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Cleaning sore patches - urine scauld, skin probs, etc

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Do you mean actually cleaning the skin with a cleansing solution (e.g. saline), or applying a cream to soothe it?
 
cleaning the skin before applying a soother

Cooled boiled water, and the same with a little salt added are other alternatives I've used before.
 
I'm sure salty water is fine and often the simplest, age-old tried & tested methods are best!

If you wanted something specifically sold for cleansing skin, what about Hibiscrub? I've never used it and don't know for sure, but I'm guessing it might be good. I know you must be ultra careful to avoid it coming into contact with certain areas (eg eyes/ears and all body cavities), so you'd have to be mega careful applying around the bum, for urine scalds. I don't know if it's ok to use on broken skin. I know it's pretty 'heavy duty' and probably, strictly speaking, isn't recommended for use unless under medical supervision, although some people use it at home anyway and you can buy it in Boots!

I've seen these human wipes which look like they might also be good, and handy for travelling too (also containing chlorhexidine gluconate, as found in Hibiscrub)
http://www.medisave.co.uk/sterowipe-alcohol-free-cleansing-wipes-per-pair-p-1131.html
They also come in boxes of 100 for £4.99, if you need to buy in bulk!
 
skrikopanik said:
How do piggies get urine scald? It looks awfully painful, can it be prevented?
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I'd never heard of it until recently - I could be wrong (and, if so, hopefully somebody will put me right!) but I think it's simply a case of urine staying in contact with the skin for long periods of time, thus causing irritation. I think conditions like incontinence, kidney/bladder/uti issues and consumption of large amounts of 'diuretic' foods can contribute to urine scald, especially where urine output is increased, so there's more chance of urine wetting and soaking the skin around the rear end. Piggies with mobility issues are particularly prone to urine scald, especially if they're not able to move about much and end up lying in their urine for long periods of time, aggrivating the skin. Looks very sore, I agree!

I guess the odd 'dribble' here and there isn't likely to cause a problem, so healthy piggies who can move around well and are producing normal amounts of urine aren't likely to suffer.

I guess cutting down on foods with diuretic properties will go some way to help the prevention of urine scalds, but as for the other causes, as long as you're treating any treatable conditions (cystitis etc) then the only other thing I can think of doing is to regularly clean around the bum, to remove any urine and stop it building up on the skin. I suppose piggies who are unable to move around much will need their bedding changed more frequently than usual, to prevent them lying in urine soaked bedding. And making sure your particular bedding choice keeps the piggy as dry as possible is a must. I'd also try to avoid any bedding which is made up of loose parts which could possibly stick to a piggy's bum.
 
Thanks! That's very helpful! Mine aren't as risk right now then, but I'll watch out for it if a piggy gets sick and doesn't move as much.
 
Some piggies just seem to sit in their own wee... I've got a couple of longhaired sows who are practically shaved at the rear because they get themselves in a mess, whatever bedding I use - they're just prone to it.

Sophie
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