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Absess? please help! been vets twice theyre not sure

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Carolinemm

Carolinemm

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Hello,
Apologies for such a long first post.......I am having a bit of a nightmare again with my girls...please bare with me Id like to provide a brief history as I'm not convinced about their recent problem and naturally I'm really worried...

Since I got my girls (Ginger and Jasmine) completely healthy from a good rescue last August I have had no end of problems. Brief history..
-ringworm on Gingers leg in September 2010 (confirmed at vets by skin scrape)
-then mites in both (scraped for ringworm at same time and confirmed clear of ringworm) Nov/Dec 2010, brought them inside for hygiene purposes when thought it was ringworm - they are still in. I took them for 5 Ivermectin jabs (I wanted be sure they were clear) spaced 14 days apart (says 14 in handbook vet showed me, she didnt want to do 7 or 10 days?)......

Then spotted a recurrence of mites in just Ginger this time, about a month ago so tried the spot on (Xeno 450), its not worked, she didnt get worse but not better...
Then spotted a scaly scab on Jasmines cheek a week last Monday (11th April), was convinced it was ringworm was away with work for a week so got pet sitter and boyfriend to apply ketoconazole cream (Daktarin) twice a day.

On my return realised not better, and still needed sort mites....went to the vets Monday got Ivermectin jabs for both and she gave me antibiotics (Batril) as Jasmines face had gone from scaly scab to looking really sore.....also some Mycozole spray as this cleared the ringworm up along with the cream brilliantly last time so I asked for this. I also bought some different cream - Daktarin again but this time ingredient is miconazole nitrate 2% (same ingredient as spray better for ringworm apparently).

Get to Friday, today, I'm still not sure whats wrong she doesnt look much better, so went back to vets, saw my vet who dealt with me last year not the one on monday she was a bit rubbish. She thinks it might be an absess said it was very smelly although I couldnt really see any pus as such?

So I am attaching photos. We now have Septrin antibiotic as I said Id read Baytril wasnt always brilliant?....and Loxicom (anti-inflamatory meloxicam) and made her give poor Jasmine some pain relief after digging around in her face! She said to bathe it with saline once a day and continue antibiotics and anti-imflam, she said continue with the ringworm cream until we know for sure again although this doesnt seem right if it is an abscess....oh and I think Jasmine also has a little ringworm patch on her leg! so been treating that with cream too.....

so I could have mites, ringworm and an absess and I do everything by the book, Vit C tablets given direct, fresh veg mixture morning and night exact amount recommended on here....good pellets with Vit C.....what am I doing wrong?! and is it an absess? Jasmine was scraped again for ringworm so Ill not know about that for about 14 days....they are cleaned out fully every other day...

Sorry I said Id be brief! thanks for any help in advance.... on the upside, they are both still vocal and cheeky and do not seem ill or affected at all....I'm desperate to get them outside in a nice big hutch but darent yet..also I buy good quality sweet smelling farm hay but is there such a thing as mite free hay?! and if so where from? Ill give up my lovely farm hay if it will stop the mites!

Thank you so much in advance for taking the time to read x Ill add photos next...
 
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You need a new vet, yours really don't sound like they know what they're doing.
From the pictures I would say that it doesn't look like ringwom, but it does look like it could have been an abscess or cyst that has popped.

Ringworm is very contagious, so if you think that Jasmine still has ringworm on her leg. Then I would clean and treat everything she comes into contact with because it could be living on anything. Also it's really really itchy (I caught it from my piggie when I was 12) so if she's scratching at it, that's another sign that its ringworm. I would keep applying the cream to her leg, but I wouldn't put it on her face. I woud also keep treating her face with saline and keep on with the antibiotics. Hopefully with Ginger the ivermectin would have worked for the mites. Sometimes pigs catch mites from their hay, so this might be where she's getting them from, if your using the same batch of hay or hay supplier as before.

I hope your piggies get better soon!
 
That is quite a hole and by the looks of the pictures the hole has been like that for some days - ie abcess has popped a while ago. But it also looks very clean on the outside so looks like you cleaning it up is doing the job. If it was smelly then it was an abcess, there is no real way to describe the smell but I have dealt with a fair few.

Ringworm can reoccur if animals come into contact with infected wood - are they in a wooden house? And what type of bedding are they on?
 
Hi both thanks for the advice. Unfor I'm fully aware of ringworm being contageous I caught it last time! They r inside in a plastic cage which is cleaned w anti fungal every other day. They r on fleece washed at 90degrees I only handle using gloves and disposable apron.. The last time they had ringworm it was outside in their hutch and they've not been near it since. I can't believe jasmines face has been like that long, I handle them every day and always stroke their cheeky chops so would have noticed I'm sure of it! :0( poor girl. Well shall take on board all this, thank you both x
 
I wonder if for the time being you keep them on newspaper and change it daily - thus throwing away any spores. And once it clears up put them back on the fleece to see if that gets rid once and for all - if it comes back I would throw the fleece too (go back to paper then get new fleece). Good job you have a plastic cage, if it was wooden the only thing I have know to get rid of spores out of wood is creasote and I doubt that would be good for the piggies.

Regarding the abcess, pepper years ago had one suddenly appear on her face bear her eye, it grew at an alarming rate and thinking it was a nasty lump had it removed - to find it was an abcess that I could have treated myself. Dont feel bad as abcess' can be hidden easily by hair and feel solid, can be taken as part of her face so your wouldnt have noticed it until it had popped which it has. They are very strange things abcess' and can be caused by all sorts of things - possibly a bit of grass seed poking her skin, irritating and causing the abcess.
 
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It looks like a cyst to me but definately needs a second vet opinion.
Where are you based, maybe a member can recommend one?
You could also contact Chrissie at Gorgeous Guineas re all things skin care.
 
