Grease Gland Issues

[piggl]

My boar is 4 and around 9 months, so almost 5, and he has always had quite a greasy grease gland. I have tried to look at the grease gland before but I could never see anything past the hair, no matter how hard I tried to look.

Well tonight I decided to finally took a look and due to him recently having a haircut because he got some boar glue stuck on him I was finally able to see. It does not look healthy to me, but I do not know what a healthy grease gland looks like. I wonder if he has been pulling at it and irritating due to the "glue" stuck to the area.
That area always felt thicker and now that I see it, it almost looks like a what I could describe as a big mole like feeling/texture. Does this look normal?

He doesn't show any signs of issue with it and I can touch it without him reacting. Another issue is that I would not be able to get a vet appointment until Monday, as tomorrow it is my sisters birthday let alone the fact my vet wont have any free appointments unless it would be an emergency, which it is not. Is there anything I could do to help the area? He had a bum bath a couple days ago due to the greasiness, which is still there now so I am wondering if the feeling is due to the skin of this area.

On the bottom half of the area, along the sides there is still some boar glue stuck to it, basically attached to the skin which I do not believe would be very comfortable at all. You can sort of see the opaque/whiteness of it.

 

[Wiebke]

My boar is 4 and around 9 months, so almost 5, and he has always had quite a greasy grease gland. I have tried to look at the grease gland before but I could never see anything past the hair, no matter how hard I tried to look.

Well tonight I decided to finally took a look and due to him recently having a haircut because he got some boar glue stuck on him I was finally able to see. It does not look healthy to me, but I do not know what a healthy grease gland looks like. I wonder if he has been pulling at it and irritating due to the "glue" stuck to the area.
That area always felt thicker and now that I see it, it almost looks like a what I could describe as a big mole like feeling/texture. Does this look normal?

He doesn't show any signs of issue with it and I can touch it without him reacting. Another issue is that I would not be able to get a vet appointment until Monday, as tomorrow it is my sisters birthday let alone the fact my vet wont have any free appointments unless it would be an emergency, which it is not. Is there anything I could do to help the area? He had a bum bath a couple days ago due to the greasiness, which is still there now so I am wondering if the feeling is due to the skin of this area.

On the bottom half of the area, along the sides there is still some boar glue stuck to it, basically attached to the skin which I do not believe would be very comfortable at all. You can sort of see the opaque/whiteness of it.

Hi

If you have concerns over the grease gland and cannot remove any build-up gently with coconut oil or if it doesn't look right, then please see a vet for a hands-on examination. Grease glands can occasionally go wrong.

 

[piggl]

Hi

If you have concerns over the grease gland and cannot remove any build-up gently with coconut oil or if it doesn't look right, then please see a vet for a hands-on examination. Grease glands can occasionally go wrong.

Will he be okay until monday? I really wouldn’t be able to get an appointment sooner.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Yes it should be fine until Monday.

 

[VickiA]

 

[Wiebke]

Will he be okay until monday? I really wouldn’t be able to get an appointment sooner.

Hi

He will be fine until Monday. It should be seen but at your convenience and during regular opening hours.
Any urgency applies to all issues connected with a major quick loss appetite and/or weight, apathy/collapses/bad fitting, excruciating pain, paralysis, injuries and/or any heavy bleeding that doesn't stop or any galloping infection or other issue with quick deterioration.
Your grease gland has been like this for a while already without impacting on his appetite or behaviour, so a few more days won't hurt. See what you can work off gently.

We have a very useful guide link here (written for us by a vet nurse) that gives you a more detailed idea as to what counts as life or death out-of-hours emergency and what counts as a next day emergency (i.e. ideally to be seen within 24 hours at your regular vets in one of their emergency slots which most UK clinics have; in this class you have all issues that are serious and fast developing but that do not pose in instant risk to life). Anything else can wait a few days until you can get a regular appointment. Receptionists are trained to do a quick triage when you call them as to how urgently a problem needs to be seen.
How Soon Should My Guinea Pig See A Vet? - A Quick Guide

 

[piggl]

An update - We’ve been in to the vets and apparently completely normal for aging piggies/boars. As they grow older the stuff the grease gland releases can deplete the hair in that area. It can also be seen in male dogs.

I wonder, is there an aging piggies guide on this forum, as I have never actually had an old piggy before.

 

[Viennese Furbabies]

Take a look here: Caring for Older Piggies and Facing the End - A practical and supportive information collection

 

[piggl]

Take a look here: Caring for Older Piggies and Facing the End - A practical and supportive information collection

Great, thanks!