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Cervical Lymphadenitis Help

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Kazl1964

Hi - i am new to this forum... but looking for help - 2 of my piggies aged 1yr [brothers] have be poorly for 2 weeks with lumps in the throat region - after taking a puss sample from the lymph node it came back not showing what had caused the infection... today my vet said they have Cervical Lymphadenitis - abcesses on the lymph nodes in their neck/throat.
They have both been on Baytril antibiotics for just over on 2 weeks - dosage started at 0.2ml twice a day to 0.4ml. and today they have been given an oral pain killer.

My vet states there are 3 options -
1. operate and flush out the lymph nodes - but she feels the dangers are death from the anestheatic and with no guarentee the lymph nodes will not continue to form abcesses. at the cost around £200

2. Try and drain and flush the area - but guniea pigs very sensative and even a very large needle would be difficult and long proceedure ...

3. leave alone continue with antibiotics and painkillers and see if they rupture or go away!

At this time they are both in relative good spirits - Bart was very poorly last week and had stopped eating - but now is back to running around his pen and eating normally. Just not grooming himself ... Nibbler look fine apart from large swelling.

Does anyone have experience of this - and what did they do?
 
Sorry, no experience at all!

Just a big hug for your worry and best wishes to your boys!
 
Are any other lymph nodes involved?
Did the culture test not indicate what anti-biotic would treat the infection?
Leave option 1 alone.
It is neither a difficult nor long procedure to drain an abscess, there is absolutely no need for a general anaesthetic to do this.
Option 3 is a possibility, however the first approach must always be to try and establish the cause of the infection.
I have just read your post again. Is it one lump in the centre of the neck or two lumps, one each side of the neck?
I find it difficult to accept that two pigs have cer. lym. from an infection, as such.
It could be an allergic response to a mite problem, this can cause a mid-line swelling in the neck.
Don't submit the pigs to any drastic, expensive and possibly risky procedure just yet.
 
Only the neck/throat nodes involved - the lumps are lobed [ quote vet] but swelling is not as bad on each side but has a definate ridge in the middle. You are right in saying it is difficult to accept that both have cer. lym. this is exactly what is puzzling my vet. the culture test was negative [ again vet thought this strange ] we are awaiting more indepth analysis to come back.
My vet is very reluctant to drain the lumps without aneasthetic - due to the stress on the piggies with a very large bore needle - stated flushing in that area very difficult.
would allergic reaction really cause such ***** lumps? I cannot see what they could react to, the only thing i have changed recently is my hay. I have a bale of meadow hay rather than buying bags. it is not mouldy - it is relatively dust free.

All the time they are looking happy i will leave them alone and just keep them on antibiotics and painkillers. I hope the culture shows something - even if it is just strep. it would be nice to know what we are dealing with!
 
Hay is a good source of allergy, so a change might well be considered as a possibility, as that might explain both of your guinea pigs coming down with something like that?
 
There shoud be little or no trouble in draining a swelling with a large bore needle, maybe use a surface anaesthetic, if absolutely necessary. A more effective way is to drain via an incision, again little or no problem.
The problem with a needle aspiration of a lump is that the needle can become blocked and this can give the impression that the lump is solid rather than containing fluid. I wonder if the basic problem is that your vet has no experience of this condition in guinea pigs?
 
A negative culture test would obviously indicate that there is no infection present in the swelling. This would account for the reason why Baytril is having little or no effect.
The swelling may be caused by oedema (fluid in the tissues) as a response to an allergic reaction. I would give the pigs a course of Ivomec to eliminate any possible mite problem.

Mod. Why is there a 5 minute limit on changing a post?
 
It would be worth you looking into finding an experienced vet to deal with this. I have recently had a problem with one of my guineas teeth and ended up going to a vet over an hours drive away but it was worth it as they were experienced in dental problems and I wasn't convinced my own vet knew what they were doing. This vet is in East Ewell. Don't know where abouts in Hampshire you are but could be a possiblity if you're near the Surrey border.
 
Sorry i don't understand -The culture was on the puss she took out of the abcess/lump - so does't that mean infection? there was no fluid just thick puss.... [sorry if i sound daft]
i am due to speak to her again in the next day or so - to see if the results are back - i will mention Ivomec - see what she thinks!

Do you know of any GP specialists in my area? [Southampton Hampshire] - my vet has been small animal vet for 20yrs and the practice say she is their GP specialist!
 
Abscess..... we have only drawn out puss from Bart - not Nibbler - but both have them in exactly the same place. Nibblers is bigger - but Bart has been really affected by it - he was off his food for 2 days but now back to normal eating and drinking!
Karen
 
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