Abscess, Allergies, Alternative Health

[juliebee]

Hi folks,
One of my pigs has a nasty abscess by his groin and it just isn't going away. He (Fozzie) had an op about a month ago to drain it, the day after I noticed it. He's been on Septrin and Loxicom every day since then and we've been to the vet umpteen times for drains under local anaesthetic. I think that's had to happen 4 or 5 times now and the vet says he's prepared to try that another couple of times before another general anaesthetic to cut the abscess out. He says there were two abscesses and one has pretty much disappeared but the other one just keeps going up and down. I'm now cleansing the wound twice a day and trying to gently get a bit more pus out each time but I feel so bad for the wee thing. You should hear his squeals when the vet has to do the drain

Anyway, one of my clever g-pig mum friends suggested it could be an allergy. I use Cage Fresh underneath the Megazorb in their cage and she suggested it could be the Cage Fresh. One of the vet's initial theories was that he might've reacted badly to the suturing used when he was neutered (I had both pigs neutered about a month before this flared up).

I just wondered if anyone here has any wisdom about this? Is there anything you've found that your pigs are allergic to? Any stories about how you cured an abscess?! I'm also wondering if there are any alternative heath type methods to help.

I have a feeling if it doesn't fix soon then his op will have to be in the next couple of weeks. I don't want to put him through that (or me, for that matter) and his brother is all confused by the whole thing. He's really lively and the more I see Rolf being a bit crazy and lively, the more I realise Fozzie's quiet and a bit worn out.

Any advice gratefully received, folks. I feel out of my depth.

Thanks.

PS They're about 9 months old and the vet is great so I trust his judgement.

 

[AndreaJane]

I'm not an expert but from what I've read there can be problems with sutures, some vets use glue. I'm sure someone with more experience in this area will be along soon. I personally would keep him on fleece or vetbed while he's recovering so that he doesn't get any bedding stuck in his wounds.

 

[Abi_nurse]

If the vet used something called catgut during the op then it may have been likely that he was having a reaction to that causing an abscess to form. I also partly agree with the statement on the bedding. What is cage fresh? The cleaning product? Or do you mean Care fresh? This is a type of bedding. A cleaning product would not cause an abscess.

It may be possible that some of the megazorb has not helped in the matter of the abscess. To be honest, while he is still healing and recovering from it i would bed him down on something like vetbed or fleece as i think its much more hygienic for them, it doesnt have to be forever if you dont like that bedding, just until he is better.

As for the abscess itself, i would have a word with the vet and discuss possibly flushing it out with an antibiotic called metronidazole. I think Vedra at the Cambridge Cavy Trust does this and has very good results from it. I'm assuming at the moment your just flushing with a sal****er or antiseptic?

x.