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Guniea pig not even a year old and has small lump under chin. Fatty lump?

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Gadzy

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Hi all,

Obviously with the whole situation at the moment, vets are not really taking any consultations! My previous guniea pig was taken to the vets regarding a lump. The vet took a sample and said the substance looked and felt very greasy and oily and she was pretty adamant that it was a fatty lump. The guniea pig wasn't in pain and was eating and enjoying her food as normal so we left it even though it did get bigger, but not massive. She was quite old when this occured though. However, I have a very young one who might just be a year old now and she absolutely eats everything and alot of it. I noticed she was getting quite fat under the chin so I had a feel around and felt a lump. It seems very flexible and moves around alot. It doesn't seem fixed to anything and when I played with it she was looking at me like nothing was hurting her as she would of squeked in pain. I'm currently in contact with my vet who said fatty lumps are very common and if this was the case, it wouldn't need attention yet. She is still squeking for her food and popcorning around. She's very greedy though and I have cut right back as of today with the pellets because she was eating a whole bowl in a day almost and alot of hay and her greens! Will the lump keep growing and are they known to actually stop? I'm hoping it might not get any bigger if I watch her diet now. As I said it's a pinch worth, just under a inch! It moves around alot and seems to move like what my old guniea pig had, but in a different place! As I said I've tried seeing a vet but it's very hard at the moment. What causes them? Poor diet? Too much food?... It actually looks worse in the photo I think because you have to dig around for it a bit
 

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I can’t help you but will tag some people that can. @Wiebke @PigglePuggle @Piggies&buns @VickiA

Is the vet not willing to examine her to see what it could be? It could turn out to be a fatty lump but what if it’s not? It’s good if it’s not growing too quickly, I guess you just have to keep an eye on it.

As an aside, pellets are the junk food of the piggy world and should be kept to a tablespoon per day.
 
@Siikibam thanks for the advice! I'm currently in contact via email with the vets, so they may agree to have a look if my pictures they want are not conclusive enough. They seem to instantly think it's a lipoma from what I have described but I'm hoping they will have a look. I mean is it not a bit early to be getting a lipoma already at under a year old
 
I don’t know how common they are or whether it’s too early to have one I’m afraid. I don’t know what they’ll see from a photo but see what they say. Hopefully it’s harmless in any case.
 
Siikibam said:
I don’t know how common they are or whether it’s too early to have one I’m afraid. I don’t know what they’ll see from a photo but see what they say. Hopefully it’s harmless in any case.
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I hope so too, she's not even a year old! I did read that helping them loose weight can help shrink the fatty lump if it is that, but of you want it completely gone to have surgery, but that's the last thing I want to do for the pig and account! She seems okay in herself. Very stressed at this time
 
Check her heft before you start thinking about putting her on a ‘diet’.
 
Well, surely each breed of guniea pig is going to be different? She was naturally alot smaller when we bought her compared to the other one we got at the same time. I don't know if there's such thing as a dwarf guniea pig, but she was tiny? Certainly naturally smaller I thought? @Siikibam
 
Each guinea pig is different. Even within breeds you may find difference in weights. I think it’s hard to pin down a range because of the ‘variety’. I was responding to your saying to help her lose weight as it may help shrink the lipoma.

One of my sows is around 150g smaller than her friend. I think she may have been the runt of the litter. She’s small her her size suits her, if that makes sense.
 
@Siikibam I got her into see a vet and she was very glad I took her in. She managed to get a sample out with a needle and had a look under the scope and she said it was a thick white gunk which she thought maybe an infection (cyst or abscess) She said straight away by the feel and the look of the gunk it was not a fatty lump. She's been put on 0.14 of baytril diluted with water to 0.6. I hope she's okay, I can't see how she would of developed an abscess or cyst. She's under a year old!
 
I don’t know that abscesses and cysts have an age so to speak. I’m glad she was seen though.
 
