How is Pickles? Any update on how the vet visit went? How's the abscess looking today? I forgot to add that you can try moist heat/warm compresses a couple times a day for 5 to 10 minutes to help soften the scab and draw out the abscess. I've done warm compresses with either a water saturated paper towel or a hunk of gauze. Take that into a bowl and heat it up in the microwave for 15 seconds at a time to heat it up. Once it's nice and hot, wring it out a little so that it is damp and shake it out to cool it a bit. It should feel like a comfortable heat, not too hot but warm. Make sure to test how hot it is before using it on Pickles. You dont want to unintentionally scald him.
Then give him a good snuggle outside of the the cage on your lap while keeping him cozy and using the compress on his abscess. You dont need to mush it down, just gently press w/ minimal pressure. Keep it there for 5 minutes or 10 if you can and it doesn't lose its warmth.
You can also use one of those hot/cold gel bead buddies (looks like a plastic bag w/ squishy gel beads inside). They tend to hold heat much longer than the cheaper paper towel and water version. Just heat it up per the instructions and take a paper towel (or gauze) and saturate it with comfortably hot water, wring out the paper towel so that it is damp and wrap it around the heated bead buddy-- instant moist warm heat and it will maintain the heat for a full 10 mins or longer. Just make sure to triple check the temperature on the inside of your forearm to make sure the combo isn't too hot for sensitive nakie rat skin.
This is what I've used for my ratties and myself. It's the perfect size at about the size of the palm of a hand and it's super cute :
https://www.amazon.com/TheraPearl-Childrens-Reusable-Flexible-Compress/dp/B004P2TYOW
You can find these things on Amazon (and Amazon prime now), and at any pharmacy. Usually they carry the boring, not very cute gel bead buddies, but they all work just as well.
I hope that you and Pickles are doing really well and hoping that with a little more time, you and Pickles will be able to put this craziness w/ infections and abscesses behind you!
Then give him a good snuggle outside of the the cage on your lap while keeping him cozy and using the compress on his abscess. You dont need to mush it down, just gently press w/ minimal pressure. Keep it there for 5 minutes or 10 if you can and it doesn't lose its warmth.
You can also use one of those hot/cold gel bead buddies (looks like a plastic bag w/ squishy gel beads inside). They tend to hold heat much longer than the cheaper paper towel and water version. Just heat it up per the instructions and take a paper towel (or gauze) and saturate it with comfortably hot water, wring out the paper towel so that it is damp and wrap it around the heated bead buddy-- instant moist warm heat and it will maintain the heat for a full 10 mins or longer. Just make sure to triple check the temperature on the inside of your forearm to make sure the combo isn't too hot for sensitive nakie rat skin.
This is what I've used for my ratties and myself. It's the perfect size at about the size of the palm of a hand and it's super cute :
https://www.amazon.com/TheraPearl-Childrens-Reusable-Flexible-Compress/dp/B004P2TYOW
You can find these things on Amazon (and Amazon prime now), and at any pharmacy. Usually they carry the boring, not very cute gel bead buddies, but they all work just as well.
I hope that you and Pickles are doing really well and hoping that with a little more time, you and Pickles will be able to put this craziness w/ infections and abscesses behind you!