Small Abscess/Cyst

[1023ally1023]

Hi! I’m a long time guinea pig mom and I’ve never seen a bump like this, I hold all my pigs daily throughout the day but he seems to have an abscess. It doesn’t smell much though so maybe a cyst. I didn’t notice a bump at all until today, and with me religiously holding him and him being the youngest in his cage I check him throughly every day. I have it flushed out and no puss has came out. Any recommendations? I did a salt rinse.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Please have your piggy seen by a vet for diagnosis and any potential treatment ie antibiotics
I hope he is ok

 

[1023ally1023]

Hi! I’m a long time guinea pig mom and I’ve never seen a bump like this, I hold all my pigs daily throughout the day but he seems to have an abscess. It doesn’t smell much though so maybe a cyst. I didn’t notice a bump at all until today, and with me religiously holding him and him being the youngest in his cage I check him throughly every day. I have it flushed out and no puss has came out. Any recommendations? I did a salt rinse. View attachment 195759

Also I should’ve mentioned he’s acting completely normal. Drinking eating and had all his vitamins. I’ve also been offering water out of a baby medicine syringe and he takes it. When I got him he had a bad respiratory infection and my vet said there was nothing they could do for him. So I made my own mixture of high vitamin C veggies and vitamin C drops, where I used the baby syringe so he is used to it. We also took baths (he sat on my chest and took in the humidified air). Continually cleaned around his nose with saline and it has been over 6 months since then and he’s a completely healthy boy.

 

[Piggies&buns]

How many piggies do you have in the cage?

Respiratory infections require antibiotics so it was not right for a vet to have said there is nothing they could do. Was he not given any medication for the infection at all?

We don’t recommend the routine use of supplementary vitamins. They should be getting pLetty from their unlimited hay, one cup of veg per day and one tablespoon of pellets per day. All these things have vitamin c in and will be at the right amount for each piggy’s needs.
Regular overuse of supplementary vitamins can cause problems. It can cause their body to get used to abnormally high amounts and cause problems if the level drops (Even if the level is considered normal for any other piggy).
It’s rare to see scurvy, most of us don’t routinely supplement our piggies on here, and if we see scurvy on here it’s usually in piggies who have been routinely supplemented with vitamins.

 

[1023ally1023]

How many piggies do you have in the cage?

Respiratory infections require antibiotics so it was not right for a vet to have said there is nothing they could do. Was he not given any medication for the infection at all?

We don’t recommend the routine use of supplementary vitamins. They should be getting pLetty from their unlimited hay, one cup of veg per day and one tablespoon of pellets per day. All these things have vitamin c in and will be at the right amount for each piggy’s needs.
Regular overuse of supplementary vitamins can cause problems. It can cause their body to get used to abnormally high amounts and cause problems if the level drops (Even if the level is considered normal for any other piggy).
It’s rare to see scurvy, most of us don’t routinely supplement our piggies on here, and if we see scurvy on here it’s usually in piggies who have been routinely supplemented with vitamins.

Thank you! I will defiently slow down on the vitamins. My vet told me they needed a vitamin C tablet a day, I also took my chameleon to her and she didn’t seem to know anything. I don’t really have a good exotic vet. And they didn’t do anything pretty much told me he was a loss cause. And I do know the vitamin C drop can be bad but I weened him off it very slowly. They also have unlimited hay, they get a mixture of veggies every day, and pellets. I have 3 boys together. They never seem to have any issues besides my oldest gets slightly grumpy sometimes if my youngest doesn’t leave him alone, I was worried this was a wound from him possibly but they’ve been together ever since my youngest didn’t show signs of a respiratory infection anymore. My middle child is a very calm cuddly guinea pig who never gets upset or mad. I also have one younger but he lives with his “cousin” because they are from the same liter. My guinea pigs are regularly supervised. They are in a 18square ft I believe cage, it is a C&C cage I built.

 

[1023ally1023]

Thank you! I will defiently slow down on the vitamins. My vet told me they needed a vitamin C tablet a day, I also took my chameleon to her and she didn’t seem to know anything. I don’t really have a good exotic vet. And they didn’t do anything pretty much told me he was a loss cause. And I do know the vitamin C drop can be bad but I weened him off it very slowly. They also have unlimited hay, they get a mixture of veggies every day, and pellets. I have 3 boys together. They never seem to have any issues besides my oldest gets slightly grumpy sometimes if my youngest doesn’t leave him alone, I was worried this was a wound from him possibly but they’ve been together ever since my youngest didn’t show signs of a respiratory infection anymore. My middle child is a very calm cuddly guinea pig who never gets upset or mad. I also have one younger but he lives with his “cousin” because they are from the same liter. My guinea pigs are regularly supervised. They are in a 18square ft I believe cage, it is a C&C cage I built.

For context Sully: 1 year 4 months Sebastian: 10 months Simon (the baby with the mark): 6 months (these are from the dates I got them, all were babies when got).

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thank you! I will defiently slow down on the vitamins. My vet told me they needed a vitamin C tablet a day, I also took my chameleon to her and she didn’t seem to know anything. I don’t really have a good exotic vet. And they didn’t do anything pretty much told me he was a loss cause. And I do know the vitamin C drop can be bad but I weened him off it very slowly. They also have unlimited hay, they get a mixture of veggies every day, and pellets. I have 3 boys together. They never seem to have any issues besides my oldest gets slightly grumpy sometimes if my youngest doesn’t leave him alone, I was worried this was a wound from him possibly but they’ve been together ever since my youngest didn’t show signs of a respiratory infection anymore. My middle child is a very calm cuddly guinea pig who never gets upset or mad. I also have one younger but he lives with his “cousin” because they are from the same liter. My guinea pigs are regularly supervised. They are in a 18square ft I believe cage, it is a C&C cage I built.