Abscesses under the neck like you describe are not uncommon in piggies, regardless of age. Antibiotics alone will not cure an abscess, they need to be drained and the pus flushed out and the site stitched open for repeat flushes, either that or the whole capsule surgically removed. Unfortunately baytril is not effective against abscesses so your piggy will require something stronger. There is also a risk that by taking the needle sample the infection could had been spread so I would strongly urge you to find a piggy savvy vet and have her seen again.
 
Well she did say we could send away the sample but that would be a further 100 pounds. She said from the white gunk that she thought it was not a fatty lump. Maybe she didn't want to go opening things up straight away if it wasn't a abscess? I don't know. I will ring them up again.
 
I have just spoken to the vet I go to and she isn't 100 percent sure and the main thing is the pig is eating well and acting normal, so if nothing has happened at the end of the week which I don't think it will, we will then send the samples off to know exactly what we are dealing with. She said there is a vet at the surgery which specialises in exotic vets so she will forward the case onto her if there is no improvement, she is away at the moment. I think it's best going this way if the pig is fine instead of rushing into assuming it's an abscess etc. She seems fine at the moment, a little scared from the vets but that's all. Her temperature was fine and everything else apart from the marble sized lump. I think it's best we go in steps than rush into surgery etc until we all know exactly what it is
 
Ok. Let's hope it's not an abscess. It's just from your description, what your vet has said so far and from my own experiences over the years, that is what seems the most likely. Which worries me especially knowing what @furryfriends (TEAS) has had to deal with recently in a pig coming into her sanctuary with an abscess in that location that had spread.
 
Pound Shilling & Pig said:
Ok. Let's hope it's not an abscess. It's just from your description, what your vet has said so far and from my own experiences over the years, that is what seems the most likely. Which worries me especially knowing what @furryfriends (TEAS) has had to deal with recently in a pig coming into her sanctuary with an abscess in that location that had spread.
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Hmm yeah, plus she thought it may have been an abscess. I think once we are sure then we can think about removing it or draining it etc. I'm worried cause I thought an abscess could be drained while she's still awake but the vet said she was so fidgety and hard work it would be difficult. Bearing in mind this wasn't the exotic surgeon there which is sadly away and she will be quizzing her on a few things during the case. Also would the pig be in more pain when messing around with the area if it was an abscess?
 
Draining usually isn’t enough, they normally come back if they are only drained. What it often needs is surgery, then to be stitched open and flushed out daily so it can heal over time, plus a much stronger antibiotic than baytril.
 
IzzyGad said:
Hmm yeah, plus she thought it may have been an abscess. I think once we are sure then we can think about removing it or draining it etc. I'm worried cause I thought an abscess could be drained while she's still awake but the vet said she was so fidgety and hard work it would be difficult. Bearing in mind this wasn't the exotic surgeon there which is sadly away and she will be quizzing her on a few things during the case. Also would the pig be in more pain when messing around with the area if it was an abscess?
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When is the exotics vet back?
 
Are you able to make an appointment with her?
 
It's been a bit of a strange one. I almost feel the lump has got smaller, but when I properly feel it's more less the same (I think). There is no discomfort when I feel it and fiddle with it etc. She's completely oblivious. I have to ring the vets again on Thursday to let them know how she's been. She's eating and squeking for greens and running round playing in hay? I still personally think it's a fatty lump. I will be giving the go ahead to send the samples away on Thursday so we know what it is. I have spent so much on a young pig, but I love animals and I want the best for them. Will she need a fresh sample or will the sample they have taken a week ago be fine? @Siikibam @Pound Shilling & Pig @Piggies&buns
 
I really have no idea. It’s best you speak to the vet and see what they say. I would say send it off just to rule things out though - you might as well since they took it anyway. She may be okay but they can hide illnesses well.
 
