Guinea Pig with Lump

Updated on October 20, 2013
C.B. asks from Keller, TX
7 answers

Hey Ladies, has any one had a Guinea pig that got a large lump on the side of there face and have it burst open? My guinea pigs just opened and white stuff is coming out that looks like tooth paste thick and white. Do you know what it is? How much a vet cost would be? I'm having trouble finding a vet that cares for guinea pigs. Any information would be great. Thanks

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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

Sounds like a Sebaceous cyst. People get them and they can get huge. The doc usually has to lance them and tons of thick goo comes out.

An antibiotic ointment can help keep it healthier.

4 moms found this helpful
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R.M.

answers from San Francisco on

Try cleaning it really well and then applying antibiotic ointment. You may not need to take him to the vet. If it's clearing up from the antibiotic ointment, you will know in a couple of days.

2 moms found this helpful
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D.K.

answers from Columbus on

Could be an abscess too and possibly related to teeth. Does it smell?If you have a regular vet for other pets give them a call to see if they have a recommendation for a vet if they so bot see exotics/ small animals. I think you are probably right to try and .fnd a vet, but it might be hard befote Monday. Try and keep it clean and make.sure guinea pig seems normal. Hope he is ok!

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T.R.

answers from Milwaukee on

Guinea pigs & rabbits both can get these... I had rabbits for many years. Their skin is very fragile/delicate, & easily abrased, allowing infections to build. The toothpaste consistency is their pus.

Take your pig to a local vet, they will probably clean it, perhaps clear it of visible pus (don't do this yourself, you could push the infection further into the animal) & prescribe an antibiotic.

The only drug I found to be effective for my rabbits was Baytril liquid suspension (they can't take pills). It is for animals only, so you must get the prescription from a vet.

If the cause of the abscess is not the teeth (which grow continuously & sometimes need to be trimmed), then consider your pig's diet. I am assuming you are giving your guinea pig hay in his diet? If so, make sure it is timothy hay, & not alfalfa.

Alfalfa hay is tough with stalks, & I found that they repeatedly would puncture my rabbit's skin & lead to continued abscesses. Upon switching to timothy (or grass) hay, never had another one, & I had rabbits for another 5 years.

Good luck, a general small animal vet practice should be able to help you out. T.

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D..

answers from Miami on

I don't know how much it costs in your area, but you should at least go have it looked at. Animal antibiotics aren't as expensive as people's, and it sounds like he needs antibiotics. Just keep calling at small animal vet clinics. If the doctor acts like there's not much hope, and you can't afford to keep taking him to the vet, have the vet put him to sleep. From someone who had lots of guinea pigs as pets, it's my experienced opinion that guinea pigs aren't really very strong, and you don't want the little guy to suffer.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.R.

answers from St. Louis on

My oldest daughter is a Vet Med student and she said this is more than likely an abcess. It could be from one of the major front teeth that these animals have. Usually, a small crack in the tooth develops and it's called a slab fracture. Bacteria enters the tooth, gets to the root, and then causes an abcess to form and rupture on the outside of the face or cheek area. Dogs gets this problem a lot.....it is called a carnassial abcess in canines. Guinea pigs are herbivores so they do not have large molars like dogs do but this definitely is an infection of some kind because the white stuff is more than likely pus. My daughter said that the guinea pig needs to be seen by a small animal or exotic animal vet. These creatures are rather delicate in nature and anybody other than an exotic vet will not have the background to help you. An exam must be done and antibiotics need to be given. If the tooth is truly the issue and it's fractured, it might have to be removed otherwise the infection will just return. See if you can get an estimate from the vet before anything major is done and go from there. Surgery on an animal like this is very dicey. If it's bad enough, the guinea pig might not do well from this point out. It's really hard to predict outcomes on these little critters as they are just so tiny and their systems are sensitive to many things. We wish you luck and we think it's wonderful that you care so much about this little pet you have.

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L.P.

answers from Dallas on

Family Pet Clinic in NRH sees exotics. They are at the corner or Mid Cities and Ruff Snow. Might not be too far from you in Keller

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