Abscess not eating or pooping.

[kathlaaron]

Guinea Pig Neutering, How to Neuter your Guinea Pigs[
Towels for bedding
Keep him on clean terrycloth towels for at least 3 days, longer depending on how the suture site looks. Change the bedding frequently--at least twice a day. If your guinea pig chews on the towels, use flat newspaper instead (not shredded). White towels are best; you can monitor any bleeding and poop and pee output more easily.

Reduce strenuous activity
Isolate the guinea pig from any other cage companions. Also, if your cage has any ramps or upper-deck access or anything to climb over, remove any such items or access until your guinea pig has completely recovered -- one to two weeks.

Check incision site regularly
Towels for bedding
Keep him on clean terrycloth towels for at least 3 days, longer depending on how the suture site looks. Change the bedding frequently--at least twice a day. If your guinea pig chews on the towels, use flat newspaper instead (not shredded). White towels are best; you can monitor any bleeding and poop and pee output more easily.

Reduce strenuous activity
Isolate the guinea pig from any other cage companions. Also, if your cage has any ramps or upper-deck access or anything to climb over, remove any such items or access until your guinea pig has completely recovered -- one to two weeks.

Check incision site regularly
You must look at the incision site at least once a day for the first few days. If the vet used surgical glue, look to make sure the incision site remains closed. If the vet used stitches or staples, make sure they are in place and look normal. Watch for swelling. Any pus indicates an infection. If you have to take the guinea pig back to the vet to have stitches or staples removed, continue the post-op care and monitoring until you are certain there is no possible infection at the suture site.

Extra Vitamin C
In addition to adequate food and water, increase the daily vitamin C supplement to 50-75 mg, depending on the weight of the guinea pig.

Monitor weight
Weigh him daily and make sure he is eating. Your guinea pig should be eating within a hour or two after surgery.


Monitor behavior
Watch his behavior and contact the vet if there are any problems. Problematic behavior would include lethargy and not eating

Ask your vet for any additional advice.

 

[Camerafreak]

He can't stand his little "dress" lol. Archie tears off the scabs whenever he gets them and I think thats our biggest worry at this point. I have followed every bit of the advice from guinealynx I might have to switch to newspaper though. My mom hate how many towels we're going through with Archie. When his vet went in to drain the abscesses she found one pocket and then another right behind the bigger one. I'm not sure how that happens but I hope it doesn't happen again.

 

[kathlaaron]

Big sigh. I am so sorry ! I have read tons of info on abscesses and they are such a pain ! Ugh. Just do the best you can, and if it gets infected from his constant picking at it, I guess you will need to take him in. I assume she didn't leave a "shunt" in so that you could keep the area flushed ?

 

[foggycreekcavy]

No, it was coconut oil.

 

[Camerafreak]

She didn't leave anything in. Just flushed it herself and sewed it back up. She said that if it does come back that she was going to refer me to a vet in Kansas City. I don't think my mom would be willing to take me or let alone let me drive myself clear out to Kansas City. I can't believe this is happening to Archie. Foggycreekcavy do you think I should start applying that to Archie so he's not irritated with it? Does anything stick to the spot that you applied it to?

 

[foggycreekcavy]

If she flushed it out and then sutured it back shut, there's a good chance it will fill up again. Keep a close eye for more abscessing. He's still on antibiotics? Can you take a photo of the area?

Extra virgin coconut oil is very safe, and nothing sticks to it.

 

[Camerafreak]

I don't think she's ever had a guinea pig get an abscess after she operated on it. He has an appointment tomorrow so she can see how he's doing. To me it still looks like theres something there and she keeps claiming it's "swelling". Should I give her advice in how to clear it up...? Yes he is on antibiotic. He gets .3 ml twice a day. She says shed like to keep him on it for another 2 weeks. He looks pretty infected down there and I don't know how to help him. I clean his cage out twice a day (changing towels) and every time I walk by his cage I pick up his poops.

