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Facial abscess - my lovely Rodney ;(

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PAMELAKT

PAMELAKT

Adult Guinea Pig
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So upset. After the sh*tty year we have both had & after my gorgeous Rodney is finally happy again with his new friend Billy, tonight I noticed his face is all puffed out on one side. He has a lump, not squidgy fairly hard.

Off to the vet I will go tomorrow ;(

So gutted. They will want to knock him out am currently trying to find one that won't. My friend works in a vets & is trying to find out if hers would Lance e it conscious if it was needed.

Getting de ja vu from last June time when I lost his twin brother due to abscesses ;(

So worried ;(
 
They may just lance it and clean it up, try not to worry too much. I came home to find blood under the chin of one of my sows last year, it made me panic as there was a big wound there,off she went to see the vet the very next day and he cleaned it up, give her some antibiotics, and it has healed up completely now, you would never know it had been there. Keep us posted as to how you get on, good luck.
 
Just so worried I had such a terrible time last year with his brother, and then I lost him. Rodney is so special, he's helped me through an awful year losing my dad - I can't bare for him to be poorly ;(

At the moment he is eating fine & is well in himself...

So worried, literally feel like crying! Still feel traumatised after last years carry on.
 
I do hope it is nothing serious and/or can be sorted easily. I will be awaiting developments anxiously.
 
Just heard the vets my friend works in wont do it conscious. No vet here will.

Feel sick ;(
 
Can you see if a vet will use gas instead of the needle injection? In my part of the world it is difficult enough finding a vet who deals with piggies let alone do anything to them while they are conscious. So, for Peanut Butter's monthly dentals I have found a vet who uses gas. Much less danger I think.
 
I will ask when I go tomorrow... I don't see why they can't it surely doesn't take that long... I feel sick just thinking about it. My poor little handsome man :...
 
PAMELAKT said:
I will ask when I go tomorrow... I don't see why they can't it surely doesn't take that long... I feel sick just thinking about it. My poor little handsome man :...
Click to expand...

Good luck for tomorrow then. Hugs and thinking of you and Rodney.
 
((HUGS)) and thinking of you and Rodney!
 
Why, is he good? It's a bit far from me but doable.

He's fine this morning & tucking into breakfast, so worried once they start messing about with him he'll not be eating like this ;( it doesn't look like its grown any, I hope it's not cancer!
 
I've dealt with a lot of abscesses here at the Sanctuary, and they can be very successfully treated but you need to act quickly. I have a guinea pig here at the moment who has had an ongoing abscess for months. Since arriving here and being on the correct antibiotics and with it being dealt with properly, he is coming on in leaps and bounds. However, sadly due to the length of time the abscess was present he has permanent jaw bone damage. Lancing and draining an abscess umder GA is fine as long as the vet is experienced in guinea pig anaesthetic and uses gas. The antibiotic you need to use is zithromax. Please do not be fobbed off with baytril. Please don't leave this as although he may seem fine, things can change very quickly.
 
Thinking of you and little Rodney today. Will be keeping my fingers crossed for you both x
 
It may not even be an abscess, Fred has a lump under his jaw after a needle aspirate and Xray's it was found not to be an abscess.

In respect to Ga's Fred depending on what needs done is giving a sedative or GA and has never responded badly, my vet does use Gas when giving a GA.

John Chitty as Pebbles posted has a very good reputation.

Let us know how you get on and try not to worry until you see the vet.
 
Hope everything goes well for you and Rodney today x
 
Oh I'm not leaving it I have an appointment at 4.20pm - he is still eating normal & seems fine this morning so I'm hoping I will catch it early.

No doubt I will have to bring him back in the morning to have it lanced, I am dreading it all :(

His weight concerns me with having anaesthetic - he is a big boy!

So I should ask for gas only? This is safer?

I am assuming it is an abscess - I guess it may not be :/

Worried :(
 
How cavy savvy is your vet? It should be a safe procedure as long as the vet is knowledgeable and experienced in anaesthetising guinea pigs. Definitely ask for gas as some vets only use injectable anaesthetic. However, you need to get a definite diagnosis first. Try not to worry. xx
 
I have asked for a specific vet I like, she is usually good & has kept guinea pigs herself.

She is usually pretty good to talk to and request things - like if I ask for this anti-biotic she will likely give me what I ask for she's pretty good in that way. Usually!

I will ask her if she can use gas only if it comes to it... I don't think there is any way I won't be asked to bring him in tomorrow...

Why do they get these things?!
 
What if by chance, I am given the option of trying the anti biotic without lancing? Is that a possibility?

Do they always have to be lanced?
 
If it is indeed an abscess it is far better to have it lanced and drained or completely removed. Even using an antibiotic like zithromax you really need to have some drainage of the pus. Abscesses heal from the inside out, so good drainage is a priority. If it is an abscess and is lanced and drained you also need to keep it open and flush it daily to keep removing the pus.
 
:(

Ok, will let you know how I get on in a little while....

Thanks for all the messages :)
 
Do try not to worry it's easy to jump to worse case scenario's, even if he does need to go in tomorrow it's no big deal with a good vet and your supportive care he has the best chance of a quick recovery. Like I said my Fred has a swelling under his jaw we were very concerned that this was a dental abscess my vet was able to do a fine needle aspirate and Xray to confirm he does not have an abscess so try not to jump to worse case scenario and what is going to happen as it could be someone completely different.

Good luck at the vets.
 
It didn't go great. She isn't sure if its an abscess of a tumour, he had an anti inflammatory jab and I have magic baytril. I'm to bring him in weds morning to be cut open. She said they use gas, and it would be a big cut across his cheek which would be stitched open if its an abscess to be cleaned daily. If it turns out to be a tumour it would be kinder not to wake him.

So upset.

I am going to take him back to the vets in Reading to see Jenny Towers, hopefully tomorrow they have an appt in the afternoon but I can only get it by calling in the morning as its an on the day only appt.

I have a terrible feeling it will be the same as his brother, she will lance it and find hard tumour. Then I will drive home with an empty carrier.

Can't believe this is happening again.

He is still stuffing his face full of food & seems perfectly normal...
 
When they lance it is it quite a large slit? She made it sound like half his face would be pinned open.

Would you have him out under by gas and have it cut open, or take him to the other vet for it to be lanced conscious? It's a 64 mile trip each way, which I'm happy to do for him - but I feel disheartened because I did all this for Rufus and he ended up with tumour anyway. But then he was skin & bones and Rodney is fatter than ever.
 
Hi Pamelakt,

So sorry to read about gorgeous Rodney. I will be thinking of you and how you are feeling. Starting to get tearful now as I know how horrible it is worrying about them. They are wonderful little things and I will keep my fingers crossed. Kindest regards.



S xx
 
I feel tearful too I feel sick at the though of going through all this again I only went through similar with his brother back in June and I ended up losing him to cancer. I feel like because they're twins rodney will have the same ;( he is such a happy little bundle it's so unfair. We've been through a lot me & him& he was finally happy again ;(
 
I'm so sorry to hear about Rodney. Hopefully it will be an abscess and heal and be gone. Lots of hugs for you and Rodney. :laluot_29:
 
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