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Post Eye Removal Abscess and Vet Recommendations

Istinne

Istinne

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
May 3, 2014
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Location
Preston, UK
Hi Everyone

Our rescue boy Parker had his eye removed just after Christmas and seemed to be doing okay. A week or so after surgery we noticed he was developing an abscess and had it lanced by our vet. We've been flushing the abscess three times daily with dilute iodine since. Our vet is not a guinea pig specialist but he's always done right by us and we've never had a problem with the treatment we've received.

Everything seemed to be going okay and we had a check up on Saturday. The vet noticed that there was a little bit of pus coming from the flush site and that the original incision looked slightly damp as well. He seemed happy enough with how it was healing and gave us more baytril, metacam and ranitidine to continue for the next 2 weeks when we have our next check up. On Monday night we noticed more pus coming from the original incision and some coming from the flush site too. I booked an appointment at our vets for yesterday afternoon. Our usual vet wasn't available so we were booked in with another.

When I got to the appointment the vet we were seeing was being observed by another vet that I have never seen (and with our luck and our pigs, we are there quite a lot - everyone knows us!). The vet we were booked in with saw Parker once before the abscess was lanced and deferred to our usual vet to do the lancing as he had done the surgery. I explained the situation with the pus and she started to say how we could continue with the antibiotics and the observing vet stepped in at that point to examine Parker too.

The observing vet basically took over the appointment from that point forward and basically said that as the pus is coming from the eye socket no antibiotic will be able to treat the infection(?). He basically overruled what the other vet was saying and said our options are either referral to a specialist (with a cost estimate of over £2500~) or euthanasia. This seems to be a huge jump from the prognosis we got from out usual vet on Saturday who was more than happy to continue the antibiotic course for two weeks. I know that we noticed more pus since the Saturday appointment but again, this seems like a huge jump to make when Parker is otherwise a happy pig who popcorns round his cage and begs for attention and food. I have owned pigs for over 10 years now and think I have become quite good at being able to pick up on when they aren't doing so well - Parker isn't hunched up at all, he moves around regularly and his remaining eye is bright and alert.

I have had recommendations to try asking my vet for the antibiotic Flagyl/Metronidazole as well as the Baytril as it is effective at treating pus-y infections. I have also seen that some people have had success with Chloramphenicol and am aware of the risks associated with it to human health and am prepared to take the necessary precautions.

I guess what I would like to know is what any of you would do in this situation or if anyone else has been in this situation after an eye removal? I am not inclined to trust this observing vet who had never seen Parker before and as he didn't seem particularly cavy savvy. I am also looking for recommendations for cavy savvy vets in the Preston/Lancashire area that we could take Parker to for a second opinion. I am considering trying to book an appointment with our usual vet but I am concerned that he will be made to 'tow the party line' as they are a chain vet and this observing vet was external to their particular practice.

Thank you in advance for all your help!
 
Please don’t have Parker pts. There really is no need.

My Eliza had her eye removed back in 2013. She developed an infection in the eye socket. The socket was left open and we had to flush the socket and keep it open to allow it to heal from the inside out. We treated the infection with a mix of baytril and septrin which thankfully worked but I know the antibiotic Zithromax is excellent at treating pus and infections. We were just about to try that but like I say, thankfully the baytril and septrin worked although it take a long 10 weeks.

Thankfully, I’ve never had to go but can you get to Cheshire pets in Holmes chapel? They’re my own vets recommended referral practice who my own vets have asked advise regarding complex issues in my own piggies?

Eliza lived for a further happy 6 months with one eye until we sadly lost her to old age
 
Keep us up to date, could you maybe ask for the eye socket to be reopened. That way all the pus can be flushed out, I think some of the pus must be getting caught somewhere, hence it is keeping the infection going.
Also I think the antibiotics have lost there usefulness & need changing.
Good luck with Parker.
 
Can’t give any advice but wishing Parker a speedy recovery x
 
Thank you both for your replies!

While in the consultation with this observing vet I did ask about having it reopened (I more meant the flush site but he seemed to think I meant the socket) and he lectured me that it would be dangerous to flush the socket or for them to open it up and debride it of any abscess material because its so close to the brain. It was this that led him to the euthanasia/specialist referral costing +£2500~ :(

He was on Sulfatrim originally after the surgery but the abscess developed while he was on that hence the switch to Baytil - I agree that switching up the antibiotics to something a bit more potent would be a good step to try!

