Possible genital infection?

[CiaraPatricia]

My friend's guinea pig (I'm pretty sure is male, but it has never been sexed properly and she was told it was female in the shop) has a lot of wood shavings stuck around the genital area, and pus or something. I haven't seen it but she told me that. She said it seems really painful and swollen, but I'm not sure if it's swollen, or if it's just a boy. I'm pretty sure he's a boy, but when she was trying to get the penis to come out, she said it was hurting the guinea pig because it's painful around there. If it's a girl then it must be very very swollen . . . but I'd be 95% sure it's a boy.

Would this be an infection? And what would be best, cleaning and soaking it in warm water with sea salt? or going to vet aswell for antibiotics? (And to get the piggy sexed at the same time!)

And why are the woodshavings getting stuck there, is it because of the pus, or should she have some hay or something on top of the woodshavings in the sleeping part of the cage? Mine are on woodshavings and hay in the sleeping area, and that never happens them.

 

[Laura-CCC4]

It sounds like he may well have an infection, if the bedding accumulates for long enough in the genital area it can easily lead to an infection. This is one reason woodshavings are not good bedding for piggies - the pieces tend to stick to the genitals more than other types of bedding.

Definitely a trip to the vets for a diagnosis and antibiotics - and as you say, to get the pig sexed properly as well!

 

[CiaraPatricia]

Yeah, I suggested to her as well to put something on top of the wood shavings, like some hay, in the place where they sleep. Maybe I'll try to get her to use fleece, I can imagine she'd like that cos she likes her guinea pigs really clean all the time!