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Please Help my darling Bruce

  • Thread starter Thread starter SolisGazer
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SolisGazer

Hi

I am really hoping someone can help me. On Saturday afternoon I noticed a big lump (size of a satsmuma) underneath my piggies neck. It had come on really quickly as hadn't noticed it in the morning. I rushed him to the vets yesterday who said it was a abscess and they drained 50ml of puss and lanced it. The vet said it was the most puss he had ever seen in a piggie.

The vet also said to me that there seems a lot of trauma behind the abscess but he cannot see what it is. He thinks it may be a piece of wood stuck but he is not sure. The lump is still fairly big which the vet says is blood. He has given me antibiotics (baytril) and told me it is a "guarded judgement" and that if he doesnt get better i will have to have him pts as if they operated it would be far too traumatic based on where the trauma in the neck is.

I really dont know what to do as i am so upset and i dont know how i can ensure that he survives. I have kept him away from his brothers in a small pen and have just put him back in the indoor hutch for a run around whilst his brothers are outside. He is eating fine, running around, squeeking and talking to me. I am worried sick and really dont know what on earth to do.

Please help

Solis
x
 
Sorry to hear about Bruce. It's great that he's eating and drinking - Baytril can sometimes make them a bit down in the dumps. Did the vet give you anything to flush or clean the abcess site with? Did he advise you to drain it when needed? Does he want to see Bruce again in a few days?

Whereabouts are you - hopefully someone can recommend a rodentologist in your area. If not then Vedra at Cambridge Cavy Trust is v. good and might be able to give you some advice - Google 'Cambridge Cavy Trust' and it should find her.

Hope your boy is ok. Best to keep him away from the other piggies for now and keep a close eye on his habits and weight

Sophie
 
Hi

The vet is seeing him again on Thursday. He has said nothing about flushing the wound although i thought i would bath with salt warm water....not sure. He is due his first dose of baytril this afternoon.

I am just so worried about him and really dont know what to do. I cannot find any contact details of CCT that work...the email address doesnt exist according to my email account!

The vet i have used is a big vet in the Wiltshire area and they say they see a lot of guinea pigs but i want the best for Bruce. Worried he wont get better and on Thursday they will say they want to pts.

Thanks for your advice so far.

Solis
x
 
You shouldnt need to PTS for an abscess! you need to back flush it to keep it open and clean. A calendula and hibiscrub are commonly used for the flushing out. It seems gross but it doesn't overly hurt the piggy. Don't let it close up again as the pus will build up.

What dosage of baytril is he on? I would say he needs 0.4ml x 2 daily unless he is very small.

Also, whilst on baytril, he needs to be given a pro biotic such as bio lapis. Baytril is quite harsh on their digestive system and the probiotic will add good flora back into the gut. Make up as instructions, keep in the fridge and use a needless 1ml syringe to administer as much as he will drink but wait 2 hours after AB is given.
 
Vedra at the CCT`s mobile number is 07721 026401.As far as I am aware, that is current. Text her and briefly explain the problem, she will most likely want to see the guinea or will text you when it is convenient for you to phone her for advice :)
 
I am so sorry! I remember the sheer shock and horror when my Mischief developed an abscess like that on her neck right out of the blue. I'd been cuddling her on the same spot not long before, and there was NOTHING.

She had an operation on the following day, as the abscess (by that time the size of her skull) seemed to be attached only to the skin and the vet was quite confident she'd got it all out.

But Mischief never really perked up after the operation and within days, the swelling came back deeper inside the body. She lost weight quickly and we had to have PTS.

We were all really poleaxed by the swiftness of it all.

I wish from the bottom of my heart, I could give you tips - but I can't. I fervently hope that the drainage does work.

All the best!

Vicky
 
That is the current number.
I have seen pigs with abscesses that big, quite impressive! Often, not always, the bigger and faster growing the abscess the easier to deal with, at least it is draining externally. What does the vet mean by "a lot of trauma behind the abscess" and that it "could be a piece of wood"? It is not a major procedure to drain an abscess, certainly no need for a general anaesthetic, often there is no need even for a surface anaesthetic.The most difficult thing is to stop the incision area from closing over and stopping the abscess draining.
Don't panic, give the Baytril at 0.4ml twice daily, flush the abscess out with sterile saline solution, as used on contact lenses. I have just tried Vedra's number but the phone is off the hook, which is what she does when busy.
 
go to www.rodentology.co.uk and you will find out all contact info for the Cambridge Cavy Trust. It's worth a phonecall or text for sure, sometimes it can take a couple of days via email as she's so busy at the piggie hospital.

Are you near Cambridge?

Charlotte x
 
Sorry to hear that Bruce is not well. I don't have any advice but wish him a speedy recovery xx
 
I have not been told to wash the wound or to back flush it. The vet seems to think there is something stuck inside him causing the abcess but doesnt know what.

How do i back flush it? Where can i get hold of bio lapsis? I have never had to deal with anything like this and feel so much panic as not sure what to do.

No where near Cambridge so cannot get there. Based in Wiltshire. At the moment he is in a pen on his own and his brothers are getting rather cross at his absence but not sure whether to keep him isolated or what...worried the longer i keep him out of the pen they may never accept him back.

The does of baytril is 0.2ml once a day.
 
I have a pig being treated for an abscess and they are on the same dose as your piggy for a week. I'll be giving Vet Ark Pro-C Probiotic which is a powder you can mix into the water and you can get that from Pets at Home :)
 
Thanks so much for all your help so far...i am sorry if i seem in such a panic. Just worried i should be doing more to clean the wound as have not been told to do anything by the vet.
 
That dose is next to useless. It will not do any harm but it certainly is NOT doing any good. Refer to my previous post and put him on the correct dose. Please pm me asap.
 
