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Jaw abscess has returned

I’ve got a proposition for you. Well two actually.

I can either offer boarding, so this little guy can see Simon more regularly and hopefully we can get this nasty abscess resolved. This will be offered through my pet care business.

Or

I can offer him a permanent place at TEAS and we will do all we can to get him better.
 
bless your little man, i’m so sorry both him and you are having to go through this, it must be so hard. wishing him healing vibes and hopefully you can get this problem sorted. that is such a lovely offer @furryfriends (TEAS) !
 
I’ve just caught up @piggydobz, I’m so sorry you’re all having such a tough time, I know what a nightmare these abscesses can be! (Just finished flushing a lymph node in neck one with my Luigi!)
My Pedro the chinchilla had a burst retrobulbar abscess in 2018 and I spent a year flushing, draining and feeding, it does get to you when it’s nonstop. He had similar when his eye socket healed (that was open for months and I was flushing), a lump came up by his temple/eye, which I then had to drain too after Simon cut a small hole in for me to deal with.
He eventually ate for himself (only mushy food though as had bad teeth afterwards) but I’m lucky I have epilepsy and was home all day to care for him, it must be very tough for you.
I really hope you can get on top of it, or Debbie and TEAS can help :) (My pair Luigi and Lolo highly recommend boarding with Debbie, they stayed for a week last year after Lolo’s spay and had a lovely time!)
Sending you and him masses of good luck and healing vibes and a huge hug x
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
I’ve got a proposition for you. Well two actually.

I can either offer boarding, so this little guy can see Simon more regularly and hopefully we can get this nasty abscess resolved. This will be offered through my pet care business.

Or

I can offer him a permanent place at TEAS and we will do all we can to get him better.
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Thank you so much for the kind offer, I will get back to you privately soon if things don’t improve any more / we’re out our wits end. I’ll have a word with my partner.

I definitely think he needs another drain, but that’s alright we don’t mind dealing with that. It’s the feeding part that is taking over our lives! I’m beginning to think it’s just him being awkward / picky eater because he was the worst back when he was healthy, it seems to have elevated to a new extreme now.

He will only eat if he’s sat on my lap, with a certain soft thing under him, with his dad sat in one particular position. No one believes us when we say how picky he is. Video evidence 🤦🏻‍♀️

iCloud

iCloud
 
Hey everyone, just a quick update for anyone interested on the thread.

Oscar has been through some ups and downs. He’s eating a very small amount of hay again hooray, but not enough to sustain himself without regular syringe feeding. He also looks forward to and begs for treats, particularly green leafy stuff that’s easy to nibble. His abscess wounds are considerably less messy, still producing a bit of pus but nowhere near as much. His bumblefoot is slowly improving foot by foot, only two left to heal up.

However despite all the improvements, things have took a bit of a turn, in terms of long term prognosis. We noticed a small hard lump in one of his wounds a week ago, which we assumed was dried pus or a skin flap. But upon further inspection from Kim and Simon, it was actually a large fragment of his jaw bone that has died, broken away and pushed itself out. See pic, fyi it’s not too gruesome.

So it looks like the infection has reached the bone 😢 and from here it could go either way. Either that was the only piece and now it’s out, it will heal up and we can get him to as close to normal as possible - he may always have a weak jaw so diet will need to be adjusted. Or it is still a deep bone infection that will cause further damage and fragmentation… in which case euthanasia would be our only option.

I’m so sad as it really did feel like he was improving in himself, his mood has been so different the last few weeks. This latest news has left us feeling a bit lost.

Fingers and paws crossed for my little man. He has fought so hard 😔
 

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furryfriends (TEAS) said:
This could be good news. Try not to feel too despondent, as it just might be the turning point. He’s clearly not ready to give up! I’ll keep everything crossed for him xx
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Thank you. We really hope so. Always a bit scary when the vet mentions a ‘tough decision’ might be on the way! Kim said it was the worst case she’s seen with the bone fragment. Praying to the piggy gods for a medical miracle ! xx
 
Hey

My poor boy Oscar has fought so hard against an evil jaw abscess. But after 3 weeks of thinking he was better, the vets noticed pus in his mouth… meaning the abscess is making a return.

She doesn’t think it’s fair on him to go through it all again, especially as the antibiotics made him feel so miserable. So now we only really have pain relief left, and when it inevitably balloons up again I don’t know what they will suggest.

