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Don't know what to do about Christian.....

Freela said:
Hope all goes well! Abscess aftercare can be nasty with an open wound left to drain. Personally, I've never had an issue with anything getting into the wound and left my pigs with draining abscesses on their usual paper bedding. It may depend on the location, but my pigs with dental abscesses/cheek wounds managed to get on okay without further aggravating the opening with the bedding.
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I think it's the position of this abscess. It is at the site between his hind leg and his willy so is quite low to the ground.
 
Betsy said:
I think it's the position of this abscess. It is at the site between his hind leg and his willy so is quite low to the ground.
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That would make sense. It does seem like an easy area to get shavings lodged in!
 
Betsy said:
I've booked him in for surgery on Monday 5 June at 9.35 which is the earliest I could book him for as Mark the Vet is on holiday next week.
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Correction fat finger error I meant Monday 4 June sorry peeps!:doh:
 
You will need some essential supplies for abscess cleaning:
A little ramekin dish is ideal for the Hibiscrub solution.
A syringe to flush it plus cotton wool and cotton buds.
Veggies to bribe him with.

I’ve been lucky in that none of mine have had smelly abscesses- Jemimah’s first was the worst as It developed while we were away and I hadn’t spotted any signs before we went.
She was the only one who needed antibiotics as well.
Hope Christian’s will be straightforward to deal with too.
 
I agree with @Merab's Slave that supplies are definitely needed! Bruno has been kept on puppy pads since he had his abscess lanced as it is in his private area too.
 
Merab's Slave said:
Poor Bruno - how is he doing?
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He has literally just come back from the vets. He's been signed off. His capsule is now the size of a pea but as it is still draining a tiny bit of puss he has one more week of Baytril, but he is doing amazing and his general attitude has brightened up. So glad my boy has turned a corner now! Hopefully all healed for next weekend when he can be with his ladies :D
 
Flutterby said:
I agree with @Merab's Slave that supplies are definitely needed! Bruno has been kept on puppy pads since he had his abscess lanced as it is in his private area too.
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As mine are in a hutch I can't really separate them unless I have Christian 'upstairs' in the hutch and block the hole up so he can't go 'downstairs' then how do I choose which piggy for him to interact with daily unless I change them around each day? The Vet said he would be OK to be with the other 5 after 48 hours as long as he his kept on newspaper. I may get some puppy pads for the hutch then as they are more absorbent than newspaper and hope they don't eat them! Where is the best place to get them from? I don't really want to separate Christian for however long it takes for his abscess to heal (hopefully not longer than 6 weeks and 4 days as I on holiday for a week then and I can't ask my pet sitter to clean his abscess!:vom:) cos as most of you know I have a very delicate balance of 3 girls and 2 boys in together and I don't really want to mess that up.
 
If it is lanced and kept flushed and draining with antibiotics it should heal within that time. I got my puppy pads from Amazon and changed them out every day x
 
Flutterby said:
If it is lanced and kept flushed and draining with antibiotics it should heal within that time. I got my puppy pads from Amazon and changed them out every day x
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That's good to know. Don't worry I'll look after him properly and clean out his abscess and give him his antibiotics!
 
Betsy said:
That's good to know. Don't worry I'll look after him properly and clean out his abscess and give him his antibiotics!
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I know you will, he's in fab hands! I just mentioned how it worked for Bruno as other abscess management wasn't working, I.e aspiration and antibiotics. If the lancing hadn't worked he would have required surgical removal :(
 
Dill&Pepper said:
Glad to hear Christian’s lump is nothing too nasty. I’ll be keeping an eye on this, one of our gerbils had a big abscess drained with a needle last night but it’s filling again today. Poor little thing had surgery only a few months ago so I’m really hoping the baytril helps kick it, otherwise he’ll have to go under for another op.

Fingers crossed Christian’s surgery is straightforward.
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You would think a gerbil was too small for an op.
 
When Jemimah had her first abscess (greedy piggy’s had 2) my lovely vet, Kiri, explained the flushing and cleaning process and asked if I was OK with the commitment required.
Of course it was OK because the alternative was surgery and I didn’t want her to go through that unnecessarily.
It’s time consuming and our furry darlings don’t always cooperate but it’s worth all the work to get them right.
You are a fantastic piggy slave so Christian couldn’t be in better hands.
 
Betsy said:
Unfortunately that is what Christian has to have in 10 days time. I'm starting to worry already! I'll be a nervous wreck on the day!
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Oh Sorry Jackie, I thought he was just having it lanced and flushed. If he is having the whole abscess removed then the only care would be keeping the wound clean (as it will be stitched) and making sure he doesn't nibble it, along with pain relief and antibiotics etc. *hugs*
 
Flutterby said:
Oh Sorry Jackie, I thought he was just having it lanced and flushed. If he is having the whole abscess removed then the only care would be keeping the wound clean (as it will be stitched) and making sure he doesn't nibble it, along with pain relief and antibiotics etc. *hugs*
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They are going to leave it open Ruth.
 
I just remembered that vet said I probably wouldn't have to clean it that much as the whole thing was going to be removed. I'm sure I'll get full instructions when I pick him up after the op. I'm going to need more Meloxicam too as mine runs out datewise on the 4 June which is the day before Chrisitian's op which is typical!
 
Oh, I just read this!
Poor Christian! We are all rooting for you over here sweet little man.
All our best wishes for you during the op!
:hug::hug:((HUGS TO YOU BOTH!)) :hug::hug:Christian is in good loving hands with you. x
 
Betsy I get unscented puppy pads from my local petstore or amazon. If you have nibblers it may be worth checking if you can cover the pads with fleece - normal fleece balnkets or sheets of cheap fleece material will do (Biscuit particularly likes a midnight puppy pad snack).
 
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