Haven't experienced your problems, but all I can say is that I've just given a course of Baytril at 0.4ml, twice a day.

Charlotte x
 
I have just spoken to Vedra, she will be by the phone for the rest of the evening. Tomorrow she will not be available until the afternoon.
 
O.2 mls is useless, vet is playing safe. Increase to 0.4mls x 2 times a day. You can get bio lapis over the counter at your vets.

Do PM alcesterpigs and you will get good advice. Abcesses are often caused by a bite or a sharp piece of hay or maybe a wood chip. You need to keep the wound open and flush it out with a suitable antiseptic wash.

I think you should reintroduce him to his cagemates asap as they wont rebond after much longer, they wont do him any harm at all IMO.

Good luck
 
I have introduced him back in with his cage mates. Few minor scuffles and bum wagging but they are all snuggled up and back to normal. I have washed the area with saline. A small bit of puss came out but i cannot really see the wound it is very small......

Does anyone have any recommendations of a vet i can see in wilts that could give me a second opinion from my vet...take on board your points about baytril! Rather confused as my vet is very experienced but want to do what is best for Bruce.

Solis
 
My vet is very experienced too but always opts for 0.2mls! If pigs weighs over 850g, I go for 0.4mls twice a day.
 
So sorry to hear about your piggy! :(

Abscesses can appear all of a sudden and erupt violently!
If your vet has lanced the abscess and is treating it with antibiotics, then it should clear up. However, if the problem which was believed to have caused the abscess is still there and the dosage of baytril is small, then you could run the risk of things happening again.

Obviously, he is better with his companions but the pus from abscesses can be dangerous to others.

From my experience, an abscess needs to be kept open and flushed out otherwise the skin will heal over and if the problem isn't dealt with or the infection hasn't gone, then it will accumulate again and you will be back to square one.

Ask your vet why he thinks it is a bit of wood and where he thinks it this ... he could mean a hay stalk or seed. I know that the body is a wonderful thing and an abscess can eventually flush the "foreign body" out, but it can be painful in the meantime.

I know of an excellent vet but they are in Bristol.
 
Metronidazole is a useful adjunct with Baytril, for anaerobic infections over which the latter has no effect.
 
Update on Bruce

Thanks for all your help and advice. Bruce still has a lump on his neck dispite bathing it and antibiotics. It seems to have gone down but is still noticeable. I am going back to the vet today to see what else can be done and whether it can be lanced again and more antibiotics.

If i am still not happy then i was thinking of going to the see Roger Harrison in Bath as that is around 30 minutes away from where i live and i notice he is on the recommended vet page. Is he good and experienced with piggies and do you think he can help me? Also being in Bath do you pay a premium for treatment? If people think this is not the way to go can anyone offer any other ideas for someone i can see in Wiltshire?

Thanks

Solis
 
Hi and welcome i'm so sorry you've had to come on for this reason... but i wish your little man Bruce all the best xx>>>xx>>>xx>>>
From my experience i have used baytril at 0.4ml twice a day and that is for a piggie who weighed in between 1100 to 800 grams. and YES please give the biolapis or equivalent we don't get much out here but your facilities are fabulous it's the best thing for their gut..
Sorry i'm no help as i'm in Australia but i can tell you that you have more exotic vets there than what we have here.....i'm sure somebody will help you out for a vet close by who's savvy with piggies x)
I wish little Bruce all the best xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
poor bruce - let us know what the vet says after todays visit x
 
SolisGazer said:
Update on Bruce

Thanks for all your help and advice. Bruce still has a lump on his neck dispite bathing it and antibiotics. It seems to have gone down but is still noticeable. I am going back to the vet today to see what else can be done and whether it can be lanced again and more antibiotics.

If i am still not happy then i was thinking of going to the see Roger Harrison in Bath as that is around 30 minutes away from where i live and i notice he is on the recommended vet page. Is he good and experienced with piggies and do you think he can help me? Also being in Bath do you pay a premium for treatment? If people think this is not the way to go can anyone offer any other ideas for someone i can see in Wiltshire?

Thanks

Solis
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When I lived in Bath I went to Roger, and I put him on the Recommended list. Tell him you know me (Lucinda Hart). He removed a 200g tumour and lobe of liver from my darling Scarby. He just did it, no talk of having Scarby destroyed. He also dealt with a number of abscesses for me.

PM me if you would like more info. His clinics are open clinics so no need for an appointment - 8.45-10.30 ish and 5.00-7.00 ish. His partner is Anna. She works part time, but often covers for Roger if he is away. Also Saturday morning clinic. Very reasonable prices too.
 
Hiya people seem so positive iv had to have two piggies put to sleep with jaw abcesses gets in the bone and theres no other option.

I've tried draining etc but they come back and it just isn't fair on them. recently lost poor tinker and the abcess got so big he could barely life his head. he was still eating and running about (ish) squeaking away. totally heartbreaking.

good luck bruce. xx
 
Thanks for asking! No real improvement. He is still having it flushed everyday. It has been building up less over the last three or four days and the puss seems to be loosening. The vet is seeing him again on Monday and has said the next route is to operate and see why it is not clearing up.
I really hope is is going to be ok:{
 
My best wishes for you and Bruce - I hope so much that you can make it through!
 
Bruce is going in for an operation today as the abcess has not got any better. They are going to cut it open and scrap out as much for the infected tissue as possible. They are not sure they can cut it all out as it is too close to major blood vessels as it is very deep. Whilst he is under they are also going to inspect his teeth as they are now thinking it may be a tooth issue as since the abscess has been draining over the last couple of weeks he has really been grinding his teeth.

I hope he is going to be ok!
 
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