Jack with abscess

Post Reply
daj

Post   » Mon Feb 25, 2019 9:10 pm


Jack is an approx. 2 yr. old skinny pig. I noticed a lump on his lower jaw. It's probably been a few days in the making before I spotted it. The vet said it's not so big. She used a needle and removed some of the puss, but didn't do more as yet. She started him on Baytril. I gave him the first dose this afternoon. They crushed pills in grenadine. The bottle says 68mg and I am to give .5 ml twice a day. He weighed in at 2.11 lb., a bit chubby. She also gave Metacam .05mg/ml and prescribed .4 ml once per day. This is way low is it not? I have not noticed any indication he's in pain. His appetite is strong and his behavior is within normal. Does he need the Metacam too? She said give it a week and if the swelling is not down she will go the next step. Would appreciate any advice/info! Thx.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Mon Feb 25, 2019 9:42 pm


Metacam is also an anti-inflammatory, and that may be why she's giving it. I'd continue it. But do watch him for loss of appetite while he's on Baytril -- it can really make a pig totally uninterested in food. But pigs MUST eat, or they'll die. So if he stops eating on his own, you'll have to handfeed him.

But FYI, 2.11 pounds is not at all chubby.

daj

Post   » Tue Feb 26, 2019 8:15 am


OK, thank you. Can you tell me, is it known what they are typically caused by? The vet said possible injury. I am not so sure. Are we talking injury from inside the mouth or outside? Can it be from a needle like piece of hay while eating? How does an abscess occur?

daj

Post   » Tue Feb 26, 2019 8:31 am


Also, it was noticeably larger after the procedure. I would have thought it shouldn't have been touched except for being fully drained, but then I guess it needed to be definitively diagnosed. Are you in favor of being conservative and seeing if the meds alone work first?

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Tue Feb 26, 2019 8:58 am


Abscesses can occur from external (think hay poke or another pig bite), or internal (think abscessed wisdom tooth in your own mouth). There's really no way to know what caused it.

But if it was truly an abscess, it should have been lanced and drained, and either the capsule removed or the wound kept open and flushed so it could heal from the inside out. Antibiotic are not likely to clear up a wound with pus in it, because guinea pig pus is thick and cheesy, and the ABs won't penetrate it.

It also could be cervical lymphadenitis, which is highly contagious, and requires some precautions to keep it from spreading.

Was this an exotic vet? "Small animal" means dogs and cats when it comes to vets -- their training doesn't include the care of pocket pets like guinea pigs.

daj

Post   » Tue Feb 26, 2019 8:52 pm


I wonder if you are familiar with Fort-Diet hay from Kaytee? It's like needles. I use 50lb. boxes of Oxbow, which is very grassy. In a pinch I got Forti-Diet. and I noticed they seem to love it, so I've continued to use it regularly as a supplement and contrast to the Oxbow. Do you think such a hay raises the risks of injury? Is it best to avoid such hay due to the increased possibility of perforation/flesh wounds?

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Tue Feb 26, 2019 9:05 pm


I always use second or third cut timothy because it's softer and less coarse than first cut. Hay pokes are a real thing with guinea pigs -- we regularly hear of pigs that have been poked in the eye/nose/mouth, some of them with abscesses.

Kaytee is a pretty low-quality brand across the board with all their products. The only thing I've ever used that I've been happy with is a water bottle.

daj

Post   » Tue Feb 26, 2019 11:00 pm


Got it. I agree on Kaytee. And especially on the water bottle though. I had one where the ball bearing was lodged tight and not allowing water to pass. Fortunately I realized it before too long. I'll never use a Kaytee bottle again. I now have All living Things bottles. They seem the best I've seen. I will stop the hay too now.

daj

Post   » Wed Feb 27, 2019 9:05 am


I wonder if you can recommend another brand of hay? I am concerned about menu fatigue (I stick within a strictly limited range of vegetables due to fear of stones) and having some variety in the hay gets them to eat a lot more of it. As I mentioned, Oxbow Timothy is our staple. the Kaytee they love, but it's not worth the risk of injury, so I'll discontinue it. Can you tell me what brand(s) you use?

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Wed Feb 27, 2019 9:35 am


I've used Small Pet Select for several years. I order the largest box so shipping is free, and it lasts for months. American Pet Diner is also excellent. And it used to be possible to get large boxes of Oxbow, which were fresher than the pet store bags, if you ordered them from a feed or pet store. I don't know if they still do that.

But hay is hay is hay, as long as it's fresh. Brands mean nothing. The types of hay differ from each other, but so long as you're feeding a grass hay (timothy, orchard, meadow, blue, brome), there should be no problem. But I have to say, in all my years of having guinea pigs, I've never even thought dietary fatigue.

daj

Post   » Wed Feb 27, 2019 10:43 pm


Thanks for the recommendations. I've been getting those 50lb. boxes of Oxbow Timothy from Walmart for under $65 delivered. I'll have to look into some of those other varieties.
Today Jack has some blood and pus visible. The vet was off today, so she is supposed to call me tomorrow. I dabbed the surface with a salt solution and some peroxide, though I can't imagine that accomplishes much. The size has not changed much. I started him on the Baytril Monday afternoon. He is still normal in all other respects as far as I can tell: poops, peeps, appetite, perkiness. I suppose the best thing now is getting it drained. It hasn't been determined if it is dental in origin. Is an x-ray necessary for that? I certainly hope it is not affecting his teeth. He shows no signs of chewing difficulty.

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Feb 27, 2019 10:50 pm


Ask your vet tomorrow if you should try flushing the area with a warm sterile saline solution to help clear the area of pus. I can't quite visualize the abscess but with many types of abscesses, flushing daily a couple times with warm sterile saline can help remove the pus and allow it to heal from the inside out. Peroxide is not recommended these days as it kills healthy cells, slowing the healing process.

Post Reply