blood and pus infection

Question
Hi. I just bought my male guinea pig Jack about 1 1/2 weeks ago.
He's quiet, but still makes a little noise when held. About 3 or 4
days after bringing him home, I noticed a little raw red bump
between his eye and nose. I called the pet store, and they said to
keep an eye on it. Now that red bump has turned into a scabby
gray bump, along with a couple of small black scabby bumps by it.
Below those, today he started to bleed!!! I looked at it, and it looks
like a hole with puss coming out of it! I'm really concerned! I have
never seen anything like this! What could it be? His cage is well
ventilated, very clean, I take really good care of the little guy, what
do I do? Thank you!

Answer
Hello Kimberly,

First of all, congrats on your new piggy! Well, it sounds like it might be a couple of things. It could possibly be an abscess (a badly infected puss filled wound) possibly caused by a tiny poke or scratch that wasn't even noticable or very significant. Or possibly a parasitic infection (mites). Has he lost any hair around the area? With mites, there is often some hairloss, though not always. He needs a visit to the vet in any case. If it's an abscess it will need antibiotics and daily flushing which the vet can show you how to do and will probably give you a saline solution to use. Flushing really isn't very difficult, but with it located on his face you would have to be careful not to get it in his eyes. In fact, I'm going to go ahead and tell you how because you can go ahead and do that immediately and start him on the road to recovery sooner. You will need to get a saline solution (you can get it over the counter at the pharmacy or drug department of most stores), a dry towel, and a syringe (a bulb syringe will work fine), a washcloth and a piece of kale,carrot or other veggie. Put the dry towel under the pig so you don't get everything else wet. Hold the washcloth between his eye and the wound so that it will soak up any solution that goes that direction. Fill the syringe and just squirt it over the infected area. Repeat a few times then pat dry with either the dry part of the washcloth or the towel he was on (preferably an area of it the wasn't touching the pig so no more germs get added to the wound accidentally) or even a different dry rag or towel. Then give the piggy the veggie because he was such a wonderful well behaved boy (even if he wasnt quite so well behaved because even so, he is still wonderful). Flushing will do him good even if it isn't an abscess to clear away a bit of the infection. It may still need a lancing to open it up more too, to let the infection drain completely so it can heal. If it's mites he will need and anti-parasitic treatment (most likely ivermectin) and possibly an antibiotic since the puss makes it sound as if there is some sort of at least mild infection going on. Mites, if left untreated, can kill him so it's important he see a vet for a positive diagnosis and treatment. And don't feel guilty, neither of these is caused by improper or neglectful care. Hay pokes and scratches getting infected is fairly common and just something that comes from being a piggy and mites can lay dormant for years before showing themselves and are often brought on by stress which could have been caused by his recent move. Neither of which is your fault. Both of these things, with a bit of determined care on your part, are pretty easily treated (though mites can take a bit of time to get rid of completely) and if your vet is fairly priced should not cost too much. Good luck with him. I hope and pray everything goes well for both of you and I'm certain you will have a long wonderful life together.

-kkat