Is this serious?...my guinea pig

Question
QUESTION: Okay, I'm not sure if it's anything serious but I'm worried. My guinea pig, of 3 years, has this huge bump on her back, towards her rump. She has started to lose her fur on that bump and the top layer of her skin, again on that bump. Also it has started to bleed. This bump has been around for about a month or so, starting out as a little lump and growing very quickly, and still growing. I'm not sure what it is and I don't know if it needs to be surgically removed. I don't want my guinea pig to suffer through all of that, going under the knife and all, and there's a chance that she might not survive an operation. Is there any thing i could buy or do in order to get rid of that bump?? And is this life threatening? Please, help me, i don't want my guinea pig to die! Thank you for listening and hope to hear from you soon.

ANSWER: Dear Patricia
feel the lump, does it move about loosely or is it quite rigid?
It could be a harmless cyst if its loose, in which case your vet will lance it and drain it. This WILL NOT need an anaesthetic.
In either case I would get the vet to take a look anyway and take it from there.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: No, it's not loose, it's more rigid and stable. Does this mean it's something serious, could it be a tumor?

ANSWER: Hi
I think you need to take her to a vet for a better idea of what the lump is.
It may well be a tumour but that does not mean your piggy will die from this as the sucess rate with a decent vet is quite good.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for answering my questions so far. I have one more to ask you, I think this will be my last one, but I'm not sure. I am planning on taking my piggy to the vet and letting them drain it out, considering it has already opened and blood and sometype of white stuff is coming out. My questions to you are...how much is it going to cost to drain the lump, if you have any idea, because this would help a lot, and is there a chance this lump will come back after it's been drained, or will it never appear again? Also, you already mentioned the sucess rate with a decent vet is quite good, so does this mean, for a fact, that my piggy will not die from this procedure. Please, again, I don't want to do anything that will put my piggy at risk for death.

Thanks alot!


Answer
Hi Patricia

I cant advise you on how much a vet will charge, nor can I guarantee that your piggy will not die but that is very unlikely as this procedure does not require an anaesthetic and this is the main cause of death in piggies on the vets table.
It may fill up with fluid again after the vet has finished draining it but you can ask him to show you how to drain it and explain to him that you cannot afford to return just to have it drained.
If it is only a cyst, it may well return but never need draining and just say the same size indefinately.
Explain to your vet how concerned you are about losing your piggy, if he is a decent vet he will talk you through the procedure and probably let you be present when he does it.
I hope it all goes well for you Patricia.
Kind regards
Mary