Post - Neutering Abscess - was your GP lethargic?

[Edam]

Hi All,

I'm new here - great to meet you all! I'm H and I have little Freddy, hopefully will be able to have a friend for Freddy soon!

I recently adopted Freddy from a rescue. He was originally bonded with another little guy, but they fell out when we bought them home so we kept Freddy and gave the other little guy back. Freddy then had many unsuccessful bonding attempts so upon the advice of the rescue we got him neutered last Friday so he can find a lady friend.

Long story short, he now has an abscess very low down on his 'private parts' right next to where they made one of the incisions in the op (for reference, they neutered via the scrotal method).

He is currently on 0.44ml Loxicom once a day, Then twice a day Baytril 0.44ml, Emeprid 0.7ml and Gabapentin 1/2 small tablet which I give him at home. We have also have been giving some recovery plus by syringe. He is currently going to the vet once a day for the abscess to be flushed and he gets an injection of Buprenorphine for this. They have sent a swab of the abscess to a lab to test it to see what antibiotic will be suitable - we will find out the results from the lab in a couple of days.

I am monitoring his eating and weight - weight is down 50g in the last 2 days.
He is eating, but not a lot and it has to be near him, he won't move around his cage to where the food is.
He isn't drinking at all on his own accord - just the water he gets with the recovery plus and the Gabapentin.
He is barely moving around his cage, and will only move if I kinda force him to (i.e. he is running away because he doesn't wanna come out for his meds!).
Since last night he has started doing a little squeak every so often when pooping (kinda like it is hurting him?).

He is being seen by the vet again today, so will of course bring up the lethargy/poop squeaks but I guess I just wanted to know if anyone else had this experience of your GP being super lethargic and not moving much during a post neutering abscess? He is on so much medication, so I would assume that would knock him out a little? but I don't have much experience with GPs so am not too sure and to be honest I am really worried about my little man. Any advice on anything would be so helpful - I am not too sure what to look out for/what to ask at the vets.

Thanks so much lots of love H and Freddy x

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry to hear he has an abscess.

Please make sure you are syringe feeding him enough to keep his weight stable each day.

Buprenorphine is an opioid and it can make them spaced out. I’ve not for personal experience of gabapentin but baytril and loxicom won’t be making him lethargic.

I attach our weight management and syringe feeding guides along with our neutering guide to help you

https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/weight-monitoring-and-management.171577/

Thread 'Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support'

Jun 20, 2024

1 Weight and Weight Loss
- Why regular weight monitoring matters
- How weight changes over a lifetime
- How to weigh on your kitchen scales (with video)
- The weight loss rules
- How critical is the weight loss for my piggy?
- Possible causes for weight loss
2 Body Mass Index (BMI) or 'Heft'
- Why is understanding your piggy's weight so important?
- 'Average' weight vs. individual weight - the big trip up
- How to check for the BMI...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 5
• Forum: Health & Illness Support Corner

• 
• 

Thread 'All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures'

Mar 9, 2022

Introduction
1 Choosing the right place to medicate/feed your piggy
2 Guinea pig whispering and asserting your authority
3 Recovery products and emergency improvisation
4 Syringe recommendations
5 Weight monitoring: your biggest ally
6 Weight loss guidelines and when to step in with feeding
7 Syringe feeding amounts/frequency advice
8 Practical medication and syringing tips (incl. missed a dose)
9 Medicating and feeding cooperative guinea pigs (videos)
10 Medicating and feeding uncooperative guinea pigs (hold pictures and tips)
11 The line between...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 0
• Forum: Health & Illness Support Corner

• 
• 

Thread 'A Guide to Boar Neutering Operations (Considerations, Post-op Care & Complications and Success Story)'

Jun 13, 2019

1 When is neutering useful and when not?
- What neutering won't do
- When boar neutering is useful
2 Pre-op considerations
- Finding the right vet
- Operation cost
3 Neutering age
- When is a boar too old?
- Neutering after the testicles have descended
- Baby neutering (Frühkastration)
4 The operation
5 Post-op care and...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 3
• Forum: Wiebke's Home Care Guides

 

[Bill & Ted]

Welcome to the forum
What a shame Freddy has got an abscess, I hope he makes a full recovery very soon

 

[weepweeps]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I’m sorry Freddy has an abscess.

