Huge Hole Left On My Murphy's Neck

[Mina]

This just does not seem right...

My 8yo Staffy X Rotty boy has had reoccuring abcess like growth on the neck area of his face for the last 6 months (they have come up rock hard like the size of a tennis ball). Everytime this happens, we take him to the vets and he is put on a dose of antibiotics which brings the swelling down.

Murphy acts the same, he eats okay and is not in any way acting ill except for this huge lump on his face.

The other day whilst it was all swollen again, the skin under the lump 'burst' and there was blood dripping everywhere. Ofcourse he was rushed to the vet who then opened up the abcess and cut a huge piece of skin from his neck. He did not stitch it back but fille the whole which is approx 4cm round with gauze.

I have been asked to remove the gauze after 24 hours but the hole is just so huge and horrible looking.

The vet could not tell us what it was or what caused it. It looks absolutley horrible.

I am taking him back to the vets tomorrow but for the moment, just wanted to ask if anyone knows if its okay to leave such a huge hole open.

[cowanbree]

I have had plenty of cat abbesses and some of them have been quite big when lanced. They are never stitched and seem to dry up quite well without any more intervention than wiping with iodine. Not sure any have been quite that big though

[persephone]

Hi...My guess is that leaving it open lets the infected tissue/discharge escape.Stitching locks it all inside...and is asking for more trouble...

WE have had a dog with a grass seed abscess on her throat..it burst, and wasn't stitched..she was on treatment, and altho it took a while, healed completely.

Hope he will be ok

[BC]

Best to leave it open to ooze and dry out. Being on the neck/face he wont be able to lick it. I have had a few abseses here with the cats, and drainage tubes with Vinnie and I know its ferral to look at, but it will dry up and go scabby. Just keep wiping it and keep it clean

[~Harminee~]

Any abscess has to heal from the inside out.

By leaving it open it allows the muck to drain away. Don't let it close up until the vet ok's it.

Once what is causing it ( ie grass seed) is removed it will heal completely. ITs no different to a human boil

[shmoo]

give murphy a big hug for me

[anniejac]

This just does not seem right...

My 8yo Staffy X Rotty boy has had reoccuring abcess like growth on the neck area of his face for the last 6 months (they have come up rock hard like the size of a tennis ball). Everytime this happens, we take him to the vets and he is put on a dose of antibiotics which brings the swelling down.

Murphy acts the same, he eats okay and is not in any way acting ill except for this huge lump on his face.

The other day whilst it was all swollen again, the skin under the lump 'burst' and there was blood dripping everywhere. Ofcourse he was rushed to the vet who then opened up the abcess and cut a huge piece of skin from his neck. He did not stitch it back but fille the whole which is approx 4cm round with gauze.

I have been asked to remove the gauze after 24 hours but the hole is just so huge and horrible looking.

The vet could not tell us what it was or what caused it. It looks absolutley horrible.

I am taking him back to the vets tomorrow but for the moment, just wanted to ask if anyone knows if its okay to leave such a huge hole open.

my staffy had a grass seed in her neck with the same symptoms as yours, we had it removed by the vet and he left the hole open to drain everything out and i could not believe how much it bled, and i agree it looks horrible but you will be suprised how quick it should heal.

[Poodle wrangler]

Any abscess has to heal from the inside out.

By leaving it open it allows the muck to drain away. Don't let it close up until the vet ok's it.....

I agree.

It's always been ugly, only the skin was covering it up before.

I had to have this done with bite wounds that became infected on my dog's face- looks awful but heals well.