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Treated a large abscess at the vet

Hairy

New Born Pup
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Oct 12, 2018
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Hi, I would like to share my experience after having a traumatic experience for one of my 2 guinea pigs (brothers). After coming home from work one evening, I immediately went to greet the 2 animals hello and do a visual inspection on their status, when I got a big shock!

One of the pigs had a large balloon shape (size similar to a walnut) on the right side below the jaw and further back on the right side of the body. First reaction was to freak out, but then had to google this and found several articles and reports about similar cases, labeled "abscess". This can be caused from a bacteria infection, either from an open wound or something they eat. The pig was also walking unnatural due to the large size of the abscess. There are some gross videos on youtube about how this is treated.

Next morning I contacted my regular vet, but they didn't have any spare time. The abscess looked really unpleasant and luckily there was another vet which could take an appointment 1 hour later. I brought both pigs so they keep each other with company and support. After a short chat and discussion with the vet, they decided to do a quick surgery without anesthesia! Not sure what to say, so I accepted it. After shaving off some hair and a quick syringe test, it was confirmed that the content of the balloon was white/yellow puss. The surgery continued with extracting and flushing out all the content from a small cut in the skin. The poor pig shrieked the whole time. Are there no possibility for local anesthesia? I got real dizzy from the impressions and didn't find time to argue or discuss during the surgery. Luckily it was a short process. The result was very successful and the large abscess was removed. Finally the pig got antibiotic to remove the infection.

Afterwards, the vet told me to keep the wound open and squeeze out any remaining puss. The pig was bloody and in complete shock. He wouldn't touch any veggies the following week, lost some weight and only ate a little hay. I managed to keep the wound open a couple of days, only managing to squeeze out minor amounts of puss. Didn't know how hard to squeeze, and the wound healed and sealed shut afterwards. There were still a small lump inside for the next days, but it eventually grew smaller. And now he's active again, eating veggies and going outside his house.

Looks like this ordeal ended well! Not something I would recommend others to experience, but if you notice a big lump, better get it treated! And this abscess developed quick, it couldn't have been more than a couple of days before discovery where I lifted the pig and did not notice anything unusual.

...and happy new year too!
 
So sorry to hear of your awful experience. One of mine had a retrobulbar abscess that pushed his eye out. Very unpleasant but we treated him and got him through it!
I'm so very happy to hear that you’re boy is now on the mend 😊
 
Glad to hear he’s now on the mend. Sorry your boy had to suffer with no anaesthesia. That is something I would complain about, even retrospectively. I think at the time you were too worried and shocked to do anything about it.

Enjoy your by being back to his usual self. Please can you also add your location to your profile - county/state or country is enough. It makes it easier when info may need to be tailored.
 
Glad it got treated- just keep a close eye on it, as they can refill. I've had a couple nasty abscesses on my pigs, they are not fun to deal with!
 
Poor you.
Abscesses are horrible to deal with.
Glad that all is well now.
They can grow very fast and can recur so keep an eye on it.
 
Aw what a shock, sending hugs x
Hope little piggie makes a full recovery ☺️
 
Thanks all, what a kind forum! The pig is now active and eating as normal. Eating veggies every day with good apetite. Still lost weight, but expect that to return. I've picked him up daily and felt below his jaw and can no longer notice any lump inside there. His hair is also slowly growing back from being shaved at the vet.

IMG_20210106_015936.jpgIMG_20210106_015918.jpg
IMG_20210106_015859.jpg
His brother was too lazy/shy to come out for the photo.

Happy new year and may your pets stay healthy.
 
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