How Does This Sound?

[epi]

I hope this is in the right place.

Last Thursday my six year old Chihuahua had an anal abscess that ruptured. He was given treatment and anti-biotics (no stitches, no drain) and made an appointment for a check up five days later like asked.

When we took Pepi (the Chihuahua) to the vet, his backside had healed up really nicely. It had scabbed up, no weepiness, no puss, no moisture whatsoever and the itchiness had gone away. He had healed up so well that I thought the vet would just have to glance at his wound and then the consultation would be over.

When we got to the vet, the vet removed the scab and Pepi SCREAMED and he started to bleed. She said it was to check if the wound had closed. Then she emptied his anal glands (is that necessary??) and he's had them emptied before so it was a shock when he screamed and I've never heard him ever make a noise like that ever before.

Then we left the vet and got home, Pepi's wound is now open once again and he's bleeding from it and he's bottom is itchy again.

Did this vet do the right thing? Did she really need to remove the scab and open a wound that had healed over really nicely? Was it right that he was in SO MUCH pain? He's still sore now and won't let you touch his bottom. He has had a lot of problems with his anal glands (still saving up to fork out $1500 for surgery to remove them) and not once has he ever been in pain before, and he has also had his anal glands emptied before without any fuss. I know I didn't go to university for a few years to learn veterinary science like she has, but how he reacted and what she did to him was a little off to me.

[tramissa]

Because an abcess is a deep hole, it can heal over the top and still be open and yuck inside and you don't know until it ruptures again, or it can spread via the blood stream, which is septicaemia (blood poisoning), which can be fatal very quickly.

In humans, deep wounds like that are packed with dressing to ensure it heals from the bottom up, rather than heal across the top, so yes, I would say that pulling the scab off to make sure it was completely healed up would be the right thing to do, as traumatic as it was. What would have been better would be to dress it in such a way as to ensure it healed correctly, but in that spot, on a dog, it's almost impossible to do, plus most pet owners wouldn't be able to look after it correctly.

When you say the wound is open again, do you mean there is still a hole there, or just a 'graze' across the surface where the scab was pulled off?

Hope he feels better soon!!

[epi]

Because an abcess is a deep hole, it can heal over the top and still be open and yuck inside and you don't know until it ruptures again, or it can spread via the blood stream, which is septicaemia (blood poisoning), which can be fatal very quickly.

In humans, deep wounds like that are packed with dressing to ensure it heals from the bottom up, rather than heal across the top, so yes, I would say that pulling the scab off to make sure it was completely healed up would be the right thing to do, as traumatic as it was. What would have been better would be to dress it in such a way as to ensure it healed correctly, but in that spot, on a dog, it's almost impossible to do, plus most pet owners wouldn't be able to look after it correctly.

When you say the wound is open again, do you mean there is still a hole there, or just a 'graze' across the surface where the scab was pulled off?

Hope he feels better soon!!

Thanks for your reply! It's made me feel a little better.

His wound now looks like a small bullet hole, just like it did when it ruptured but smaller.

[persephone]

His wound now looks like a small bullet hole, just like it did when it ruptured but smaller.

That's good- it can drain Sorry he is in teh wars

[puggy_puggy]

Poor poppet.

I would say to pull the scab off was the best thing to do as well. Emptying the glands would probably gelp remove any infectious gunk that was in there as well.

And yes I have had pugs scream when they have had their glands emptied. Since changing to a BARf diet they haven't needed to be done.