Abscess- you may see a bite wound or infected wound from a day or more ago, or witnessed a cat bite, dog bite, or bite from a wild animal.
What we will do
- Gather Historical Data: It is important to find out what bit the patient and how long ago it happened. What symptoms are the patient showing? Patients with abscesses often are lethargic and have a fever. Some patients arrive with an abscess that has already ruptured.
- Gather Current Data: We will perform a thorough physical examination and determine the extent of the abscess. How deep is it? Are there other wounds that are about to abscess but still hidden under fur? Bloodwork is necessary to rule out sepsis, determine if dehydrated and check multiple organ functions.
- Treatment: Draining the abscess and antibiotic treatment are essential. Often this requires a surgical procedure. Anesthesia will allow us to thoroughly flush the pus out of the abscess and install a drain to keep the pus out for the next three days. Bloodwork results will help us to take the necessary anesthetic precautions. An IV catheter in place can be used to give intravenous fluids and intravenous antibiotics during the procedure. Anesthesia is monitored by state of the art multiparameter machines, the patient’s doctor, and a devoted technician. Many patients go home the same day with antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. The drain is removed during a free follow up visit three days later.