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I think Archie has an abcess?

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spudnik

Hi all, I found a big lump on Archie yesterday which is quite big, its like right around his neck, it feels sort of solid but like there is something in it sort of squishy, I feel really stupid for noticing it before or do they come up really quickly?

I had him out cutting his nails and my mum was holding him and she said whats this on his neck? he is long haired and quite chubby and also has dark fur so its not noticable when you look at him and ive not noticed it when ive had him out either.

does it sound like an abcess? and if so what should the vet do and will Archie need anti-biotics or anything to clean it? etc.. id rather know what to expect before i go, my vets are sometimes a bit useless with guinea pigs so id rather know what should be done!

thanks :)
 
I don't have enough experience to offer advice on illnesses, but my only thought would be, when this episode is over and little Archie is better, take some time to investigate all your local vets, I am fortunate to have a great surgery with really helpful vets and nurses. They are worth their weight in gold. Best wishes to you and Archie. x
 
Where exactly is the lump/abscess?
Remember the rules for abscess treatment, in descending order of importance, in an ideal situation
1 Remove the cause
2 Establish drainage
3 Antibiotics, if necessary
The lump could be something other than an abscess, but if it has increased rapidly in size then it is more than likely to be an abscess.
 
Could well be an abscess, in which case the above is the route to go (I might suggest azithromycin or "Zithromax" to give it its brand name, over Baytril), but it might be a cyst. Some piggies seem prone to getting them, and around the neck/ shoulder area seems a common place in some. Would need a bit more to go on to be able to even begin to guess which it is! :)
 
Abscesses are common on the neck/jaw area. I found that, with a hardened abscess, a warm cloth applied to the lump 3 times a day softened the pus up enough to lance and drain. If your vet is not totally sure about what is inside the lump, he should perform a needle aspiration to determine if the contents are pus or not. There is no need for an anethetic to aspirate/lance and drain the contents, but I suspect - if your vets are not very good with piggies - that this is what they would want to do.

I believe Zithromax is a good antibiotic for stubborn infections and has been known to succeed where other ABs have failed.

I'm half and half on whether antibiotics are needed with abscesses at all - if anything, a topical antibiotic treatment packed into the cavity would, theoretically, be more effective than a drug that goes through the guinea pigs' whole system. I've had abscesses clear up without ABs, but can understand why ABs are prescribed for abscesses.
 
As I said in my previous post, the first line of treatment is to remove the cause. Often, draining the abscess is sufficient to remove the cause. A problem can arise if the infection has become systemic when a systemic antibiotic is needed. Whilst it is bad practice to administer anti-biotics "on the off-chance" that they may be necessary, I share the view that if an abscess is not showing signs of resolution within a short time, eg one or two days, then an anti-biotic should be given.
 
Azithromycin (Zithromax ) appears to be more effective againsts the bacteria commonly found in abscesses than other antibiotics, such as Baytril and especially Septrin.

My personal belief is antibiotics are generally poor against abscesses not only because the commonly prescribed one (Baytril) doesn't have a notable impact on the type of bacteria, but also because by its very nature an abscess is a protective shell around the bacteria. The biological function of the abscess is to stop the infection getting out, but in doing so it also stops a lot of things getting in (although white blood cells can cross the barrier, but antibiotics seem less able to). I also have a belief that an internal abscess needs to pretty much erupt *before* antibiotics can really get to work, and I sadly know all too well (things aren't going at all well today :... ) how critical a condition that puts the poor piggie and you need not just science, but truckloads of luck in those cases.

However, if an abscess isn't exposed then antibiotics are, in my opinion, the only hope. If it can be seen on the skin and lanced (or left to burst of its own accord) then systemic antibiotics may do little but probably shouldn't hurt (there may be issues if an ineffective antibiotic is used which results in the bacterial strain being more resistant to effective antibiotics). A topical antibiotic (ie flushing the open abscess with antibiotic) should be very effective, and the worst case is the antibiotic does nothing whilst the flushing still increases the rate of healing.

I've spoken to many vets, some of whom are reasonably clued up on piggies, who still think the best treatment is a course of Baytril. And I still personally feel the success seen on a 10 day course of Baytril for an open/ exposed abscess is due to the body healing itself (with the help of the human cleaning the puss out regularly), with the antibiotic being coincidental over that time. However, as stated above, if an antibiotic is of any use at all, it must be one that is likely to impede the type of bacteria in the abscess. And that is why I would (after recently being put onto it through this board) choose azithromycin.

Edit - Accidental smiley due to bracket use.
 
Thanks for your replies

the 'lump' is like around his neck, in the skin that hangs under his chin, one of my females had a cyst and this feels softer than that, it feels full of something which is why i thought it may be an abscess.

if it is an abscess is it likely to come back or do they tend to not come back? hopefully get him booked into the vets for monday so they can have a look and see what they say, there are a few vets who seem to know a bit more about guineas but its a different vet each time so i never know who I'm going to see.
 
Is it a lump or a swelling? Gps can get fluid in the tissues of the neck from an allergic reaction to mites.
 
my tiger had an absess recently but this was due to a cut that was infected. He had antibotics and I bathed it daily and it was totally better within 5/6 days. i suggest you get it sorted asap as if it is simular then should be fixed in no time! goodluck
 
Fluid retention is a possiblity, but a distinct lump is more likely to be an abscess. Abscesses can recur, in some cases if not treated properly. Good treatment would be draining/squeezing 2-3 times a day and flushing, and allowing to heal from the inside out after a couple of days of this. Another option is to have the necrotic tissue scraped out, which prevents the abscess recurring.
Finding out exactly what is inside the swelling is the first objective at this stage though.
 
"Having the necrotic tissue scraped out prevents the abscess recurring"
If only it did.
 
Vedra's advice and practice, and my experience. It's not the easiest thing to be done though, needs a skilled hand to recognise which is the right tissue; I have yet to come across a vet who mentions anything for ongoing care of an abscess.
 
3C4
Yes, I agree with your last comment.
My point is that necrotic tissue is the result of infection, hence you still have to remove the cause of the infection.
Regards
 
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