I can’t help feeling that it’s giving up on him, when we were so close to getting rid of it. If you could have seen him literally 2 hrs before the vets appointment, he was running around loving life popcorning and being silly. Even on the car ride there he was being naughty and biting fingers through the carrier case.

Then when he came back from having his teeth trimmed, he’s a different pig. Jaw is massively swollen (not sure if it’s muscle or pus) and he’s miserable again. I guess being faffed with does upset them a bit.

I don’t mind feeding him or flushing him til the end of his days, when he’s still begging for treats and being silly… it just seems wrong to put to sleep when he’s still so lively. But the thought that if in a week this lump will be too big, and the vet will refuse to treat it, is filling me with anxiety.

I’ve never had to make the decision before and it’s tearing me up. My heart hurts.

Advice?
 
I’m so sorry to hear of your situation.

Is there another vet practice you can try for a second opinion? That would certainly be what I would do before considering anything else.
Perhaps you could get a referral to Cat & Rabbit clinic in Northampton (although I understand from another post that Simon and Kim are on holiday for a week or so now)
 
Remember that you always know your own piggy best.
I agree with looking for a second opinion too, as sometimes new eyes can give a new perspective.
Ultimately you should listen to the vet, but be guided by what you see as the main carer for your pig.
 
I’ve just realised this is connected to your other post about the jaw abscess and that you are already seeing Simon and Kim. I’m will merge this post with your other thread so all the information remains in one place
 
Piggies&buns said:
I’ve just realised this is connected to your other post about the jaw abscess and that you are already seeing Simon and Kim. I’m will merge this post with your other thread so all the information remains in one place
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Ah thanks, yes this is Kim’s recommendation. I always find we get on better with Simon, But we can’t choose who we see unfortunately. And if the experts don’t know what else to try, I don’t know what anyone else is going to say.

Simon did mention that sometimes abscesses can just permanently drain, so I don’t know if that’s an option. Whether it’s fair on him, I don’t know what’s fair on him to be honest.

We’ve only ever had pets pts when they were already on their way, never as a last resort to something that just won’t heal. I can’t make a decision this early, it doesn’t seem right 😢

3 weeks ago there was no pus at all, no lump, his wounds healed up and he was making great progress. We just thought he just needed a final teeth trim and he’d be signed off. But this news have devastated me.
 
Our next closest specialist vet is The Guinea Pig Vet in Derbyshire, not sure whether it’s worth a second opinion there. Or if it will just stress him out. Ugh.
 
I am so sorry after all his marvellous progress and him looking so good the abscess has returned. They really are the most horrible things to get around their teeth and jaws. Please go with your heart, you know him best and if you feel you need a second opinion that may help you and ease your mind :hug:
 
I’m so sorry to hear this. You and Oscar have battled so hard for so long. My Pepper has a tooth root abscess at the moment. We’ve been to Cat and Rabbit. They truly are amazing. I’ve no further advice just wanted to send a hug 🤗 to you and healing vibes to Oscar. ❤️
 
His lump has swollen since Thursday, but not growing really really fast. We’re heading back to the vets today to see Allie (?) as The Maddocks are on holiday now for a few weeks. Hopefully she can drain it and get him back on the antibiotics. One last ditch attempt to get it under control. We decided we would feel too bad if we didn’t give it another try. Although we are very aware he probably won’t ever get better. Hoping we can keep him comfortable, so we can cuddle and spoil him for a couple more weeks.
 
The Maddock’s are only off for a week. They’re back in work on the 8th. I’ve currently got a piggy boarding, who needs his abscess squeezing every other day and he has a good quality of life. Did you try the marbocyl and metronidazole combination of antibiotics? By the way you can ask specifically for Simon.
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
The Maddock’s are only off for a week. They’re back in work on the 8th. I’ve currently got a piggy boarding, who needs his abscess squeezing every other day and he has a good quality of life. Did you try the marbocyl and metronidazole combination of antibiotics? By the way you can ask specifically for Simon.Yes he’s been on the Marbocyl / metronidazole combo for roughly 4 months. His abscess has been lanced about 3 times since the initial surgery.
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Ah that’s good to know, we couldn’t get in til the 18th with them and not sure who it’s with.

Since coming back from another lancing, his mood has changed again - he has been out eating hay and marigolds, currently enjoying treats. He’s even found the energy to sort himself out if, you know what I mean 🤦🏻‍♀️
He’s just on metronidazole now, with metacam and tramadol to keep him comfortable.

