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Does an abscess need anti-biotics?

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hils78

Following on from another thread I started re a piggy I'm looking after...I have just given her a daily check and noticed the abscess that was operated on /removed 3 weeks ago has filled with puss. Now I have gently squeezed it & got out as much gunk (it was a bit smelly & I am still trying not to heave) as possible left it for a bit to refill & did it again. I've bathed it with salt water too. She seems alot happier too. And she lept on the purple sprouting brocolli I had forked out a small fortune for for my lunch! I am seriously glad she did because she's a delicate little thing. I weighed her and she's 820g. Which I consider small for her frame.
I have noticed over the past 2 days a VERY slight head tilt away from the abscess site - so this must have been the reason for that. As the abscess is in an area which I would call 'worrying' on her neck near her throat I can't mess around with this. Do I need to give her anti-biotics? I am quite happy bathing it with salt water for as long as I need to etc.
 
:)Yes! With all those toxins around she definitely needs 0.4ml of baytril x2 daily. This should combat anything that may get into her bloodstream. Just what I would want for my pigs...
 
Antibiotics and pro biotics for sure.

If you can get hold of some hibiscrub from the pharmacy it is wonderful for flushing abcesses...

Hope she is on the mend soon.
 
starshine said:
Antibiotics and pro biotics for sure.

If you can get hold of some hibiscrub from the pharmacy it is wonderful for flushing abcesses...

Hope she is on the mend soon.
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I can get some Hibiscrub from the dentist where I work ;)
 
I get mine from the dentist too if I need it!

My mum is a dental nurse ;)

Definately worth having in the medical kit!
 
starshine said:
I get mine from the dentist too if I need it!

My mum is a dental nurse ;)

Definately worth having in the medical kit!
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lol so true,I'm just the cleaner there but i get to have fun picking up the bits of broken teeth that have been yanked out when everyones gone at night
 
my poor little girl.. I do hope she gets better soon.. :-\

How do you guys wash the abcess out anyway? Fill a syringe with saltwater and sort of spray it into / onto the abcess? Or do you actually get the cotton wool out and properly dab the bugger?
 
I have given her some Calpol just now to help with any pain she might be in - & she pinched the syringe from me 0:) I am about to give her some Critical Care because I am really quite shocked at how little she weighs. I am now bedding her on the 'lovely' vet bed incase she gets any Megazorb in her abscess.
Tomorrow Starshine will be coming over to give her the once over because I've been told she's the 'abscess expert'! The more I am dealing with this little pig the more worried I am about her with this nasty on her neck. I'm really concerned about this abscess being near her throat so getting this sorted is very important so that it isn't an ongoing problem.
At least its being delt with 8)
 
Abnoba said:
my poor little girl.. I do hope she gets better soon.. :-\

How do you guys wash the abcess out anyway? Fill a syringe with saltwater and sort of spray it into / onto the abcess? Or do you actually get the cotton wool out and properly dab the bugger?
Click to expand...

I use a Canula to flush out the deep ones and the vet usually gives me sterile water. I find syringes too big after a while and you can't get deep enough into them. Depends on the abscess and where it is I suppose. Nibbles had one in her abdomen and that couldn't have been done with just a syringe I'd never have got the pus out.
 
She seems alot better in herself since cleaning it out. It is a bit of a difficult angle to get at I brought a couple of £1 aprons which are waterproof backed material especially for the job because I have to sit her on my knee to do it, trying to get a pig to lift its head to access an abscess requires some skill which I am still quite unpractised in!
 
A Canula is the plastic bit that goes on the end of a syringe (effectively making it smaller) when a drip is used. I'm sure there are other uses but I only use them for abscesses and keep a supply in especially for them ::) It has a long thin plastic tube that gets the liquid that bit further. :)
 
one of my piggies had an absess in the same area, apparently they can be caused by sharp hay or straw puncturing the throat on the inside. definatly needs antibiotics.
hope she gets better soon
 
I have a set of small animal teats which I brought when i got the swamp pigs incase I needed to hand rear anything. One of those (because I had to buy the whole freakin kit) is minute & can be attatched to a syringe. It would certainly make a smaller end than just a syringe....
 
Try it and see. It might be more hassle than its worth but you won't know till you try :)
 
Best of luck Hils i know what it's like for them to have abscess they're nasty and can return easily :(
Healing wheeks to the little one :smitten:
 
I tried & its pretty useless! I weighed her just before I fed her this morning & she's put on stacks of weight - she's 860ish today :D which is really encouraging! I didn't know that they could put it on so fast :o Unless I'm being really dippy or my scales aren't working. But she certainly feels more solid.
I attempted to flush the abscess today & got a bit out it feels quite deep like a point going in. It isn't as gunky as yesterday and she is comfortable enough to raise her head when her chin is tickled :smitten:
 
I don't know if I like the title 'abscess expert' - I have certainly seen a few though so I'll do my best for this little lady!

Sounds like she is doing really well - look forward to meeting her later on!

PS - Rapid weight gain like that is normal if they have been very thin previously.
 
any news on my little piggy?
Has starshine been at your place, Hilary?

Btw if you feel like you have to buy anything special that would help her treatment, feel free, just send me the bill.
I am really grateful you are doing this. O0
 
Erm well, Starshine has taken (not so) Lilac Lady back with her for a stint at her rodentologist. She spent ages softening & flushing the abscess but there was alot of real thick gunk at the bottom of it & wasn't too sure it was all out. Because the abscess is deep seated and not very open, and where it is - I think that a rodentologist is the best bet (I have said any costs on me btw!). Hopefully this new course of antibiotics & keeping it open will prevent her going under the knife again. I am looking at this as positive news - she just might be a long time coming for you Ulrike. I just don't want to pass on a poorley pig what with our past record (Pebbles)!

A big thanks to Starshine & Beks on this one.
Hx
 
Anytime - we need to get the lovely little lady well!

She needs very special care with the location and depth of the abscess bless her - hopefully working together we can get her right but I think it will be a long haul....

The last thing anyone wants is for it to get chronic like manky Bob!
 
Good luck we'll have our paws crossed for her :-* :-* :-* Poor little love i didn't realise it was one of those deep seated ones, yep antibiotics and draining a real def O0
 
A big thanks to Starshine & Beks on this one.
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All the thanks go to Kate on this one I'm afraid, she's the one that removed the 'gunk' last night and is now nursing her, poorly baby that she is! :(

I could smell tsp all night on my hands, I washed them loads but it wouldn't go! ::)
 
awww poor baby abcesses are evil aren't they? no doubt she will be on the mend very soon basically its keeping the pus from coming back with flushing and A/Bs not nice but very necesssary I use hibiscrub on mine, love the smell as well 98)
 
My 'step-daughter' (who's 21!) works about 30 seconds walk away from me at a dentist & she's got me some - albeit a bit late!
For future reference how do you use the stuff on an abscess? its a very pretty pink!
 
Dilute in water like I did with the TCP and use it to flush it out!

Works wonders - well worth having in stock!
 
:'(

my poor little baby. I am very very grateful you are all doing this and helping..
was very much hoping to have her home with me tomorrow afternoon,
but that wont happen for some time now by the sounds of it :-\

I didnt realise she was that poorly.. well at least she is eating and drinking fine, so it just seems like this abcess wont heal properly, without effecting her health too badly.. but mind you, if you lot wouldnt drain it all the time, it probably would get so big that she would start having problems swallowing.

Oh I do feel sorry for her. Please keep me updated on how she is doing :-\
 
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