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What Would You Do In My Position?

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Okay just getting the boiled water sorted. I don't know what I'd do without this forum. I appreciate everyone so so much!! So for 1.11kg weight piggy 0.4ml or 0.5ml- which is better? Or should I go with in between?
 
Sian25 said:
Okay just getting the boiled water sorted. I don't know what I'd do without this forum. I appreciate everyone so so much! So for 1.11kg weight piggy 0.4ml or 0.5ml- which is better? Or should I go with in between?
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For that weight, 0.4 ml is the normal dosage. I also second the metacam or whatever painkiller you have got.
 
I'm afraid I'm not sure then as my vet gave me a 10ml syringe so a lot of water was used and I think we had to use the needle (without touching the wound) so a sharp fine stream came out

Edit: Sorry, I forgot that I had to use the syringe with the needle
 
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He didn't give me anything to clean the wound and instead said use a cotton bud with salt water
 
So I did try to get some out with the cotton bud after flushing would remove it and now I don't think I should have used cotton buds?

My poor boy :no: I'm so stuck with what to do and with the puss filling back up i have no idea how to remove it? Can this kill him?
 
Yes @Claire W that was my thought but in my panic to get the puss out I just wasn't thinking right!

I don't mean will be cotton bud kill him, I mean the abscess? I can't remove the puss and my appointment with Molly tomorrow is not until 3:50! It's a long time to wait with a puss filled abscess. I don't know what to do
 
Sian25 said:
Yes @Claire W that was my thought but in my panic to get the puss out I just wasn't thinking right!

I don't mean will be cotton bud kill him, I mean the abscess? I can't remove the puss and my appointment with Molly tomorrow is not until 3:50! It's a long time to wait with a puss filled abscess. I don't know what to do
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Please don't panic and don't try to empty the abscess yourself; it needs a vet to lance it properly. He should keep until tomorrow.
 
Sian25 said:
@Wiebke he should keep until tomorrow? What do you mean? Could he die?
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He should keep until tomorrow. See an out-of-hours vet in case he suddenly stops eating and becomes apathetic, but that should not happen.
 
Oh my goodness :no: I would see an out of hours vet now but the company is called 'vets now' and I have no idea what they are and whether they have any experience with guinea pigs
 
Sian25 said:
Oh my goodness :no: I would see an out of hours vet now but the company is called 'vets now' and I have no idea what they are and whether they have any experience with guinea pigs
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Please don't panic. I guess you have given the baytril? That is going to help to slow it down. Give the second dose before you go to bed.
 
Yes I give the baytril. Will give the second dose tonight and will have to get up in the night for the probiotics. I'm terrified he will die
 
@Sian25 please don't panic. Most of us have dealt with abscesses over the years. The important thing is to keep the antibiotics going in and to have him seen again tomorrow by the vet. You are doing a great job. He is young and strong and not unwell. Those are all good things going in his favour.
 
Sian25 said:
Yes I give the baytril. Will give the second dose tonight and will have to get up in the night for the probiotics. I'm terrified he will die
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There are thankfully much stronger antibiotics like zithromax (preferably) and marbocyl these days. There is also still the option to operate on a stubborn abscess. Compared to 10 years ago, post-neutering abscesses can be got on top of much better by a competent vet and they VERY rarely end in death these days! The trick is to give antibiotics promptly, and you are doing that!

Sadly, abscesses tend to come up over weekends, as do all emergencies! I had to wait from Saturday morning until Monday with my Bedo's fast growing bite abscess, but thankfully Simon talked me through what I could do with what I had at home until I could take Bedo to Northampton. We were desperately waiting for a builder to make his appearance for an emergency job, so were stuck at home because he was running several hours late... :(

Give the probiotic just after the baytril (about half an hour later) and make sure that you get some sleep tonight! ;)
 
@VickiA but the open abscess is filling back up with puss and I don't know what to do :( I'm a mess right now, really can't think right. I just don't know what to do for my baby
 
@Wiebke is it worse that the abscess has burst though and he has an open wound? And also the fact that it's filling back up and flushing it not removing the puss?

I will gladly pay for emergency vets if I can find one that is cavy savvy
 
Sian25 said:
@Wiebke is it worse that the abscess has burst though and he has an open wound? And also the fact that it's filling back up and flushing it not removing the puss?

I will gladly pay for emergency vets if I can find one that is cavy savvy
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If you wish to, you can gently flush the abscess with saline solution.

Abscesses heal from the inside out; that takes time. The trick with treating an abscess is a) a strong antibiotic and b) to keep the abscess open as much as possible for as long as possible so it can drain. The healing tissue will slowly push any pus out - and to be honest, having the abscess so close to the surface makes it so much easier to treat!
Don't worry at the moment about it refilling, it is going to do that while it is healing and until the stronger antibiotics are going to kick in. There is no new infection that can get in, as you have put him on ABs already. ;)

When you see Molly tomorrow, please ask her to show you exactly what you need to do on a daily basis. Don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have over his care.

But the very best thing you can do for your boy right now is to take a deep breath and calm down. He is not going to die anytime soon! Concentrate on sending him soothing and healing thoughts.
 
Thank you @Wiebke

Tomorrow's appointment can't come quick enough! Frustrating that she's fully booked until 3:50 though. I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow
 
Also @Wiebke did you read my post a few hours ago about what the vet did to my other boy Milan? He yanked out his dissolvable stitches despite me telling him to leave them as Milan was in a lot of distress. It actually reduced me to tears and I am so so angry. Surely there was no need whatsoever for him to do that?
 
I give the first dose of baytril at 12:45 this afternoon.. I will try and get some sleep tonight so what's the earliest acceptable/safe time that I could give the next dose?
 
Ideally people say every 12 hours for split dose medication but you can give it earlier, it will do Hugo no harm even if you gave it say 10 / 11 baring in mind your vet advised you to give him 1ml once daily and you aren't giving the full dose.

At this stage, the most important thing you can do for both you and Hugo is get some sleep :)
 
Definetly try and get some sleep tonight, I know how stressful it can be when they aren't well but honestly the abscess is more distressing to you than him.

Do however monitor Hugo's weight well he's on the antibiotics as sometimes they can depress the piggies appetite. I would also get some probiotics from the vet tomorrow if you don't have them already, to give along with the antibiotics.

What I sometimes do is write down all the questions I wish to ask before going to the vet so I don't forget any.
 
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