[pigsmakemesmile]

I faithfully do weekly body inspections and glad that I do. Everything was fine until I came home from work this past Monday night and noticed something a little different about Chubbs. I noticed one cheek larger than the another when he went for his hay. I picked him up and on inspection discovered a massive abscess so I brought him in the house to get a better look.
It runs alongside his nose under his cheek. I looked in his mouth and can see it oozing slightly and with a very foul odor. I expressed as much as I could and used normal saline for cleaning and immediately started him on baytril twice a day that I keep on hand. His eating didn't seem to be impaired...I've had to re-fill his dish each day and restock his hay bin. He didn't appear to show any discomfort.
Called the vet.
I was able to get him in today... At this point the abscess grew to the size of a golfball...after meeting with the doc he explained my options. Most of which is based on the source of the abscess ie from a tooth or from a foreign object.
Got a call that they sedated him and removed most of the abscess however, they're buggers and can return so I'll have to be meticulous with antibiotics and flushings. Only problem is that Chubbs is slow coming out of his sedation they're gonna keep him just a little while longer to make sure he's ok...I have my cell glued to me.
They're sending a culture to check for sensitivity for proper course of antibiotics however he's to remain on baytril until they come back.
I'm due to bring him home tonight at 9pm..I was looking in his empty pen....boy I miss him.
Initially, option one was to open his cheek remove the entire abscess then close ending up with sutures and having a smaller cheek.
Option 2 was to make small incision suction out as much of the abscess and continue with daily flushes and encourage draining until healed.
Worse case with option 2 is abscess does not heal and will have to go back and do option 1 which is riskier for Chubbs as he'll need to be under sedation longer and have sutures.
However both options were based around source of abscess concern is if were involving teeth if involved teeth would be a bigger problem for chubbs.
Said a prayer for Chubbs.
This past June, Popcorn developed a large abscess like Chubbs. They opened it and drained it and instructed me on flushing and giving antibiotics.Luckily there was no tooth involvement. After a week and a half...Popcorns abscess healed beautifully..I pray the same goes for Chubbs.
I'll keep you updated.