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I Think Maple Has An Abscess :(

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It's not nice but you have to be quite aggressive in how you deal with an abscess. I find the best way to pick the scab off and squeeze the pus out of Benji's abscess is to syringe feed him at the same time. I use one hand to hold the syringe and the other one to pick and squeeze. I have dealt with so many abscesses, over the years, that I have become quite good at distracting whilst dealing with the horrible bit, that needs to be done. xx
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
It's not nice but you have to be quite aggressive in how you deal with an abscess. I find the best way to pick the scab off and squeeze the pus out of Benji's abscess is to syringe feed him at the same time. I use one hand to hold the syringe and the other one to pick and squeeze. I have dealt with so many abscesses, over the years, that I have become quite good at distracting whilst dealing with the horrible bit, that needs to be done. xx
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The lump below is like a ball. I can move it round. I don't think I'm going to get anything out as I think all the pus is contained in this ball. Does that make sense? I'm so annoyed and will be bringing this up with the vet tomorrow. So this likely means back to square one with another GA and another £200! Not that money matters but I feel I've just wasted £200 the first time:cen:
 
aimzer said:
The lump below is like a ball. I can move it round. I don't think I'm going to get anything out as I think all the pus is contained in this ball. Does that make sense? I'm so annoyed and will be bringing this up with the vet tomorrow. So this likely means back to square one with another GA and another £200! Not that money matters but I feel I've just wasted £200 the first time:cen:
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That's expensive for just a lance and drain. I'm wondering if another pocket of pus has formed. This is why it's better to marsupialise an abscess. If the capsule is stitched to the surface, there can be no seepage of pus under the skin, that can result in a pocket of pus forming elsewhere x
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
That's expensive for just a lance and drain. I'm wondering if another pocket of pus has formed. This is why it's better to marsupialise an abscess. If the capsule is stitched to the surface, there can be no seepage of pus under the skin, that can result in a pocket of pus forming elsewhere x
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I thought that too! Although they did do an X-ray and that includes her meds.
Do marsupialised abscesses on the chin have good outcomes? Just googled it and it looks very invasive and painful but obviously the best treatmnet option.
 
Vet said there is a capsule there which he is hoping to treat with antibiotics rather than marsupialisation. He doesn't seem to keen to do it because of where it is. He reopened the would and tried squeezing it but only got s tiny bit of puss. Not she's not happy. All fluffed up again and just sitting in her bed:(
She had been munching her leaves/hay on way to vet so hopefully this hasn't bothered her appetite too much!
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
Has she had pain relief today? If so, what dose? Will she take syringe food?
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She has eaten some hay. She has been putting up a fight with syringe feeding but she takes around 7ml. Her weight is stable so she has been eating.
She's on metacam (cat dose) I have to give her 0.3ml per day which I split morning and night.
 
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furryfriends (TEAS) said:
She's on cat metacam? That's a third of the strength of dog metacam. I give 0.25 - 0.3 ml twice a day of dog metacam. We use a normal 1 ml syringe and not the metacam syringe. X
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Yeh I remember I upped her metacam after her last dental. I'm going to give her a drop more just now. I use a 1ml syringe too!
 
Have given her another 2ml metacam. She is still sitting there and every now and then jumps a little bit and squeals :( even though she is sitting still at the time and it's not as if something has touched her abscess. She's accepting veggies from me but hasn't eaten hay since we got home from vet. I have given her 5ml critical care.
 
@furryfriends (TEAS) have you ever bused buprecare for pain I'm just off thebphonw to the vet. She says the guidelines states then highest does of metacam for maples weight it 3.4ml in 24 hours. She is going to give me some buprecare which is morphine based to try alongside!
 
I find it makes them very flat. It is a very good pain relief but needs monitoring very closely, as they can just become too sleepy to want to even try to eat. I have found tramadol to be better and doesn't zonk them out so much. x
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
I find it makes them very flat. It is a very good pain relief but needs monitoring very closely, as they can just become too sleepy to want to even try to eat. I have found tramadol to be better and doesn't zonk them out so much. x
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She did say it could make her drowsy! Ah, I don't know what to do! My OH is away to the vet to collect it!
 
