Lumpy three year old girl

[PurplePiggies]

Hi all.

One of our piggies, Nandy, has a number of lumps and just wondering whether other people have had similar experiences.

Nandy is 3 years old (not spayed, lives with her sister and a neutered boar). We first noticed a tiny lump on her lower spine, which was diagnosed as a cyst and has never changed size. In February of this year we found a slightly different type of lump on her chest, this one is wider but flatter and more under the skin. Whilst at the vets, the vet noted a lump under one of her armpits. Both of these had samples sent to the lab which came back as nothing unusual (but cannot be 100% certain unfortunately). Roll on a few months and she now has two little pimple like lumps above one nipple, a similar lymph node type lump in her neck and one in her groin. Vet has said to monitor for now but pointless taking more samples.

We try and monitor them all weekly and they seem to fluctuate, possibly with her season, but it's her hard to tell as they are small and under the skin so you never get exact measurements.

Has anyone else had lumpy pigs that couldn't be explained or did you get some answers and what were they?

Thanks in advance.
Lisa

 

[Wiebke]

Hi all.

One of our piggies, Nandy, has a number of lumps and just wondering whether other people have had similar experiences.

Nandy is 3 years old (not spayed, lives with her sister and a neutered boar). We first noticed a tiny lump on her lower spine, which was diagnosed as a cyst and has never changed size. In February of this year we found a slightly different type of lump on her chest, this one is wider but flatter and more under the skin. Whilst at the vets, the vet noted a lump under one of her armpits. Both of these had samples sent to the lab which came back as nothing unusual (but cannot be 100% certain unfortunately). Roll on a few months and she now has two little pimple like lumps above one nipple, a similar lymph node type lump in her neck and one in her groin. Vet has said to monitor for now but pointless taking more samples.

We try and monitor them all weekly and they seem to fluctuate, possibly with her season, but it's her hard to tell as they are small and under the skin so you never get exact measurements.

Has anyone else had lumpy pigs that couldn't be explained or did you get some answers and what were they?

Thanks in advance.
Lisa

Hi and welcome

Has our vet checked for a possible infection of the lymph nodes or for lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes) as you are mentioning several points where lymph nodes are located?

That said, some piggies have a strong genetic disposition to develop lumps; most commonly lipomas (fatty lumps) but other varieties can also come into play.

Guinea Lynx :: Lumps

 

[PurplePiggies]

Hi and welcome

Has our vet checked for a possible infection of the lymph nodes or for lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes) as you are mentioning several points where lymph nodes are located?

That said, some piggies have a strong genetic disposition to develop lumps; most commonly lipomas (fatty lumps) but other varieties can also come into play.

Guinea Lynx :: Lumps

Hi. Thanks for the reply Wiebke.

How would they check for infected lymph nodes or lymphoma?

Two sites (one armpit lymph node and other chest cyst) had needle samples sent to lab but both came back as normal tissue, keratin etc I think but nothing bad. I asked about blood tests but the vet didn't think there was any suitable test to do. They didn't want to do anything invasive and have to put her under anaesthetic unless it was absolutely necessary. Of note, our vet is an exotic vet.

Thanks again.

 

[Honey&truffle]

My girl has multiple little fatty lumps around her back and sides. But like wiebke said they are common in most Guinea pigs and cause no harm. They could be that but I would get your vet to have a check of them.

What do they feel like ? Are they moveable or quite stuck? Soft or hard ?

 

[PurplePiggies]

My girl has multiple little fatty lumps around her back and sides. But like wiebke said they are common in most Guinea pigs and cause no harm. They could be that but I would get your vet to have a check of them.

What do they feel like ? Are they moveable or quite stuck? Soft or hard ?

Hi, she has been to the vets a couple of times now and we've just been told to monitor but then she seems to have another one pop up. The pimple type ones are more solid and at the surface whereas the lymph node area ones are mobile under the skin and feel like swollen lymph nodes, not too squishy but not rock hard (if that makes sense).

I'd like to be able to ask the vet to do some other tests but don't really know what to ask of them now when samples have already been sent of two of them.

 

[Honey&truffle]

Hi, she has been to the vets a couple of times now and we've just been told to monitor but then she seems to have another one pop up. The pimple type ones are more solid and at the surface whereas the lymph node area ones are mobile under the skin and feel like swollen lymph nodes, not too squishy but not rock hard (if that makes sense).

I'd like to be able to ask the vet to do some other tests but don't really know what to ask of them now when samples have already been sent of two of them.

It seems quite similar to my girls ones . She has multiple fatty lumps which move around easy and then she’s got 1 hard lump which is a cyst which sometimes drains by itself or I can help it to drain. I’ve never had any sampled though , I’ve also just been told to not worry about them and to monitor them.

