I think it's an abscess!!! NOT a tumor!!!!!!

[xenrielle]

So a while ago, Bree started bleeding and I had talked to lilspaz and we had come to the conclusion that it looked like a tumor.

Well today I lifted her up to take a look and it looks so much different! It looks like an abscess ith puss and it smells like an infection. ICK.

These look like an abscess to me, but could I get an opinion please?

If so, what should I do? Is there anyone in Ottawa who has dealt with these I could meet up with for some help?

Thanks!

 

[victoria]

I'm not sure what to do in that case, but maybe trying a sitz bath with her to try to get it flushed out/loosened before you go in clean it would be good. I also think a course of abs may help, if you are able to go to the vet. Glad to hear the good news though, I wish my tumours turned out to be abscesses :|

 

[xenrielle]

what's a sitz bath?

 

[victoria]

sitz bath: a bath in which only the buttocks and hips are immersed in water.

I was also thinking that sometimes abscesses develop on top of tumours. It may be worthwhile to get a professional opinion to decide on the best course of action.

 

[xenrielle]

sitz bath: a bath in which only the buttocks and hips are immersed in water.

I was also thinking that sometimes abscesses develop on top of tumours. It may be worthwhile to get a professional opinion to decide on the best course of action.

I'm not sure. Cause originally, my vet fely no tumour. Here is the whole story.

Bree cut herself on mon night sometime on the edge of her litter pan that she had been chewing. Tues morn we took her to the vet. he looke her over, said he felt NO tumour and that she was okay, the bleeding had stopped. Sat night I noticed a pink thing kinda sticken out, but kinda small. It just kept growing till it became the size of a pea and stopped. It had been bleeding a little every day and has slowed down alot, now its a couple drops a day, when she cleans it. Today I noticed under the scab on the side that there was some puss and it smells nasty. That is why i think its an abscess, that her cut got infected (she was on baytril, gonna get some more) and turned into a abscess.

 

[lilspaz68]

It looks like an abscess...I would start flushing. You'll know its an abscess on top of a tumour when the swelling is still there even when the pus is out. I take it the black part is just the scab on the outside, not necrotic tissue inside?

 

[xenrielle]

It looks like an abscess...I would start flushing. You'll know its an abscess on top of a tumour when the swelling is still there even when the pus is out. I take it the black part is just the scab on the outside, not necrotic tissue inside?

yeah, just a scab.

 

[Rachael]

It definitely looks like an abscess. Fingers crossed it's all healed soon.

 

[bgsbny31]

Abscesses do not go away. If that is what it is the vet needs to debride it. I only know this after 6 weeks of an abscess that just would not go away even with regular flushing. My Wolfie is now playing on the Rainbow Bridge and I have guilt that I may have waited to long for the surgery. Your vet should know that abscesses don't heal. If not, I am sure Ottawa must have a really good rat vet. Good luck in speedy healing.

 

[xxchelle]

Abscesses DO go away, with proper care. I've had lots of rats with abscesses (one rescue came with a large abscess on the back of her neck, poor thing) and she healed beautifully with antibiotics and flushing. I've also dealt with neuter abscesses, which have all healed up fine, and I'm currently dealing with an abscess on the chin of one girl, and it's healing up too.

Antibiotics help a lot with the healing of abscesses.

I did get another girl in the rescue with an abscess behind her ear, and she needed to have it surgically cleaned out. We also did a test of the bacteria and determined which specific antibiotics would target it the best, so she's on those and the abscess has completely healed up.

 

[LA]

Abscesses do not go away. If that is what it is the vet needs to debride it. I only know this after 6 weeks of an abscess that just would not go away even with regular flushing. My Wolfie is now playing on the Rainbow Bridge and I have guilt that I may have waited to long for the surgery. Your vet should know that abscesses don't heal. If not, I am sure Ottawa must have a really good rat vet. Good luck in speedy healing.

I have dealt with abscesses myself and they do infact heal. It just has to be dealt with properly. All the infection must be removed. With Erin we would take her to the vet the first time, get it cleaned, and then for 7 days we would remove the scab, pull the pus out, rinse with a saline wash and put her back with her cagemates. She had reoccuring ones in different places on her face due to mouth issues but each abscess went away every time.

 

[PitLuvs]

Abscesses DO go away, with proper care. I've had lots of rats with abscesses (one rescue came with a large abscess on the back of her neck, poor thing) and she healed beautifully with antibiotics and flushing. I've also dealt with neuter abscesses, which have all healed up fine, and I'm currently dealing with an abscess on the chin of one girl, and it's healing up too.

Antibiotics help a lot with the healing of abscesses.

I did get another girl in the rescue with an abscess behind her ear, and she needed to have it surgically cleaned out. We also did a test of the bacteria and determined which specific antibiotics would target it the best, so she's on those and the abscess has completely healed up.

What's the update on that sweetie Chelle??

To the OP, you lost Bree??

*Edit: I thought so, just checked. I'm so sorry you lost your girl

 

[xxchelle]

What's the update on that sweetie Chelle??

Azzie, the fawn hooded with the abscess behind the ear? She's doing GREAT! I'll get some pictures for you in the next few days and update her thread. She's such a character.