Growth on face

[Alison c]

Hello all I'm looking for some serious advice please...
The past 2 weeks have been a nightmare my 7 year old chihuahua passed away in a very traumatic way and it has left me absolutely devastated it left me unable to cope with the day to day care of my guinea pigs which a friend of mine took over and kept them for me.
Fast forward to today my friend assured me all was ok with my 5 guinea pigs but today is the first time to go visit with them in a fortnight and i was shocked by my oldest pig...(he's nearly 5 ) he has a growth on his face and has lost a lot of weight it looks bad and i dont know what to do. currently as it stands with my dog passing i cant afford any new vet bills this month till i get paid. Is there anything i can give him to help keep him comfy i dont know what to do...
but my boy needs help... i feel so bad such an awful owner that he's sick like this any help and advice gratefully received.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Sending you huge hugs and I’m so sorry to hear this. You are not a bad owner, please don’t think you are.

I'm afraid though the reality is, he needs to see a vet, and it sounds like he needs it asap.
All that can be done at home is to urgently step in with syringe feeding and switching from the routine weekly weight checks and instead weighing him daily.

Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

 

[Wiebke]

Hello all I'm looking for some serious advice please...
The past 2 weeks have been a nightmare my 7 year old chihuahua passed away in a very traumatic way and it has left me absolutely devastated it left me unable to cope with the day to day care of my guinea pigs which a friend of mine took over and kept them for me.
Fast forward to today my friend assured me all was ok with my 5 guinea pigs but today is the first time to go visit with them in a fortnight and i was shocked by my oldest pig...(he's nearly 5 ) he has a growth on his face and has lost a lot of weight it looks bad and i dont know what to do. currently as it stands with my dog passing i cant afford any new vet bills this month till i get paid. Is there anything i can give him to help keep him comfy i dont know what to do...
but my boy needs help... i feel so bad such an awful owner that he's sick like this any help and advice gratefully received.

Hi

I am ever so sorry about loss and the quandary you are finding yourself in.

Please step in with syringe feeding support and contact a vet as soon as you can. Many UK clinics will agree to a payment plan with established customers.

 

[Alison c]

I will contact my vet ASAP and see if they will refer payment and try and get him in. he's such a good boy and doesn't deserve this I'm kicking myself as i know had i not lost Chip i would have sorted it out straight away... now it looks like I'll lose both my boys its not fair

 

[Alison c]

Thankyou so muvh for your advice ...Where can i get advice on syringe feeding and what to feed as its not something I've had to do?

 

[weepweeps]

I’m so sorry you have lost Chip. I lost my Eddie a year ago this month. He was 16.5. I still think about him every day so I understand your pain. We love our pets so much.

Could you post a photo? Also whereabouts is the growth? Also are his front teeth straight. I’m asking because I have had a piggy with a tooth root abscess. He lost weight, had slanted front teeth and then a lump under his jaw. You can use his mushed up pellets until you can get him some recovery food. You feed it to them either in a small bowl, off a spoon or from a 1ml tiny syringe with the tip cut off. Good luck. I hope you can get him checked out soon.

 

[weepweeps]

Hope these help

Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre

Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

 

[Alison c]

Sending you huge hugs and I’m so sorry to hear this. You are not a bad owner, please don’t think you are.

I'm afraid though the reality is, he needs to see a vet, and it sounds like he needs it asap.
All that can be done at home is to urgently step in with syringe feeding and switching from the routine weekly weight checks and instead weighing him daily.

Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

Thank so much i've seen the links you postec and i have syringes here I'm going to make up some pellet mush and try get him to eat something for right now and then get him in the vets.
would it be helpful to give him pain meds? I have doggy metcam here but not sure if i should wait for the vet to see him first.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thankyou so muvh for your advice ...Where can i get advice on syringe feeding and what to feed as its not something I've had to do?

This is our most recent syringe feeding guide - it also includes weight check information - All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

Mush his normal pellets with water to form a thin enough paste to go through a 1ml syringe. You can buy proper recovery feeds (the link for those is below) but mushed pellets is the emergency alternative.
Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links

Please don’t self medicate him - pain meds need to be prescribed by the vet and based on his weight and clinical need.

 

[Swissgreys]

You have already received a lot of good advice, but I wanted to wish you good luck getting him seen at the vet.

 

[Wiebke]

Thankyou so muvh for your advice ...Where can i get advice on syringe feeding and what to feed as its not something I've had to do?

Please click on the coloured links in @Piggies&buns answer (the first answer) in this thread. They contain all the practical information with videos and tips how to improvise in an emergency that we cannot repeat in detail every time.

You are likely dealing with an abscess; they can come up with frightening speed but they can be lanced and are treatable. We can help you with advice on that if you need it. But you need to see a vet for a diagnosis and then take it from there.

 

[Alison c]

I managed by myself to cwtch him up in a blanket (although he hated it) i managed to clip off the fur that was covering most of the growth(i worked in a dog groomers for 10+ years that was an easy bit )
I fed him some mushed up soaked pellets i ground it up with my mortar and pestle he ate it with gusto off a spoon he wasnt having any of the syringe.
i laid him on his side not easy to do as he always been a biter ever since i first got him but he was ok and i managed to take this pic my poor boy.
I looked in his mouth as best i could his teeth look ok but long and his cheek looks ok inside it is just outside.
This wasnt there 2 weeks ago he looked beautiful like my profile picture

 

[Adelyn]

I'm so sorry

I hope this will get sorted out, good luck

 

[Wiebke]

I managed by myself to cwtch him up in a blanket (although he hated it) i managed to clip off the fur that was covering most of the growth(i worked in a dog groomers for 10+ years that was an easy bit )
I fed him some mushed up soaked pellets i ground it up with my mortar and pestle he ate it with gusto off a spoon he wasnt having any of the syringe.
i laid him on his side not easy to do as he always been a biter ever since i first got him but he was ok and i managed to take this pic my poor boy.
I looked in his mouth as best i could his teeth look ok but long and his cheek looks ok inside it is just outside.
This wasnt there 2 weeks ago he looked beautiful like my profile picture

It looks like some kind of lump has grown very quickly and then burst?

All the best at the vets!

 

[weepweeps]

I managed by myself to cwtch him up in a blanket (although he hated it) i managed to clip off the fur that was covering most of the growth(i worked in a dog groomers for 10+ years that was an easy bit )
I fed him some mushed up soaked pellets i ground it up with my mortar and pestle he ate it with gusto off a spoon he wasnt having any of the syringe.
i laid him on his side not easy to do as he always been a biter ever since i first got him but he was ok and i managed to take this pic my poor boy.
I looked in his mouth as best i could his teeth look ok but long and his cheek looks ok inside it is just outside.
This wasnt there 2 weeks ago he looked beautiful like my profile picture

Poor boy. I agree it looks like something has burst. Hopefully it will be an abscess or cyst. Let us know what the vet says. Glad he’s eating the mushed pellets. Such a good boy.