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Post by fudgeandsmudge on Nov 2, 2012 20:01:56 GMT
Hi all,
I noticed a couple of days ago that my sow Fudge was looking a bit chunky round the neck area and thought first of all that i must start to feed her a little less as she's getting really fat! She is quite a chunky girl anyway compared to my other pigs!
Yesterday her neck looked huge and so i got her out today to have a good feel around. It looks a bit smaller today which is odd. I can feel a big fleshy lump in her neck area. It doesn't hurt her and she's eating and drinking as usual.
Do you think it's an absess? Is she in danger? It's not bothering her at all but do i need to rush her to vets?
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Post by Kayleigh on Nov 2, 2012 20:07:48 GMT
Sounds like an absess yes! Will need vet checked and lanced asap especially if its in her neck area. No initial rush, but i wouldnt wait too long.
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Post by fudgeandsmudge on Nov 3, 2012 20:39:47 GMT
Been to vet this morning and it is an absess. They said that these are really hard to get rid of and very often reoccur. We have started on antibiotics at the moment as it had looked like it had gone slightly down this morning. If no better by next week may have to have it lanced. I don't think i like the idea of having to squeeze out the puss every day! Really hoping it goes with the medicine. Got two types of medicine to give her and managed quite well seeing as she hates the Baytril.
What happens if it doesn't go and keeps coming back? She's much quieter thean usual this evening but i suppose she has had a traumatic day going to vets.
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Post by Kayleigh on Nov 3, 2012 21:32:16 GMT
Sadly abcesses do reoccur and facially/neck ones are the worst. I had a sow suffer from them for 6 months in the end she gave up fighting so i had no choice but to get her pts.
But they can be sorted, keep the area clean, hopefully you have caught it in time. If it enlarges it will need lanced , the vet should do this for you if you arent comfortable doing it.
Ensure the pig keeps eating and drinking, hopefully it isnt effecting the breathing.
Keep a close eye
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Post by lisa21264 on Nov 4, 2012 0:07:59 GMT
I hope Fudge recovers quickly. Sending good thoughts and prayers her way.
Lisa and Terra
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Post by fudgeandsmudge on Nov 4, 2012 17:47:40 GMT
Thank you that's so kind. I think it looks slightly smaller today and she is taking her meds so well. Still eating and drinking well too!
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Post by fudgeandsmudge on Nov 6, 2012 17:08:17 GMT
2 days later and it doesn't seem to be going down any more!! Not looking good! Does it hurt them to have it lanced and keep squeezing pus out every day? Not sure what to do next. Only one more day of antibiotics left.
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Post by Kayleigh on Nov 6, 2012 17:47:21 GMT
Yes its a little painful for them. I wouldnt squeeze it yourself yet. It will need lanced 100% then once its open and empty you will need to keep it clean. Absess's arent the most pleasant thing.
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Post by Orlaith on Nov 6, 2012 18:13:12 GMT
My boy Xander had an abscess on his belly and we had to get it lanced at the emergency vet because it got MASSIVE and really hot overnight. Then the following day out regular vet cut a big hole in it and squeezed all the bad stuff out and washed the wound out with surgical cleaner and antibiotics. Then we had to squeeze it and wash it every day and keep it open, which wasn't nice at all. Xander cried a lot and sometimes we had to open it when it was trying to close itself up. Nothing was really coming out and then one day a lot of really gross grey hard stuff came out, which was the lining of the abscess, and after that we let the wound close and there have been no problems since. It wasn't a nice experience for us or for Xander, so I empathise a lot.
We were lucky with the location of his, but around the neck is tricky. One of my girls had a lump in her neck a few months ago and my vet was very reluctant to operate. In the end he agreed to lance it, but he wouldn't do a full removal or open it up like Xander's because the neck is so full of blood vessels and nerves. It depends on how confident your vet is, though, and the exact location of the abscess. A course of antibiotics helped reduce the size a lot, though, so mention this to your vet when you go.
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Post by fudgeandsmudge on Nov 7, 2012 21:15:00 GMT
Thanks guys for the info. I'm not convinced antibiotics are doing much as it still seems the same size and nearly through the medicine. I just really nervous of what i'm going to have to do once the absess gets lanced. Hoping i've got the stomach to squeeze it and try and keep wound open!!!! But i know the only other option is to put her to sleep which is such a shame. She's only one tomorrow!! It's her birthday! Maybe if the vets gets all the pus out and i just have to keep it clean and not let it heal i could do that! Will take her back to vets saturday morning. She must feel so rotten with all that pus in her little system!
