Vivi, nursing mom of 5

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu May 07, 2009 10:16 pm


I'm so sorry she is not doing well. I hope surgical removal works fine and she recovers okay. It does sound like a reasonable course of action.

User avatar
CavyCastle
Supporter in '10

Post   » Fri May 08, 2009 2:00 am


Vashti was also the name of a very powerful queen. (I have a Vashti in my living room.)

Hang in there!

WICharlie

Post   » Fri May 08, 2009 11:32 am


The vet called me this morning. She wants me to bring Vivi in this afternoon and they will attempt to lance and remove some of the mass (and culture it). If they can get enough out, it may bring her some relief and be enough that the antibiotic can clear up the rest. If not, they want me to bring her back in next week and do a surgical removal of as much of the mass as they can. Does this sound like a reasonable course of action?

I've never seen a pig take as much CC in one setting as she does. She just sits there and sucks it in. In 2 feedings she will go from 1 lb, 8 ounces to 1 lb, 11 ounces. Of course, I would rather she be eating hay.

User avatar
Brenda B

Post   » Fri May 08, 2009 12:04 pm


Mine takes CC like that too.

User avatar
mmeadow
Supporter 2004-2022

Post   » Fri May 08, 2009 4:06 pm


It's a good sign that she's hungry, at least.

WICharlie

Post   » Fri May 08, 2009 6:36 pm


OMG, I'm freaking out. My husband took Vivi to the vet and just brought her back a bit ago. And she has a gapping hole where the mass used to be. I guess it was a massive abcess. I need to flush it out once a day and fill it with silverdene ointment. Gah! I've never done this before. Encouraging words are much appreciated right now from anyone who has flushed an abcess.

User avatar
Brenda B

Post   » Fri May 08, 2009 8:53 pm


ok, I have never had to flush an abcess but Vivi is home, awake and eating so that seems good right?

You can do it!!!!

WICharlie

Post   » Fri May 08, 2009 9:07 pm


You're right. Deep breath. I just did not count on the gross factor. It just looks so yucky and hideous. I keep thinking, "What's stopping her insides from coming out?"

The vet instructed, "Only fleece!" so I took the hay pan out of her cage (Carefresh + hay) and have decided to only give pellets right now. She really wasn't eating much hay anyway (never has since coming into the rescue) and if it's only short term, I can try and get her to eat more hay later. I'm just afraid that little bits of hay or hay dust will work it's way into the wound.

User avatar
lisam

Post   » Fri May 08, 2009 9:32 pm


I wouldn't take the hay away. Hay is the most important part of the diet. If she eats less, she could develop dental problems on top of everything else. Perhaps just put a small amount in a container, or a small paper bag?

Have you read the information on flushing abscesses here in the Medical and Care Guide?

Tracis
Let Sleeping Pigs Lie

Post   » Fri May 08, 2009 9:40 pm


I'm sending good thoughts for Vivi and you! I hope she has a speedy and uneventful recovery.

This is a thead about Kermie's Miss Pinky Weber, and her gaping stomach wound (she ripped out her own stitches after having surgery to remove a mammary tumor):

Before picture

While healing

Kermie writes about why it was left open to heal

I hope some of it helps.

WICharlie

Post   » Fri May 08, 2009 9:53 pm


Geez, yes. I'm probably over-reacting about the hay. I'll find a dish that I can put some in so it won't be all over on the fleece.

I just found out that our part of the city is having a "boil-water" warning as E. coli was just discovered in our city drinking water. My husband hit the grocery store and managed to snag 10 gallons of water (It was flying off the shelf faster than they could stock it!). I boiled some too as I need water enough for water bottles for 18 pigs, and water for my cats and dog.

And my overnight guest arrived. Just feeling a little stressed...

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Fri May 08, 2009 9:59 pm


1. Take deep breath. It looks grosser than it is. (Really. Trust me.) Have beer if that will help. ;-)

2. Without reading back, she is on pain med, right? She is not going to be pleased when you gently express it and flush it out. That'll get better as she a) gets used to it and b) it starts to hurt less. It should start to hurt less pretty quickly (a day or three).

3. I'd flush more than once a day if possible. Be very gentle, but if you can express it and flush it twice or even three times, it'll help. If you can get a curved-tip syringe, they are wonderful for this. Alternatively, a squeeze bottle with a tube on top (like you had in chemistry class) works very well. Thusly:

Technically called wash bottles

4. If she'll tolerate it, put a warm damp clean cloth on the area as a compress before expressing. It can make it easier and more productive.

5. Use a very very dilute solution of betadine or Nolvasan (even more dilute than you might for foot soaks) or saline in the wash bottle.

As Tracis' links show, the open-er something like this can be kept, the better the chance of success. You don't want it to reseal prematurely -- you want it to granulate from the inside out.

6. I don't **think** surgery like this actually penetrates into the body cavity, so even though it looks like her guts could fall out, they can't.

Can you put the overnight guest to work? :-)

Post Reply