• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Post Castration Abcess

katew

katew

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Nov 1, 2013
Messages
156
Reaction score
130
Points
305
Location
Oxford, UK
Hi

Our boar, Bingley, had the op in early December and everything healed up nicely.

However, we noticed tonight that he smelt bad, had dropped some weight and looked as though he had a big lump by the side of his penis. I got an emergency appointment at the vet and he has abcesses on both sides - one big and one small.

The vet was very surprised because the external wounds had completely healed. I wasn't, because someone on this forum - sorry, I can't find the post now and I wanted to thank them personally - had warned me this could happen.

The vet drained the abcesses and Bings has had an anti-inflammatory and is on painkillers and antibiotics. We are syringe feeding him too,

Two things I wanted to ask - is there anything else we should do? (apart from t.l.c. - he had some really horrible stuff done to him today).

Also, the vet said that abcesses in rodents can recur very easily and if they come back, it may be best to operate. I have a lot of respect for this vet - he is fantastic with cats and dogs and has always been very efficient with our piggies - but cavies are not typical rodents and I am not sure about this. I would be very grateful for any info anyone could share on this issue.
 
I believe the vet is correct on this as generally you need to get all the infection out and keep it open to flush everyday so that it heals from the inside out. If this doesn't happen properly the infection can rebuild. However given the very recent op it would have been a lot to put your boy through to open them up and do all that so fingers crossed your vet managed to get it all and it doesn't refill
 
Lady Kelly said:
I believe the vet is correct on this as generally you need to get all the infection out and keep it open to flush everyday so that it heals from the inside out. If this doesn't happen properly the infection can rebuild. However given the very recent op it would have been a lot to put your boy through to open them up and do all that so fingers crossed your vet managed to get it all and it doesn't refill
Click to expand...
Thank you - we will be watching him very carefully.
 
What antibiotic have you been given? The stronger the better.

Abscesses can turn up as late as 6 months after a neutering op, but they are most common within the first month post-op.
 
Wiebke said:
What antibiotic have you been given? The stronger the better.

Abscesses can turn up as late as 6 months after a neutering op, but they are most common within the first month post-op.
Click to expand...
We've got Baytril but quite a high dose.
 
same story here at Christmas time... and in this forum there are old threads full of boars' stories with abscesses also after a long period.
My Osvaldo was neutered at the rescue on the 24th of October (with the old method of two cuts on the scrotum) and everything went on well. But after his first (!) performance with one of my sows here (two months later), and of course it may be only a coincidence, he developed a large lump just on a side of his penis. I waited two days and at the 3rd one I called the vet on the phone. In the meanwhile, when I was still talking with the vet, Osvaldo started nibbling his lump and when I took him to the vet (two days later; the vet said there was no emergency and he was busy) the situation was improved. The vet squeezed the side, some liquid came out and he prescribed NOT the usual therapy but only the cream used for human sores (Sulfadiazina micronizzata is the italian name; in UK Nurses know this product very well). I had to keep open the hole, putting this cream into the hole once a day, going on like that until no cream would still come into and that happened at the 3rd day, when the inner side of the scrotum was totally closed.
Of course this is not a sistemic therapy and does not affect methabolism of the piggie. It worked amazingly, but I am talking of an abscess which did not look much infected... no smell at all.
A last thing: in those days the vet doubled the drops of vit C which I normally give my piggies.
This was Osvaldo's scrotum after the call to the vet. The lump was not much visible and the dark spot is the hole I had to keep open. Before this stage the lump was as big as an apricot.
100_8090.webp

Do not worry... if you like, you might talk with your vet about this antibiotic cream which is very effective on bad human sores and is used at the hospitals, too.
 
Last edited:
katew said:
We've got Baytril but quite a high dose.
Click to expand...

If it doesn't work, ask your vet for zithromax; it is much more efficient with stubborn abscesses. Only if that doesn't work (as occasionally happens) would I consider operative removal. My Bedo went through that; he healed straight forward after his abscess removal op four years ago so I could adopt him despite the unplanned hiccup. He is still with me, now aged 5 years.

Baytril can often not cut through an abscess. If the abscess has not been lanced, then you cannot flush it.
 
Wiebke said:
If it doesn't work, ask your vet for zithromax; it is much more efficient with stubborn abscesses. Only if that doesn't work (as occasionally happens) would I consider operative removal. My Bedo went through that; he healed straight forward after his abscess removal op four years ago so I could adopt him despite the unplanned hiccup. He is still with me, now aged 5 years.

