Sick Cavy, urgent!

Question
Hello, my name is emily.

I have two cavies, a mother and daughter. The mother has always been the larger and more dominant, but never has  bothered her daughter much. When I left for college last fall, I noticed a small growth on the breast tissue of the younger one. I just got back today and the lumps are much worse, on both sides and about two inches across. She has also lost all the hair on her stomach and a little on her nose.

Her appetite is fine, she is drinking and they are well fed. Other than the visible symptoms, she is acting no different than she ever has.

I am terribly worried about her. My mother has been taking care of them this semester because I lived in the dorms, but she had not noticed anything wrong with her because she does not pick them up- she is afraid of dropping them. I checked her teeth, and eyes as well, everything is normal except the hairloss and the tumors.

Could this be cancer? I take them outside when it's sunny to play, could it be some parasite? I am very worried, and I want someone's opinion before I take her to the vet, because the closest exotic vet is a few hours away by car. I was letting it mellow because she is still acting normally, but the hairloss disturbs be.

Please respond asap. Thank you.

Answer
first of all relax, its much simpler and though serious easy to treat, by the sounds of it your pig simply has mange.

if you like you can take her to a vet to get it treated, however the vet will get you to give most of the treatment and charge you an arm and a leg for it so I recommend treating yourself.

you need the following.

stuff:
anti mange spray, ideally a pump spray.
tea tree oil cream
guinea pig friendly shampoo, ideally a rodent shampoo, failing that a baby one
ear drops for rodents


steps:
1.the treatment needs to be for both pigs, you never know if the other is a carrier but just isn't showing symptoms.
2. spray the guinea pig all over with the mange spray and rub it into the body, for around the face spray a little onto your finger and rub onto the nose and around the ears.
3. lean the guinea pig on its side with one finger and your thumb firmly around the neck area, you should feel where the skull ends, apply light pressure there, usually this keeps a guinea pig still and allows you to pour the recommend doage of ear drops for your guinea pig, unfortunately it has been known for the mites in mange, and the funghal infections to move into the ears, so to be on the safe side i would treat it.
4. apply the tea tree oil cream to the ald of heavily thinned spots, these are usually soar and so the tea tree oil sooths it.
5. once every four days give them a bath in luke warm water, at or just above room temperature.
6. repeat process for two weeks.

best of luck