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Oh No! - Postop Abscesses! :(

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daisyd

daisyd

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Poor Apollo and Spirit went back to the vets on friday for their 'stitch reaction' to be checked (they were neutered 3 weeks ago). The vet put a needle in the lumps just to be doubly sure they weren't abscesses but they were!

The vets have upped my dose of baytril to 0.8ml once a day and I'm taking them back in tomorrow possibly to have them cleaned out under gas, but am not sure whats best, or if that will solve the problem because surely they'll just fill with fluid again... do they need to be kept open and flushed out regularly?

Any advise before I go to the vets would be great, I'd love to be armed with sensible information...!
 
Sorry - just trying to bump this up a bit... :{
 
In my experience Baytril is useless for abscesses but, because it is licensed for pigs, it is what many vets prescribe. I urge you to ask for Zithromax (I have just offered this advice on another thread!) It is the best I have come across for abscesses. Good luck!
 
No need for a general anaesthetic, a surface anaesthetic would be adequate. An incision to open the abscess, so that the contents can be flushed out, should be sufficient.
Baytril would be better at 0.4ml twice a day.
 
It can be a long long process! Rocky has been on Zith for ages and I still flush out about three times a day!
 
Abscesses are awful things to deal with! I completely sympathise with you. My Dexter had a post-neuter abscess but it cleared up remarkably easily - we only had to squeeze the pus out a few times and there's been no trouble since. However the best course of action for abscesses is that they be left open to facilitate flushing. Saline flushed into the cavity via a syringe is suitable for this, but beware the incision heals up very quickly! Aim for flushing at least three times a day to start off with. I find keeping it open for 3-5 days is usually enough to clean it out really well, so hopefully, when it closes up, the pus won't return in the cavity.
 
Just back from the vets. They're going to open and flush out Spirits (Cherry sized) abscess under local and leave it open. Apollos is quite a bit bigger and they're investigating it under gas then hopefully flushing it out and leaving it open so I can continue the treatment/flushings etc... The vet's a bit worried about what she'll find in Apollo's and wary about leaving it open to more infection but I stressed that I'd never shifted an abscess on antibiotics alone and it will need flushing!

Left them both at the vets - hope they're ok today... :{
 
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I'm so sorry for you. It must be very worrying!

All the best for your two lovely boys!
 
Back from the vets. They were very busy with post-bank holiday emergencies and didn't get around to Apollo - said they could have squeezed him in but didn't want to rush it or compromise their supervising of his recovery from the anesthetic. He's booked in for tomorrow.

Spirit's was lanced and drained ok under local (he was a very good boy and didn't wriggle x)), but the scab is only 1cm long and the inscision through the skin has shrunk and is even smaller than this. I tried to wipe it with some salt water and give it a squeeze earlier but nothing came out and I'm worried it'll heal over before the abscess is all gone... probably by morning :(.

Is there anything else I can do?

Also I have some Bio-lapis probiotics, but am not sure how to give them? All it says in box is 'to create isotonic soln. add 1 sachet to 50ml of water', surely I don't want 50ml - the boys will never take it all in 1 day!?!

Please help! x
 
You need to keep the incision open.
PM me for further information.
 
I always had a nightmare with keeping incisions open. Someone I know created a "cross cut" incision, in the shape of a cross - it stayed open much easier than a classic "straight line" cut.

Bio-Lapis - are you sure it's only one sachet to 50ml? From what I remember it was 1 sachet to 200ml...may be thinking of something else of course! Make up half the solution (so half a sachet to 25ml) and syringe what you can to the pig. They may not get through the lot but they'd be getting something far more reliably than if left to their own devices with it.
 
Yeah, the incision must stay open. It is possible. I have kept them open for days. The pig won't like you much, but it must be done. I guess you have PMed AP for further info.
 
Thanks for all your support - only just seen the new posts (early night last night with a rotten headache, piggies are so stressful!)

Spie's cut is still open and I hope the abscess hasn't walled itself off inside again. I can feel a lump like a smartie inside but nothing coming out when I squeeze it... wondering if it could just be swollen tissue? Might take him back to the vet when I collect Apollo later.

Not heard how his op. went yet so hope no news is good news... @)
 
Any news yet Daisy? Hope all went well with Apollo. I agree with you that it's wise to get Spie checked sooner rather than later, if the abscess does need a more "experienced" hand to sort it then best get it done before it heals over any more!
 