We don’t mind the flushing or even the syringe feeding as long as he’s still lively and happy enough. We know he’s unlikely to make a full recovery but it’s hard to know what to do when his behaviour is so up and down !
 
piggydobz said:
Ah that’s good to know, we couldn’t get in til the 18th with them and not sure who it’s with.

Since coming back from another lancing, his mood has changed again - he has been out eating hay and marigolds, currently enjoying treats. He’s even found the energy to sort himself out if, you know what I mean 🤦🏻‍♀️
He’s just on metronidazole now, with metacam and tramadol to keep him comfortable.

We don’t mind the flushing or even the syringe feeding as long as he’s still lively and happy enough. We know he’s unlikely to make a full recovery but it’s hard to know what to do when his behaviour is so up and down !
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Aw you’ve had such a hard time, I hope the abscess eventually resolves and your little man regains his strength. You are doing a great job, hang in there x
 
Ahhhh - panicking slightly! We just went o flush and there’s a gaping hole in his cheek, a bit of skin from where she lanced it has been pulled off. It’s almost like his original wound from the surgery, but in a different place. We’ve got saline solution etc but do we need to do anything else?! Not bleeding or anything. I guess it’ll be easy to flush now?!
 
Oh no its never ending. I’ve no advice to give other than keep it clean and call the vets in the morning. It’s good that it’s not bleeding I suppose. Good luck.
 
piggydobz said:
Ahhhh - panicking slightly! We just went o flush and there’s a gaping hole in his cheek, a bit of skin from where she lanced it has been pulled off. It’s almost like his original wound from the surgery, but in a different place. We’ve got saline solution etc but do we need to do anything else?! Not bleeding or anything. I guess it’ll be easy to flush now?!
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Don’t worry! It’ll be fine! I always remember Simon taking one out the back to flush and then bringing him back with a gaping hole saying don’t worry, part of his face has fallen off, but that’s okay because it now looks nice and healthy! The piggy actually healed up beautifully!
 
weepweeps said:
Oh no its never ending. I’ve no advice to give other than keep it clean and call the vets in the morning. It’s good that it’s not bleeding I suppose. Good luck.
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Tell me about it lol!

furryfriends (TEAS) said:
Don’t worry! It’ll be fine! I always remember Simon taking one out the back to flush and then bringing him back with a gaping hole saying don’t worry, part of his face has fallen off, but that’s okay because it now looks nice and healthy! The piggy actually healed up beautifully!
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So gruesome! He doesn’t seem to bothered about it so I don’t think it hurts too much 🤷🏻‍♀️ He’s playing with a ball now as if nothings happened 😂
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
As a child I was so squeamish, but running TEAS and dealing with all these gruesome issues and abscesses, nothing fazes me! 😂
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It looks like there’s a bit of thicker pus right in the back pocket of it, but we can’t get it out with flushing. It’s flapping about still attached to something. He won’t let us put anything in there to get it, so not sure what else we can do. Is it ok to leave in there and hope that the salt dries it out enough for next time?
 
piggydobz said:
It looks like there’s a bit of thicker pus right in the back pocket of it, but we can’t get it out with flushing. It’s flapping about still attached to something. He won’t let us put anything in there to get it, so not sure what else we can do. Is it ok to leave in there and hope that the salt dries it out enough for next time?
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Are you sure it's pus? Does it smell? I would leave it for now, rather than risk making him sore xx
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
Are you sure it's pus? Does it smell? I would leave it for now, rather than risk making him sore xx
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Can’t get a good picture of it cos he loves to sniff the camera, but we’re not sure. It looks like pus, it’s the same creamy colour but it’s sticky rather than liquidy/cheesy ? Unless it’s just inside tissue, I’ve no idea. We’ve give it a rest for now. There’s no way we can get it out, it’s stuck to the insides we would need a jet wash ! Hopefully if it is pus the salt will kill it off and it’ll eventually come out with a few more strong flushes a bit later.
 
piggydobz said:
Can’t get a good picture of it cos he loves to sniff the camera, but we’re not sure. It looks like pus, it’s the same creamy colour but it’s sticky rather than liquidy/cheesy ? Unless it’s just inside tissue, I’ve no idea. We’ve give it a rest for now. There’s no way we can get it out, it’s stuck to the insides we would need a jet wash ! Hopefully if it is pus the salt will kill it off and it’ll eventually come out with a few more strong flushes a bit later.
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You’re doing a great job! I think you’ve earned the abscess queen crown! 😀 I’ll happily hand it over to you! 🤣
 
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