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ABSCESS HELP (disgusting - sorry!)

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SJP

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Please offer help and advice if you can...
My male guinea pig is 4 years old. A couple of months ago he was treated at the vets for a large-ish abscess on his backside. This healed after one treatment at the vet and no antibiotics were prescribed. Last week we noticed the lump was back again and made a note to take him to the vet. However, before we could do this I gave him a bath yesterday and this caused the abscess to burst. I squeezed as much puss out as I could (there was lots!) and bathed with salt water. Tonight there is yet more puss and I can't seem to get it out. I am worried about infection. Also, his new cagemate, a 2-3 month old pig is hassling him a bit - lots of bottom wiggling and also the young pig is eating the fur around the wound! Not sure what this is about. I wonder if I ought to separate them with a divider in their cage until the older pig is better... any advice greatly appreciated.
Thank you
 
Your pig needs to see a vet and some antibiotics. Sounds like he has a sebacious cyst which is common in piggies. I wouldnt seperate them as abscess's are not contagious. Get to a vet first.

Hope he feels better soon.
x.
 
Hi he definately needs antibiotics or else it's just not going to cure the infection and will keep returning I'm afraid. You've done the right thing getting the puss out and flush it with salt water. If you've got a syringe (without the needle) fill it with salt water and squirt it in the whole to flush it out. Next thing is a trip to the vet.
I found when Hector had an abscess Matilda got very upset when ever he went back in, I think because he smelt different and she knew there was something wrong, I found sending him back with a little piece of food for her each time helped.
Is the young pig male? If they've bonded you want to avoid seperating them as you'll have to start the bonding process over again when he's better but if the little one is really hassling him then I think you might have to, just a bit of bum wiggling should be ok, I guess he's trying to groom him and make him better in his mind.
 
Thanks for all the advice. I am planning to take him to the vet tomorrow. I have separated them with a wire divider - they are still in the same cage and can see each other etc. I took the decision to separate them because Thomas (the poorly pig) was getting cross with Sebastian (the young pig) and there was a bit of concerning behavior going on. Sebastian was trying to help I think - he was even doing some low-nosing, in between the rumble strutting and trying to squeeze in to lie next to Thomas... but Thomas didn't like it. Also, Thomas was hiding in his pigloo a lot because I think he didn't want the hassle. I was worried about him not eating because of this. The pigs are bonded - will having a divider in the cage really cause them problems when I re-introduce them? I don't want that either - but I'm going to bed and am worried they may fight.
 
Sorry - I forgot to say- yes the young pig is male
 
UGH abscesses are horrible and dam hard to get rid of ! Meds and continual and vigilant cleaning is the only road!

HEALING WHEEEEEEEEKS FOR THOMAS XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Maybe give them some time together as well, this will help when Thomas is feeling better :)
 
Hope he feels much better soon! It definitely worth seeing the vet about- abscesses in guinea pigs can be hard to clear. My pig Linney had an abscess on her lower back a year and a half ago... when lancing and draining it and antibiotics failed to clear it up, she eventually had the whole thing surgically removed... I was worried about her having a general anasthesia but she did fine and it healed up with no recurrences. Hopefully your vet will have some suggestions about what is the best treatment for him. I have noticed that other pigs will try to lick or otherwise investigate an abscess- probably because it smells funny (even to us! And they have more sensitive noses!)
 
It's going more wrong...

Thanks for all your help and advice so far...
No joy on the vets today due to lack of spaces - but will try tomorrow. Not too worried about the abscess at the mo as I can treat it until then. The problem now is FIGHTING PIGS. I took the advice given yesterday and took the decision to put my pigs back together (they have only been separated by a wire mesh in the same cage). However there was sustained teeth chattering by both pigs and my 2 month old pig did lots of that dominant yawning. Both squared up and I have separated them again. In one of the initial scraps they had my young pig Sebastian bit my boyfriend who was shooing him to another end of the cage - I think he means business... but so far he has not bitten my older pig Thomas. HELP. I can try re-introducing on neutral territory and bathing them together etc but shall I wait until Thomas is better and even then do you think they are now doomed to live apart? I hope not. Sebastian was brought into our home to be a friend to Thomas whose brother we lost about two months ago... It will be really upsetting if this doesn't work out. :(
 
Abcesses are awful. My Wobble has just had one lanced and drained at the vet. The vet has sent him home with antibiotics, and I a flushing the hole out three times a day with diluted hibiscrub. Its been 3 days and its looking very good.

