skinny pig w swollen skin around penis

[kithjoo]

hello,
my skinny guinea pig dorian has a very visible swollen skin around where his penis would peek out (photo). he's eating well, doesn't show any signs of pain even when i touch it. however it looks inflamed(?), red and quite concerning. what do i do? unfortunately i don't want to rush him to the vet if it's something that i can manage taking care of at home. maybe cold water could help?

 

[fluffysal]

Poor boy, that looks very sore.
I'll let one of the experts answer.

 

[Wiebke]

hello,
my skinny guinea pig dorian has a very visible swollen skin around where his penis would peek out (photo). he's eating well, doesn't show any signs of pain even when i touch it. however it looks inflamed(?), red and quite concerning. what do i do? unfortunately i don't want to rush him to the vet if it's something that i can manage taking care of at home. maybe cold water could help?

Hi

That looks really sore and painful!

Unfortuntely, your boy needs to see a vet in case whatever is at the bottom is by now causing an infection, which requires both addressing the real cause and an an antibiotic.
The problem won't got away with just a little cold water; it will only get worse (and more expensive) the longer you hesitate.
Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths

 

[kithjoo]

thank you so much for your reply!
i just came home. and it's definitely less swollen and red. i will call my vet and discuss this with them

 

[Wiebke]

thank you so much for your reply!
i just came home. and it's definitely less swollen and red. i will call my vet and discuss this with them

Have you tried to gently express the penis to see whether there is something stuck inside the penis shaft?
(You can find the relevant information in the link in my first post).

 

[kithjoo]

Have you tried to gently express the penis to see whether there is something stuck inside the penis shaft?
(You can find the relevant information in the link in my first post).

just did. his penis looks normal. there was some smegma buildup at the base of his penis. i cleaned him up. he's ok for now. no noticeable swelling or redness. i will keep an eye on him. the thing is this has happened to him before like twice i think. little pink-ish and bit of swelling but it was never this horribly red and swollen like a ballon, it's always got better after a day. so i hope it the swelling won't come back.
if it gets worse i will immediately go with him to the emergency vet.

 

[Lorcan]

For the price of an emergency vet (assuming the same holds true across the globe) you might be better off making an appointment to get it checked with your normal vet and, even if there's no sign of an issue at the time, take those photos with you to let them see. If it's nothing it's nothing but if there is a problem better you know now and not when the vet costs would be immense.