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Captain Jack - Very Poorly

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Sorry to hear about Captain Jack, but he really is a handsome pig! I could pick him up & take him home!

As for keeping dressings on, the only thing I can suggest is a bandage, although I'm not sure if that would work. But you might be able to wrap it round the body & his leg to keep it covered.

I have found that bandages need to be relatively tight, otherwise the little piggies can get out of them! Of course it might look odd, but they can usually still keep a-walking & that's the main thing! :))

I had a piggy who had major surgery when he was a baby (He went over the rainbow bridge about 2 years ago). I tried a tubular bandage but he walked out of it! Then I used a normal bandage & had him wrapped up from his front to back legs! he looked like a little sausage with a head & bottom sticking out, but it worked & stopped him taking his stitches out (the first time anyway!) :(|):(|)

Good luck with keeping it covered & let us know how he gets on!

Get well hugs & squeaks from my manly quintet

Michele
 
aww sophie, i'm sorry i cant offer advice, but i wish you both well, captain jack is a lovely piggie and i hope the vet's wrong xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
Thanks for asking - he's ok, eating normally, asleep on his fleece. He bled a bit during the night and it's quite sore underneath, he hates the antibiotics and is such a wriggler!

I will get a second opinion on his lump. I've tried to keep a dressing on it, but failed - will try tubigrip next.

There is no pus, just blood. I've pigs with fatty lumps underneath before, but nothing like this. I would take a pic but it's pretty gruesome :(

Sophie
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It's good to hear that he is still eating. Poor little man. :( And you too, because as you know it's always tough when they are ill. I'm sure we worry far more than they do. :...

If you try tubigrip go for one which is very small otherwise the little guys can manage to walk out of it!

The only other way of keeping a dressing on is to have the tape going round his body & then I would suggest a fabric type tape which is very sticky. Micropore at times like these is always useless.

Keep us updated with how he is doing.

Michele
 
I tried that flexi bandage stuff that you use for dogs (vet-wrap) but ended in a mess. Will try again when I've thought it through again. Poor boy. He looks tired today. Also, he always looks dead because he sleeps a lot and is mostly deaf, so he doesn't wake when he hears me come into the room... which is even worse now, because my heart stops every time I see him spread out like that!

Sophie
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It is horrible when your piggies look & seem dead when they're not. Your heart stops every time & you fear the worse, especially when they are unwell.

My boys send healing hugs & squeaks
xxxxx
 
If the dressing is a problem to apply, or if the pig removes it, I go onto Plan B.
No dressing at all!
There is always this feeling that a wound must be covered, if it is going to get infected it will, irrespective of the dressing. I think that we, ie human beings, are a little too quick off the mark sometimes. We "feel better" for "doing something" rather than leaving well alone.
Standby for opposing views, as usual!
 
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I kind of agree that the more you try and put a dressing on and re-apply etc may keep pulling off any new healing that begins? Obviously there is the risk of infection - It's a difficult one. Can you maybe tie the bandage around his tummy and do up in a bow on his back, rather like a parcel or will he turn his head and try and nibble it off?
 
Unless the dressing is sterile and applied under sterile conditions there will be always be the risk of infection present. As you rightly say, the attempts to put a dressing on a reluctant pig may make matters worse, certainly for the anxious owner....
 
I would normally not dress it but it's so big and under his tummy that it's dragging along the floor... this morning there was a small piece of brocolli in it, along with a lot of hair! He's on fleece and I'm keeping it really clean but the blood and mess underneath looks dreadful. I'll keep up the hibiscrub and cut the hair away so it doesn't get matted into it.

I worry that I'm being selfish keeping him going... but he's eating and drinking and getting about....

Also vet didn't have Septrin so he's on Baytril which I'm not a fan of.

Sophie
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Thanks - I guess it's quality of life that I'm worried about, but he deserves a chance and as he hasn't given up yet, neither shall I.

Suspect I'll be off to CCT tomorrow rolleyes

Thanks

Sophie
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I've just caught up with this thread, and I'm so sorry to here about Captain Jack:(, bless his heart x I'll be keeping everything crossed for both of you.

Lots of love x
 
I'm no fan of Baytril, but Septrin is highly unlikely to be effective on this kind of thing (not impossible though). So in this instance Baytril seems to be the better option. Not that I'm convinced Baytril given orally is all that effective if this is an abscess - I know vets say it is, but I still question if the "fully healed" condition after 5 days or so for an open abscess can be attributed to Baytril and not to keeping the wound open, drained and clean andletting the body do the hard work.

That's not to say don't give any, more to say if the option of what to give is Baytril or Septrin for these symptoms, I'd prefer to use Baytril every time. Though I'd also prefer a second opinion on the cause of the wound, as I've seen some pretty large tumours and *none* have ever burst. Abscesses on the other hand...

And to me, any piggy that is eating for themselves deserves all the care and help you can give. And even when not eating, you have to give them a chance - Plenty of fairly trivial health problems can put them off their food for a few days but that doesn't mean they have no chance of getting through it! So if he's mooching and munching, don't stress yourself about that side of things :)
 
Would an abcess bleed though? I've only ever seen pus from an abcess. It's bleeding quite a bit now, as I cleaned it and cut some of the hair away - bless him, he just sat there good as gold.

Sophie
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I've spoken to Vedra and she suspects a mammary tumour, I'm taking him over there tonight and she's going to have a look and see if anything can be done either under local or general anaesthetic.

Fingers crossed please for my brave boy

Sophie
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I've had piggies who have had abcesses who have bled as well as having pus, so I wouldn't rule it out.

My Jeryy has bumblefoot & I have the decision to make every night about to cover or not to cover his feet, once I have cleaned & creamed them. When they are good I leave them uncovered, but when they are bad (again) I cover them. Let's face it, they get anything & everything in the wounds & I go for minimising the amount of dirt, food & poo that gets in the wounds, rather than worrying about a sterile dressing. I understand where you are coming from about wanting to dress the wound & I would go that way too.

As for prolonging life, I don't think you are. Captain Jack obviously hasn't given up yet & I think he's telling you to keep trying for the time being. When they can still get around & (most importantly for guinea pigs) eat (!!) I think they are telling us that there is still some living for them to do. So stop worrying about that & love him!

Michele
 
Hope all went well with Vedra - glad I didn't come over tonight now so you could get him to her. Abcesses can have a bloody discharge and the abcesses that I've seen on piggies in the past have needed to be 'emptied' as the pus is very similar to cream cheese (sorry) and won't just drain on its own. Also for a vet to make a diagnosis on aspiration of the lump alone is ridiculous.
Fingers crossed all has gone well - thinking of you and Captain Jack :rose

Jacquie xx
 
Well, Captain Jack is with Vedra now. She had a look at the lump and thinks it's a mammary tumour, benign, and because it's not attached to anything inside it should be operable. He's in surgery tomorrow - so a horrible day of waiting for news for me!

Anyway, he's got a chance... let's hope he gets through the anaesthetic. At least he's in good hands. Thanks for all your support

Sophie
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Very best of luck Soph hope all goes well tomorrow for Captain Jack.
Sending best wishes and hugs your way

Jacquie xx
 
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