Oreo has a cyst...

[Coffeebucks]

... and it burst on Friday. >>>

She has had what I thought what was a small fatty lump on her back leg, right at the top near her rump. I thought it might have been getting bigger over the past few weeks and I've been keeping an eye on it. On Friday I was cuddling her before floor time and all seemed fine, then after she'd been on the floor for a while I noticed a few spots of watery blood, she must have caught it whilst cleaning herself. I cleaned it up as best I could and took her to the vet's the next morning.

The vet squeezed a hideous amount of pus out of my poor Oreo! But she was very brave and is now on Baytril and I am cleaning the wound with saline solution twice a day. I had to squeeze some more pus out myself this afternoon - it is vile - and the vet wants to see her next week for a check up.

Anyone else had any experience with cysts or abcesses? I was worried about the Baytril to be honest but she is still eating very well and is lively. It can't be nice for her being squeezed all the time

 

[piggyfan]

Oh poor little girl. You may like to give her a probiotic with the baytril as it can upset her tummy. I get mine from the hay experts online. I really hope she recovers soon.

 

[Dusty_bugs]

My girl has a permanent sebacious cyst. Sometimes they heal up fine but mine never did.. saying that though it never bled. It looks like a hole in the skin with more skin underneath (so no open wound or anything) but the subaceous grease glands have stretched to fill the extra surface area inside this new 'D' shaped cavity and produce grease at a much faster rate. I have to clean it every 2 or 3 weeks.

Normally I warm the area up with a few warm wet cotton buds of weak sterile solution (like tamadin surgical scrub). This helps to make the skin and the grease crust (EW!) more pliable. Then with some complaint and grumbling from the piggy I start to slowly and carefully increase pressure around the area from different angles with my finger and thumb (not the nail) around the cyst opening to break open the surface. With some round headed tweezers I am EXTRA CAREFUL to pick at the stuff that loosens up. I don't go inside the hole, though I may get close enough to pull out bits under the edges. I dont want to jab her and sometimes she does kick her leg up so I have to react to her! I never squeeze every last bit out.. I would have to squeeze too hard and it would hurt her and it might even cause a bleed which is where secondary infections start!

Afterwards I soak an ear bud in the diluted surgical scrub again and press it over the hole. It isn't so much pus but a grey waxy grease which goes black when hard (because her skin is black). And it's near where your pig's cyst is! Directly above the knee joint of the back left leg. If you would like pictures I can try and get my partner to help out but there might not be much right now to show..