Abscesses

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stickyfroggi

Post   » Wed Jul 24, 2002 7:31 pm


Moppy´s abscess story:

In May I noticed a small black bump on Moppy´s left side, close to her back legs (the hip area). Completely freaked out and new to pig ownership I rushed her to the vet the following day to find out that it was an abscess. The vet suspected it was possibly a bug bite as many of the members of this board suspected as well. It was shaved, popped and cleaned. I was told to wipe with a warm wet q-tip, and put neosporin on it everyday for about a week.

In June I had Moppy seen for a runny nose and while I was there I asked the vet to look at the mark left behind from the abscess. He flicked something off of it and told me she has healed nicely. He told me it´d always look like a dark spot and not to worry.

Yesterday Moppy seemed weird when I petted her near that area and I dug around her long hair to find the spot and it looked funny to me. I flicked a small plug off of it and thought "hmm that´s odd," so I proceeded to squeeze. The bump is only the size of a pimple and the plug that came off is slightly smaller than this letter "o." Well out came pus. .. and more pus than I´d like to have found in a "healed" abscess. I have drained it twice. Only pus has come out, no blood. I still don´t think it is all out yet.

I don´t understand why the pus is there unless the vet did not get it all out when I took Moppy in. Is that a possibility? I kept the cage very clean, the abscess very clean, and applied neosporin as directed... so I do not think I made a mistake in the care given to the area.

The area is not raised anymore but if I work at it enough and from several angles, I can still get little bits of pus out. Am I supposed to squeeze until I see a little blood? That sounds awful but I dont know how else to be sure the pus is all the way out. Should I keep this from scabbing like it was advised in posts above this one?

It doesn´t bother her too much when I´m squeezing the pus out, she is more annoyed with the way I pin her hair back with barrettes to get a better gander.

Any help, ideas or thoughts would be appreciated.

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Jul 24, 2002 8:32 pm


This is from Nuts post above:
*Cleaning the abscess daily requires warm compresses to loosen/soften the scab, flushing with a betadine solution and gently squeezing out pus. My vet gave me a syringe with a long thin tip to insert into the shunt and flush fluid out the other side of the shunt. This is done three times per day for about 4 days. The shunt is then removed. Flushing & cleaning continues until the skin healed from the inside to the outside. * My vet has prescribed Baytril for 10 days with each infection.

Your vet should have had you flushing out the wound several times a day. The cheesy puss that forms does NOT drain on its own. It needs to be kept clean by flushing as Nuts so well described.

Maybe Josephine could suggest some type of shunt you could set up (look at pic above). Perhaps the vet could -- and could give you a syringe with a long, thin tip to do the betadine solution flush.

Your vet was wrong about it being healed.

User avatar
stickyfroggi

Post   » Wed Jul 24, 2002 8:48 pm


I guess that vet was an idiot because apparently all she thought was necessary was warm water and neosporin.

I read that post and thats why I have drained it twice today and will continue to do so. I have not ever used betadine nor do I know what it is. Is it sold in pharmacies/grocery stores? Also I don´t know what a shunt is. I´m assuming something that stays there and helps clean/drain the wound but how does it work. It´s hard to tell from that picture what exactly it is or does. I re-read the posts and perhaps I overlooked information concerning what a shunt is.

Thanks Lynx.
Last edited by stickyfroggi on Wed Jul 24, 2002 8:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Jul 24, 2002 9:05 pm


A shunt is like a straw. I´ll bet a piece of straw (that you drink out of) would work fine. If the syringe tip is long, you could put that in the wound. Maybe someone else will have some hints for you.

User avatar
stickyfroggi

Post   » Wed Jul 24, 2002 9:17 pm


A drinking straw is too big, the hole is pretty small. I´ll have to pick up a small syringe, and I bet they have them at the drug store. Off to Walgreen´s I go, Thank heaven for 24 hour pharmacies.

User avatar
stickyfroggi

Post   » Wed Jul 24, 2002 9:51 pm


I got the betadine, but no luck with the plastic syringe. Apparently I have to be a diabetic to purchase a plastic syringe because it comes with a needle. I asked the lady to just open it and keep the needle and no luck with that. Well this betadine sure looks like it is going to stain Moppy´s lovely white hair... damn. I´ll dab some on it until I can get a plastic syringe (hopefully tomorrow before 12, since I´ll be in nursing class from 12-7).

As for a shunt I am still clueless.

pinta

Post   » Wed Jul 24, 2002 10:47 pm


The shunts I am familiar with are small pieces of flexible rubber (latex?) tubes. You don´t use them as you would a straw. They merely prevent the wound from closing so you can flush and drain.

The vet would have to put a shunt in but it doesn´t sound like the wound is big enough. Yes, squeeze/flush til you see a bit of blood or clear fluid. Use warm compresses to soften the scab.

imanut4u

Post   » Thu Jul 25, 2002 7:40 am


Yep, the shunt in the photo is a piece of latex inserted through the wound and tied on the outside of her face. The only reason it is there is to keep the wound open for flushing.

If an abscess is allowed to close too soon, the area will fill with pus again and possibly be bigger than the first abscess. You found it early so that might not happen.

Keep doing what you are doing. Since you opened the abscess yourself, I can see how the wound would be too small to flush but do the best you can with the betadine to keep it clean. Twice a day is good for expressing/flushing. I would think if it´s not healed in a week you may need vet help to get it opened up.

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