I’ve had a piggy with a tooth root abscess. Zithromax was a brilliant antibiotic for that.

I hope he is soon on the mend.

 

[Edam]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I’m sorry Freddy has an abscess.

I’ve had a piggy with a tooth root abscess. Zithromax was a brilliant antibiotic for that.

I hope he is soon on the mend.

Thank you! Was your GP really lethargic? Or just kinda pottering about as normal? I think I’m the most worried about the fact hes just not doing anything apart from eat when I make him to I hate seeing him like this, he is usually such a happy little fella

 

[Edam]

I’m sorry to hear he has an abscess.

Please make sure you are syringe feeding him enough to keep his weight stable each day.

Buprenorphine is an opioid and it can make them spaced out. I’ve not for personal experience of gabapentin but baytril and loxicom won’t be making him lethargic.

I attach our weight management and syringe feeding guides along with our neutering guide to help you

https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/weight-monitoring-and-management.171577/

Thread 'Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support'

Jun 20, 2024

1 Weight and Weight Loss
- Why regular weight monitoring matters
- How weight changes over a lifetime
- How to weigh on your kitchen scales (with video)
- The weight loss rules
- How critical is the weight loss for my piggy?
- Possible causes for weight loss
2 Body Mass Index (BMI) or 'Heft'
- Why is understanding your piggy's weight so important?
- 'Average' weight vs. individual weight - the big trip up
- How to check for the BMI...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 5
• Forum: Health & Illness Support Corner

• 
• 

Thread 'All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures'

Mar 9, 2022

Introduction
1 Choosing the right place to medicate/feed your piggy
2 Guinea pig whispering and asserting your authority
3 Recovery products and emergency improvisation
4 Syringe recommendations
5 Weight monitoring: your biggest ally
6 Weight loss guidelines and when to step in with feeding
7 Syringe feeding amounts/frequency advice
8 Practical medication and syringing tips (incl. missed a dose)
9 Medicating and feeding cooperative guinea pigs (videos)
10 Medicating and feeding uncooperative guinea pigs (hold pictures and tips)
11 The line between...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 0
• Forum: Health & Illness Support Corner

• 
• 

Thread 'A Guide to Boar Neutering Operations (Considerations, Post-op Care & Complications and Success Story)'

Jun 13, 2019

1 When is neutering useful and when not?
- What neutering won't do
- When boar neutering is useful
2 Pre-op considerations
- Finding the right vet
- Operation cost
3 Neutering age
- When is a boar too old?
- Neutering after the testicles have descended
- Baby neutering (Frühkastration)
4 The operation
5 Post-op care and...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 3
• Forum: Wiebke's Home Care Guides

Thanks so much! I’ve read these now and very useful, still not too sure about his lethargy though, I just hate seeing him not doing anything

 

[Piggies&buns]

Has he been for his vet appointment today?

The fact he has an abscess and that he is being given some bupe, then the lethargy wouldnt totally surprise me - he’s probably feeling off but it is definitely something to discuss with your vet.

I’ve had animals neutered but haven’t had post neuter complications. My last animal neutered was a rabbit and he was up and about within a few hours and demanding his dinner like nothing had happened six hours post op.

 

[weepweeps]

Thank you! Was your GP really lethargic? Or just kinda pottering about as normal? I think I’m the most worried about the fact hes just not doing anything apart from eat when I make him to I hate seeing him like this, he is usually such a happy little fella

No he wasn’t pottering around much. But he wasn’t lying down looking ill either. He was just sitting in one place. Not eating at all. He was syringe fed completely for 8 weeks.

 

[Merab]

Micah developed a scrotal abscess just after his neutering.
My vet did a second surgery to clear it which was successful.
I had noticed that he wasn’t his bright, bouncy self and wasn’t eating well.
All this was within a week.

