abscess help needed urgently

[ginger]

Hi
I need some advice fast if anyone can help. My gp Jade went in last week for treatment for a lump on her right cheek. After treatment she pulled through well, but I have been told teeth are fine but there are 3 puncture wounds that look like insect bites that 'may' have caused the infection. I have now been told that the puss is hardening inside her making a hard wall and they can't help. Basically it is going to poison her and stop her breathing, they said a time span of poss a week. She is happy and eating and I don't want to lose her. Can anyone suggest anything else please as this lump is getting bigger. She is on antibiotics & I have to clean the open wound daily but the antibiotics will end soon.

[Alice Rose]

I know surgery is very dangerous but have you considered that? =/ It seems a bit odd that the vet has just given up, are they an exotic pet vet? Some vets specialise in smaller animals such as guineapigs, and will know how to help more than other vets that may be more suited to cats and dogs etc.

[ginger]

Thanks for replying, I am desperate to try and help Jade before it is too late.

I haven't asked but doubt if they are an exotic vet, I will ring around tomorrow after work to see if I can find one in my area.

I just wish I could find some way of softening this pus inside her cheek to stop it hardening.

[Kayleigh]

Abcess's are horrible and even worse when they are in the facial area. A good vet should be able to remove most of the abcess and allow treatment for it. A friend of mine has just had her pigs absess removed and it was around his neck and throat area, preventing him breathing. They had managed to remove the abcess and all is going well.

It seems very odd the vet has just given up. I would phone around and try to find a vet who will surgically remove as much as they can. Keeping the absess clean and dry will help alot. Its not the nicest of jobs but it needs done.

You can use hibiscrub to clean the wound out and use a antibiotic cream on the outside to keep it germ free. If you squeeze the wound does the pus come out ok? If so keep this up until you can find a better vet

Best of luck

Kayleigh

[ginger]

Hi

No the pus seems to have all gone hard like a wall inside her wound from what I saw at the vets. They had to pick it out with tweezers what they could. Then they said it was spreading and basically I would need to decide what to do ie injection.

It just doesn't make sense that it can't be helped. Do you think they just don't want to put her under anaesthetic again?

[Kayleigh]

Its a difficult decision to make as sometimes guinea pigs can react badly to anaethesia but if you are willing to pay the fees ect then i would find a vet who will surgically remove it. It also depends how the pig is doing, eating, drinking, keeping weight and general wellbeing. If you are happy he is happy then i would keep cleaning the wound, use tweezers to remove the pus if you have too.

I have a pig who has a sebasious cyst, i need to clean this out every now and again and it involved squeezing it and cleaning it. This will never heal and he copes just fine with it. Its not in the facial area though so slightly different.

I did however have a sow who was prone to absess's, after 6 months of constant treatment and absess's appearing she gave up and enough was enough, I had her PTS.

So although they can be treated you have to think about the wellbeing of your pig. I would try and contact a local vet who has treated many guinea pigs and ask their opinion.

Kayleigh

[ginger]

Hi everyone-better news.
Just got back from seeing a new vet-trained in exotics.

Jade has a rotten, black tooth. He couldn't understand why the other vet hadn't spotted it but said maybe it wasn't bad then!!!!!

I would be interested to know if a tooth can go so bad in one week.

Anyway she is going in on Thursday morning, they are used to operating on guinea pigs and it is the exotic guy himself doing the op.

I know another op is still risky but I feel more hopeful, it's better than watching her die like the other vet said would happen in less than a week.
I will keep you posted re op. Thank you all so much for your advice.

[Alice Rose]

So happy that she will be okay! =) and I'm very glad you've found a better vet, I'm sure everything will be a lot better now with vet checks =)

[Kayleigh]

Its unlikey the tooth has gone rotten in a week. So i would say the other vet "missed" it. Im glad youve found a good exotic vet. I hope your pig pulls through.

Keep us posted.

Kayleigh

[Alice Rose]

Just told my mum and this is what she said --- "the first vet shouldn't have missed something that bad! I know piggies are small but surely a rotten tooth would be obvious =/ they need to be told they aren't up to scratch, imagine if you hadn't have asked on here and then realized it could have been fixed, you would have lost a great piggy! Thankfully you still have a chance with her!"

[barney]

Hi there
My female piggy had a facial abcess that was like golf ball...after 7 vets at different practices and two wrong operations i found a brilliant exotic vet at trinity vets in maidstone..straght away he found it was in her siliva glands and she is now totaly clear of it:) it has cost us 1000 pounds due to all the previous vets miss treating her!I really hope you get it sorted out:) best wishes

[ginger]

Thanks everyone
Yes Jade's is like a large golf ball now hanging off her chin poor thing. I can't wait for the next 48 hours to be over and know she is better and starting to recover from the op. I just hope by going to the other vets that I haven't left it too late, but the exotic vet yesterday did give us hope.