Inguinal Hernia -- prognosis/complications
He went home with the foster and his temp has remained stable. However, he managed to tear one of his shunts so he went back that night. I asked the foster to request Torb instead of the Tramadol because I have had success with Torb on pigs who are stitch-rippers. The vet did not want to give Metacam and Torb together. She wanted to use an e-collar instead. After much insisting that it was safe, she consented to replace the Tramadol with Torb. I haven't heard of any more fussing with the shunts. The foster says he is eating, she is monitoring his temperature and applying a warm compress several times a day.
They told her she didn't need to flush around the shunts. I thought this was odd since I have always flushed them.
They told her she didn't need to flush around the shunts. I thought this was odd since I have always flushed them.
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Josephine
- Little Jo Wheek
Well, most people cannot accomplish simple flushing, so some vets don't recommend it. Plus, all of the studies are showing how damaging and counter-productive it is to flush with anything other than isotonic fluids (and if fluid remains, it can actually cause issues, too). And your typical cat abscess doesn't need it at all.
Really weird that the vet refused butorphanol and Metacam together. Wonder which pain camp she's in and if she would do it for another animal... Maybe she just doesn't send torb home? Since tramadol came on the scene, that is much more convenient and less sedating.
I am, however, very pleased to hear this update. I was quite worried when you originally posted his story.
Really weird that the vet refused butorphanol and Metacam together. Wonder which pain camp she's in and if she would do it for another animal... Maybe she just doesn't send torb home? Since tramadol came on the scene, that is much more convenient and less sedating.
I am, however, very pleased to hear this update. I was quite worried when you originally posted his story.
Ok, this from the foster:
Of course, Simon has a terrible smell - the infection, I guess. But when I take the thermometer out of him, the smell is outrageous. And there's a gooey substance. Is that the right place for the smell to be coming out of? And is that gooey-clear substance right? I thought maybe it was whatever they were putting on the thermometer when they took his temp stuck in there, so I tried to clean him out a bit with a q-tip, but he seems very painful down there so I didn't really pursue it.
Is this smell just from pus from the abscess leaking into the anal sac?
Of course, Simon has a terrible smell - the infection, I guess. But when I take the thermometer out of him, the smell is outrageous. And there's a gooey substance. Is that the right place for the smell to be coming out of? And is that gooey-clear substance right? I thought maybe it was whatever they were putting on the thermometer when they took his temp stuck in there, so I tried to clean him out a bit with a q-tip, but he seems very painful down there so I didn't really pursue it.
Is this smell just from pus from the abscess leaking into the anal sac?
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Talishan
- You can quote me
"Really weird that the vet refused butorphanol and Metacam together."
Big ditto to this (although otherwise it sounds like LBAH is doing absolutely everything else right as usual). In this case I would think you'd actually *want* the slightly stronger sedating effect of butorphanol.
In my experience it's shorter-acting, but more zonking. That is, pig sleeps, pig rests, pig is not in pain but wakes up ravenous (think munchies ;-). For the cases we've had where we needed just that, it was perfect.
Gooey-clear doesn't make me think pus. Could it simply be lymphatic fluid/plasma (Josephine, whatever the clear discharge you normally get is, please tell me the right word) that you almost always get, with an odor due to the infection present/necrotic tissue nearby/crudded up in there due to location (along with some of what Amy mentions)?
Big ditto to this (although otherwise it sounds like LBAH is doing absolutely everything else right as usual). In this case I would think you'd actually *want* the slightly stronger sedating effect of butorphanol.
In my experience it's shorter-acting, but more zonking. That is, pig sleeps, pig rests, pig is not in pain but wakes up ravenous (think munchies ;-). For the cases we've had where we needed just that, it was perfect.
Gooey-clear doesn't make me think pus. Could it simply be lymphatic fluid/plasma (Josephine, whatever the clear discharge you normally get is, please tell me the right word) that you almost always get, with an odor due to the infection present/necrotic tissue nearby/crudded up in there due to location (along with some of what Amy mentions)?
Simon is at the ER vet in Garden Grove about to undergo another surgery. He ripped out one of his shunts today and a vet at LBAH saw him and added an antibiotic but didn't do anything to the incision area. Since then it has started to spread horizontally and has met the second drain hole to form a gaping wound in his abdomen. Between the holes is a lot of necrotic tissue which the vet feels needs to be removed. The vet on duty is not an exotics vet but he has worked with Dr. R before. He sounded confident and I checked to make sure he is using only Isofluorane and no pre-anesthetic injectables.
Dr. R is not in tomorrow and at the rate it is spreading we do not want to take our chances on finding another vet tomorrow who can do the surgery. I am really concerned about having a non-exotics vet do this but it seems we are out of choices.
Dr. R is not in tomorrow and at the rate it is spreading we do not want to take our chances on finding another vet tomorrow who can do the surgery. I am really concerned about having a non-exotics vet do this but it seems we are out of choices.
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