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Burst abcess on guinea pig jaw

Nstheboss

Nstheboss

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi, I'm looking for a final opinion before I have my Guinea pig put to sleep.
About a month ago I noticed a small lump on her jaw, prior to this she had lost weight and had been off her food.
I took her to an exotic vet who told me that it is a jaw abcess that requires surgery which will cost a whopping £450-500 to have the abcess lanced and removed, and may not even cure the problem and the abcess will return anyway. I was then told that if it keeps growning then I might have to let her go.
So I took her home and spent alot of time with her. It has now been 3 weeks since I took her to the vet and the abcess has been growing more, she is still eating grass and drinking water but becoming quite weak.
3 nights ago I noticed a horrible smell which was the abcess, that rosie had scratched away at to form a scab, there isn't any pus coming out but put it this way the abcess is the size of a golf ball.
The smell is the worst thing I've ever smelt and is worsening is there anything I can do before I make the horrible decision of getting her put to sleep because i cant afford £450.
I've seen videos online where abcesses have been drained without anasthetic just numbing spray and then flushed out daily why didn't my vet consider this?
Any answers are appreciated thanks.
 
It's always worth shopping around to see different vet prices... some vets charge radically more than others. You may find another vet willing to treat for much less. Lancing and draining an abscess is surgery, but not really difficult surgery, and prices are going to vary. If you post your location, someone may be able to recommend a vet in your area who is experienced with guinea pigs and charges reasonable prices. I would start calling other vets about consult fees and at least have her seen in consult again before you make any drastic decisions about putting her to sleep.

Abscesses do smell terrible and it's important to keep them clean... you can irrigate the wound with sterile saline and get a better look at where the abscess is draining from. If you smell something, the abscess capsule must be punctured somewhere- when cleaning you may see some areas of drainage, which is actually a positive... all that infected gunk has got to come out. Give it a clean up and get a good look at the area, gently express any pus if you do find a draining opening, but unfortunately this is going to need a vet consult to assess and prescribe antibiotics.

Hope this helps a bit! I've had two pigs with jaw abscesses, so I feel for you!
 
Nstheboss said:
Hi, I'm looking for a final opinion before I have my Guinea pig put to sleep.
About a month ago I noticed a small lump on her jaw, prior to this she had lost weight and had been off her food.
I took her to an exotic vet who told me that it is a jaw abcess that requires surgery which will cost a whopping £450-500 to have the abcess lanced and removed, and may not even cure the problem and the abcess will return anyway. I was then told that if it keeps growning then I might have to let her go.
So I took her home and spent alot of time with her. It has now been 3 weeks since I took her to the vet and the abcess has been growing more, she is still eating grass and drinking water but becoming quite weak.
3 nights ago I noticed a horrible smell which was the abcess, that rosie had scratched away at to form a scab, there isn't any pus coming out but put it this way the abcess is the size of a golf ball.
The smell is the worst thing I've ever smelt and is worsening is there anything I can do before I make the horrible decision of getting her put to sleep because i cant afford £450.
I've seen videos online where abcesses have been drained without anasthetic just numbing spray and then flushed out daily why didn't my vet consider this?
Any answers are appreciated thanks.
Click to expand...
I'm going to tag @furryfriends (TEAS) .Where abouts are you located?
 
I had a guinea pig with a jaw abscess and to be honest I am shocked at the advice you have been given.

Firstly that price seems very high for treatment - even my expensive specialist in Switzerland charged less than that to operate, flush the abscess, provide meds and follow up care.
I would most definitely shop around a bit.

Secondly an abscess should be treated immediately whenever possible, and usually has a good chance of being cured if handled correctly.
I don't think doing it without anesthetic would be pleasant or fair on your piggy, but a good vet will get it sorted quickly with an anesthetic.

Where in the UK are you based?
If you provide more info we can possibly guide you towards another vet.
 
