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Thinning fur/loss of fur in the armpit area

oxtinamona

oxtinamona

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
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Location
Norfolk, UK
Good morning all,
It seems like only yesterday I said goodbye to our beloved Penelope and today we discovered another issue with other piggie.

She’s been a bit snotty and started chattering teeth at her chilled friend. Then started chasing her around. I picked her up as I thought it was weird.
I noticed she has thinning fur/fur loss in the armpit area. The skin seems to be a little bit dry to touch in that area too...
I have also found a lump in one her armpits/bear lympnodes so I am getting a very bad feeling about it, based on previous experience. She’s eating and moving around fine and is alert etc but she’s showing mild signs of annoyance towards other piggy so I wonder if she’s in any discomfort. Could the bald patches be hormonal?

I am about to book an appointment with the vet now, but does it sound familiar to anyone ?
Thank you
 
She could be biting her fur and ripping it out? As for the lump I would be concerned about that, but I’m concerned about everything, good to see you’re getting her to the vet ASAP
 
Sophie Blane said:
She could be biting her fur and ripping it out? As for the lump I would be concerned about that, but I’m concerned about everything, good to see you’re getting her to the vet ASAP
Click to expand...


No ripping, it looks like a gradual thinning.. it’s not all gone and bald...we have an app at 11:45am.
 
oxtinamona said:
Good morning all,
It seems like only yesterday I said goodbye to our beloved Penelope and today we discovered another issue with other piggie.

She’s been a bit snotty and started chattering teeth at her chilled friend. Then started chasing her around. I picked her up as I thought it was weird.
I noticed she has thinning fur/fur loss in the armpit area. The skin seems to be a little bit dry to touch in that area too...
I have also found a lump in one her armpits/bear lympnodes so I am getting a very bad feeling about it, based on previous experience. She’s eating and moving around fine and is alert etc but she’s showing mild signs of annoyance towards other piggy so I wonder if she’s in any discomfort. Could the bald patches be hormonal?

I am about to book an appointment with the vet now, but does it sound familiar to anyone ?
Thank you
Click to expand...
How old is she? Behavioural change and hair loss can be hormonal. Get the vet to check her ovaries just in case. Good luck
 
oxtinamona said:
Good morning all,
It seems like only yesterday I said goodbye to our beloved Penelope and today we discovered another issue with other piggie.

She’s been a bit snotty and started chattering teeth at her chilled friend. Then started chasing her around. I picked her up as I thought it was weird.
I noticed she has thinning fur/fur loss in the armpit area. The skin seems to be a little bit dry to touch in that area too...
I have also found a lump in one her armpits/bear lympnodes so I am getting a very bad feeling about it, based on previous experience. She’s eating and moving around fine and is alert etc but she’s showing mild signs of annoyance towards other piggy so I wonder if she’s in any discomfort. Could the bald patches be hormonal?

I am about to book an appointment with the vet now, but does it sound familiar to anyone ?
Thank you
Click to expand...

I am very sorry for your loss. Illness and deaths often happen in bunches, like London buses. :(

Definitely a vet visit! The bald area could be from self-barbering because of discomfort. :(
 
Wiebke said:
I am very sorry for your loss. Illness and deaths often happen in bunches, like London buses. :(

Definitely a vet visit! The bald area could be from self-barbering because of discomfort. :(
Click to expand...
pig in the city said:
How old is she? Behavioural change and hair loss can be hormonal. Get the vet to check her ovaries just in case. Good luck
Click to expand...
.

She is just over 3 years. we saw a vet earlier and she couldn’t pin point the hair loss, as she said then although it could be hormonal, that type of hair loss usually occurs in other places... we will probably go down the biopsy route. As for the lumps whilst checking her, we also found another lump on her belly, in the middle of her body more or less.This was the exotics vet we haven’t seen before, but on our way back we stopped at our usual vet, to get a quote for biopsy there as well to compare.

Although the lump is barely size of the pea and she’s eating fine and alert as always, we’d rather know whether lump is cancerous, so we can prepare unlike with Penelope, who went from feeling fine to nil in 72 hrs pretty much.
I also asked the vet for metacam, because Biscuit was chattering her teeth and Pixie and chasing her around the cage, which is out of character as these two normally lounge together and are mega chilled... I want to see if this behaviour persists with painkillers, in case it’s caused by pain.

Thank you all for your help so far. We are sill in the unknown but hopefully not for too long. I will keep you posted x
 
oxtinamona said:
.

She is just over 3 years. we saw a vet earlier and she couldn’t pin point the hair loss, as she said then although it could be hormonal, that type of hair loss usually occurs in other places... we will probably go down the biopsy route. As for the lumps whilst checking her, we also found another lump on her belly, in the middle of her body more or less.This was the exotics vet we haven’t seen before, but on our way back we stopped at our usual vet, to get a quote for biopsy there as well to compare.

Although the lump is barely size of the pea and she’s eating fine and alert as always, we’d rather know whether lump is cancerous, so we can prepare unlike with Penelope, who went from feeling fine to nil in 72 hrs pretty much.
I also asked the vet for metacam, because Biscuit was chattering her teeth and Pixie and chasing her around the cage, which is out of character as these two normally lounge together and are mega chilled... I want to see if this behaviour persists with painkillers, in case it’s caused by pain.

Thank you all for your help so far. We are sill in the unknown but hopefully not for too long. I will keep you posted x
Click to expand...

All the best!

Hopefully they are fatty lumps rather than the nastier varieties, but I agree that a biopsy can help so you know whether to worry or not, especially with several lumps coming up at the same time.
The hair loss in an armpit can be simply from mechanical abrasion and you may still have to consider an operation if it gets larger and interferes with movement.
 
Wiebke said:
All the best!

Hopefully they are fatty lumps rather than the nastier varieties, but I agree that a biopsy can help so you know whether to worry or not, especially with several lumps coming up at the same time.
The hair loss in an armpit can be simply from mechanical abrasion and you may still have to consider an operation if it gets larger and interferes with movement.
Click to expand...
I’m hoping it’s fatty tissue. We aren’t ready to face cancer again :no::no:
 
oxtinamona said:
I’m hoping it’s fatty tissue. We aren’t ready to face cancer again :no::no:
Click to expand...

You are never ready to face cancer or any other serious illness, but you will always find the strength for someone you love, believe me!

Although I sincerely hope that it won't come to that!
 
Wiebke said:
You are never ready to face cancer or any other serious illness, but you will always find the strength for someone you love, believe me!

Although I sincerely hope that it won't come to that!
Click to expand...
Thank You Wiebke
 
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