Have you have your sample results back? Or have they only been done recently ? If you are worried you could always try a different vet for a second opinion?


What breed is your piggy? my girl is part abyssian which apparently is one of the breeds that are prone to lumps more than others .

 

[PurplePiggies]

It seems quite similar to my girls ones . She has multiple fatty lumps which move around easy and then she’s got 1 hard lump which is a cyst which sometimes drains by itself or I can help it to drain. I’ve never had any sampled though , I’ve also just been told to not worry about them and to monitor them.

Have you have your sample results back? Or have they only been done recently ? If you are worried you could always try a different vet for a second opinion?


What breed is your piggy? my girl is part abyssian which apparently is one of the breeds that are prone to lumps more than others .

The samples were taken in February and came up negative for anything suspicious but they said they could never be 100% sure as the lumps are small and getting the needle on the exact spot without anaesthetic etc can't be guaranteed. A couple more bumps have come up since then and vet said not to bother sampling them as they'd probably come back the same and again couldn't be 100% sure. I just hate not knowing what they are and why they just keep popping up out of nowhere. She's a long haired piggy (with a lot of sass!)

 

[Honey&truffle]

The samples were taken in February and came up negative for anything suspicious but they said they could never be 100% sure as the lumps are small and getting the needle on the exact spot without anaesthetic etc can't be guaranteed. A couple more bumps have come up since then and vet said not to bother sampling them as they'd probably come back the same and again couldn't be 100% sure. I just hate not knowing what they are and why they just keep popping up out of nowhere. She's a long haired piggy (with a lot of sass!)

Sounds sensible of the vets to be honest to wait to see what happens . They don’t seem to worried. If they get any bigger then I would take her straight back . know it’s not nice to not know what the lumps are . I’m not even 100% sure either about mine .

did the vet have any idea of what they could be?

 

[PurplePiggies]

Sounds sensible of the vets to be honest to wait to see what happens . They don’t seem to worried. If they get any bigger then I would take her straight back . know it’s not nice to not know what the lumps are . I’m not even 100% sure either about mine .

did the vet have any idea of what they could be?

No not really, they said some pigs are just lumpy pigs. They weren't really worried as she's still the same character, hasn't lost any weight and does everything a normal piggy does. He said if any do get bigger and they start too affect her and how she moves etc, then they'll look at maybe surgery but he doesn't want to put her under that kind of scenario unless absolutely necessary.

Thanks for all your input though. It's nice just to hear that other piggies have got similar lumps and bumps and are getting on with life as well.

 

[Honey&truffle]

No not really, they said some pigs are just lumpy pigs. They weren't really worried as she's still the same character, hasn't lost any weight and does everything a normal piggy does. He said if any do get bigger and they start too affect her and how she moves etc, then they'll look at maybe surgery but he doesn't want to put her under that kind of scenario unless absolutely necessary.

Thanks for all your input though. It's nice just to hear that other piggies have got similar lumps and bumps and are getting on with life as well.

Yeah don’t worry ! You are doing a good job at monitoring her and I’m sure you’ll be back at the vets if anything changes ! But it all seems like it’s okay at the moment , fingers crossed they stay the same ❤

 

[Wiebke]

Hi, she has been to the vets a couple of times now and we've just been told to monitor but then she seems to have another one pop up. The pimple type ones are more solid and at the surface whereas the lymph node area ones are mobile under the skin and feel like swollen lymph nodes, not too squishy but not rock hard (if that makes sense).

I'd like to be able to ask the vet to do some other tests but don't really know what to ask of them now when samples have already been sent of two of them.

If the lumps are mobile, they are not lymph nodes; these sit firmly in the skin.

However, please accept that any lumps should be seen or felt by a vet. We cannot really comment sight unseen and without access to your piggy; we can only guess through the filter of your own interpretation.

 

[PurplePiggies]

If the lumps are mobile, they are not lymph nodes; these sit firmly in the skin.

However, please accept that any lumps should be seen or felt by a vet. We cannot really comment sight unseen and without access to your piggy; we can only guess through the filter of your own interpretation.

Totally understand. I just wondered if anyone had any suggestions for tests etc that maybe my vet hadn't thought of but looks like we've done what we can for now and I'll keep monitoring. Thank you again!

 

[Wiebke]

Totally understand. I just wondered if anyone had any suggestions for tests etc that maybe my vet hadn't thought of but looks like we've done what we can for now and I'll keep monitoring. Thank you again!

No, your vet has done what can be done.

Some piggies can get lots of the same but others can develop several varieties. It can be somewhat difficult to tell them apart, even with a lab test. The tests are important if there are cancer concerns with a lump, especially but not exclusively lymphoma.