[Gpdd] gpdd member-re: lump under chin or jaw

[Jenni]

Wheeks!  Reading about the lump under chin...I KNEW I had read something
about that before...so I searched my books...

In an Animal Ark book, which is only a child's book but has seemingly very
good info about pet care, I found the section that said you should remove
the "thistles" from hay, because they can irritate the gp's throat...

Looking further, Peter Gurney's health pages mentions treatment of abcesses
but not possible causes...mentions to always lance and drain, doesn't need
surgical removal.
Aspirate first to determine if an abcess or tumor (my vet did this once with
Beethoven, and he didn't have to sedate him.  Used large bore needle and
squeezed the lump, waxy goop came out, it was a sebaceous cyst on his rear
hip area.)

But this is the most interesting info yet:

from Diseases of Domestic Guinea pigs by V.G.C. Richardson, pg. 80:

  Foreign bodies:

  ...A swelling in the throat region which is not associated with a lymph
node.  It may be hot and painful on palpation.
  ...These abcesses are usually the result of a thistle from the hay which
penetrates the mucous membranes of the mouth and tracks under the chin.
  ...if the abcess bursts...bathed with a saline solution and then flushed
with 3% hydrogen peroxide...
  ...If the abcess has not burst, it can be brought to a head by the use of
warm poultices, and then treated as above.
  If the position or size of the abcess is such that it compromises
swallowing or causes great discomfort...it should be lanced and drained.  It
may be necessary to administer a general anaesthetic for this procedure.
(but see Peter G's comment above.)

SO, now my question is, what are thistles?  I use Oxbow timothy hay, and it
has these puffy-looking things mixed in...are those thistles???  Well, if
anyone can find out, please let us know (I have to go to work now!).
Meanwhile, I think I will pick them out of the hay for now just to be on the
safe side.

Warm wheeks to all, Jenni (Beethoven's mom....he's rumblestrutting over the
bridge) and new mom to baby boys Charley and Wolfi