Cervical lymphadenitis

[Ckaladjian]

I’m wondering is cervival lymphoditis contagious if the lymp node has not ruptured yet? Do I need to separate the pigs or only after treatment ? Will it spread airborne to other guniea pigs in the same room different cage? Any advice please my baby is only 2 months old

 

[ScrufflesRules]

Hello,
I'm sorry to hear your guinea pig is unwell.
I've never heard of the condition before, but I would recommend not separating your guinea pigs unless your vet has told you to do so.
Do you have a guinea pig savvy vet you can talk to about whether it's contagious?

 

[Ckaladjian]

Hello,
I'm sorry to hear your guinea pig is unwell.
I've never heard of the condition before, but I would recommend not separating your guinea pigs unless your vet has told you to do so.
Do you have a guinea pig savvy vet you can talk to about whether it's contagious?

Yes I do but I’m confused if she meant a separate after treatment when the lymp node is drained or now. I have other pigs in the same room too so have no idea what I have to do it’s a infection from a scrape in his lymp node

 

[ScrufflesRules]

I would phone your vet today to double check when you should separate them.
Also, ask whether you need to separate your piggy for contagion reasons or to allow the wound to heal.
If they only want you to separate to allow the wound to heal, then you could put the cages side-by-side so that your guinea pigs can still see and hear each other.

I hope he gets well soon. ❤

 

[piggl]

You may find this additional information nice to read through - Cervical Lymphadenitis (CL) in the guinea pig - Guinea Lynx Forums

On terms of your medical separation, you would have to be very wary of bond breakdowns and the ill affect it could have on your sick piggie, including increased stress. This is why we will generally recommend against medical separation, but I am not sure what the standpoint is on transmittable/infectious diseases.
Your best bet will likely be to call them back and get confirmation on what they want you to do, as well as being aware of the risks with doing so.

Wishing you and your pigs all the best x

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome

Lymphadenitis is an infection that has usually been contracted elsewhere in the body but that has spread to one or more lymph nodes where it can on occasion cause an abscess. In guinea pigs, lymphadenitis typically affects the lymph nodes in the neck and is most commonly caused by streptococcus. It can appear either in the form of an abscess inside the lypmph nodeor as a swelling of the node.

At this young age, your baby is desperate for company and very dependent on the comfort and guidance of any elder, so any separation should happen only if the companion's life is at a major risk because a separation is a major additional stress factor that will lower the immune response further, especially at an age where the immune system is still under construction. Please be aware that exposure/infection is likely to have already happened, especially if you have bought your piggies together. It takes about 1-2 weeks between infection and outbreak.

What medication has your vet prescribed? And how long have you had your piggies? Is the companion the same age or older?

Here is more information on lymphadenitis. It is thankfully rare in well kept guinea pigs but since yours sounds like they have not been long with you in view of the very young age, they may have rather come with it: Cervical Lymphadenitis (CL) in the guinea pig - Guinea Lynx Forums

 

[Ckaladjian]

Hi and welcome

Lymphadenitis is an infection that has usually been contracted elsewhere in the body but that has spread to one or more lymph nodes where it can on occasion cause an abscess. In guinea pigs, lymphadenitis typically affects the lymph nodes in the neck and is most commonly caused by streptococcus. It can appear either in the form of an abscess inside the lypmph nodeor as a swelling of the node.

At this young age, your baby is desperate for company and very dependent on the comfort and guidance of any elder, so any separation should happen only if the companion's life is at a major risk because a separation is a major additional stress factor that will lower the immune response further, especially at an age where the immune system is still under construction. Please be aware that exposure/infection is likely to have already happened, especially if you have bought your piggies together. It takes about 1-2 weeks between infection and outbreak.

What medication has your vet prescribed? And how long have you had your piggies? Is the companion the same age or older?

Here is more information on lymphadenitis. It is thankfully rare in well kept guinea pigs but since yours sounds like they have not been long with you in view of the very young age, they may have rather come with it: Cervical Lymphadenitis (CL) in the guinea pig - Guinea Lynx Forums

The weird thing is it’s actually on his chin..he had a scrape and then it happened. I have his brother who’s with him his mom is separated from him. He was born at my house. I may go for second opinion & now looking his brother has the same thing same spot

 

[Wiebke]

The weird thing is it’s actually on his chin..he had a scrape and then it happened. I have his brother who’s with him his mom is separated from him. He was born at my house. I may go for second opinion & now looking his brother has the same thing same spot

It is likely either an abscess that has coincidentally happened when the scratch got infected or the scratched spot is a secondary incident when your little one scratched the hurting spot as it started coming up. Either is entirely possible.
As your vet seems to think that it is the abscess form, you will have to wait until it goes soft and can be lanced and drained. Then it will have to be kept open and flushed twice daily for as long as possible. If streptococcus is suspected, then a separation at that stage may be indicated as the open wound would pose a major transmission angle - but you need to discuss that with your vet and their assessment of the situation.

How long have you had your piggies? What gender and what ages are they and how well do they get on? A bit more background information would help us. Diagnosing is not like '1 symptom = 1 illness'. It is more more often like playing detective in a murder mystery.

Please accept that without access to your piggy we can help you only so much. None of us is a vet, either. If you have concerns, please seek another opinion.

 

[Ckaladjian]

Had them since birth 2 males born in my house, they are males and 2 months old. I have his mom but already living separated. They are acting normal and no bothered by it. Just weird that both have it that are skinny’s

 

[Wiebke]

Had them since birth 2 males born in my house, they are males and 2 months old. I have his mom but already living separated. They are acting normal and no bothered by it. Just weird that both have it that are skinny’s

So you have two piggies presenting with the same symptoms? In this case, the lymphadenitis diagnosis is starting to make more sense. Are the two brothers affected or two piggies living in different cages?

 

[Ckaladjian]

So you have two piggies presenting with the same symptoms? In this case, the lymphadenitis diagnosis is starting to make more sense. Are the two brothers affected or two piggies living in different cages?

The brothers in the same cage is it airborne contagious? I have others in the same room different cage

 

[Wiebke]

The brothers in the same cage is it airborne contagious? I have others in the same room different cage

I would recommend to remove the other cage if possible, just to make safe. Body contact (like licking, nipping or picking things up via scent marking or direct wound contact etc.) is much more likely, though.

 

[Ckaladjian]

I have no space to move them anywhere they aren’t close to each other ones on a second level and the other is on the floor in a corner

 

[Wiebke]

I have no space to move them anywhere they aren’t close to each other ones on a second level and the other is on the floor in a corner

That should hopefully do the trick.

 

[Ckaladjian]

That should hopefully do the trick.

So found out that’s not what it is took him to a different vet the one baby it’s just normal anatomy the other one she thinks it was some type of infection and it has gotten smaller almost gone !

 

[Wiebke]

So found out that’s not what it is took him to a different vet the one baby it’s just normal anatomy the other one she thinks it was some type of infection and it has gotten smaller almost gone !

What a relief for you!