for any discharge? "Likely" squeeze them at there base

 

[Pebble]

Hi, the vet rang yesterday to say the test results are back and the lumps in oreos tummy are due to an infection in his memory glands.

I am slightly concerned that some of the previous posts could be misleading to other members and cause confusion over two very different conditions together with a third that has not yet been mentioned.

Your male guinea pig has been diagnosed ( by cultures) with an infection/abcess within the mammary glands and your vet has prescribed two antibiotics - marbocyl and Trimacare (the equivalent of septrin)...to combat the bacterial infection. The substantial 3 tablespoons of exudate you are seeing is therefore more likely to be pus......a product of the interaction between the body's protective cells killing the bacteria.

This is completely different from a naturally occurring sebacious cyst (which is normally sterile) and the much smaller amount of more granular exudate produced which is the product of the sebaceous glands themselves (albeit cysts can become secondarily infected and pus can result). Sebacious cysts normally occur on areas of the rump/flank and I am not aware of a previous case of a sebacious cyst emanating from a male guinea pig mammary gland. (As Oreo is a boy, I think we can rule out cystic ovaries causing discharge from his nipples!)

The third condition, given the fact the mammary glands are affected, is that of a mammary tumour also becoming secondarily infected. Mammary tumours are common in boy guinea pigs and I think that you need to go back to your vet within the next 48hours for a possible biopsy to rule out this condition (which is easily rectified by surgical removal although you may have to act quickly as mammary tumours in boars are recognised as being very aggressive and fast-growing)

Meanwhile, bathing the area regularly with cooled salt water/saline solution will help and you might also want to ask your vet about using dilute hibiscrub as an alternative. All these will do is minimise any further infection...So I do think you need to rule out an underlying tumour and also discuss with your vet the pros and cons of a surgical removal of the infected area. Even if it is only an abcess, it's location may prove difficult for the antibiotics to reach and a surgical removal to include any abcess capsule may be preferable in the longer term.

HTH
x

Without puictures (or more specifically seeing Oreo myself), it is difficult to comment further. But I believe that there are 3 scenarios that need to be considered here, rather than automatically assuming this is a sebacious cyst which is not supported by the evidence to date.

 

[MrsSuzy]

Just want to send hugs! Nothing to add from above really. Hoping vet gets to bottom of Oreos woes! He is a young boy so that's a positive for recovery for whatever it might be. x