Guinea pig-lump under chin

Question
My daughter had a Guinea Pig pass away, so we purchased her a new one.  Once we got home we noticed a large lump under his chin.  My understanding is that it is probably an abcess, but with no help from the pet shop that we bought him from, will this guinea pig be prone to health problems or is this generally an isolated illness?  I am trying to keep my daughter from going through another heart break over losing her pet.

Thank you for your help!


Answer
Hello Stephanie and thanks for the question.

I am sorry to hear of your loss. It is always hard, not matter what age, to lose a family friend. For your question, generally speaking, GP's are one of the lowest maintanance pets you can get. If checked out prior to purchase for "common" defects they usually live 5-7 years with good healthcare.

If this "lump" under his chin is hard and immoble, it "may" just be his chin. If it sits in the "Y" of his jaw and he seems to not be in pain or annoyed, leave it be.

Two other medical issues that it could be is an abcess as you stated. This can easily be remedied with a vet visit for a lancing and antibiotic shot. Once cleared up, your GP should be fine (not prone to illness or abcesses). You might also what to look at his teeth for malocclusion. Malocclusion is when the bottom teeth grow over the top teeth OR the back molars grow over the tongue and lower jaw. A vet is best at this kind of inspection.

It sounds to me that a vet visit is in order for the best chance of NOT having your daughter lose another pet. It may be nothing but you never know. Don't give up on GPs though! Search the WWW for Seagulls Guinea Pigs. She has a very good section on "checking a GP before you buy".

Thanks and good luck to you,
Ryan
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