Back from Vet. Splinter had an abscess

[RKbusy]

Okay. So. I am so VERY glad I had money set aside for "emergencies". And okay, so maybe this didn't really qualify as an emergency, but I was SURE AS HELL freaking out.

A few hours ago, I was letting all the rats out and having a little tussle with some of them, when I flipped Splinter over, tickled his belly... and felt... a LUMP.

It's where his testicle used to be, so immediately, I thought, neuter abscess? But then I looked back at my records, and Splinter was neutered way back in JUNE. I just didn't know what to think. Because of the position, it would make sense for it to be a neuter abscess. But appearing FOUR months after the surgery? And this lump felt HARD.

Anyway, freaking out, I booked an appointment for Saturday, then decided I couldn't stand speculating till the weekend, skipped my night class, and took him to the vet right then and there.

Turned out, it WAS and abscess. And a BIG one. AND WOW, that puss was GROSS. It was actually literally greenish-yellow puss.

The doctor drained it, and then flushed it with some sort of iodine solution a good 3 or 4 times. (Poor Splinter >.<) He talked me into paying an extra $75 to send the "culture" (aka puss) to a lab for tests. Now that I think of it, I don't even know if that was necessary at all. Either way, it's done. I'm to give Splinter Baytril + Doxy twice daily for 14 days.

Here's the thing though. From what I've read on this forum, there's a lot of "flushing with salt water at home" to successfully treat an abscess... but my vet used a needle to flush/drain, so... I can't really do anything. There's no gaping hole for me to flush!

Should I just leave it and give Splinter his meds? Or should I give his meds and... I donno, soak the area in saline solution? Would that do any good?

And man... abscess treatment = $330+ @.@

Kids. Don't do this at home unless you have LOTS of cash saved up.

 

[Godmother]

Yikes, good thing you took him in right away. Nowadays the culture might be worth its weight in gold. I wish I had asked for one for my Julia's abscess. She had an infection that was resistant to all but two antibiotics.

I don't know anything much about abscesses, but there are several abscess experts on the forum who will be able to give you advice.

 

[victoria]

Godmother's right, a culture may tell you which antibiotics will be effective against the infection. It's a bit odd (I think) that he gave you Doxy for an abscess, because it is usually more effective for respiratory infections. I don't know if Splinter has a history of respiratory issues or not, if you need to get a refill on meds though, it may be worth asking your vet about that because I have found Doxy can be brutally expensive. (I found a compounding pharmacy in my city and get my Doxy there - it's stable for a month out of the fridge but costs two thirds of what I used to pay at the vet.)

 

[MomRat]

We have had neuter abscesses that took forever to pop up, and even lumps that hung out near neuter sites for 4 months without changing and then suddenly coming to a head and opening/needing cleaned out. Jo has mentioned this time frame before too, so its not unheard of. If it swells/fills up again, you can probably save the $$$ and do salt soaks/hot compresses to bring it to the surface to open it up and clean it out. We've dealt with several with nothing more than soaks, needleless syringe flushing, and keeping the cage clean, but then you're dealing with an open wound for several weeks. Antibiotics should help clear it up faster, hopefully. And since you paid for the sensitivity scan on the pus, if it comes back resistant to doxy/baytril they'll know right away which meds to switch you to.

And yes, rat abscess pus is gross. It's this ridiculous green and is one of the only smells that almost makes me :sick2:

 

[lilangel]

Oh my what a scare! i just saw this post about my old buddy.

I am glad it was just a abscess.

Good luck Splinter!

 

[lilspaz68]

Well at this point you have a choice. I am surprised your vet didn't lance the abscess to open it up and clean it out properly but what is done is done.

I had neuter abscesses show up on 4 rats within 4-5 months post neuter...it happens

Vic, doxy has an anti-inflammatory effect so maybe thats why the vet used it with the baytril?

Back to your choices

1) just try the abs and see if it resolves
2) if it doesn't resolve and starts to fill up again, or you don't want to leave it, then you can start very warm water sitz baths in the bathroom sink. They usually settle pretty quick if the water is relatively shallow and you are there to prevent them hopping out. I find that you only need them in there for around 5 mins and it works MUCH better than hot compresses. Eventually the abscess will surface and burst especially since it already has a pinhole to the outside. Then the fun begins. You can make your own isotonic saline solution and using a medicating syringe flush it thoroughly, then treat the rat and give him kisses and a rub down with a towel. Do this at least twice a day. I find depending on how big the abscess cavity was in the first place, you will only need to do it for less than a week.

 

[RKbusy]

@lilspaz

OKAY! I like the sound of option 2!!! I definitely want it to heal PROPERLY. And although the lump is no longer there, there's still a slightly "harder" area. -__- I'm guessing that's the abscess filling up again.

The ONLY thing I'm not too sure about is "sitz baths". Do I basically just fill the sink shallowly with "warm" (and how warm do you mean by warm? Like... hot chocolate you can chug warm, or "pepsi left out in the sun" warm... or... I donno. I don't want to hurt him, but I'm getting the feeling I'm always doing it not "warm" enough >.< And I get Splinter to "sit" in it?

2 times a day... and after how long will it "surface/pop"? Also, can I start doing that now?

Thanks in advance!

 

[lilspaz68]

Rats body temp runs a bit higher than ours at 37.5-38.5°C (99.5-101.3°F) so you use water that you think would be a little too warm for you.

I find I have 2 methods for rats and sitz baths.

1) wear long sleeves for protection against scratches
2) have towel ready nearby
3) fill sink first before bringing rat in bathroom (the sound of the running water can upset them more sometimes)
3) put rat gently in warm water and this is where it changes;
a) you can cover any movement the rat makes to get out of the sink by using the flat of your hand above them to "guard" and keep them in the sink...they will try and try then give up and sit there, then try again.
b) some rats will prefer if you hold them as it gives them support and comfort in a scary situation. Just grasp them around the middle, supporting their front end and always talk soothingly. I apologize to mine. :giggle: Some rats will relax and start grooming, but be ready for dashes to :roll: the side and up, and also you will learn to hold your hands so you're less likely to get scratched if they decide they want to use your hand to get out.

Its pathetic, but it works so much faster than any other method. Oh and keep scooping out the floating poops if there are any. I only use these soaks for when the abscess is closed so no bacteria can get inside. After it has opened up, you might have to keep soaking off the scab before flushing. The more open the better

 

[RKbusy]

OKAY! Definitely what I'm going to be doing tonight! LOL.

Thanks for the instructions. And p.s. I apologize to my ratties too, and I tell them over and over that I love them, and I promise them treats afterwards. >.<

Keeping fingers crossed that Splinter will the the calm, sitting with just a little support kind.

 

[MomRat]

Instead of the sink, an alternative method is a gladware container about 5" cube shaped(we have a couple for freezing food and stuff) It's just big enough to plunk their butt in, and you just circle your hands around their middle/hand above their head like in the sink. Depends on what works best for you, really.

 

[RKbusy]

I look like I lost a fight against a cheese grater. :shock:

Well, definitely learning as I go. I totally overestimated how deep I could make the water... so poor Splinter was dangling there... and I thought "hmmm. Why is he not settling?". I used a small-ish bucket. Definitely going to put in less water next time...

And try to trim his front nails too, because WOW, it's surprising how good a grip he can get with those tiny little claws >.<

 

[jorats]

lol... now lather yourself up with polysporin for your cuts.

 

[Godmother]

Good luck for next time. Lilspaz, thanks for the great photo & detailed instructions. I will be more confident and successfull the next time I have to try this. I was not very successful with Edith, so had to rely on much help from SQ.