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Sterile Abscess, Advice Needed!

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GuineaPigFan15

GuineaPigFan15

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Hi everyone,

Around a week or so ago, we found a lump on Coconut's throat when we gave her chin rubs. We weren't sure what it was, so we took her to the vet, just to be safe. The vet took a test and sent it to the lab to get tested. Now, she called back saying it was a sterile abscess. She gave us 3 options on what we could do. 1, she could do surgery to remove it, 2, we could watch it and when it gets bigger, remove it. Or 3, keep testing on it. If Coconut was your pig, what would you do? Thank you so much on advance for any advice. It is greatly appreciated. :)
 
One of mine had an abscess under her chin, it was growing quite large so the vet advised me to have it removed, as it was close to th ecarotid artery. If you leave it, it will get bigger & then it might not be so easy to remove.
 
I would also opt for it to be removed if she is strong otherwise.
 
I agree with Helen. I would opt for removal before it gets bigger & probably more complicated. Hope all goes well whatever you decide :)
 
Are they able to remove the abscess completely, or do they want to lance and drain it? My experience is that if it's in a place where it can be removed completely, do that... it's the best case scenario and will nip the situation in the bud, and will be much more pleasant for you and her than waiting for it to become larger and having to lance/drain/irrigate/clean for months in order to get it to heal. Assuming your piggie is otherwise healthy and relatively young and your vet has experience with the op itself and guinea pig anesthesia, I would remove it in total before it's a problem. (I add young and healthy to the qualifications because I worry more about anesthesia as pets get older... for instance, whereas I would allow my 4-year-old pig to have an elective anesthesia at this point, I would be more reluctant to allow my 6-year-old pig to have one, as she is an 'old lady' at this stage of her life!)
 
Thank you so much for your advice, everyone. It has really helped me with my decision. Now I just have to discuss it with my family to see what they think, we all share the pigs.
 
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