Glad to see you're still around with pigs too!
If there's nothing coming out with GENTLE squeezing I'd leave that and just do flushings from now on to let it heal from the inside. The curved syringe seems to work better at getting right in there so should help keep it clean and pus free.
Smee has an abcess..
Webs, thanks :) I still have the same pigs I did last I posted- Smee and Squee.
So I didn't really squeeze it much today, it didn't seem any bigger as a swelling than yesterday. The curve tipped syringe arrived unexpectedly early today (yay!) and I used that (er... rather falteringly and with much accidental force) to poke inside the wound and squirt the stuff in there. Still not really pus coming out.
I feel kind of bad about breaking the bloody scab that forms on it- it seems like I'm aggravating the poor pig's wound even though I get that the flushing is necessary.
She is still remarkably quiet about the process, considering. I think I'd squeak if someone stuck a syringe into a wound I had and squirted salt water in there! [/i]
So I didn't really squeeze it much today, it didn't seem any bigger as a swelling than yesterday. The curve tipped syringe arrived unexpectedly early today (yay!) and I used that (er... rather falteringly and with much accidental force) to poke inside the wound and squirt the stuff in there. Still not really pus coming out.
I feel kind of bad about breaking the bloody scab that forms on it- it seems like I'm aggravating the poor pig's wound even though I get that the flushing is necessary.
She is still remarkably quiet about the process, considering. I think I'd squeak if someone stuck a syringe into a wound I had and squirted salt water in there! [/i]
So, Smee's abscess seems a bit more filled up with stuff today, though not much more. I managed to squeeze a little pus out of it.
Any tips on the flushing? Should the pus come out with flushing even given how solid it is? The water goes in fine and comes out mildly pus and blood tinted. None of the solid matter came out though. I don't want to poke in too deep with the curved syringe and end up hurting the inside- already paranoid I am!
Any tips on the flushing? Should the pus come out with flushing even given how solid it is? The water goes in fine and comes out mildly pus and blood tinted. None of the solid matter came out though. I don't want to poke in too deep with the curved syringe and end up hurting the inside- already paranoid I am!
-
Amy0204
- We miss our sweet Oreo
When my Nutmeg was dealing with his abscess, I was fine flushing as long as the pus could be easily removed. At the point at which the mass became harder, I knew it was beyond my ability to help him. If you've got solid pus, you might have to get the vet to open it up wider.
The pus wasn't/isn't solid exactly, it's just not liquid.
I didn't flush Smee's abscess yesterday because the wound seems to be scabbing over and what I did before to remove the hard crust wasn't working to remove it. Today I notice that it seems flatter than it did before, and it's not soft any more. It doesn't feel like there's any soft pus in there, and it's far less of a 'sac'.
I'm cautiously optimistic that this is a sign she's healing. She has to go back to the vet tomorrow anyhow so we'll how she is then.
I didn't flush Smee's abscess yesterday because the wound seems to be scabbing over and what I did before to remove the hard crust wasn't working to remove it. Today I notice that it seems flatter than it did before, and it's not soft any more. It doesn't feel like there's any soft pus in there, and it's far less of a 'sac'.
I'm cautiously optimistic that this is a sign she's healing. She has to go back to the vet tomorrow anyhow so we'll how she is then.
The vet squeezed the wound thinking there was something in there- what came out was really just blood though. He said that there was some kind of residual infected tissue inside there but that it was probably best to leave the wound alone now unless it fills up more again.
She was given more antibiotics. He said there was the potential that it might not properly close up and heal still and that she might need it removed.
Hrmm..
She was given more antibiotics. He said there was the potential that it might not properly close up and heal still and that she might need it removed.
Hrmm..
When Miso had an abscess removed from under his chin, the doctor put 4 stitches to hold it open. I flushed it out with a cleaning solution in a curved tip needle, then squirted it full of Neosporin to give it a protective covering twice a day. He was also put on baytril. After a couple of weeks the wound showed no signs of infection regrowing, so the stitches were removed and I continued to flush it and put Neospirin on it (not as aggressively though) until it completely closed up. Miso healed beautifully. He never lost his appetite and you can't even see where the abscess used to be on his chin.
As nasty as some of these piggy medical issues can be, some of them recover quite wonderfully. I hope Smee has a speedy and comfortable recovery!
As nasty as some of these piggy medical issues can be, some of them recover quite wonderfully. I hope Smee has a speedy and comfortable recovery!
Nearly a year later, suddenly Smee has another abscess in exactly the same place. This time, it has a weird sort of yellowish black weird scab where it has burst, and she hates it being touched.
I'm guessing it's best to take her back to the vet... *sigh*
Last time they suggested they might surgically remove it if it didn't go away. Is that the general procedure?
I'm guessing it's best to take her back to the vet... *sigh*
Last time they suggested they might surgically remove it if it didn't go away. Is that the general procedure?
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