Smelly incision area?

[Melissa's ZOO]

I just checked Ivy's incision areas and the one on her hind end has a slightly foul smell to it and looks like it has a hole in the skin. There is no puss and it is dry. What can I use to clean it with until I can get her to the vet which will not be until tomorrow night?

Can I put some peroxide on it?

 

[whtnyte]

peroxide is very rough on tissue. You might want to try flushing it with sterile saline (NOT the kind for contacts) and a needle-less syringe.

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

What about a salt water mix? I don't have any sterile saline available to me.

 

[jorats]

Salt water will do just fine, even epson salt. The smell is probably normal and it being open is good cause that means it can drain. I wouldn't be too worried yet. But do the flushing.

 

[lilspaz68]

I actually use a solution of tap water and table salt to rinse out abscesses and wounds. But I concur with Reed that peroxide can actually damage the tissue its supposed to be helping. You can dilute it but I still use saline solution myself.

Was she on abs to prevent infection after her surgery?

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

It is not warm or red, just a little smelly and only when I put my nose right to it. But I am going to flush it anyways and up her baytril dose from .05 to .08 just in case.

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

How much salt to say 1 ml of water? just a pinch?

Yes .05 of Baytril.

 

[lilspaz68]

for flushing I like to use 3 syringefuls of saline solution so thats 3 ml's plus spillage LOL

I use it like I do my nasal rinse...

1/2 tsp per cup of water

Good idea upping the baytril just in case

 

[Fidget]

She might have a pocket of abscess or infection under the outer healing. I'd flush it gently too but it won't do much good if she has an enclosed problem. Your vet will fix her up. I hope she's feeling ok.

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

I flushed it out last night. Ivy was not happy about it but she is so good about going ratatonic when I rub her shoulders and then I can roll her over on her side as long as I keep rubbing. "Yes I am the rat slave" =)

This morning it looked so much better no hole and no smell. WOOHOO.

After flushing it and then looking at it the little brat had chewed the stitches out of just that incision area so that is probably why there was hole, nothing to hold it shut. So far she has left the other stitches alone so fingers crossed she continues to leave them alone.