Hi,

Apollo is back for the vets. The vet said it went really well and the abscess wasn't concealing any nasty suprises (herneation etc...). He has a very large cavity tho which I am to flush out 3 times a day with very dilute hibby scrub. Inside his wound I can see layers of yellow tissue and normal pink tissue which I guess is the infected and ok flesh kind of mixed together. There is no bad smell or oozing at the moment but the whole area is hard. Once again its hard to tell if its just hard because of swelling but I was expecting a hole and then a large sack/cavity inside where all the pus had been? Its very odd. Will do as I was told by the vet tho regarding flushing it out and he's to go back along with Spirit early Saturday morning so fingers crossed for a quick recovery...

Didn't take Spie with me to the vets tonight as the 'smartie' seems to have reduced a little so I think maybe it was mostly swollen tissue...?
 
Good luck with your boys - what a stressful time you're having!
Hopefully, you can stay on top of their abscesses!

Vibes xxxxxxxxxxx
Vicky
 
The problem with a "cross" opening to drain an abscess is it can create difficulty with the healing of the flap, ie "getting the skin to stick down again". It may, initially seem like a "good idea" but short term gain can lead to later problems, especially if the raised areas need to be sutured. It is better to stay with the "traditional" straight incision and to re-open the abscess along the incision line as necessary, it is not uncommon to have to do that on a daily basis.
 
So far things are going ok with the boys. Spirit's abscess has definately gone down and not re-filled. Apart form a tiny amount of clear, slightly yellow weeping when I am cleaning him there is no sign of any more pus and the 'smartie' is getting smaller too.

Apollo's abscess on the other hand was huge and what I thought was the cavity (with yellow and pink flesh as per my last post) turns out to be just his skin where the vat has cut down to the real abscess cavity - which is massive from his scrotum to almost his belly button... grrrr

I would be freaking out but he seems very very perky in himself, scoffing all the veggies I give him and being generally bright, even rumbling about a bit in his normal way. Now I've realised the extent of the area I need to flush I hopefully can keep cleaning it out properly...

The vet didn't give me any pain killers for them so I've started giving Calpol hopefully this will be taking the edge off the cleaning sessions, it really is not a plesant thing to do. :{
 
I can imagine that it's not - especially as neither boy will enjoy it!

At least they are both perky and willing to fight!
 
Here are pics of Apo and Spie enjoying a treat for being good boys and taking their medicine rolleyes

piggies044.jpg

Apollo

piggies031.jpg

Spirit

Treatments are going ok. Back for a checkup at the vets first thing tomorrow. Not a huge change in either of their abscess sites.

Apollos is a little less smelly, but I think its going to be a very long road to recovery...
 
Thank you everyone who helped me with support and advice throughout Apollo and Spies' abscess drama!

I'm happy to report that they now seem to be doing ok and have been introduced to their lovely lady friends!

I continued flushing/cleaning them out 3 times a day until slowly the hole seemed to close up from the inside to the outside. Both of their holes have now scabbed and even scared over but there is sofar no more build up of pus within, I check twice a day just incase... The swabs came back negative for growth from the lab so the vet thinks it was a 'sterile abscess' as a result of using chromic stitches. She has now switched to using vicryl for Guineas.

Here are some pics...

Happyboys019.jpg

Apollo is on the left and Feather on the right

Photo0123.jpg

Left to right: Bonnie, Winnie, Spirit, Ember, Belle

The bottom one was taken on my phone so bit of a funny colour... :{

Thank you all again,

Daisy
 
Thanks for the update Daisy. What gorgeous photos of some beautiful guineas! I am so pleased the boys have their ladies now, you can see they are all very happy.

Excellent to hear your vet has switched to Vicryl for suturing!
 
awwwwwww finally with their ladies...........gosh what a rough road they've been thru :{:{:(:(
SO pleased they're both fine now.......well done, i too would be checking them daily for quite a few weeks and then perhaps a couple of times a week for a month or so afterwards.........i just like to be careful :)
 
I'm so glad that your boys have made and are VERY happy - and busy - boys indeed! they have some lovely ladies to lok after....

Ember looks like the sister of my Mischief RIP, and Winnie like the short hair version of my first own piggie - so I'm bound to love them!
 
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