Baytril can often not cut through an abscess. If the abscess has not been lanced, then you cannot flush it.
Click to expand...
Good to know - thank you.
 
rome_italy said:
same story here at Christmas time... and in this forum there are old threads full of boars' stories with abscesses also after a long period.
My Osvaldo was neutered at the rescue on the 24th of October (with the old method of two cuts on the scrotum) and everything went on well. But after his first (!) performance with one of my sows here (two months later), and of course it is maybe only a coincidence, he developed a large lump just on a side of his penis. I waited two days and at the 3rd one I called the vet on the phone. In the meanwhile, when I was still talking with the vet, Osvaldo started nibbling his lump and when I took him to the vet (two days later; the vet said there was no emergency and he was busy) the situation was improved. The vet squeezed the side, some liquid came out and he prescribed NOT the usual therapy but only the cream used for human sores (Sulfadiazina micronizzata is the italian name; in UK Nurses know this product very well). I had to keep open the hole, putting this cream once a day, going on like that until no cream would still come into and that happened at the 3rd day, when the inner side of the scrotum was totally closed.
Of course this is not a sistemic therapy and does not affect methabolism of the piggie. It worked amazingly, but I am talking of an abscess which did not look much infected... no smell at all.
A last thing: in those days the vet doubled the drops of vit C which I normally give my piggies.
This was Osvaldo's scrotum after the call to the vet. The lump was not much visible and the dark spot is the hole I had to keep open. Before this stage the lump was as big as an apricot.
View attachment 79568

Do not worry... if you like, you might talk with your vet about this antibiotic cream which is very effective on bad human sores and is used at the hospitals, too.
Click to expand...
Really interesting - thank you
 
katew said:
Good to know - thank you.
Click to expand...

Zithromax or a combination of zithromax and marbocyl are both not licensed for guinea pigs, so you may have to fight for it and insist on filling in a form that states that this treatment happens on your request and that any responsibility lies with you.
Zithromax has saved my Hywel's life.

@furryfriends (TEAS) is our Abscess Queen.
 
katew said:
Really interesting - thank you
Click to expand...
I have just edited the post I have written, because perhaps it was not clear that the cream was used for filling the whole scrotum from the hole. The vet managed to push 2 syringes (2ml) inside. Then it was my turn at home and the last day only 0,2ml of cream was pushed into the hole; then I gave it up and I let the wound heal.
 
I’m a bit confused! My apologies if I’m missing something. You say the vet drained the abscesses but that the wound has healed. It shouldn’t have healed that quickly. You must have access to flush it or the pus will re-build.

Baytril is pretty useless for dealing with abscesses. Ideally get Zithromax, as it works wonders on deep and aggressive abscesses.
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
I’m a bit confused! My apologies if I’m missing something. You say the vet drained the abscesses but that the wound has healed. It shouldn’t have healed that quickly. You must have access to flush it or the pus will re-build.

Baytril is pretty useless for dealing with abscesses. Ideally get Zithromax, as it works wonders on deep and aggressive abscesses.
Click to expand...
Thank you. Sorry I was a bit out of it last night - a bit of a full on evening. Where the vet drained the abcesses are only two small wounds. How do I flush them ?
 
katew said:
Thank you. Sorry I was a bit out of it last night - a bit of a full on evening. Where the vet drained the abcesses are only two small wounds. How do I flush them ?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't be irrigating the wounds without your vet knowing but .... I have to agree with the other posters that the site of a drained abscess should be irrigated - this prevents the wound surface healing over before the base of the wound has healed . My vet showed me how to irrigate the wound when one of my boars developed a post neuter abscess.
 
katew said:
Thank you. Sorry I was a bit out of it last night - a bit of a full on evening. Where the vet drained the abcesses are only two small wounds. How do I flush them ?
Click to expand...
You will need to pull the scabs off. Have you been given a large syringe, with a needle attached? You need to use saline or dilute hibiscrub in the syringe. Hold the needle away from the wound but aim towards the wound. Using a needle gives a good, powerful and precisely directional stream. You may need to get the vet to marsupialise (stitch open) the abscesses.
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
You will need to pull the scabs off. Have you been given a large syringe, with a needle attached? You need to use saline or dilute hibiscrub in the syringe. Hold the needle away from the wound but aim towards the wound. Using a needle gives a good, powerful and precisely directional stream. You may need to get the vet to marsupialise (stitch open) the abscesses.
Click to expand...
Thank you - the vet didn't show me any of this. I am going to book another appointment with a more piggy savvy vet and talk all this through and ask for some Zithromax. THanks for all your advice.
 
I can't add anymore advise to the above, but I'm sending lots of healing vibes for him!
 
Having piggies with abscesses my vet gave a large syringe and showed me how to flush with Hibiscrub. I found that sticking a pile of veggies under the nose helped keep piggie still for a while.
Mine decided that if one was going to have an abscess then they all were!
 
Merab's Slave said:
Having piggies with abscesses my vet gave a large syringe and showed me how to flush with Hibiscrub. I found that sticking a pile of veggies under the nose helped keep piggie still for a while.
Mine decided that if one was going to have an abscess then they all were!
Click to expand...
Sounds like hard work - but worth it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top