I’m just wondering whether it might be a bite. Only a vet can diagnose though.

Right you are dealing with teenagers and keeping three boars together is likely going to cause problems before they reach adulthood
Unfortunately three boys together is usually a recipe for disaster at some point or another - they find it very hard to form a functioning bond as a trio and it doesn’t usually make for a harmonious living situation. Boars do much better in pairs. For anybody who is going to attempt a boar trio then one square metre of space is needed for each piggy. This means that 18 square feet isn’t enough, they need around 32 square feet for it to be enough room to attempt to keep a boar trio.

 

[1023ally1023]

I’m just wondering whether it might be a bite. Only a vet can diagnose though.

Right you are dealing with teenagers and keeping three boars together is likely going to cause problems before they reach adulthood
Unfortunately three boys together is usually a recipe for disaster at some point or another - they find it very hard to form a functioning bond as a trio and it doesn’t usually make for a harmonious living situation. Boars do much better in pairs. For anybody who is going to attempt a boar trio then one square metre of space is needed for each piggy. This means that 18 square feet isn’t enough, they need around 32 square feet for it to be enough room to attempt to keep a boar trio.

The boar trio I’ve heard of, my boys get along for the most part, and we live in a house with 7 all together. I’ve never seen a mark on anyone besides a little mark on Sebestains nose once. Also I know the hay is on the ground and they normally have a snack shack in there because they rip down the hay holders but I had just cleaned the cage and misplaced it. It is in the cage now. I do keep a close eye because I know boars to better in pairs and eventually I will have two of these cages and my youngest (Sergio who is with his cousin) will switch to one of my other boys. Please tweak my cage if you’d like. I really appreciate all your help and Simon has been put in a 10 square foot cage alone for the time being. Also do you recommend Oxbow guinea food?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Nothing wrong with the hay being on the ground. I personally don’t use any kind of hay rack or holder and instead only ever give hay in loose piles on the floor. I find hay racks restricts them too much and my boys much prefer to get into and lay amongst big loose piles of hay while eating.

It’s just something you need to be aware of. Most boar trios will fail particularly as you are dealing with teenagers at classic hormone spike time.
If you’ve separated one of them out now, then he may not be accepted back at all. A separation can do damage to a bond, particularly one which is as unstable as a boar trio can be, so don’t just reintroduce him to them. If your longer term plan is that they live in pairs, then as you have separated, now might be a good time to bring that plan forward.

I personally don’t use Oxbow pellets so cannot recommend them from personal experience. The ingredients look ok though. Whatever pellets you feed, ensure they are kept strictly to just one tablespoon per pig per day and never left with constant access to them.

Most vets in the UK do not recommend routinely supplementing of vitamins. It seems to be something we hear of a lot from our US members though but we do not recommend it.

He does need to see a vet for that wound though, whatever its cause, it needs to be checked over

 

[1023ally1023]

Nothing wrong with the hay being on the ground. I personally don’t use any kind of hay rack or holder and instead only ever give hay in loose piles on the floor. I find hay racks restricts them too much and my boys much prefer to get into and lay amongst big loose piles of hay while eating.

It’s just something you need to be aware of. Most boar trios will fail particularly as you are dealing with teenagers at classic hormone spike time.
If you’ve separated one of them out now, then he may not be accepted back at all. A separation can do damage to a bond, particularly one which is as unstable as a boar trio can be, so don’t just reintroduce him to them. If your longer term plan is that they live in pairs, then as you have separated, now might be a good time to bring that plan forward.

I personally don’t use Oxbow pellets so cannot recommend them from personal experience. The ingredients look ok though. Whatever pellets you feed, ensure they are kept strictly to just one tablespoon per pig per day and never left with constant access to them.

Most vets in the UK do not recommend routinely supplementing of vitamins. It seems to be something we hear of a lot from our US members though but we do not recommend it.

He does need to see a vet for that wound though, whatever its cause, it needs to be checked over

I’m calling vets tomorrow to see who knows most about guinea pigs and who can get me in. Thank you I’m in the US and we tend to have pretty oblivious exotic vets. I’m in a rural part of a state and we have vets that only know stuff about dogs and cats, they say exotic but half the time they have no idea. My chameleon became very sick overnight due to eating a bad insect and no vet would take him within 100 miles of us. The closest vet that would take him was over a 6 hour drive. Even though he had a regular doctor it was a weekend and they were not open.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m calling vets tomorrow to see who knows most about guinea pigs and who can get me in. Thank you I’m in the US and we tend to have pretty oblivious exotic vets. I’m in a rural part of a state and we have vets that only know stuff about dogs and cats, they say exotic but half the time they have no idea. My chameleon became very sick overnight due to eating a bad insect and no vet would take him within 100 miles of us. The closest vet that would take him was over a 6 hour drive. Even though he had a regular doctor it was a weekend and they were not open.

We hear from many of our US members that finding vet care is not easy.
We tend to be very lucky in the UK with relatively easy access to vet care whatever time of day or night as every surgery has emergency cover (even if covered by a different practice) so we can be seen 24/7 for emergencies.
I hope you can get him seen

 

[weepweeps]

Hello and welcome to the forum. That wound does look sore. I hope you can get him seen soon. Must be so frustrating not being able to get access to good veterinary care. Good luck.