Expert: Annie - 5/18/2006

Question
One of my guniea pigs has a bump under his chin. I guess you could say where his throat would start. It was not there yesterday. How I found it today was...he likes to have his chin rubbed and I was going to rub his chin when I felt the bump. Could he have poked himself with a piece of hay? Should I take him to the vet now or should I just watch to see if it goes away on its own? He is eating and drinking just fine. He is active as he always is. His poops are normal as well. His eyes are normal as well. No nasel discharge. Thank you in advance for any and all advice!  

Answer
Hi Terri!

It sounds like he has an abscess in his throat.  This is a fairly common problem with guinea pigs, and the most accepted belief is that they are caused by coarse hay (believe it or not, they are not really sure what the cause is).   

If the lump is on the jaw line, your cavy probably has what is called molar malocclusion, meaning that his molars are overgrown and not meeting right.

These problems can be kind of tricky and definitely require veterinary treatment.  Depending on the vet and how deep the abscess is, a vet may decide to lance (open) it with a sterile lancet, or try to treat it with oral antibiotics, such as baytril.  

Make sure you see a vet who knows about guinea pigs and don't accept penicillin family antibiotics.  They are toxic to guinea pigs.  Because an abscess is an infection, what would be a minor problem can become a life-threatening on if left untreated.  If it is his teeth, they will require grinding by a vet.  It is not a complicated procedure, but does require special tools.

I hope your piggie feels better soon.

Annie