Dog has abscess

[TashaG]

Our 6 mth Sheltie has a huge abscess in his throat, cheek area. he was put under general An, they did an ultra sound but they didn't find a cause. They drained it and he is now on antibiotics broad spectrum and an anti inflammatory if he needs it for pain- he doesn't seem to be in pain so isn't taking this.We r giving him rescue rem, arnica tabs, vit c, probiotics. He is his usual lively puppyish self and eating very well. (home cooked balanced diet). He's back at the vet next week to check progress and maybe get a more specific antibiotic if needed. They are talking about CT scan if necessary..Any other specifics we can do for him to recover from all the drugs and help the still quite large abscess to heal quickly?

 

[Dr. Christina]

Poor you! Since your puppy seems happy and active, Tasha, I am not saying poor puppy. I am glad you did not have to give the anti-inflammatory. Maybe the treatments you are giving will prevent a repeat of the abscess.

Have you created your holistic health care team yet? We talk about that in the Fun-damentals course that you get for free and give you web sites to help find holistically trained vets. Where do you live? Maybe our community has a favorite in that area.

I would hesitate to do a lot more diagnostic tests as long as your pup is eating very well, playful and active. You may want to have a discussion about the risks and benefits of more testing if you do return to a conventional vet. Ask them if it would be ok to wait since he is eating and feeling good, etc.

Let us know a bit more about what it looked like, and any possible caused and other problems he has had before in his short live and when the last vaccine was given and where it was injected.

Dr. Christina

 

[TashaG]

Thank you so much for the advice. Which pro biotic would you recommend ideally?
Abscess is a large lump under the skin which appeared overnight and which is gradually reducing. Vet suggested it's caused by a wood splinter but they didn't find anything when he was under anaesthetic.
He had his 2 standard 8 and 12 week old vaccines - we don't know where he was injected because of COVID restrictions.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hi Tasha, I'm sorry to hear about your pup's challenges, but luckily your wanting to work with his body, his age and vitality should help overcome them quickly.

Thanks also for posting after we spoke about Buddy (we'd love to see a picture as your profile pic or in your next post about him).

Based on our quick chat, the hot packs on the abscess 4 Leaf Rover soil-based probiotics, and fermented foods like sauerkraut are all you need to do right now.

Protect

Protect is probiotics from the earth! Protect supports immune function and a healthy digestive tract. Veterinary-formulated.

fourleafrover.com

Along with helping him be happy of course!

The Happiness Protocol in Your Pet's Life

At HA! we are committed to much more than helping pets become dis-ease free. We promote restoring and maintaining vitality, balance, energy, & happiness.

www.holisticactions.com

Please let us know how he's doing and if you have other questions.

 

[Dr. Christina]

I know it is late in UK.

There are many great probiotics. I recommend switching brands and types every few months. Do a search on the site for Probiotics as we have had several speakers and you will learn a lot.

Homeopathy can certainly help if it actually is a wood splinter, so definitely select a homeopath to work with. There are a lot of great ones in the UK.
Welcome to the BAHVS - BAHVS has a find the homeopathic vet search. At least some of them will consult by phone. @Dr. Sara trained in the UK so may have some more suggestions.

The vaccines were done long ago so probably not a cause of this.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hi Tasha. One of the webinars I'd highly recommend is the one from Dr. Doug Knueven primarily about probiotics.

If you can't find it in your member resource area, @aruna can send you the direct link.

And as we discussed last night, now's a great time to start some fermented foods in addition to see which probiotics are available in the UK.

 

[TashaG]

Thanks so much both of you for all the help. He is due for a vet review tomorrow and the swelling is going down gradually but is still there. He finishes the broad spectrum antibiotics tomorrow. He seems fine in himself and not in any pain or discomfort. I'm guessing the vet will want to go ahead with a CT to try and see the cause of it and / or a different antibiotic but it sounds like it might be better to wait and see if it resolves itself? How high dose of vit c could I give and would things like olive leaf or others be helpful to keep fighting the bugs? we're looking for a homeopath but would there anything we could start giving straight away apart from the arnica and rescue remedy. TIA

 

[Dr. Jeff]

You're welcome Tasha.

Let's see what the vet says as a CT may not be needed.

The dose of vitamin C is often limited by bowel tolerance (e.g. stool consistency and frequency). If he can tolerate 1,000-2,000 mg (or more) that would be great. However, even 500mg is fine.

There are many other immune stimulating and antimicrobial herbs to use, and olive leaf extract would be a great choice.

Liquid Immuno from Rx Vitamins is also a very good one in the vet world (and is available online).

Liquid Immuno

What is Liquid Immuno for Dogs and Cats? Liquid Immuno is a natural, hypoallergenic formula for dogs and cats designed to help maintain a healthy immune system. Why is Liquid Immuno used for cats and dogs? Liquid Immuno contains L-lysine,…

www.vetrxdirect.com

Definitely use the Arnica and RR as needed until you start working 1:1 with someone.

