Abcesses

[Cityratt]

I was checking on the boys tonight, and Dewey had a small bump on his side...which turned out to be a scab which looked to have some pus underneath it .... underneath that there is another small subQ bump, which i am assuming is an abcess.

The boys are both on Baytril from their neuter sx....should i be doing something else to help bring this abcess to a head?

I have to go to bed now, as I cant even see straight however i dont have to go into work until later tomorrow evening so could try something tomorrow during the day? I dont know why he would have an abcess on his side...He was seperated from Goose during the first night and has only been with his brother since then... they never usually fight....


That and tonight Goose was oozing blood from his incision... it isnt a large amount and he is still the same old goose....i figure it's just draining if anything (maybe a mix of blood and fluid?) but i figured it was worth mentioning....


*sigh*

advice guys?

 

[user 78]

You can apply a warm, wet compress to the site for about 10-15min. It'll help draw the pus to the surface and soften any scab there. After you compress, if it looks like it may be ready [or if you're not sure if it is ready] you can apply gentle pressure to see if it'll pop.

Once it does pop, then all you have to do is flush it 2x-3x daily with saline, apply warm, wet compresses to remove any scabs that form.. About it.

 

[jorats]

His incision draining is not a bad thing. Having the abscesses on the side is weird but rats do get them, funny though that he would get these abscesses while on meds unless he had them before and it's only now coming to a head.

 

[Cityratt]

His incision draining is not a bad thing. Having the abscesses on the side is weird but rats do get them, funny though that he would get these abscesses while on meds unless he had them before and it's only now coming to a head.

I was thinking about that Jo, maybe during a pre-op intro with the Smeezer man?

I re-read my post and realized that what i initially said wanst really clear.... there is a scab and then below it (not under it as in deeper in) is another bump. man i dont write posts well when its late at night and im stressed


How many times a day do i use the warm compress?

Do either of you have the recipie for the saline solution you guys use? (I dont have to get a bag of fluids from work do i?)


Thanks for your help

 

[user 78]

Home made sterile saline solution
16 ounces water (use distilled if your tap water is hard)
1 teaspoon table salt

If the bumps are one next to the other, it may be where the top and bottom teeth went in from a bite. It obviously wasn't that bad of a bite if you didn't notice it immediately, and it probably healed within hours of it happening. Which would be why you never noticed any problems.

You can use the warm compress 2-3 times a day for 10-15min each time. If keeping a wet hand towel on him is too difficult, you can give him a sitz bath. Just fill up the sink enough to cover the abscess with warm water and pop him in there for 10-15min.

 

[jorats]

With my guys, I could never keep a warm wet towel on them for 10 minutes, I could maybe do it for about 3 minutes at a time, 3 times a day was all it took.

 

[Cityratt]

So the "top tooth" abcess has come to a head and we got the scab off this morning after his compress (just now actually) I will prepare this solution and flush it out now.

My good lol boy sat and bruxxed and boggled afterwards, the warm towel was a bit of a challenge but i dont think i can give him a siltz bath because of the sub Q disolvable sutures. I know when they are used in dogs they are told not to go swimming as this can speed up the rate that the sutures are dissolved and open up the incision .... so trapped Dewey and wet mama it is i guess - I made up some baby cereal and he was good enough to sit and eat it for a while while we soaked which was a bonus i guess.

thanks for your speedy response Java

 

[Cityratt]

And Jo! You were responding as i was writing my post i think

ANYWAY, we are compressed and flushed for the morning. Phew!

I know there are alot of posts that outline abcess care, and REALLY i should know what to do by know
Reasoning seems to fly out the window alot with me

The one we got the scab off of is only about he size of his eye (yea i know, morbid but true lol) and thats the same size as the lump i can feel underneath it...so they're tiny little things which in retrospect im glad of (oh could you imagine the freak out if it was a 'normal' sized abcess! You guys would have to come get me out of the corner)

 

[user 78]

You'll need to squeeze the abscess every day, to make sure the pus is all out before you flush it. You apply the compress to get the scab off each time. It's real yummy, let me tell ya.

We've all had those moments, where curling up in the corner and just freaking out sounds like a much better idea than anything else. It's a given that when something goes "wrong," research is the last thing on our minds.

Anyhow, welcome to the Yummy Abscess Club!!

 

[jorats]

How are the boys doing?

 

[Fidget]

We've all had those moments, where curling up in the corner and just freaking out sounds like a much better idea than anything else.

Now thatsounds like something I want on a T-shirt! It should also be a sticky in the intro section on any pet board. :thumbup: javakittie

An abscess is just an accumulation of trapped exudate & bacteria isn't it? So it's reasonable that some could get trapped under some internal healing and more could get trapped under some external healing so you could have an abscess under an abscess? Could that be happening?