Hi both thanks for the advice. Unfor I'm fully aware of ringworm being contageous I caught it last time! They r inside in a plastic cage which is cleaned w anti fungal every other day. They r on fleece washed at 90degrees I only handle using gloves and disposable apron.. The last time they had ringworm it was outside in their hutch and they've not been near it since. I can't believe jasmines face has been like that long, I handle them every day and always stroke their cheeky chops so would have noticed I'm sure of it! :0( poor girl. Well shall take on board all this, thank you both x
 
I think you really need to get to a different vets, they're obviously not getting to the bottom of this, it shouldn't take from Sept last year to now to sort mites/ringworm. Sounds like you're doing everything you can and the vets are just useless.

If a pig came into the rescue with that sort of hole on her face my first thought would be an absess that has popped, and in it's position I'd be wanting to have teeth checked, has the vet done this? Also what age is she approx?
 
Hi thanks for the replies. Yes I could do with knowing a different vets. They r a good vets just not experienced obv with guinea pigs, it's Nantwich veterinary hospital in Cheshire. I'm not sure I have explained v well, they were clear of ringworm in dec after having it in aug and clear of mites after 5 jabs, they just came back. Also they have a completely different envionment this time from before when they had ringworm. They weren't on the fleece then. Going back tothe vets I know of one in tarporley that I went to with my rabbit when he was ill and they were brilliant but not sure if theyre the same with guinea pigs. If it is ringworm she wants to go down the oral antifungal route. I'm just wanting to make sure I have everything that she needs for the abscess Just now or should I really have it looked at again? As I said I have the antibiotics and anti-inflammatory..
 
Oh no........poor little Jasmine :(
You've been thru it all :{ well done for keeping at it and trying to get to the bottom of her problem.......by the way the picture is very descriptive.........i'd be going to get another opinion....... just my opinion.
Wishing little Jasmine lots and lots of healing wheeeeeeks from the girls and I xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
 
Thank you very much, that's v kind of you :0) Ill **** try the vets I went to with my poorly rabbit a while ago they were excellent. Poor jasmine and Ginger with the mites! I just so desperatly want them to b well x
 
An update..... if anyone was interested or if it could help anyone else and bit of advice please?....

I went back to my none specialist vets for the second time in 4 days (but the vet I normally see not the really inexperienced one!) and she diagnosed an abscess, and she said we should scrape again for fungal so we did. Then I still didnt feel v happy so went to the exotic vets I use for any rabbit issues, he was brilliant. Flushed it out but concurred with my normal vet RE everything else which was reassurring.

So Jasmine has been on syringe antibiotics (Septrin and Baytril at first, now just Septrin) and anti-inflam (Loxicom) for the abscess every day since. I'm still cleaning with iodine solution to keep it open twice daily and pet sitter does it twice daily when I'm away with work! (costing a fortune :)) ) and we're now on for the third ivermectin jab next Tues. Most importantly the fungal culture was clear! so only mites and the abscess to be worrying about for now. How long do abscesses generally take to heal? or is it how long is a piece of string?! Its been about 2.5 weeks now?

Also, I'm dying to put them outside again in their huge outdoor hutch as I hate their indoor cage it was only meant to be temporary when they were ill last time (120cm length one, I have cats so needed a commercial type) and I keep holding off a new larger indoor one as we're about to move house (for the last 3 months!). They have a playpen but dont move much when I put them in it when I'm home despite various and constantly changing tunnels etc! so I think the hutch is best for them them they will have 24hr access to much more space. Any advice on how long after mites treatment I should leave it till I put them back in their hutch? Also I tried putting them outside on the grass in a larger run but they got terrible diarrhea! They havent been in their hutch now for 6 months and its been scrubbed with bleach and left to soak in and dry and then soaked with expensive mite/fungal everything killer stuff from the vets, so I think it should be safe!

Any advice much appreciated :)
Caroline x
 
Looks very much like a bite wound that hasnt healed well. But maybe see another vet for a second opinion. If your not happy with your vets then see a different one.

x.
 
Abcesses take different amounts of time to heal depending on how deep they are, how wide the wound is and how much infection is present. Ideally by now you should be starting to see a change and it beginning to heal by now. I would suggest if it hasnt healed or at least started to in the next couple of weeks then give your vets a call and speak to a vet/nurse about it. You can put them in the hutch whenever you like, i dont see any reason to wait after the mite treatment. They may have got diarrhea as they ate too much grass especially if it was spring grass or if the ground was very cold. It was chilly 6 monthes ago. Maybe pop them on some grass just for 10 minutes and let them graze and then see how they go. Just short bursts of grass.

Please note that with an open wound your piggie will be at greater risk of fly strike out in the hutch outside. Please keep the wound clean and dry and check often for flies if you are planning on putting them out. Just take care.

Ps sorry about the double post.

x
 
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Thanks for that, I probably over complicate by waffling but had seen a different vet, 3 in fact 2 at one practice and 1 at the specialist practice. It is starting to look much better and it is thoroughly cleaned twice daily. I didn't put them out 6 months ago sorry, I meant last week, it was for an hour so possibly too long I realised it was the spring grass, such sensitive things! Anyway, I'll keep going and it may take a while yet, may also hold off putting them out until it's healed then... I'll have more of a think, thanks for your thoughts much appreciated:)
 
Hi Caroline gosh poor Jasmine i was hoping her abscess would've healed a bit more by now........they can be b*ggers to heal!
Sounds like you're getting the right treatment now and keeping it open and cleansed twice daily is great!
Fab info from Abi_Nurse you have to be so careful with open wounds, also be careful of the hay too.
Sending some more healing vibes and loves for little Jasmine XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 
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