Give Arnica A Chance - Dispelling Homeopathy Myths

The belief that the small dose of homeopathic medicines means they are not effective is busted by experiential evidence.

www.holisticactions.com

 

[TashaG]

Thanks so much for all the help! We're still searching for a homeopath who can do an urgent online consultation if there are any specific suggestions, presumably could be anywhere in the world?

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Yes! Anywhere in the world.

Great ones to try first are:

Animal Wellness Center

At Animal Wellness Center, our primary modality of treatment is homeopathy. We also use nutritional supplements, western and eastern herbs, Bach flower essences, and conventional medicines where deemed appropriate.

www.judithhermandvm.com

Natural Pet Care - Metairie / New Orleans, Louisiana - Dr. Adriana Sagrera, DVM

Dr. Sagrera is committed to alternative medicine as a way to improve the health of her patients by the most natural and non-invasive means possible.

drsagrera.com

Dr. Jeffrey Levy DVM PCH :: Classical Veterinary Homeopathy

Dr. Jeff Levy, DVM PCH is devoted exclusively to homeopathic treatment for dogs, cats, and horses. Also teaches advanced veterinary homeopathy in seminars around the U.S.

homeovet.net

 

[Julie W.]

My friends puppy suffered for over a year from an abscess on his neck/check area. All kinds of antibiotics and procedures. They could not find a cause. After the dog went off the drugs, the abscess would come back. I don't recall all of the events. It was around 2014. In the end they discovered a blade of grass in his salivary gland. Does your puppy eat grass?

 

[Dr. Jeff]

A foreign body as the nidus (center) and initiator of the abscess is definitely something to investigate. Sometimes vets even have to surgically explore and abscess to make sure there is nothing there.

When a pup eats grass sometimes they pick up a plant awn, small splinter, etc. that can start an immune reaction and abscess.

If I am correct in remembering that today is the vet recheck, I look forward to hearing what they say.

Tasha, have you been able to get the appointment yet with a vet homeopath?

 

[TashaG]

My friends puppy suffered for over a year from an abscess on his neck/check area. All kinds of antibiotics and procedures. They could not find a cause. After the dog went off the drugs, the abscess would come back. I don't recall all of the events. It was around 2014. In the end they discovered a blade of grass in his salivary gland. Does your puppy eat grass?

He does. Thanks for the info.

 

[TashaG]

A foreign body as the nidus (center) and initiator of the abscess is definitely something to investigate. Sometimes vets even have to surgically explore and abscess to make sure there is nothing there.

When a pup eats grass sometimes they pick up a plant awn, small splinter, etc. that can start an immune reaction and abscess.

If I am correct in remembering that today is the vet recheck, I look forward to hearing what they say.

Tasha, have you been able to get the appointment yet with a vet homeopath?

Thanks so much for checking in. Vet said he wants to open it up on Friday under sedation and clean it out and try and see if there's anything in there. He would then leave it open and let heal naturally. He wants to go in from the cheek. It feels like the next best step as it has not gone completely even with two weeks of broad spec antibiotics. We've upped the vit C and following your recommendations. Puppy is bright and lively as ever!

 

[GinnyW]

That's great news! Get some Arnica, in the largest potency you can find. And also some Hypericum, which is super for wounds and incisions in nerve-rich areas - helps with pain as well as obviating infection. This is homeopathic first aid, which is well within the reach of anyone to employ. Use the Arnica just before the surgery and then right after, and start up the Hypericum, too.

If you need more help with the remedies, go buy them and tell us what you got, and we'll help. "200c" in each would be OK. Bigger Arnica if possible, like 1M or 10M. And for the Hypericum, a "200c" or "30c" would be fine.

 

[TashaG]

That's great news! Get some Arnica, in the largest potency you can find. And also some Hypericum, which is super for wounds and incisions in nerve-rich areas - helps with pain as well as obviating infection. This is homeopathic first aid, which is well within the reach of anyone to employ. Use the Arnica just before the surgery and then right after, and start up the Hypericum, too.

If you need more help with the remedies, go buy them and tell us what you got, and we'll help. "200c" in each would be OK. Bigger Arnica if possible, like 1M or 10M. And for the Hypericum, a "200c" or "30c" would be fine.

That's great news! Get some Arnica, in the largest potency you can find. And also some Hypericum, which is super for wounds and incisions in nerve-rich areas - helps with pain as well as obviating infection. This is homeopathic first aid, which is well within the reach of anyone to employ. Use the Arnica just before the surgery and then right after, and start up the Hypericum, too.

If you need more help with the remedies, go buy them and tell us what you got, and we'll help. "200c" in each would be OK. Bigger Arnica if possible, like 1M or 10M. And for the Hypericum, a "200c" or "30c" would be fine.

Thank you for the advice.