Hope things go well for Freddy

 

[Edam]

Has he been for his vet appointment today?

The fact he has an abscess and that he is being given some bupe, then the lethargy wouldnt totally surprise me - he’s probably feeling off but it is definitely something to discuss with your vet.

I’ve had animals neutered but haven’t had post neuter complications. My last animal neutered was a rabbit and he was up and about within a few hours and demanding his dinner like nothing had happened six hours post op.

Heya he has been today, he didnt have to have bupe in the end today - it was only yesterday. The vet is saying that we will try take him off gabapentin to see if that is what is making him so lethargic. The wound was cleaned out again today but my gosh it smells so bad. He is booked to go back in tomorrow morning for his next cleaning of the wound. Fingers crossed for him xx

 

[Edam]

Micah developed a scrotal abscess just after his neutering.
My vet did a second surgery to clear it which was successful.
I had noticed that he wasn’t his bright, bouncy self and wasn’t eating well.
All this was within a week.

Hope things go well for Freddy

Ah okay glad to hear Micah is good now! How long did it take him to recover and how big was it? Should I be asking the vet for surgery?

 

[Edam]

No he wasn’t pottering around much. But he wasn’t lying down looking ill either. He was just sitting in one place. Not eating at all. He was syringe fed completely for 8 weeks.

Yeah this is what Freddy is doing now, he does eat though every so often but he seems sometimes to start eating then forget to continue, kinda like he spaces out?

 

[Piggies&buns]

As I say, I don’t have experience of gabapentin but from my knowledge if it, I didn’t think it was one that spaced them out.
If he is being taken off gabapentin then he is going to need his loxicom dose looked at - one dose a day won’t be enough to control pain from an abscess.
Is it dog or cat loxicom?

 

[weepweeps]

Yeah this is what Freddy is doing now, he does eat though every so often but he seems sometimes to start eating then forget to continue, kinda like he spaces out?

Is he still getting Buprenorphine daily after the flushing at the vets? I don’t have experience of that but I’ve heard that can make them very spaced out.

 

[Edam]

As I say, I don’t have experience of gabapentin but from my knowledge if it, I didn’t think it was one that spaced them out.
If he is being taken off gabapentin then he is going to need his loxicom dose looked at - one dose a day won’t be enough to control pain from an abscess.
Is it dog or cat loxicom?

Cat loxi at the moment, they have taken him off Gaba and havent given him Bupe today either - they recommended keeping the Loxi the same, 0.44ml in the morning. I asked if this is enough and the vet said yes, but should I be asking for more?/splitting up the Loxi into two sessions - 0.22 in morning 0.22 in evening? He had it flushed again today and manuka honey put in. I have been told not to clean it or touch it, and just let the vet do it daily for the moment - is this enough do you think? I see elsewhere in the forum for abscesses people flushing/cleaning twice/three times a day.... It is also costing £30 a day for the flushing which we wont be able to afford to happen if it goes on for weeks...

 

[Piggies&buns]

Cat loxi at the moment, they have taken him off Gaba and havent given him Bupe today either - they recommended keeping the Loxi the same, 0.44ml in the morning. I asked if this is enough and the vet said yes, but should I be asking for more?/splitting up the Loxi into two sessions - 0.22 in morning 0.22 in evening? He had it flushed again today and manuka honey put in. I have been told not to clean it or touch it, and just let the vet do it daily for the moment - is this enough do you think? I see elsewhere in the forum for abscesses people flushing/cleaning twice/three times a day.... It is also costing £30 a day for the flushing which we wont be able to afford to happen if it goes on for weeks...

The dosage depends on his weight and clinical need. 0.4ml once a day is a dosage for low level pain. If you find he is in discomfort then let your vet know.
Piggies metabolise meds in around 12 hours so once a day usually isn’t enough.
We can’t tell you to do anything other than the prescription though.

Regarding the cleaning, again we can’t tell you to do anything different to what the vet had told you - but yes generally the owner flushes out a few times a day to ensure the hole stays open and that pus is not sitting in the abscess

 

[Merab]

Ah okay glad to hear Micah is good now! How long did it take him to recover and how big was it? Should I be asking the vet for surgery?