I am very disappointment by the advice you were given. We have dealt with a large number of jaw abscesses, here at TEAS, with excellent results. The cost of treatment, you were quoted, seems very large too. Where about are you based? Could you get your guinea pig to Northampton, to see Simon Maddock at the Cat and Rabbit Care Clinic. Simon sees cases like this regularly and will ensure your guinea pig gets the best possible treatment.
 
Nstheboss said:
Hi, I'm looking for a final opinion before I have my Guinea pig put to sleep.
About a month ago I noticed a small lump on her jaw, prior to this she had lost weight and had been off her food.
I took her to an exotic vet who told me that it is a jaw abcess that requires surgery which will cost a whopping £450-500 to have the abcess lanced and removed, and may not even cure the problem and the abcess will return anyway. I was then told that if it keeps growning then I might have to let her go.
So I took her home and spent alot of time with her. It has now been 3 weeks since I took her to the vet and the abcess has been growing more, she is still eating grass and drinking water but becoming quite weak.
3 nights ago I noticed a horrible smell which was the abcess, that rosie had scratched away at to form a scab, there isn't any pus coming out but put it this way the abcess is the size of a golf ball.
The smell is the worst thing I've ever smelt and is worsening is there anything I can do before I make the horrible decision of getting her put to sleep because i cant afford £450.
I've seen videos online where abcesses have been drained without anasthetic just numbing spray and then flushed out daily why didn't my vet consider this?
Any answers are appreciated thanks.
Click to expand...

Hi!

I am very sorry! Which part of the country are you in and can you get as far as Northampton to see the vet most experienced with dental and facial problems (including abscesses). It has bought my Hywel another year of life until just away from his 7th birthday after my local general vets were not able to deal with it.
Simon Maddock sees guinea pigs from as far as Edinburgh and Cornwall for dental problems.
The Cat and Rabbit Care Clinic

If you can't here is our list of recommended UK vets. I hope that one of them is within your reach: Recommended Guinea Pig Vets
 
Wiebke said:
Hi!

I am very sorry! Which part of the country are you in and can you get as far as Northampton to see the vet most experienced with dental and facial problems (including abscesses). It has bought my Hywel another year of life until just away from his 7th birthday after my local general vets were not able to deal with it.
Simon Maddock sees guinea pigs from as far as Edinburgh and Cornwall for dental problems.
The Cat and Rabbit Care Clinic

If you can't here is our list of recommended UK vets. I hope that one of them is within your reach: Recommended Guinea Pig Vets
Click to expand...
Thank you everyone for your replies :) I'm in Peterborough so getting there shouldn't be hard just have to speak with my parents as I don't have a car yet.
 
Nstheboss said:
Thank you everyone for your replies :) I'm in Peterborough so getting there shouldn't be hard just have to speak with my parents as I don't have a car yet.
Click to expand...

All the best!
Simon is a general vet who specialises in only cats, rabbits and guinea pigs; so he sees a lot more of them than most other vets. But that also means that his prices are not quite as exorbitant even if he may need to operate again depending on his findings.
 
Nstheboss said:
Thank you everyone for your replies :) I'm in Peterborough so getting there shouldn't be hard just have to speak with my parents as I don't have a car yet.
Click to expand...
they are fabulous vets. I have two dental piggies and travel from Cornwall, well worth the drive!
 
Welcome to the forum.
Hope you can get your piggy treated.
I agree the price is very steep.
Jemimah had surgery to remove an abscess and ended up with an emergency spay as well. It didn’t cost me anything like you’re being quoted.

Let us know how you get on.
Will be keeping you in my thoughts
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
I’m sure Simon will be able to sort it. Is your guinea pig eating okay or are teeth affected too?
Click to expand...
Barely eating, just fresh grass. Not sure about the teeth, the top tooth is a bit overgrown.
The vet i went to before said she thought there were some molar spurs but couldn't really see properly. She seems very weak tonight, just sitting there hunched over.
 
