Post Neutering Abscess

[Cherry Berry]

Hello Piggie Parents,

I hope you and your little ones are doing great.

My two guinea pigs Cherry and Berry were neutered in November 2022 (by Anne Nelson Vets) and now they live separately with their new partners Cookie and Oreo for a month.

Berry has got an abscess now. I took him to the Goddard Veterinary Group Ewell (they have 3 exotic vets) yesterday. They prescribed him antibiotics for a week along with Metacam. Today afternoon when I just came into his room it was smelling awful when I checked him the abscess was bitten and all the pus came out. I took him immediately back to the vet.

She cleaned him and said that the wound has to be kept open and she prescribed filling it with Aniwell Active Manuka Honey. His samples are sent to a lab for testing. She has also mentioned that the piggies need not be separated as long as they don't groom each other therefore I have not separated him from Cookie as they are doing okay.

Could you please help me with the following questions:
1. Does the abscess have to be open for it to recover internally or can't it be band-aided?
2. The Manua Honey is really thick and really fill it in the syringe any advice on how can I fill it in to keep the wound open?
3. How long does it take for an abscess to recover?

Berry is doing normal still popcorning and eating normally.

Thanks a lot in advance.

 

[VickiA]

I’m so sorry to hear that once has a post neuter abscess. Sadly it’s not uncommon for piggies to develop abscesses after surgery. I’ve not got loads of experience of abscesses, but the one thing I do know is that they do need to be left open and flushed out each day. If it closes over, you need to remove the scab and then keep flushing so that it clears out all the infection. If it closes over before the infection is fully gone, then it will simply re-fill with pus. Unfortunately abscess pus does smell disgusting.
I’ve no experience of Manuka honey for abscess treatment.

 

[Claire W]

I am very sorry that Berry has a post neuter abscess. I’ve no experience with abscesses but I have used manuka honey and I just used a cotton bud or my finger to apply it as like you say, it’s too thick to syringe it

 

[Cherry Berry]

can it be melted just a bit so that it goes in the syringe I won't put it warm in? The reason I am asking is that the vet has said to put three syringes in twice and I am not sure how would I measure it with a cotton bud.

 

[Cherry Berry]

can it be melted just a bit so that it goes in the syringe I won't put it warm in? The reason I am asking is that the vet has said to put three syringes in twice and I am not sure how would I measure it with a cotton bud.

it was my bad I just filled Berry's wound and realised it is small it is not 3 syringes full it is just 3 small sizes pushed with a syringe or cotton bud. So looks manageable phew. I am sorry I have never done this before so please ignore my silliness

 

[Claire W]

You’re not being silly at all I’m glad you’ve figured it out

 

[VickiA]

it was my bad I just filled Berry's wound and realised it is small it is not 3 syringes full it is just 3 small sizes pushed with a syringe or cotton bud. So looks manageable phew. I am sorry I have never done this before so please ignore my silliness

Not silly at all. Always a good idea to ask if you are unsure. We don’t mind at all - we don’t always know the answer immediately but can often find out.

 

[Cherry Berry]

Thanks a lot for being so supportive. He is doing well so far which is good to see