We moved house a few days after Micah’s second surgery and he coped well with the journey and recovered very quickly.
He grew up to be a thug with no manners and fell head over paws in love with his wives.
We lost him to a tumour in January

 

[Edam]

Heya, got a Freddy update, he has been going to the vet everyday to have the abscess flushed, but today they decided to put him under anaesthesia and remove as much as they could - I don’t think they have removed the entire capsule (i.e. with the walls etc.) but the vet said that he was shocked how much further it went in and how much pus they got out.

We still haven’t got the lab test back so not sure what antibiotic to give him yet. They have started him on Metronidazole however. He is on loxicom, Baytril, Emeprid and gabapentin as well. I have also been given today manuka honey to put inside the abscess and told to flush with saltwater twice a day. He’s going back to the vet tomorrow.

He’s okay, so lethargic still, he sat on me and slept for a bit (which he has never really done) - I only adopted him in June! But he squeaks when he poops and is eating but eating less. The smell is ghastly which I assume means theres still pus inside? How does this come out?

I am struggling a little bit with the worry about him and having to balance the vet trips/administering the meds on top of my work and studies, and as well the finance of it all is tough - I guess I have just been finding it so hard since adopting him in June, him falling out with his cage mate, failed bonding etc. and now this - its just been a lot and I don’t think I was fully prepared for it to be this hard at the beginning of my time with him/any gps I adopted apologies for the vent I think I just needed to get it out there. I think I am just emotionally drained from it all, with the constant worry and guilt that I put him through this - I just want him to be okay and back to his usual little self

Love him so so much and he's my little bestie, attaching pic of him eating his post op cucumber today xx

 

[Edam]

We moved house a few days after Micah’s second surgery and he coped well with the journey and recovered very quickly.
He grew up to be a thug with no manners and fell head over paws in love with his wives.
We lost him to a tumour in January

Aw I am so sorry to hear that he passed in Jan, but so happy he lived a lovely (non mannered!) life with his wives, sending all the love to all your piggies x

 

[Piggies&buns]

Heya, got a Freddy update, he has been going to the vet everyday to have the abscess flushed, but today they decided to put him under anaesthesia and remove as much as they could - I don’t think they have removed the entire capsule (i.e. with the walls etc.) but the vet said that he was shocked how much further it went in and how much pus they got out.

We still haven’t got the lab test back so not sure what antibiotic to give him yet. They have started him on Metronidazole however. He is on loxicom, Baytril, Emeprid and gabapentin as well. I have also been given today manuka honey to put inside the abscess and told to flush with saltwater twice a day. He’s going back to the vet tomorrow.

He’s okay, so lethargic still, he sat on me and slept for a bit (which he has never really done) - I only adopted him in June! But he squeaks when he poops and is eating but eating less. The smell is ghastly which I assume means theres still pus inside? How does this come out?

I am struggling a little bit with the worry about him and having to balance the vet trips/administering the meds on top of my work and studies, and as well the finance of it all is tough - I guess I have just been finding it so hard since adopting him in June, him falling out with his cage mate, failed bonding etc. and now this - its just been a lot and I don’t think I was fully prepared for it to be this hard at the beginning of my time with him/any gps I adopted apologies for the vent I think I just needed to get it out there. I think I am just emotionally drained from it all, with the constant worry and guilt that I put him through this - I just want him to be okay and back to his usual little self

Love him so so much and he's my little bestie, attaching pic of him eating his post op cucumber today xx

I’m glad he has had a bit more of a flush out. Abscesses do smell awful. The new regime seems to be a good one - keeping flushing it out, you really need to keep the hole open. Really squirt the water in there to get as much pus out as you can.
Keep up with the daily weight checks and get plenty of critical care into him - 60-90ml per day is the amount you’re aiming for to keep his weight stable.

 

[weepweeps]

Sending you hugs. It is emotionally draining caring for a sick piggy. You are doing great.

Sending gorgeous Freddy healing vibes for a speedy recovery.