Hello all,

I posted a thread a few weeks ago about my young sow having a lump under her chin. They took a sample and tried anti biotics. The vet I saw passed me into a more guniea pig savvy vet who works at another unit but is linked with the vets I saw before (more of a pet rehab place). She has ten guniea pigs and knows alot more about them. I saw her today and she had a good feel of the lump and took another sample to check the content

She checked her lymph nodes and said she could feel them and they felt fine. She was pretty sure it was an abscess and took her away to check what came out of the lump for herself and it was definitely pus she said so it's going to need a small procedure to remove the whole thing because she said in the past she has just drained the area, but the abscess has come back in time again so she would rather remove it completely and she is booked in for a couple of weeks time. She's gonna check while she's asleep if it's a abscess to do with the teeth but she doesn't think so. She was very very good and said she should be back with me the same day. I am very worried of her going under and do you think she will be fine? She's in good hands with this vet and she knows alot about guniea pigs having ten of her own and being a good guniea pig owner. Other than the lump she is in decent health. She gave me a quote of 300 pounds which is alot of money and I'm happy to pay this if it helps. The abscess is a average size and said of she deteriates at all then she will get it done sooner. What's everyone's thoughts?

Thanks
 
IzzyGad said:
Hello all,

I posted a thread a few weeks ago about my young sow having a lump under her chin. They took a sample and tried anti biotics. The vet I saw passed me into a more guniea pig savvy vet who works at another unit but is linked with the vets I saw before (more of a pet rehab place). She has ten guniea pigs and knows alot more about them. I saw her today and she had a good feel of the lump and took another sample to check the content

She checked her lymph nodes and said she could feel them and they felt fine. She was pretty sure it was an abscess and took her away to check what came out of the lump for herself and it was definitely pus she said so it's going to need a small procedure to remove the whole thing because she said in the past she has just drained the area, but the abscess has come back in time again so she would rather remove it completely and she is booked in for a couple of weeks time. She's gonna check while she's asleep if it's a abscess to do with the teeth but she doesn't think so. She was very very good and said she should be back with me the same day. I am very worried of her going under and do you think she will be fine? She's in good hands with this vet and she knows alot about guniea pigs having ten of her own and being a good guniea pig owner. Other than the lump she is in decent health. She gave me a quote of 300 pounds which is alot of money and I'm happy to pay this if it helps. The abscess is a average size and said of she deteriates at all then she will get it done sooner. What's everyone's thoughts?

Thanks
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Hi!

If the abscess is sitting deep enough, is not a dental root abscess and still encapsulated, then it is worth considering an operation, especially if the operating vet sounds like she has got experience with this kind of operation.

Here are our post-op care tips: Tips For Post-operative Care
 
We can’t really say is she will be ok from the anaesthetic as it depends on the individual piggy. There’s always a risk - same for human operations really! If a piggy is generally in good health and a healthy weight then the piggy should be ok and it would be very unlucky for something to happen.

the price sounds about right, just check if it included post op meds like antibiotics and maybe painkiller as those can add up another £50 or so quickly.

all the best and keep us up to date!
 
Peanut had an abscess removed from a similar position last year. There's always a risk with an operation but I feel it's better to remove a large abscess than to try draining it and doing all the cleaning that involves. The price is reasonable, Peanuts operation was £500 plus post op meds.
 
IzzyGad said:
I'm very worried
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I’m sorry, I did not mean to worry you! I’m just being realistic that any procedure always has some risk. BUT, it’s not an option to leave an abscess and it must be dealt with so there isn’t really a choice.

You are doing the right thing by going for the procedure and if it is comfort then I just had a lump removed on my 5 year old piggy and he’s nearly back to being himself and it only happened on Monday.

You’re doing the best you can, it sounds like the vet is very helpful!
 
IzzyGad said:
I'm very worried @Wiebke @piggieminder @Elthysia
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Please take a deep breath!

My 6 years old Hywel needed two abscess operations for his dental root abscess that unfortunately coincided each time with the cavy specialist's absences and could not be treated as soon as it should have been before we got on top of it but he made it through that despite the operations being only weeks apart. It is absolutely possible with a vet who knows their stuff.
 
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