Need fast help with Bailey

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Joannt
Wheekness for Pigs

Post   » Sat Jan 06, 2007 2:44 pm


Yay! That sounds like promising news.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Jan 06, 2007 5:03 pm


I sure hope she's on the home stretch!!!

kleenmama
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Sun Mar 18, 2007 2:52 pm


Sorry about the delay, a million interruptions and a migraine.
Baiely could not tolerate the Chloremphenical, and about 5 days into it totally went off her feed. We discontinued that but continued the flushing and BNP.
So now it is 4 months since the eye infection first started.

Took her back in 2 weeks ago, had the incision re-opened. Besides the localized pus, the Dr could find no sign of deeper infection or damaged tissues. Nothing in the sinus cavity or farther back into the eye socket.
Took her home, continued the flushing and BNP ointment.

Just as a quick re-cap, she was on oral AB's for more than 3 months, BActrim for 8 weeks, Baytril for a month, and chlor for 5 days. She has been flushed and had the BNP ointment for 4 months.

It is the same. 2-3 times daily, I flush it with Novalsan, and apply BNP ointment. The area still produces daily white pus.

I am seriously at a total loss. She has never lost weight, she eats great, she popcorns. She does seem to be bothered by the eye only when I'm working on it.

Anyone have any new ideas? I have no idea what to do but to spend the rest of her life flushing the eye and applying the ointment.

klynne

Post   » Sun Mar 18, 2007 3:14 pm


Hmm, this may be way off base, but could you use the MediHoney in an eye socket?

It's been known to clear up other non-healing wounds, and even enclosed ones, like abscesses.

Maybe ask the vet about that?

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Sun Mar 18, 2007 5:41 pm


This is going to sound truly stupid, but are you and your vet sure the white stuff is truly pus -- or could it be some other form of secretion?

Assuming it is pus and without reading all the way back, has it been cultured?

pinta

Post   » Sun Mar 18, 2007 6:54 pm


Good point on the culturing.

Just a hunch, but you might want to try Flagyl. Seems effective on infections in the head area. If there is bacteria it's obviously not one of the common ones so Flagyl might cover off some bacteria that the other ABs don't handle.

kleenmama
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Sun Mar 18, 2007 7:16 pm


Talishan, I myself have asked that question a million times! But it stinks to high heaven, so we have to really assume infection here.
When she is on AB's, and the flush and ointment, it seems to improve for a period of time. THere have been 2-3 times when I had thought we had it handled, only to have it come back again. Then, there is no odor. I can tell it is coming back before any pus is visable because it stinks so bad.

I thought we had it cultured weeks ago, but I really don't remember any outcome so we most likely didn't.
I'll get it cultured this week. I will ask the vet about the MediHoney and Flagyl. Mostly, I just want it to be cleared up, I'd do just about anything at this point.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun Mar 18, 2007 9:15 pm


Some good ideas. My only idea would be to see if you can get advice from some really good veterinary opthamologists on stubborn abscesses. Does your vet have access to Vin? A culture sounds like it should help.

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Mocu

Post   » Mon Mar 19, 2007 3:22 pm


Cullen had an enucleation days before last Christmas. It went very well. No pus. No antibiotics. Just metacam for about a week and that was it.
I can't imagine what is causing Bailey's problems at this point.
Would Betadine be helpful in the clean-ups?
Are the stiches taken from the inside lids so they will grow together in healing as Cullen's did?
You know, pigs clean their eyes with that secreted white liquid during grooming. I wondered what happened to that liquid with Cullen, but he hasn't presented with any problem which leads me to conclude the secretion duct was terminated with the enucleation.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:10 pm


My guess is general condition and health; and the underlying infection are part of what is making healing difficult. I managed Nina's bumblefoot for over a year. Long term treatment of a condition or illness is hard on the pet and the owner.

kleenmama
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Wed Aug 01, 2007 11:41 am


Just wanted to update this thread, it's been a long haul.

Bailey's eye never healed. I had the eye removed in November, and since then, she has been on AB's for 8 months.

She was on BActrim for more than 3 months. She was on Baytril for 3 months. We tried Chlor but it made her sick and she totally went off her feed.
She was on Doxy for a month. I even went so far as to go with injectible Oxy tetracycline, and before you all scream at me, understand that we were totally out of options.

On the positive side, the injections actually cleared up the eye infection for nearly 3 weeks, which was the longest she ever went without the pus.

She was in daily pain, because I had to flush the eye and apply the ointment (we went through 4 tubes over the past 8 months) and she screamed and cried through the whole thing, so I know it hurt her.

So last week, when the pus came back again, I scheduled her for an appt. She was losing weight.

I took her in to the vet on Monday, and while we were examining her, the vet got a huge amount of pus on her forearm, which was not close to the pussy eye. We discovered a small bump next to her left nipple, and when gently pushed on, pus came pouring out.

AT that point, I made the determination to euthanize Bailey. After being on AB's for 8 months, there was no way she should have all this infection.

I had the necropsy done, and Bailey was full of cancer. It involved the liver, kidneys and stomach. The vet was pretty amazed that she had lived that long. She sent the pus to the lab so we could isolate the strain of infection. I should get the results in a week and I'll try and remember to post.

She told me that most likely that was what started the eye problem in the first place, but then spread to other areas of her body.

Anyway, I was down to one pig, and didn't want a lone pig, so he is now with Heather, a good friend of mine here in the Spokane area.

She has pigs and chins and hedghogs and rabbits and sugar gliders and prairie dogs and also two Pantagonian cavies, so she is very good with animals! She works at Spokanimal, the shelter here and also does dog training.

So, for the first time in nearly 8 years, I am pigless. It feels strange to open the fridge and not hear wheeks, and also to go to the store and not have to get pig veggies.

I am going to take a pig break for a while. Just wanted to update on the eye thing.

glade
Even Republicans Give!

Post   » Wed Aug 01, 2007 11:42 am


I am sorry, KM.

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