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Post by fudgeandsmudge on Nov 10, 2012 11:47:45 GMT
Fudge been taken in this morning to have her absess lanced. She's been quite quiet last couple of days. They're going to ring me when it's done to go get her. They're having to give her anaesthetic to do it as it's in such an awkward place on her neck and they have to be careful of the blood vessels, wind pipe etc.
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Post by Kayleigh on Nov 10, 2012 12:18:26 GMT
Oh i hope shes ok. Let us know how it goes. Fingers crossed!!
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Post by Orlaith on Nov 10, 2012 22:51:32 GMT
Best of luck to Fudge. I hope she goes well.
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Post by fudgeandsmudge on Nov 11, 2012 21:37:18 GMT
Operation was a success and i've got her back her home now. They've taken all the pus out and flushed it out. She took a while to get over the anaesthetic and was very sleepy. She's just started eating and drinking again. Her cage mate Smudge is sniffing her neck all the time which is making me cringe as there is a cm hole in her neck!!
I've just had a go at flushing out the absess as my vet said i have to flush it out 3 times a day. I managed to push the syringe into the hole in her neck ok and alot of the flushing fluid did just come straight back out. The thing i found really hard was trying to squeeze the excess fluid back out of her absess. I went really hot and felt sick and had to sit down for a bit! I'm hoping any more will just trickle out now as i can't do it again tonight as i don't think i could do it again yet.
Oh my! The things we do for our piggies! Please pray i can do this!! Do you think it will be ok if i don't get the fluid out? It must trickle out??? I'm also really worried the wound will get infected as its so open. Please any hints and tips for anyone who has done this will really help.
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Post by Orlaith on Nov 11, 2012 23:37:29 GMT
It's probably best to keep squeezing and try to get stuff out. I know it's not a nice job. Have you anyone you could ask to help you do it?
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tatiepot
Adult Piggy
Miss winnebago!
Posts: 176
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Post by tatiepot on Nov 12, 2012 8:00:23 GMT
My sisters boar, Aang developed an abcess on his rump and the vet lanced this for her too. It wasn't pleasant having to clean the open wound out but i guess its really important. Luckily with aangs wound their wasn't much pus to squeeze out but keeping it open was a little gruesome. It has taken several months to fully heal up but its looking great now. She was given hibiscrub to flush the wound with and i have been told this is best diluted down as the undiluted scrub can damage healthy skin and hair as its strong. Good luck with your sow x
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Post by fudgeandsmudge on Nov 12, 2012 8:12:12 GMT
Yes that's what i've been given to flush it with. I have to dilute it down. She's much brighter today. I'm about to try again in an hour. I'm sure i will get better the more i do it. I'd better not have my breakfast first though!
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Post by fudgeandsmudge on Nov 12, 2012 9:11:23 GMT
Just managed to do it again. I didn't feel quite so sick today! I tried to squeeze a bit more today but nothing is coming out. Am i doing it right do you think or maybe there is no pus in there as it's only just been cleaned out? I suppose the more often i do it the less chance there will be of any pus as it will be cleaned by the fluid. I think if any thing did come out i'd pass out ha ha!
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Post by Kayleigh on Nov 12, 2012 12:15:40 GMT
No pus is good, means your keeping it clean. Its not nice but it will clear up. Its better being open as air can get to it to heal. And if an infection shows up you will catch it and can sort it.
Its not a nice job but well done for doing i
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Post by Orlaith on Nov 12, 2012 14:34:29 GMT
No pus is great! There shouldn't be much anyway because the vet has cleared it all out, but it's just important to get any new pus out. If there's no pus then fingers crossed the infection is cleared. Keep going as directed, just in case, though. As I said with Xander, we had nothing for days and then a tonne of stuff came out.
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Post by fudgeandsmudge on Nov 12, 2012 15:23:51 GMT
Thanks so much for your support! So great to have you to share this with and get encouragement!! Will keep you posted.
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Post by fudgeandsmudge on Nov 15, 2012 9:14:11 GMT
Four days after the operation now and everything has been going well. No pus has been coming out and the absess has gone down loads and i struggle to find it to squeeze. This morning though when i put the syringe in i really made her bleed. I'm assuming it was because the wound had healed slightly and the syringe must have pulled it back apart? I'm thinking that because i can hardly feel the absess now should i just let her heal up now? I don't want to make her bleed like that again, it was horrible. She's looking really well.
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Post by Kayleigh on Nov 15, 2012 12:31:42 GMT
Let it heal yes, but keep an eye on it for infection or pus. Aslong as the surrounding area is kept clean it should be ok.
Did the vet shave the surrouding area.
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Post by fudgeandsmudge on Nov 15, 2012 13:10:37 GMT
Only a very small area was shaved where the incision was.
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