Abscesses post surgery in rats

Re: Abscesses post surgery in rats

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 23:29:50 GMT

[quote user="nikki"]

normally 4-0. I have got smaller if that would be better?

[/quote]

I am not criticising, nor suggesting that this is the reason for the abscesses. But 4/0 sounds rather thick for rat skin.

Re: Abscesses post surgery in rats

Gillian Mostyn — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 22:15:32 GMT

I leave rodent and rabbit castration wounds open.....but I also tell clients to replace all bedding with newspaper or towels for a few days.

Re: Abscesses post surgery in rats

Mark Rowland — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 21:18:51 GMT

These abscesses can occur in small animals that have their scrotal wounds in close proximity to their substrate. Its quite common for this to happen in G pigs as well. Its important in the post operative period to try to ensure that the clients keep the substrate as clean as possible. Rats often defecate and urinate simultaneously so the potential for wound contamination is very real. It may be that sutures or glue may encourage self mutilation, In the States they leave the wounds open like cats. Im not sure Im brave enough to do that. It is a very frustrating complication that I too have encountered from time to time and resection is usually required.

Goodluck

Re: Abscesses post surgery in rats

Gillian Mostyn — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 20:55:36 GMT

nope..that sounds fine too.....

Re: Abscesses post surgery in rats

nikki — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 20:53:19 GMT

normally 4-0. I have got smaller if that would be better?

Re: Abscesses post surgery in rats

Gillian Mostyn — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 20:48:45 GMT

Sounds like you should be fine - what thickness of vicryl do you use?

Re: Abscesses post surgery in rats

nikki — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 20:19:42 GMT

I normally use vicryl well buried sometimes with a little skin glue if needed, continuous patterns mostly. Same surgical environment as for all other surgeries and have a very low wound complication rate with all my other surgery (generally only due to dogs removing buster collars and chewing the wounds). Not sure if the rats are interfering with their wounds - difficult to tell by the time they come back with a burst abscess. I have normally then put them onto Synulox palatable drops and they seem to eventually heal up although if they're sterile then they'd probably get better anyway.

Re: Abscesses post surgery in rats

Ian Mostyn — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:47:54 GMT

Rats are very good at developing sterile abscesses. I took out 4 huge abscesses today which seem to have originated from mammary tissue rather than any surgery. 2 swabs came back sterile. Usually they can be drained simply and settle down but it does seem to be a rat thing - possibly tissue trauma rather than infection?

Ian

Re: Abscesses post surgery in rats

Dagmar Steele — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 08:15:04 GMT

I'd also be interested in the sutures you use, presuming that you always operate in a sterile surroundings. I do quite a few rats and never give antibiotics with castrations or lumps removals, maybe I've been just lucky so far. I use Vicryl and sometimes staples.

Re: Abscesses post surgery in rats

Gillian Mostyn — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 23:18:54 GMT

[quote user="nikki"]wrong suture material or something?[/quote]

what are you using? What pattern? Do they usually leave the sutures alone or are the wounds getting chewed?