[Gpdd] [HEALTH] Sooty's eye infection

[Ann Evans]

Dear Jules,
  It sounds like Sooty has pus behind his eyeball. When an abscess 
ruptures it can rupture out to the surface yet at the same time rupture 
or turn inwards into the body releasing pus deep into the tissues. The 
abscess can cause a systemic infection that also causes diarrhea. I 
really think you need to take Sooty to your vet and discuss the 
possibility of removing his eye and putting him on oral antibiotics. I 
or Dr. Bonsack DVM (813.885.3888) would be very happy to talk to you and 
your vet about medical options for Sooty. If you send me your phone 
number and the best time to call you I will call on Skype. The most 
important thing is the abscess must not be allowed to heal from the 
outside. This will just seal in the pus. That is why when we remove an 
eye the eyelids are not sutured shut because septicemia can occur if the 
orbit is not allowed to heal from the inside out. Here is the treatment 
protocol again.
It sounds like like Sotty has an eye infection behind his eyeball that
has invaded the nasal cavity. Two months ago Dr. Bonsack and I removed
the eye of a 5 year old 1.3 kg sow that had a tooth abscess that had
tracked up the tooth root to the orbit of the eyeball. Before the eye
began oozing pus it was very extended. The owners initially did not want
the eye removed. I provided medical care for the cavy at my house. I
gave subcutaneous, subQ, injections of 10 mg of Baytril twice a day. The
first Baytril injection of the day also contained 0.4 mg of
dexamethasone. Chloramphenicol eye ointment was applied 4 times per day.
The pus was very smelly. After a week it was evident that the eyeball
was no longer viable and there was a large amount of pus behind it which
could tract down the optic nerve and cause a systemic infection. The eye
was removed surgically. The pre-operation medications were 10 mg Rimadyl
subQ, 10 mg Baytril subQ and 10 ml body temperature lactated ringers
solution subQ. The cavy's mouth was cleaned out by syringing her her 5
ml of water. Induction was with 3.5% Isoflurane. After induction I
emptied any fluid from the mouth with a 1.0 ml syringe. She was placed
on a microwaveable heating pad which had been heated to 40 degrees
Celsius. Anesthesia was maintained at 2.5% Isoflurane. The four muscles
of the eye were cut near the insertion points of the orbit of the eye.
The optic nerve and blood vessels were cut with small surgical scissors.
The eyeball was removed. There was a large quantity of pus in optic
orbit. The pus was flushed out with 10 ml of metronidazole, flagyl, 5
mg/ml.  All cut surfaces were cauterized with compressed liquid
nitrogen. The orbit was filled with 0.2 ml of Bepanthen. The eye lids
were Not sutured closed. The cavy awoke within 5 minutes of me turning
off the Isoflurane and flushing the mask with oxygen. A dab of Vick's
vapor rub was placed under her nose. Within 10 minutes after the
anesthesia was turned off she was eating Romaine lettuce while sitting
on the heating pad on the surgical table. Every day for 2 weeks I
flushed the orbit with 1.0 ml flagyl 5mg/ml. The orbit was filled with
0.2 ml Intrasite gel. She was given orally 1.0 ml of Baytril 10 mg/ml
twice a day for 7 days and orally 1.0 ml Rimadyl 10 mg/ml twice a day
for 3 days then reduced to 0.5 ml twice a day for 3 days. She was always
able to eat on her own though daily she was syringe fed 5.0 ml of
Critter be Better or Oxbow Critical Care to assist in her recovery. She
went home two weeks post op without needing any further attention. This
is a case I feel you should discuss with your vet. The eye is just an
extension of the brain and any infection in it or behind it can infect
other parts of the brain. My best wishes for you and your family.  I am 
not a vet but I volunteer as a cavy health advisor for Dr. Frank Bonsack 
DVM of the Adventure Animal Hospital in Tampa Florida.
http://adventureanimalhospital.com/
Sincerely,

Ann and the Rescued Piggys of Piggyville, Tampa Florida USA.