When pain relief is needed it really does work well. The problem is when it is given and not really needed and then it seems to really knock the piggy for six. I've got a temporary resident here, who had a mammary tumour removed recently. She was given it post op and it really helped with her recovery. I have never given it orally, I have always given by injection. x
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
When pain relief is needed it really does work well. The problem is when it is given and not really needed and then it seems to really knock the piggy for six. I've got a temporary resident here, who had a mammary tumour removed recently. She was given it post op and it really helped with her recovery. I have never given it orally, I have always given by injection. x
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She said its unlicensed to be given orally but it is safe to do so. I have searched on here and others have given it orally too. I really don't know what to do as I don't want to totally flatten her but she is not reply eating. Only had a little nibble at her veggies tonight and sitting there all puffy. This is the worst she has been since her op. Part of me wishes I never took her to the vet today. I am assuming all this has come from him squeezing it :(
 
I would suggest Tramodol before Buprenorphine is considered, a few of us have had piggies that rected badly to buprenorphine on here, but they were injections, as Debbie says they can leave the piggy very flat. A low dose of Tramaodol won't do that.
 
How is she doing today.
I can't offer any medical advice, but wanted to let you know I am thinking of you and Mple and hoping she is feeling better.
 
Swissgreys said:
How is she doing today.
I can't offer any medical advice, but wanted to let you know I am thinking of you and Mple and hoping she is feeling better.
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Poppy'sMum said:
I would suggest Tramodol before Buprenorphine is considered, a few of us have had piggies that rected badly to buprenorphine on here, but they were injections, as Debbie says they can leave the piggy very flat. A low dose of Tramaodol won't do that.
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I didn't give her the buprecare last night as the squeaking seemed to have stopped by the time my OH got home with it. She is very sore under her chin, inbetween her front legs and squeaks when that bit is touched. She has barely eaten any hay overnight, just little nibbles. I've been giving her syringe feed. She is still pooing although they are smaller but firm.
 
This morning she weighs 919g which means she has put on weight. The day of her surgery was 900g and yesterday 860g.

How can she be putting on weight if she is barely eating? I'm hoping the weight gain isn't coming from increased abscess, is that possible?
 
Her urine is bright yellow. I googled it and found out its a sign of dehydration. I've been trying to syringe water but the majority runs down her chin and been giving her handfuls of veggies soaked in water which she enjoys! Is bright yellow urine a bad sign? :(
 
I've never known a guinea pig with dehydration have bright yellow urine, although have seen the urine look yellow due to medications. Signs of dehydration are sunken eyes, skin that tents (doesn't snap back into place when pulled upwards). How does she seem in herself today? Can I just check the metacam dosage you are giving? x
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
I've never known a guinea pig with dehydration have bright yellow urine, although have seen the urine look yellow due to medications. Signs of dehydration are sunken eyes, skin that tents (doesn't snap back into place when pulled upwards). How does she seem in herself today? Can I just check the metacam dosage you are giving? x
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Hopefully just the meds then! The only new med this time is metronidazole so it's maybe that that's turning the urine yellow as her skin snaps back to place when I pinch a little bit :)
She's much and such the same although not squeaking in pain.
She will come over and take veg from me and come down the ramp and wait for me to put the bowl in at veg times but other than that, she just sits. Fluffed up :(
I cleaned them out and put them for floor time and she was quite active moving from hidey to hidey for a bit. She's not fluffy when moving round, just when sitting still.
The metacam dose is cat metacam: 0.3ml once a day, I am giving 1.5ml twice a day. When I spoke to the vet about upping the dose, she checked her book and said max dose for maple would be 3.4ml in 24hours however, I know a lot of you give more than that so it's a bit odd!
 
I also got lots of little poops when I put her back in the cage after floor time:) they are about 1/2 - 2/3 size of normal poops
 
I give Benji 0.3 ml twice a day of dog metacam, which would be 0.9 ml of cat metacam twice daily. I am guessing you mean 0.15 twice daily? If that is the case then it will really be having no affect whatsoever and is about as useful as pissing into the wind.
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
I give Benji 0.3 ml twice a day of dog metacam, which would be 0.9 ml of cat metacam twice daily. I am guessing you mean 0.15 twice daily? If that is the case then it will really be having no affect whatsoever and is about as useful as pissing into the wind.
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Yes sorry I mean 0.15ml rice daily
Ok i am going to up it and see how we get on. I did up it after her first dental and it seemed to help her.
Thank you, really appreciate your advice! X
 
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