 

[pinky]

Didn't you say she surgically removed the abscess and didn't just flush it out? Those are two different procedures. An abscess has a pocket that keep filling with pus. Constant flushing keeps the pocket clean while it heals from the inside out (and gets smaller until it disappears) with the incision remaining open while it heals. Surgically removing the abscess removes the pocket, allowing it to heal. You still have to worry about infection but you don't have to keep the wound open. When Rigatoni had his abscess, my vet said if his abscess didn't clear up, the next alternative would be to remove it. It could just be swelling, like she said but it's good to have it checked. I would ask if you should be applying anything topical to it.

 

[kathlaaron]

Camerafreak, I just thought I would show you this discussion

https://www.guinealynx.info/forums/...ays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=abscess&start=0

And here is a picture of what a shunt left in to flush it twice daily would look like from cavy spirit
https://www.cavyspirit.com/images/Pigs/WT5.jpg

Here is the whole page where that picture came from:
Guinea Pig Medical Info, Cavy Medical

Sounds like Pinky is right, and especially since she has been through this before herself, it seems like it would be best for your Vet to just remove the whole abscess. Good luck with his appointment tomorrow !

 

[Camerafreak]

She put him under and put him through surgery but she said she "flushed it out"... I really don't know what she means by this whole thing because she told me that she removed it. I will ask for sure tomorrow though. His real abscess was twice the size of the lump that he has there. That shunt looks a little on the scary side... I'll tell you guys how it goes tomorrow.

 

[foggycreekcavy]

How much does he weigh? O.3 mls seems on the conservative side.

 

[Camerafreak]

Well he lost quite a bit of weight since the surgery. He is 1.88 pounds now.

 

[Paula]

Has the area been left open so that you can flush it yourself? Is she having you flush it with chlorhexidine flush and then pack it with silver sulfadiazine cream? If not you really might want to ask for those things - you have to keep the area clean and doing it once isn't going to keep it clean. If this isn't a procedure she's familiar with please have her contact a vet who can walk her through how to do it. My vet, Dr. Burgess is phenomenal and would be able to consult - Southwest Animal Hospital - if you are interested.

 

[Camerafreak]

Well I'm not sure if she completely removed it or not but if she hasn't she doesn't have me flushing it or anything. She has it sutured up. I go in in about an hour so I will ask these things and see what all she really did because the way she say's things is very contradicting. First she says that she put him under and then removed them. Then she said that she flushed it out. When Archie picks off his scab theres this yellow thing inside of his sutures. I just lightly pushed on it and it's puss coming out of it. I'll bring up your suggestion today Paula. I will also give her your vets number and ask her to call. Hopefully she will be up for another procedure.

 

[Peggysu]

If there is pus coming out there is more infection and the abcess is going to keep returning.

 

[foggycreekcavy]

Please update--I'm wondering what happened at the vet visit yesterday.

 

[kathlaaron]

Yes...me too !

 

[Camerafreak]

When I went in there she said that she was glad to see how small it was and pushed on it to see if anything would come out.... A whole lot of puss came out. She sadly kept milking it out until she couldn't get it all out. I'm thinking about going to a new vet. I suggested everything to her about the shunt and me flushing it out and she said "we don't want to put him under any more trama". I believe pushing on him is going to put him in more trama then put him under would. At one point she pushed on one side of him and pushed so hard that puss came out of the spot where the drew out the puss to find out if it was an abscess a while back. I'm worried about Archie...

 

[kathlaaron]

Well what else did your current Vet suggest ? Did she tell you what her "plan of action" was to do next ?

Is Archie home with you now ? How were things left ?

This sounds like more of an emergency situation now, if his infection has been present all this time, you know ? Definitely seek the advice of another Vet asap, or your Archie could possibly be, in serious trouble !

I will keep him in my thoughts and prayers.....

 

[Paula]

Yes, absolutely get to another vet - asap. The standard practice for guinea pig abscesses is to leave them open - just a small opening - so that you can flush and pack. It's the only way to be sure you are getting all the pus out and keeping it clean and packing it with cream to make sure it stays clean. It's very important that this gets done.