Lump in guinea pigs neck

Question
I just felt a marble size lump in my pig's neck.  I am very alarm, he is about 9 years old and seem to lost some weight.  Is anything that I can do beside surgery to remove it?  

Thanks,  

Answer
It is most likely a cyst, as they are common in that area of the body. They can be removed by a vet, by draining the cyst, flushing it out, then giving antibiotics, but they almost always come back. A lot of the time it is safer to leave the cyst there as long as it is not causing any pain or discomfort, draining can also lead to an infection of the blood too, which makes things worse. Considering his age, he may not be able to take the effects of antibiotics and infections on his system either. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Brittany