 

[Merab]

You’re doing a great job.
Freddy is very lucky to be with you.
Look after yourself as well. It can be exhausting caring for a sick piggy.

 

[Truffolo]

Heya, got a Freddy update, he has been going to the vet everyday to have the abscess flushed, but today they decided to put him under anaesthesia and remove as much as they could - I don’t think they have removed the entire capsule (i.e. with the walls etc.) but the vet said that he was shocked how much further it went in and how much pus they got out.

We still haven’t got the lab test back so not sure what antibiotic to give him yet. They have started him on Metronidazole however. He is on loxicom, Baytril, Emeprid and gabapentin as well. I have also been given today manuka honey to put inside the abscess and told to flush with saltwater twice a day. He’s going back to the vet tomorrow.

He’s okay, so lethargic still, he sat on me and slept for a bit (which he has never really done) - I only adopted him in June! But he squeaks when he poops and is eating but eating less. The smell is ghastly which I assume means theres still pus inside? How does this come out?

I am struggling a little bit with the worry about him and having to balance the vet trips/administering the meds on top of my work and studies, and as well the finance of it all is tough - I guess I have just been finding it so hard since adopting him in June, him falling out with his cage mate, failed bonding etc. and now this - its just been a lot and I don’t think I was fully prepared for it to be this hard at the beginning of my time with him/any gps I adopted apologies for the vent I think I just needed to get it out there. I think I am just emotionally drained from it all, with the constant worry and guilt that I put him through this - I just want him to be okay and back to his usual little self

Love him so so much and he's my little bestie, attaching pic of him eating his post op cucumber today xx

Such a sweetie

 

[Posyrose]

I'm glad you are able to do the flushing out yourself, it's best done more regularly than once a day and it's so expensive and time consuming having to go to the vets daily.

Looking after sick guinea pigs and dealing with the cost of it all is exhausting and overwhelming, you're doing a fantastic job.

 

[Edam]

Thanks so so much for this everyone, honestly just reading your kind words has made me feel so much better x

Freddy went to the vet today and we were told it looks a lot better than yesterday (phew!). The lab results are in and he needs a mix of baytril, metronidazole and zithromax to fight the infection - which he is now started on. He is eating and perkier which is good (I think he was just happy he didn’t have to spend the day at the vets haha!).

I keep thinking of him in Summer - his happy little self (pic attached of him doing some outside roaming!) - and hoping he makes a recovery to that little Freddy soon xx

 

[Qualcast&Flymo]

Sorry your boy developed an abscess after his neuter op. Sending him lots of healing vibes It's good that you've now got Zithromax for him, that is the best antibiotic for abscesses.
Antibiotics including Zithromax and Baytril can impact the gut flora and appetite, so you may need a probiotic as well as critical care to help him keep eating.

 

[Edam]

Sorry your boy developed an abscess after his neuter op. Sending him lots of healing vibes It's good that you've now got Zithromax for him, that is the best antibiotic for abscesses.
Antibiotics including Zithromax and Baytril can impact the gut flora and appetite, so you may need a probiotic as well as critical care to help him keep eating.

Thank you! Yes he is on Emeprid for his gut, and I’m feeding him science selective Recovery Plus by syringe - he is very stubborn and doesn't like the syringe, but he is still eating hay but kinda needs to be prompted, so I’m encouraging him to sit and eat some hay whenever he comes out for meds and a syringe feed. I have some pro-c too, but not sure if to add to his syringe feed as I am not too sure if it already has probiotics in - I will check.

 

[Wheekallweek]

So glad he's feeling better

 

[Posyrose]

If he's eating some hay and doesn't like the syringe, you could see whether he would eat his recovery food from a bowl. I'm glad he's showing signs of improvement

 

[Merab]

I used to put a bowl of the recovery food in the cage.
Everypig helped eat it but it did encourage the sick piggy to eat for themselves.
Mine were quite fussy and would only eat Oxbow aniseed flavour Critical Care with a bit of banana mashed in.
A bowl of mixed grated carrot or sweet potato and raw oats was also welcome.
I used little ramekin dishes.