Abscess under chin, advice needed 😢

[Mousey]

Hi, this is my first post.

I'm after some advice, I’ve just left the vets with my piggie peppa. He has a lump under his chin, I guessed it was an abscess. Vet agreed and said pretty much the only way to get rid of it is through surgery. However he gave me 7days of antibiotics to try and see what I’ve decided, but he seemed pretty sure it wouldn’t go without the surgery

My gut is telling me not to do it
(long story, I lost another pig felix last year after being told he had stones in his bladder. Ended up paying for surgery, then after him not getting better and hundreds of pounds more I was told he must have had kidneys stones too and it’s best he was put down.... I was devastated and it must have cost over £1000) I felt led up the garden path with felix and don’t want to do it again. I told myself if any of my boys needed surgery again I’d decide against it, It broke my heart and I felt so cruel after felix.
Does anyone have any experience with under chin accesses or advice

many thanks

 

[Swissgreys]

I have been through the exact same thing twice now.

The first time was with Eddi and the abscess was directly linked to dental issues (identified with an x-ray at the initial consultation).
He had a full dental and the abscess opened and cleaned and was put on antibiotics with me flushing the abscess twice daily for 14 days.
This did do the trick, but sadly in the following months his dental problems worsened and we finally decided he had been through enough.

The second time was with harry.
Again he was x-rayed and the abscess had no obvious cause.
Again it was opened (no anaesthetic, just a quick local numbing spray) and I was given antibiotics and antiseptic to do the twice daily flushes.
The abscess eventually cleared up perfectly (no surgery required) and 6 months later he is doing just fine.

An abscess can be treated without surgery depending on the cause and exact location, but keeping it open and well flushed is the absolute key to getting on top of it.

 

[hrsrdr]

My past piggy, Coco, I believe died from an abscess that kept coming back. We went to two different vets, and they both said that surgery would be the only way to get rid of it. Like said above, continually flushing out the abscess helped keep it away for a while, but in the end, it wasn't enough. An abscess can be treated without surgery sometimes, but not always. It'd be best to get a second opinion first, before going any further. And, before going through with anything, make sure you understand the what's causing the abscess, and how it'll get treated.

 

[Mousey]

I have been through the exact same thing twice now.

The first time was with Eddi and the abscess was directly linked to dental issues (identified with an x-ray at the initial consultation).
He had a full dental and the abscess opened and cleaned and was put on antibiotics with me flushing the abscess twice daily for 14 days.
This did do the trick, but sadly in the following months his dental problems worsened and we finally decided he had been through enough.

The second time was with harry.
Again he was x-rayed and the abscess had no obvious cause.
Again it was opened (no anaesthetic, just a quick local numbing spray) and I was given antibiotics and antiseptic to do the twice daily flushes.
The abscess eventually cleared up perfectly (no surgery required) and 6 months later he is doing just fine.

An abscess can be treated without surgery depending on the cause and exact location, but keeping it open and well flushed is the absolute key to getting on top of it.

my vet didn’t mention opening it and trying to drain it I think I’ll mention that when I go back next week. I’m praying for good luck with the antibiotics.
Thank you

 

[Mousey]

My past piggy, Coco, I believe died from an abscess that kept coming back. We went to two different vets, and they both said that surgery would be the only way to get rid of it. Like said above, continually flushing out the abscess helped keep it away for a while, but in the end, it wasn't enough. An abscess can be treated without surgery sometimes, but not always. It'd be best to get a second opinion first, before going any further. And, before going through with anything, make sure you understand the what's causing the abscess, and how it'll get treated.

I’ll give him a week on antibiotics and mention draining it if not. I just hope he can pull a miracle off so i don’t have to make the decision, my heart rules my head in these situations. Also I don’t want his cage mate to be lonely if he goes, I wished they’d grow old and smelly together

 

[hrsrdr]

I’ll give him a week on antibiotics and mention draining it if not. I just hope he can pull a miracle off so i don’t have to make the decision, my heart rules my head in these situations. Also I don’t want his cage mate to be lonely if he goes, I wished they’d grow old and smelly together

That sounds pretty good. My rule of thumb is to always get a second opinion if anything major is recommended, so its something to keep in mind. May your piggies grow old and smelly together

 

[David Piggie Lover]

Piggie looks like she has mumps Do i need to PANIC.
Hello. Pls read this thread and if it helps great.
Welcome to the forum . Wish was better circumstances.
Sorry to hear your piggie is poorly is your vet piggie or exotic . .
If it a abcess or solid lump needs sorting.
I will add that my thread covers the cost and I came to agreement with the vet.
Florence is great now and worth every penny.

Yes I agree be lovely to grow old and smell with cage mate.

 

[Swissgreys]

What antibiotic have you been given and at what dosage?

You really have a great chance of getting on top of this of this if the lump is drained and cleaned, but leaving it closed means the pus will continue to build up inside until it bursts. This in itself isn't necessarily awful, but it is VERY smelly and unpleasant, and is far better to have it done professionally at the vet's office and give your piggy the absolute best chance.

 

[Freela]

Ask your doctor what they plan to do as far as surgery goes. Some abscesses are lanced and drained (sometimes still under general anesthesia so this may be the surgery your vet is talking about) and sometimes it's possible to remove the entire abscess capsule and stitch it up again, depending on how much skin there is to work with to close the skin. Abscesses that are removed completely don't need the same aftercare... abscesses that are lanced and drained need to be left open for flushing to heal over time. In either case, this is a better option than just leaving it alone... left alone the abscess can either rupture to the surface eventually, which can be a messier wound and which is going to be painful for your pig, or it can leak internally, which can cause sepsis and death. So given the options, you are probably better to proceed than to wait and see (and your piggie will be much better off, abscesses hurt!)

I've had three pets with abscess/cyst issues... two pigs with abscesses related to tooth issues on their jaws and one with an abscess above the grease gland (which actually turned out to be a cyst rather than an abscess, as it turned out.) One pig had the jaw abscesses drained by a vet that really had limited experience with pigs (also had her teeth cut badly at the same time) and was given incorrect antibiotic dosing post surgery... sadly, she ended up passing away from complications of the infection One had her jaw abscess lanced and drained with a more experienced vet and made a full recovery with aftercare of strong antibiotics and me cleaning/flushing the wound. She lived another four years or more- got to be an old pig of almost 7 before passing of other reasons. And the pig with the back cyst had the capsule removed completely and the skin stitched... no more followup needed for the rest of her life and we had her for about another five years after that. So it is definitely worth doing with a vet who is accustomed to guinea pigs and knows what he's doing. Best of luck!