lump on my guinea pig

Question
Hi, i got my guinea pig from my local pet shop  about 5 weeks ago.  Last week i noticed that a lump had appeared on the right side of her tummy, which is firm to touch.  If she was pregnant, i would be able to feel movement by now wouldnt i? DI yiu have any suggestions to what it might be?  She is moving around fine and eating and drinking.  She does squeak if you touch her side.
Hope you can help
Many thanks
Karen

Answer
If she isn't "lumpy" on both sides of her body, no she most likely isn't pregnant. It could possibily be an abcess. I'm not sure if you know what that is (or if I'm spelling it 100% correctly LOL) but its a collection of puss and infection under the skin. It's almost like a human white head. I suggest, if you're firm handed enough, that you take a pair of nail scissors, and cut away at the fur to try to see what is beneath it. Abcesses can take several days to appear. She could have gotten one from another pig, or bumping into something sharp. However, if she hasn't been around another pig or another animal period, it may not be. Squeaking when you touch her side does sound like possibly some sort of infection. Since it's a firm lump, this is another sign of an abcess. I know a lot of people don't believe in taking small animals to a vet, but I suggest, if this persists, that you just go to get her a physical. I know a physical for a guinea pig has to be under $30(Ours is $18). Look for a vet place that takes "exotics" in the phonebook. The more I read over your question, the more it sounds like an abcess, however, since I can't examine your pig, I can not give you a 100% guarantee. I suggest cutting away the hair around the lump and seeing what it looks like. Then, I suggest you give her a fairly warm bath with an anti-bacterial soap. Maybe even a dab of hydrogen peroxide. I advise doing that almost every day for a week or so. Or you could do hot water compresses on the lump. If you could, cut away the hair (sorry I keep repeating that part!) and try to describe to me what it looks like. I may be able to help you further, but not 100% guarantee. If it's just a lump with absolutely nothing coming out of it, or no puncture wound, it's under the skin most likely. I hope this helped. Please write back and let me, at least, know how she is doing. :) I'm here for questions so remember to ask anything. I wish you and your pig a lifetime of health, happiness, and love :)