I think its important that your piggy sees a vet asap

Luckily Wobble is housed by himself as he has spinal problems and 'weight watching' is a must to keep him mobile.
 
If your vet refuses to see such an urgent case because they are 'full', get a new vet!

I speak as someone whose vet invented three extra appointments last night for urgent cases. I have never known even my old rubbish vet to say 'sorry we are full' for something quite urgent.

If you noticed this last week and still have not seen a vet take him tomorrow (though I have to ask why you didn't go last week when you first found it?), by any means possible, this could easily get worse quite quickly.
 
Doeylicious said:
If your vet refuses to see such an urgent case because they are 'full', get a new vet!

I speak as someone whose vet invented three extra appointments last night for urgent cases. I have never known even my old rubbish vet to say 'sorry we are full' for something quite urgent.

If you noticed this last week and still have not seen a vet take him tomorrow (though I have to ask why you didn't go last week when you first found it?), by any means possible, this could easily get worse quite quickly.
Click to expand...

This.

Infection can track to other parts of the body and once it starts affecting blood vessels, it's going everywhere, including to the brain and spinal cord.
 
Hi - abscesses are a nightmare! I had to clean and squeeze and wash twice a day for over 1 month with antibiotics and pain relief given the whole time - it was horrible hearing her in pain when I squeezed but needed to keep it open and clean...then 3 or 4 months later after healing - it returned. Shes now had it removed under anesthetic and its not come back. Good luck!
 
fighting? HELP

My pigs aren't getting on too well at the moment - lots of squaring up to each other and teeth chattering and chasing round and round in a tight circle. I don't want to separate them unless i have to...when do I take this decision - HELP
 
and my younger pig is doing quite a bit of the yawning and teeth showing :(
 
it's going from bad to worse... HAIR LOSS

Ok... so the guinea pig also has hair loss now. From what I have read it looks fungal - lots of hair falling out when bathing the pig, some scabbing on the skin and the hair can be pulled out with a gentle tug. When the hair is pulled out there is usually dry skin attached to the end. The main areas are symmetrically on the top of both his back thighs and on his tummy there is just thinned out fur. As far as i can tell this is most likely a fungal infection. However on his tummy where the hair is thinning it looks as if it has broken off half way down the shaft - is this not a sign of parasites?
I will be taking him to my local vets tomorrow or Tuesday, however although they are competent and have treated GPs before they are not guinea pig specialists and I would like to be armed with some knowledge when I go... such as... what might/should they prescribe and if so what is the dose. I am near-ish reading so could go to the Tilehurst GP recommended vets there... but not for over a week when I am off work. Please help if you can...
 
Where abouts are you?

Unfortunatly only a vet will be able to tell if its fungal or paracites and they need very different treatments.
 
I have no experience with abcesses but just wanted to send Thomas some healing vibes for a speedy recovery - this sounds really awful for the poor little man :(
Get well soon Thomas xx>>>
 
Thanks for replying so quickly. I'm in Oxfordshire.
 
Have you checked the recomended vets list at the top of the health and illness section?

There may be an exotics vet close to you. Otherwise definatly get him booked in with the normal vet ASAP
 
It's not uncommon for an abscess to come back, Liquorice had one that did just that, and I recommend taking him to a vet and getting it lanced/drained and some antibiotics - which alone isn't enough as the antibiotic can't penetrate the abscess capsule other wise..
To date, the abscess hasn't returned (op was last Jan) so a thumbs up from me, she came round quick from the sedative, and I left her friend BonBon with her has company..
 
Thanks for all the help and advice. I have located some guinea pig specialists in swindon and reading but because the pigs are a bit grumpy with each other at the moment I didn't want to travel too far with them so will try my local vets who have been ok in the past and open to suggestions.
 
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