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Tooth trouble - now abscess

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vabh57

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26th August Bongo had his overgrown front molars clipped (the other teeth were ok) and baytril for the ulcer the teeth had caused.

After this he was still losing weight but only very slowly.

Yesterday evening I saw that he had a lump sort of under his jaw. So he's been to the vet's again this afternoon. He has had an abcess lanced and drained. He was given an injection of baytril and another of metacam and I have got to give him .3 baytril once a day, fibreplex 3 times a day and rinse with salt water twice a day. I was also told to separate him from his cagemate Orinoco as he had some scratches on his back from where Ori had been over-amorous.

I am just looking for advice for anything else I should be doing.
 
No advice but hope that Bongo is feeling better soon. Sounds like you are doing a fab job looking after him. :)
 
vabh57 said:
26th August Bongo had his overgrown front molars clipped (the other teeth were ok) and baytril for the ulcer the teeth had caused.

After this he was still losing weight but only very slowly.

Yesterday evening I saw that he had a lump sort of under his jaw. So he's been to the vet's again this afternoon. He has had an abcess lanced and drained. He was given an injection of baytril and another of metacam and I have got to give him .3 baytril once a day, fibreplex 3 times a day and rinse with salt water twice a day. I was also told to separate him from his cagemate Orinoco as he had some scratches on his back from where Ori had been over-amorous.

I am just looking for advice for anything else I should be doing.
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Hiya

I think I'm in the same situation as you with Jules but can I have your vet as ours is rubbish I have decided - he like Bongo had his front teeth clipped and after that he seemed to stop eating and the weight was falling off him :( - vet checked his back teeth at that stage and said they were fine - after a few days we thought its not right Jules not eating etc so eventually got vet to take him in and they got fluids etc into him, saturday morning they put him under GA looked properly at his back teeth said its not good news its going to cost you alot of money and hinted at pts - grrr no way was I doing that as I knew the very people who could hopefully sort him.......

......and I was right Laura-CCC4 now has Jules and his cagemate Mo and has found that Jules back tooth isnt overly bad but in fact he has an abscess which vet didny mention we are soooo angry

Jules sends his wheeks to Bongo for a speedy recovery :)
 
Hi Val

Poor Bongo, he is in the wars, isn't he? I'm not sure about separating them, as it might be hard to reintroduce them later on but it depends how bad the scratches are.

If you need to borrow an indoor hospital cage in the meantime I have lots here I can lend you.

Did they give him local anaesthetic to lance the abcess?

Is he eating now?

Sophie
x
 
Sophie - Had a spare cage from when Charlie was a single. Thanx.

Checked out the "scratches" after Bongo had settled last night and actually it is a scab about 1 cm diameter. It is just under where the abscess was. Could Ori have tried to "attack" the abscess? He just doesn't seem the type to attack Bongo and they've been together forever. I think it must have been new cos I cant believe I missed it.

I don't know if he had local anaethetic as they took him to another room but I did hear him squeal - poor darling. He was more worried when I cleaned the scab this morning than he was about the abscess site.

He is definitely trying to eat but still very slow. Just about to go get him some more grass.

Mojules - Bongo and I thank you for your wheeks and all piggies wish Joules a speedy recovery too.
 
are you giving a probiotic too, due to using Baytril? May help his gut, but please get confirmation from someone who knows more like Laura x
 
Sorry to hear of Bongo's troubles lately. Are you sure the scab isn't where the vet lanced the abscess? Did the vet tell you anything about leaving the abscess open and squeezing the pus out 2-3 times a day until you can get no more pus out? The pressure and pain caused by the abscess affects the eating thus the teeth; often an abscess can be building with no obvious signs, which could explain why both Bongo and Mojules' Jules had niggly problems for a bit before an abscess became obvious. (Although I am astounded that the vet missed Jules' abscess!)

Reading your thread, I do agree with Mojules that it is a very similar case as her wee Jules who is staying here.

Re the probiotic as mentioned by doglovinpiggylover, that is the Fibreplex, best given around 1-2 hours after the Baytril. :)
 
Laura-CCC4

Thank you for your reply. I had no idea that the fibreplex and baytril were to be given at separate times.
I specifically asked the vet if I should do anything with the abscess and she told me that besides cleaning it I should leave it alone. There is only a small pinprick size hole and I must admit that I'm a bit worried that the lump is growing again.

The scab is looking a lot better today - it is about 3 cm along from the abscess hole - photo attached.

I did put the boys together for a few moments today but Ori went straight into bashing into Bongo's side in that same spot.
 

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Could be that Ori is trying to fix Bongo. Odd at it sounds, I have had pigs try to "heal" me if I have a cut on my hand etc. Some of them nuzzle/lick my hand for ages if it's hurt, they take great interest in the injury. It is one small possibility anyhow.

If it is a pinprick hole rather than an incision, it sounds like they did just what I have done today, which is use a needle to withdraw the pus. Effective enough for short term treatment, but to treat the abscess properly, it does need a proper incision, all pus squeezed out from all around the swelling, and flushed out with either saline or, ideally, Flagyl (metronidazole) which is also an antibiotic. Without that treatment, the abscess will continually refill because the pocket of infection heals over fast, and traps the infection inside.
 
Took Bongo back to the vet this morning. Different vet this time. He made a bigger cut and told me to continue with the salt water and to massage the area as the skin is very thick? We've got to go back friday. (The first vet said there was no need for follow up unless I was worried)
 
vabh57 said:
Took Bongo back to the vet this morning. Different vet this time. He made a bigger cut and told me to continue with the salt water and to massage the area as the skin is very thick? We've got to go back friday. (The first vet said there was no need for follow up unless I was worried)
Click to expand...

I don't know what laura thinks, but the second advise seems more sensible to me
best wishes to you all
Becca
 
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