Ovarian Cysts in Guinea Pigs

[VoodooJoint]

For those interested in more medical info about Ovarian Cysts please go to Guinea Lynx :: Ovarian Tumors.

Symptoms of ovarian cysts are (taken from Guinea lynx)
A slight loss and redistribution of weight Her shoulders become bonier and abdomen, rounder. She became a pickier eater, refusing her green pepper.
Hair loss. A general thinning of hair, and later, loss on the sides of the abdomen (she pulled out her own hair). Healthy skin. No scratching.
Sexually aggressive. She became very pmsy and mounted her cage mates on a regular basis, also displayed herself.
Enlarged nipples. Nipples seemed to be slightly enlarged and developed a crust. See photos: -ONE- -TWO-

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[VoodooJoint]

I have had two guinea pigs now with ovarian cysts Dilly and Meg

Both guinea pigs shared symptoms but there were also some differences. If you notice any of the below types of symptoms in your female guinea pigs you need to take them to a cavy savy vet. Spaying is the most common form of treatment but hormone injections can also be successful and may be a better option in an elderly pig or one that is a poor surgery risk(more info available on Dilly's GL thread)

Symptoms my pigs had

• Increased sexual aggression. Both Dilly and Meg acted like they were in heat non-stop. This included mounting, chasing, rumblestrutting.
• Changed body type. Meg, more then Dilly, became more pear shaped almost as if she was in the early stages of pregnancy
• Hair loss. Both suffered hair loss although the placement of the hair loss was different at first.
• Crust on Nipples. Only Meg developed crustiness. Dilly did not.

Dilly first lost hair on her back


A within days Dilly then showed signs of bilateral hair loss along with secondary infections from scratching and chewing at her sides. She also started to lose hair on her chest and belly. Ovarian cysts can be very irritating and cause the guinea pig to pull and chew off their own hair as well as the biting and scratching

Left Side (Dilly)


Right Side (Dilly)



Meg only lost hair on her sides and did not scratch herself.

Right Side (Meg)


Left Side (Meg)


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[VoodooJoint]

Chest and Belly (Dilly)


Only Meg had crust on her nipples. It was hard to tell if Dilly's nipples were elongated as she always had long nipples and I do not know if she ever gave birth before I adopted her.

Meg's Nipple


Dilly's Nipple