@Claire W It is nice to see that you had the socket left open and flushed it - this gives me hope that it isn't as impossible as this vet made out! I imagine you had to be very gentle with the flushing itself? CheshireVet is reachable but Parker doesn't really enjoy car rides - he knows that if he ends up in the carry case he's going to the vet! If you don't mind me asking which vet did you take Eliza to that kept the socket open for flushing?
 
Istinne said:
Thank you both for your replies!

While in the consultation with this observing vet I did ask about having it reopened (I more meant the flush site but he seemed to think I meant the socket) and he lectured me that it would be dangerous to flush the socket or for them to open it up and debride it of any abscess material because its so close to the brain. It was this that led him to the euthanasia/specialist referral costing +£2500~ :(

He was on Sulfatrim originally after the surgery but the abscess developed while he was on that hence the switch to Baytil - I agree that switching up the antibiotics to something a bit more potent would be a good step to try!

@Claire W It is nice to see that you had the socket left open and flushed it - this gives me hope that it isn't as impossible as this vet made out! I imagine you had to be very gentle with the flushing itself? CheshireVet is reachable but Parker doesn't really enjoy car rides - he knows that if he ends up in the carry case he's going to the vet! If you don't mind me asking which vet did you take Eliza to that kept the socket open for flushing?
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I use Crown House vets in Rochdale and I use a vet called Lindsay Pass. She isn’t a specialist but will quite happily contact one if she is unsure on something. Eliza’s eye socket was originally sewn up but the stitches burst open by the pus so she cleaned the socket up and left it open. I was given a syringe and a fine needle along with a bag of saline solution which squirted the saline in to the socket. I have to admit though, it is heartbreaking and a bit gruesome as you have to keep removing the scabs to keep the socket open.

I’m sorry that Parker doesn’t like car journeys but I really do recommend Cheshire pets if you want to see a specialist and I doubt it will cost you £2500. Eliza’s eye removal surgery and all the aftercare (which was included in the operation cost) medication and saline etc only cost me about £150

@alpacasqueak is currently going through the same thing with her chinchilla
 
Honestly I would more than happily pay £200 to have this sorted - from start to finish this whole thing has cost us around £1000~! Started on antibiotics, then x-rays, then surgery (£425), then various consultations and medications since. He is worth it of course but there's only so much I can afford to spend! I know what you mean about it being heartbreaking - Parker cries when we try to remove the scab from the flush site and it just makes me feel awful!

We got him less than a year ago from the RSPCA - I dread to think what would've happened to him if we'd not taken him in :(
 
If your boy does not like travelling in a pet carrier could you pop him in a small hospital cage instead. We make a long journey from Cornwall to Northampton around 5 hours plus to see a piggie dental vet and our boys are quite settled and happy in it. Eating and sleeping quite normally. They hate their cat carrier too.
 
Istinne said:
Honestly I would more than happily pay £200 to have this sorted - from start to finish this whole thing has cost us around £1000~! Started on antibiotics, then x-rays, then surgery (£425), then various consultations and medications since. He is worth it of course but there's only so much I can afford to spend! I know what you mean about it being heartbreaking - Parker cries when we try to remove the scab from the flush site and it just makes me feel awful!

We got him less than a year ago from the RSPCA - I dread to think what would've happened to him if we'd not taken him in :(
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Poor boy. Well done for rescuing him.

I know what you mean about vet bills and you can’t just keep throwing money around. My Ellen has had ongoing intersistial cystitis for the last 3 years and is always at the vets.

I really do hope that you can come up with a solution but I hope that your mind has been put at rest that there are other options rather than pts.

@Bill & Ted idea of travelling in a cage is a good idea. My two pigs go on their holidays to Coventry all the way from Lancashire and they travel fine in a small cage filled with lots of hay
 
Hi everyone,

Just in way of an update, I got an appointment with our usual vet on Friday. He took a look at the wound and says it looks to be healing nicely to him. He didn't get too much pus out and did a needle aspiration of the socket and only got blood, but he's doubled his baytril dose just in case. I've been continuing to flush and apply gentle pressure around the drain site and feel like I'm managing to get a decent amount of pus out, it feels like I'm getting slightly less every day.

I'm back in for another check-up on Wednesday and will bring up that when I'm applying gentle pressure above the socket that I'm getting pus. I do worry that there may be some infection still in the socket but at least our vet seems happy with how he's healing. If he's still producing pus on Wednesday we'll maybe consider adding another antibiotic or changing it up entirely!
 
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