[Gpdd] [HEALTH] Abscess-need advice

[Joanne Gosnell]

Hi - I have 2 female guinea pigs - Tootsie and Queensie - both approx. 7
years old (they were left abandoned outside our pet supply place when they
were around 1). Queensie has developed what I believe is an abscess just
under her chin.  It is about the size of a marble and just as hard. 

 ?  Are abscesses this hard? 

  ? What are some typical timeframes it takes to burst open?

I have been washing around it 3x a day with a warm salt water solution, and
then applying some betadine ointment.  On occasion, there has been a very
small opening with a small crust, but certainly not opened like abscesses
do. 

 

She is eating and drinking and is her normal happy self.  She chews fine,
and is not slobbering.  I don't have an appt. with the vet until Tuesday
afternoon (he's the only exotic animal vet in that practice, is not in on
Monday and is doing surgeries on Tuesday AM).  What I'm hoping he will be
able to do is lance it and give an antibiotic and perhaps something to wash
it out with.

  ? Are antibiotics necessary and helpful (Peter Gurney did not seem to
think so) in these cases?  Should I give a probiotic at the same time or
after the antibiotics are done?

?  Is there anything herbal I could be giving her to help?

 

What I'm concerned about is if he wants to run a whole whack of tests.
Also, I don't want her to have surgery requiring any anesthetic; it's risky
at the best of times and she's just too old. If she needs her teeth filed or
cut, how many of you have had this done without an anesthetic?

 

Thanks for any help you may be able to offer.

Joanne