• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Brownpig update

Status
Not open for further replies.
Spiggly

Spiggly

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Nov 25, 2010
Messages
94
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Brownpig had a big abscess removed from his neck/jaw last friday. They removed the whole sac. The wound looks good, but was always a bit swollen. Yesterday he saw the nurse who removed some of the swelling fluid to make him more comfortable, but today after work, the Swelling is back up again. he is feeling quite sorry for himself. I am still worried about him. I am feeling sorry for him as well. He has a hot water bottle he has snuggled up on tonight. He really doesnt like taking his antibiotics, which is very stressful for us both! He likes his painkillers, but he only gets those once a day.

I hated being at work today and just having to leave him, and i will hate being at work tomorrow, and the next day andnthe next. I have to keep telling myself it was only friday he had the op, and he is still eating whih is a good sign, but i am not sure how much as Blackpig eats everything in sight!

Is it normal to have a lot of swelling? He also has a bit of a snotty nose, but is already on abs. Any more i can do to help the swelling down? It cant be comfy, and i worry if the pain is too much he will go downhill again.
 
Awww, poor BrownPig :(

Just a few questions

Is the swelling a build up of fluids? And what Antibiotics is he on?

Paula
 
yes, the swelling is just fluid. I was a bloody brown and runny yesterday. It usnt pus thats for sure. He is on baytril, we have enoug for another week or so. They said ti take him back on friday or saturday for another post op checkup, i dont know if it is worth going in again sooner, if they will just syringe more out then it wint be much good if it just swells up again overnight.

Do you think the swelling will go down with more exercise?
 
Sorry to hear about Brownpig's abscess area being swollen....
Is he on any pain relief?
And did they suggest cleaning and keeping the abscess wound area open?
For past experience this is what i had to do for my boy.

Sending some healing wheeeeeeeeeeeks for Brownpig XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 
Please weigh him daily to make sure that he is not losing weight and that he is eating enough. It is vital that he keeps as much body mass as possible. Just watching him eating can be deceptive as to the real amount he is taking in. If necessary, you need to top him up with either Critical Care or mushed pellets.
http://www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html

I hope that he will get better soon!
 
My Daisy had an abscess removed (complete) about 3 weeks ago. She was prescribed Septrin for 4 days & Metacam, but after 4 days Simon the vet changed the antibiotic to Zithromax instead which worked wonders (see my thread for photos - "Lump in leg" )

I really think you need to look into a different AB for this as I don't think Baytril is the best one. Daisy had barely any swelling & her scar never even weeped, I know it was in a different place which could be the reason why, but I would check that Baytril really is the best AB for him right now.
 
Wiebke said:
Please weigh him daily to make sure that he is not losing weight and that he is eating enough. It is vital that he keeps as much body mass as possible. Just watching him eating can be deceptive as to the real amount he is taking in. If necessary, you need to top him up with either Critical Care or mushed pellets.
http://www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html

I hope that he will get better soon!
Click to expand...

I am weighinhim, and he is about the same as before the operation. He has the mushed pellets which he likes as they are easy for him to eat.

I was going to call the vet in the morning and ask about different antibiotics. I cant flush the would site as ther is no place for the liquid to drain out.
 
Spiggly said:
I am weighinhim, and he is about the same as before the operation. He has the mushed pellets which he likes as they are easy for him to eat.

I was going to call the vet in the morning and ask about different antibiotics. I cant flush the would site as ther is no place for the liquid to drain out.
Click to expand...

ahhh OK..... just ask the Vet tho are you able to wash out/flush the area, this also helps with the healing, from my experience :)
That's great to hear he's not lost weight x) what a good pigglie eating up the pellets :)
 
If the whole abscess has been removed the wound won't be open as it won't need flushing Glynis.

How is he doing now? One of my piggies had a lump removed and the space where the lump had been filled with a fluid which needed to be aspirated. It was a long time ago so can't remember the exact details but I am pretty sure it only needed doing once or maybe twice at the most. I have to say that Zithromax is most definitely the very best antibiotic when dealing with things like this. I hope your vet will consider it. Your vet is very welcome to contact my vet for details.

Simon Maddock - 01604 478888
 
Back to the vets again this morn and the bloody thing has come back from the looks of it.

