Why is my guinea pig's private area swollen? What should I do?

It is hard to tell from the photo but the swelling may just be his testicles they can retract them, so sometimes you won't see them. If there are 2 swellings then it will be tested, if not or you are unsure best to have it checked at the vets.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. Poor Pinky. You can see a swollen vulva when in heat, but she is still quite young. Typically guinea pigs do not become sexually mature until they are two months of age, and she is still younger than that. That makes me wonder if there is something else going on with her, and the lethargy also points to a possible illness. If her vulva is swollen, she could have an infection like a UTI. I'd take her into the vet first thing tomorrow for a health check. I hope this helps!

Well, the first thing you'll need to do is figure out whether or not this is a male or female. There are lots of images available on guinea pig sexing and guinea pig anatomy so that you will be able to figure this out most likely. In terms of the symptoms you've reported, I would have to see pictures and perform a physical exam to give you my take. It sounds like you could be right, but there are also many other reasons for both pain and swelling in the abdomen. I would recommend having you and your parents bring him to a veterinarian comfortable treating small mammals. Hope this makes sense.

Hello, sorry to hear about Pepe. You can put a frozen bag of veggies or an ice pack wrapped in a thin cloth or plastic zip lock bag in the area for 5 minutes or so, 2-3 times per day for the next 3 days. He likely has normal post-operative swelling that should resolve within 2-3 weeks. If it is not getting better, if the area is painful, if the swelling is worsening, or if Pepe no longer eats and seems lethargic then have him evaluated immediately. Hope this helps and best of luck.

The two most common causes of facial swelling in guinea pigs are abscesses in the jaw or a dental problem. Check your guinea pig's chin and mouth area. If she is drooling or the fur is wet, those are both signs of a dental problem. If a tooth is abscessed or growing abnormally into the area behind the eye, there can also be a discharge from one or both eyes, so check for that as well. Abscesses or tumors in the nasal cavity can also cause swelling like this to happen. All of these conditions must be treated by a vet. I suggest you find an exotic vet in your area to check him out.

This does sound concerning for Terry. He probably has a skin infection and possibly an infection in this prepuce/penis from the hair matting. I would recommend taking Terry in to the vet to be checked out because he will probably need some antibiotics to help clear up the infection.

Hi and thank you for your question. In rodents the testicles can move freely from the abdomen to the scrotum (sac) and vise versa. It could just be that one is in and the other is outside the sac. However, it is imposible to say that from the pic. A vet should be able to tell you if it's normal or not after physically examining him. Regards