swollen area near genitals guinea pig

Question
Hi Freinds have given their pet guinea pig to us. It has a swollen  spongy area on both side of its genitals,,, is this normal?? i think she is female,,,s till working this out,,,, thanks paula

Answer
It doesn't sound like this is a female. What you're describing to me is the gentalia of a boar. What you may be seeing are the testicles. Unlike some animals the testes of a guinea pig don't necessarily hang downward as you would expect. They often are just two swollen areas on either side.

In older boars you will often see more than normal swelling as their pouch gets filled with soft stool. A gentle push will express this ball of soft stool out. You can wash the pouch area by holding the bottom up to some running water. As the water runs into the pouch it flushes out any debris that may be there.

This is a common occurance in older boars and sometimes needs to be done weekly. Although not particularly gross, it can be a nusiance. A picture would be very helpful.