Abscess
An abscess is an enclosed collection of liquefied tissue, known as pus, somewhere in the body. It is the result of the body's defensive reaction to foreign material. http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Abscess
An abscess will normally appear as a fast growing lump. They can vary between being slightly springy, like a balloon, or more firm, even an irregular surface but either way they typically appear and grow to a noticeable size in a few days to a few weeks, though some are slow growing and can be mistaken for fast growing tumours. The other classic symptom is some sort of scab or scratch on the surface of the abscess. This only occurs on external abscesses and even then is not always obvious or present. The best way to confirm an abscess is to do a needle aspiration (best done by a vet) or have the abscess burst of its own accord. This will expel pus of varying shades and textures, the two most common being creamy coloured cottage cheese type gunk or thinner foul smelling green liquid, very much dependant on what infection caused the abscess. It is also possible to have abscesses internally, in some cases this will be apparent below the skin, in others (as with lung abscesses) it is much harder to spot and displays as a respiratory infection, these invisible kind of abscesses will not be dealt with in this section. External and glandular abscesses are more common on bucks than does, and skin abscesses are more common on rexes or hairless compared to smooth coated rats.
An abscess is caused by either foreign matter or an infection in an area of the body. It causes the tissue to become swollen and pus to build up. It is common to have an abscess resulting from a fight wound on the rat, though internal abscesses are also possible. A common form of internal abscess in bucks is found in there glands in the groin (called perpetual glands), if these are filled with cottage cheese type pus it may be linked to the a CK infection (see viruses) though they are more commonly pale green liquid. Other glands are also prone to internal abscesses such as neck glands and those found in there arm pit areas. Most abscesses are pasturella or similar common bacteria and occur infrequently with the rats having good resistance to them and recovering well. Occasionally they are caused by a more virulent and rare bacteria which often causes multiple abscesses in a group or those that reoccur.
An abscess is caused by either foreign matter or an infection in an area of the body. It causes the tissue to become swollen and pus to build up. It is common to have an abscess resulting from a fight wound on the rat, though internal abscesses are also possible. A common form of internal abscess in bucks is found in there glands in the groin (called perpetual glands), if these are filled with cottage cheese type pus it may be linked to the a CK infection (see viruses) though they are more commonly pale green liquid. Other glands are also prone to internal abscesses such as neck glands and those found in there arm pit areas. Most abscesses are pasturella or similar common bacteria and occur infrequently with the rats having good resistance to them and recovering well. Occasionally they are caused by a more virulent and rare bacteria which often causes multiple abscesses in a group or those that reoccur.
Home Treatment – Abscesses
Most abscesses will resolve themselves with minimal help, However if you spot them they are well worth keeping an eye on as there is a potential for them to burst internally which can lead to blood poisoning and can be serious. If you are concerned, the abscess is taking more than a few weeks to come to a head, it has come up more than once, there are several abscesses on one rat or more, the rat appears unwell or swelling occurs on any other part of the body (known as sceptic arthritis and urgent) then it is well worth visiting your vet. Using a covering course of antibiotics helps protect the rat from the infection spreading. This may not help an abscess that is well walled off from the body, such as a typical glandular access, it can be more effective to squirt the antibiotic directly into the abscess if it is open. Facial abscesses are not typical abscesses, in that the chances of complications are high, so need to be dealt with much more quickly and a course of antibiotics is a must, see below for a specific recommended treatment regime
Soaking and flushing abscesses is often the best help a rat owner can give. Using water warm enough to feel hot, but not burn you, soak the immediate area twice a day until a scab forms (you encourage this to occur by soaking the area). Once a scab is formed soak it until it loosens and lifts, remove it if possible. This will allow the fluid inside to come out, soak up as much as possible but don’t be tempted to squeeze hard to get it out, as you risk forcing it to burst internally. Once the pressure is relieved, then flush the affected area with warm salty water twice a day. Don’t be tempted to put antiseptic on it or anything to promote fast healing, you want an abscess wound to dry up and heal from the inside out, not close up and trap the infection inside again. In tricky cases such as facial abscesses, where the chances of complications are high, it is well worth syringing some antibiotics directly into the wound. This can speed up the ability of the body to fight the infection, but is not usually necessary in standard abscesses unless the rat is very unwell or the abscess is stubborn.
Soaking and flushing abscesses is often the best help a rat owner can give. Using water warm enough to feel hot, but not burn you, soak the immediate area twice a day until a scab forms (you encourage this to occur by soaking the area). Once a scab is formed soak it until it loosens and lifts, remove it if possible. This will allow the fluid inside to come out, soak up as much as possible but don’t be tempted to squeeze hard to get it out, as you risk forcing it to burst internally. Once the pressure is relieved, then flush the affected area with warm salty water twice a day. Don’t be tempted to put antiseptic on it or anything to promote fast healing, you want an abscess wound to dry up and heal from the inside out, not close up and trap the infection inside again. In tricky cases such as facial abscesses, where the chances of complications are high, it is well worth syringing some antibiotics directly into the wound. This can speed up the ability of the body to fight the infection, but is not usually necessary in standard abscesses unless the rat is very unwell or the abscess is stubborn.
What to expect from the Vet – Abscesses
In some cases it is worth getting veterinary assistance when dealing with abscesses, this is particularly true with facial, reoccurring or stubborn abscesses. The vet should examine the rat and the abscess; they may suggest a fine needle aspiration or taking a sample of the pus to send away. In some cases antibiotics are key ASAP, especially where abscesses are close to the bone as osteomylitis (leaching away at the bone) can occur. In these cases using coamox or amoxicilin plus metronidazole (for facial abscesses) is usually the best starting combination. Baytril is poor for puss penetration and not much use.
Preventative measures - Abscesses
There are limited things you can do to prevent an abscess as they are normally caused by external factors. However keeping your rats slim and fit help as helps them to be better able to clean themselves all over, keeping wounds clean themselves. Cage mates can also help with this job, as can treating any open wounds with an antiseptic such as purple spray or wound cream. This should prevent infection getting in to start with. Keeping a generally clean cage can also help the situation, though over cleaning a rat cage is not necessarily good either as it can mean rats who have a weak immune system. Ensuring left over wet food is removed daily, litter trays and heavily soiled areas are cleaned at least weekly and the cage as often as the group requires (probably no less frequently than 3 weekly) helps cut down on the growth of bacteria in their environment. Treating any bite wounds with a good rat safe antiseptic such as purple spray can also help. It is possible to help prevent post-surgical abscesses (especially common in castration sites) by putting the rat on a covering course of antibiotics.