Help! Piggy keeps picking scab

[marshmallow+brownie]

So, a few weeks ago I noticed a lump in my guinea pig Marshmallows back. I shrugged it off bit a few days later I came home and it was gone and replaced by 2 open wounds, they looked sort of similar to a spider bite but spiders are not common in my area. Blood was leaking all over her white fur so I gave her a salt water bath as I didn't have any disinfectant on hand. Every time it starts to heal she just picks it off. How do I stop her picking it and also what is this wound? Is it a spider bite, has she just scratched herself or what?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Please do see a vet.
I’m afraid we can’t tell you what it is as we cannot see the wound and we could not diagnose it in any event.
She may antibiotics and/or pain relief prescribed for her

 

[weepweeps]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I hope it heals up quickly. If you’re worried about it I’d definitely see a vet. It may become infected or may be painful if she keeps biting it. Good luck.

 

[marshmallow+brownie]

I took a picture of her wound right after she picked it again, what does it look like? An abcess? A spider bite? I recently found 2 wolf spiders in my house so I fear it may be that

 

[Claire W]

That looks sore and may require antibiotics and pain relief to stop her scratching at it. I’d have her seen by a vet. I can’t tell whether it’s a spider bite or something else x

 

[Piggies&buns]

We can’t tell you what it might be but you definitely need to get it checked a vet tomorrow (if it is actively bleeding, then seeing an out of hours vet tonight).

Pain relief and antibiotics may be needed.
A wound which a piggy will not leave alone is usually because it is causing pain/discomfort.

Is there any chance her companion has bitten her? I would not think it is a spider

 

[Pantalaimon]

There are very few spider species in the UK that are physically able to bite. Most of these species remain as far away from people as possible, and even when disturbed, bites are rare. No spider in the UK is capable of creating a bite like this. Of the few species that do bite, it would be a tiny pinprick and no worse than a bite by a small fly.

Where exactly on the guinea pig is this bite? Could you post a picture of the whole pig around the area of the bite? Do you have any other pets? It almost looks to me like the kind of wound that would be created by a predator trying to pick its prey up by the back of the neck, though I can’t properly see from the picture.

 

[weepweeps]

Your poor piggy. That does look sore. I agree pain killers are probably needed. My first thought was a bite from a cage mate. Good luck at the vets.

 

[marshmallow+brownie]

I've begged my mum to take her to the vet but she says we don't have the money, she's ordered a canister of spray on plaster to stop her picking it but I don't know what else to do

 

[Piggies&buns]

I've begged my mum to take her to the vet but she says we don't have the money, she's ordered a canister of spray on plaster to stop her picking it but I don't know what else to do

Please do not put a spray plaster on it - it will not help at all and could make things worse.
Your piggy needs to see a vet to get this sorted out. It is a legal requirement that vet care is sought when needed.

She is in discomfort and that is why she is chewing at it. She will not leave it alone until it is dealt with properly, and she will just ingest the spray plaster as well. If an infection takes hold then the issue will be worse, much more uncomfortable and much more expensive to deal with

Are you not able to take her to the vet yourself?

 

[Claire W]

Please show your mum this thread and remind her that she has a duty of care and responsibility to take any animals in her care to the vet to receive any treatment they may require.

Putting anything on the wound at home won’t help and will make matters worse and if an infection takes hold, your piggy could lose her life

I can’t stress enough how serious this is

 

[A Guinea Pig]

Please do have this taken care of by an experienced person, your guinea pig’s vet will have to treat this, not yourself. This is a self-inflicted wound and she is an animal with no self-control over this. If you say “STOP!” She does not stop because she does not understand you, only the fact that she is in pain. Your animal’s welfare should come first before anything else, this should have been taken into consideration before you got them. This can get much worse and even more expensive, this is best to be dealt with at the vet to prevent her from suffering any more than she needs to be. You need to show this to your mum and have it be treated, not over-the-counter, but by prescription. I am very sorry that you have been stuck in this situation but this needs help. The longer you wait the more she will undergo unnecessary stress. If you are worried about the price, you can call or email around and ask about this matter. This forum has lots of good resources for you to find one according to your needs. Is it possible for friends, family, taxis, or others to provide you with a ride? You can also ask about billing where you pay out the cost over time.

I wish all the best you you and you piggy.

 

[marshmallow+brownie]

Thank you all for the advice, I'll tell my mum that spray on bandage doesn't work. It was my auntie that suggested it to her, she has 2 rabbits and 2 cats which I've always been confused about, why get preys and predators in the same household? Disaster waiting to happen. What is the estimate of how much this would cost at the vet? Every time I try and ask about it my mum shuts it down.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thank you all for the advice, I'll tell my mum that spray on bandage doesn't work. It was my auntie that suggested it to her, she has 2 rabbits and 2 cats which I've always been confused about, why get preys and predators in the same household? Disaster waiting to happen. What is the estimate of how much this would cost at the vet? Every time I try and ask about it my mum shuts it down.

It depends if adequate measures are being taken to protect the rabbits and ensure they never have any contact with the cats.
There are many owners on here who keep piggies, rabbits, cats and dogs safely as measures are in place.

It’s not possible to know as vets have their own charging structures. It also depends on what treatment is needed. It’ll could end up being more expensive the longer it is left though.

Are you not able to take your piggy to the vet yourself?

 

[Claire W]

I have guinea pigs and cats. The cats have been brought up knowing the guinea pigs are out of bounds and they don’t bother with them although my guinea pigs are kept in a secure cage and are never left alone with the cats when they’re out of the cage.

It’s impossible to say how much it’ll cost as each vet has their own pricing guide but you can ring round and ask. But as mentioned above, it’ll become more expensive the longer it is left. Your piggy really does need to see a vet NOW

 

[A Guinea Pig]

Please take her now, price should be the least of your concerns. The longer you wait the more pain she will be in and the more it will cost. Like I said before, you can ask about paying the bill over time instead of all at once.

 

[MMasters]

So, a few weeks ago I noticed a lump in my guinea pig Marshmallows back. I shrugged it off bit a few days later I came home and it was gone and replaced by 2 open wounds, they looked sort of similar to a spider bite but spiders are not common in my area. Blood was leaking all over her white fur so I gave her a salt water bath as I didn't have any disinfectant on hand. Every time it starts to heal she just picks it off. How do I stop her picking it and also what is this wound? Is it a spider bite, has she just scratched herself or what?

How is your guinea pig now? If the wound is not completely healed, she must go to the vet. This could be serious and tell your vet that you want Batril (enrofloxacin) and Flagyl (metronidazole) because wounds like this on the back or legs usually have anerobic bacteria, which are difficult to cure, plus there are sometimes fungal spores. Using both of these medicines together are effective in curing these nasty wounds. The danger is that if you don't treat this type of injury, the infection could go into the bone, and that's a death sentence for a guinea pig. Your veterinarian should also include the painkiller, meloxicam, because these types of injuries can be very painful.

I had a boar with a similar type of injury and one antibiotic did not cure it. By the time we added flagyl, it was too late. The batril plus flagyl cured the infection, but there was extensive bone damage. The kind veterinarian came to my home the next day to put my prescious Wilhelm gently to sleep.

Print my post and show it to your mom. I'm sure the veterinarian has a payment plan to make it easier to afford the cost of a visit.