Different antibiotic to try, and i asked them about another one which has been found to have good resultsbfor piggies.

Vet didnt want to take him into surgery again any time soon. She said if he is eating, carry on wit the abs and painkillers, go back in a week and see iwhat they think then. We may be able to do a draining under local anaesyhetic, aince he had such a bad time with the general.

So afte the worlds most **** nigts sleep for me last night, no good news this morning. OTOH, it is an abscess and not a tumour and on the abs it will hopefully keep it in check.

I asked about the zithromax, and also there is a more specialist exotics vet not too far away, and she saidbshebwill look into the different ab and in a week or so when we reassess and if we need to go to the specialist. We didnt see any pus, so it is still possible it is just swelling.
 
I am so sorry about this!

However, I can second using zithromax - it has saved the lives of several piggies with nasty abscesses and infections where baytril wouldn't work.

All the best - at least you are still in with a good chance as he still has his weight and is eating!
 
I have Septrin from today to try (i had Baytril before), and i asked about Zithromax, and she said she would look into it. There is a more specialist vet just north of here, and i was going to give them a call this evening and ask for a second opinion, and if they use Zithromax.
 
If piggy hates taking the antibiotics other vets have recommended and other people on here have done it - give piggy one part undiluted ribena to the amount of ab dose you are giving - makes it taste nicer - and has been used sucessfully by others on here - metacam tastes like honey so most pigs are happy to take that and gobble it up.
 
Spiggly said:
I have Septrin from today to try (i had Baytril before), and i asked about Zithromax, and she said she would look into it. There is a more specialist vet just north of here, and i was going to give them a call this evening and ask for a second opinion, and if they use Zithromax.
Click to expand...

If this vet needs to speak with Simon regarding Zithromax please pass his number on to them. He will be more than happy to speak to them.
 
Get the zithromax even if you have to sign a disclaimer,it works wonders .
 
christine said:
Get the zithromax even if you have to sign a disclaimer,it works wonders .
Click to expand...

I can second that, we went through Bayril, Septrin and now Zithromax, for a breathing problem, I was beginning to feel it was his heart, but Zithromax kicked in by the second dose and he has made a full recovery.
I spoke to Simon Maddocks over the phone too, just to get a second opinion, although my own vet was happy to give it a go as she had used it on other piggies.
There has been absolutely no side effects (smells like cherries) and one dose given once a day.

Best wishes
 
Hmmmm... are they sure that they got the entire encapsulated abscess? If it's filling back up, it doesn't sound like they removed the whole thing. I agree with other comments about looking into other antibiotics, as my vet has always told me that Baytril is not a very effective antibiotic for abscess treatment. I have heard good things about Septrin and Zithromax as far as abscesses go, and Linney was given Chloramphenicol following abscess treatment (that one seems to be more commonly given in Canada where I live for whatever reason.) I hope the antibiotics help and he makes a full recovery!
 
Well this morning the lump was half the size, and he hasnt stopped eating! Butr he has managed to give it a good scratch and pull out all the stitches so the wound has opened.

So back to the vets again!

She gave me some hibiscrub to flush it with twice a day, and it looks clean. It may even be a bonus, as she did try with a syringe again and found some pus (obviously the abscess HAS reformed, Grr) but it was watery not solid. I will try the Septrin for another day or so to see if that has a further effect ( i am sure that is what has significantly reduced the size overnight) and tomorrow or saturday i will call the specialist vets near here to see if they have the Zithromax, or call Simon Maddock to see if the vets can arrange to have some sent over.

They have been very good at the vets as all these after-surgery consults have been free. She did say they had removed the entire abscess capsule, but that it hadnt been possible to do it without damaging it and releasing some of the pus, which despite repeated flushings is obviously what has caused the secondary abscess. If we are to go the surgery route with this one it wont be for at least a week to give him a chance to fully recover, and also will give the new abscess chance to form a thicker wall and make it harder to damage. I may contact the specialists and possibly get it done there.

At the moment it is a wait and see game and giving the drugs a chance to work. At least he was feeling better this morning - no huddling in a box for him, he wouldnt go back in the box after being poked and prodded again, and wanted to go and explore the surgery!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top