Nstheboss said:
Barely eating, just fresh grass. Not sure about the teeth, the top tooth is a bit overgrown.
The vet i went to before said she thought there were some molar spurs but couldn't really see properly. She seems very weak tonight, just sitting there hunched over.
Click to expand...

I’ve linked in some useful guides. It is vital that your piggy is syringe fed regularly if she isn’t estimg for herself.

Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
 
Nstheboss said:
I have a bag of critical care but she spits it out. It's the one that smells of liquorice.
Click to expand...
I find very few guinea pigs like critical care. I always mush up their normal nuggets and feed those. Put some into a cup and add boiling water. Mix them up with a fork and wait for them to cool. I find most piggies enjoy them when they are still warm, but not hot. Use a 1 ml syringe with the end cut off. You will need to feed little and often, as it sounds like your guinea pig is becoming very weak, due to lack of food.
 
Honestly with an abscess that size you really need to get your guinea pig to a vet as a matter of urgency.
If she is sitting still and not looking well please make sure she recieves the appropriate medical care.
If the vet you are currently using is unable to offer a suitable solution then please try and get her seen by someone who knows what they are doing and can help.

If not please do not let her suffer unnecessarily.
She isn't going to get better without treatment, so if this is not an option the kindest thing may be to end her suffering.
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
I find very few guinea pigs like critical care. I always mush up their normal nuggets and feed those. Put some into a cup and add boiling water. Mix them up with a fork and wait for them to cool. I find most piggies enjoy them when they are still warm, but not hot. Use a 1 ml syringe with the end cut off. You will need to feed little and often, as it sounds like your guinea pig is becoming very weak, due to lack of food.
Click to expand...
Right the abcess has burst I've squeezed out most of the pus but theres definitely some still in there, tried to book a vet appointment at Northampton tomorrow but no appointments going to take her to pets at home and get some antibiotics and pain relief and see if they can do anything.
 
Swissgreys said:
Well done for getting her seen so quickly.
I bet she feels better not the abscess had burst too.
Click to expand...
Yes hopefully they flush the abcess out because theres still a small amount of pus in there.
 
Hope the vet can flush the abscess then show you how to do this at home and give her some strong antibiotics, vet treatment is never cheap but hopefully if you can flush the abscess out yourself with the vets advice this may be enough to help her on the road to recovery without surgery x
 
keep up that syringe feeding, she needs that food going through her gut, holding you both in my thoughts x
 
Update: Took rosie to the vet and the abcess has been flushed out and cleaned.
She's been provided with antibiotics and pain relief, hopefully get her an appointment at the cat and rabbit care clinic asap.
 
Nstheboss said:
Update: Took rosie to the vet and the abcess has been flushed out and cleaned.
She's been provided with antibiotics and pain relief, hopefully get her an appointment at the cat and rabbit care clinic asap.
Click to expand...
If you tell them how she's lost weight and you're really worried they might be able to fit you in as an emergency x
 
Nstheboss said:
Update: Took rosie to the vet and the abcess has been flushed out and cleaned.
She's been provided with antibiotics and pain relief, hopefully get her an appointment at the cat and rabbit care clinic asap.
Click to expand...

Glad you got her seen so quickly, but make sure the vets (whoever you see) shows you how to flush the abscess yourself too, it will need to be done once or twice daily I expect for a week or so.
(two person task I found... Very fidgety pig is easier with two :nod: )

The abscess needs to heal from the inside out, i flushed my Grace's with normal Baytril when she had one in her cheek. But saline solution is an alternative.

She was also having Zithromax orally as its a strong antibiotic that works well generally on abscesses (it didn't seem to lessen her appetite either :) )

Glad you asked the vet for a painkiller for a while too, if she's not in pain she's more likely to keep eating :)

Bet she feels so much better with it burst & less pressure on it :)

Healing vibes being sent your way. It's all looking more positive for her now :D
X
 
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