huuuuge abscess

[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.

[pigsmakemesmile]

After coming home from the vet...chubbs developed rapid breathing and bizarre behavior...he started making a strange sound, I swooped him up and rushed back to the hospital...an xray revealed he went into complete congested heart failure.. his lungs were totally filled with fluid she reviewed the xrays with me....they put him on o2...he got worse...they attempted to intubate him failed...they gave lasix...no output...the vet looked at me and I told her I don't won't him to suffer....he was literally drowning in his own secretions gasping for breath. The vet gave him another injection called terbutaline to help open his airways. Chubbs passed away immediately after the injection. She feels the sedation and the stress of the procedure was too much for him. Only this morning was he happily running around his pen. Chubbs I love you. I'll alway love you and forever. Godbless you my baby. I was with you at your side stroking your little paws and helping to get you through this, I wouldn't leave you or let you die alone in a strange place.
I feel it's my fault that this happened. I only wanted to help you with your abscess and to get better.
I love you Chubbs

[PrayerWarrior]

How is it your fault? In no way can I see how it would be your fault, but I understand that no matter how irrational it is, it can always feel like that.

I'm so sorry for your loss, but you helped end his suffering, which sounds like wasn't until the end.

[CavySpirit]

OMG, I'm so sorry for your loss. They can be such delicate creatures sometimes. You did the absolute best you could and made the right decisions. Take care.

[khptown]

I am so sorry to hear about Chubbs. You did want any responsible pet owner would have done. You helped out your friend, so he would not be in pain. For that I know he was grateful and loved you.

[pigsmakemesmile]

I had an awful day at work yesterday, I run a doctor's office and had to keep stepping aside to keep the tears in. My wonderful husband brought me roses to the office saying he wanted me to plant them over Chubbs grave. I kept my little boy wrapped in a towel resting gently on a soft clean towel in his pen until we laid him to rest. I got home and took some hair clippings and wrapped them so I can have something tangible to remind me of this beautiful pig...we burried him beside our fishpond which is in the front of our yard near were the other pigs play outside so when I'm out there, I'm near Chubbs to. The yellow roses were planted over top.
Thank you all so much for your comments...it means sooo much and touches me deeply. You may have guessed by now that I am extremely attached to my animals and just adore them. I'm thankful Chubbs was cared for passionately..he was never alone or neglected and that he got to be outdoors in the sunshine and freshair and he had buddies. I adopted him a year ago this September from a rescue along with his brother. I don't know what kind of life he had before I adopted him but I made sure he had a good life with me.
I'm still in shock that this vibrant healthy pig died. I feel so incredibly guilty...maybe I should have treated it longer myself but I was concerned it involved the tooth...I was afraid he was in pain, I'm going to live with this for a long timeI was with him every moment while he was at the hospital. I was shocked at how quickly he deterioated. When they started to intubate him...I looked at the vet and I said "please...he's not coming out of this" it was was horrifying...the vet asked me "do you want me to euthanize him?" He was gurgling and gasping for air, I looked again at his xrays and again saw how completely filled with fluid they were. He was suffering.. at this point he was suffocating. When the intubation was unsuccessful, I held the oxygen while the technician did percussions to his back and suction fluid out of his lungs. I prayed the lasix..a very potent fast acting diuretic..would produce a lot of urine out-put but did nothing. The vet said I'll give him something to bring up his pressure and open his airways. Many were around to help. Immediatley after the injection was given..Chubbs seemed to stop struggling and gasping. The tech and I looked at each ..for a brief moment there was silence. The tech states " I think he just passed " and called the Doctor over who listened. And yes he did pass. I'm thinking now that what she gave was a euthanization injection. She listened to his lungs and his "gurgling" and may have realized Chubbs wasn't going to make it. I can't stop thinking about his last moments at the hospital and I feel so incredibly guilty that he suffered when I wanted his life to end peacefully and naturally in his home after living a good long life. He in no way deserved to die this way.
I fear now what will happen and how I'll handle the next abscess I encounter or for that matter any other issue that may require sedation. I know that the risks are high when it comes to anethesia...but if I didn't treat the abscess it would have kept growing and not knowing if it involved a tooth or not would have created more problems. I'm so torn about it.
I'm thankful to all of you for your support... it means so much to me during this painful emotional time and your thoughts and encouragement really, really help.
I love this forum because I know that all of you can "relate" to the love I have for my pigs and can understand my feelings....were're all pig people.
Again...thank you so much
Lynne

[camende]

I'm so sorry you lost Chubbs. It sounds like you did everything you could for him. You have nothing to feel guilty about. It sounds as though there was nothing you could have done differently.

RIP Chubbs