[Gpdd] HEALTH Re Fatty cyst

Penny Charlesworth piggyfriends48 at gmail.com
Fri Dec 5 07:24:51 EST 2014


Hello Aileen,

I wonder if you mean a sebaceous cyst. These are not uncommon in piggies
and a few of my herd over the years have had these. The cyst of full of
stuff that resembles cream cheese.

My Rodentologist removes them without anaesthetic. He lances the cyst,
squeezes out the fatty gunk from inside and cleans it up.

These cysts can recur but he is able to pick out the gland with tweezers,
which ensures they do not come back. My elderly Petunia had one removed
last year.


Alternatively, Bob might have a lipoma, another fatty cyst. These are
harmless, only needing surgery if they impede piggy's normal life.

My Roscoe had one on his side for nearly all of his long life and it never
needed surgical intervention.

My Lima, from years ago, had one removed at the vets and recovered well,
continuing to live a long and happy life. Her cyst was underneath and when
it grew too big for her to walk properly, it had to be removed as it was
abraded by rubbing on the floor.

If Bob's cyst is a lipoma, I would leave it alone but do check with your
vet to be sure. Personally, I only let one of my herd undergo surgery if it
is a matter of life or death and there is no choice.

All the best for Bob. Do let us know what happens. We all like to keep in
touch.

Penny and the Piggyfriends, a guinea pig sanctuary in England.



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