Absess?

[elkwc]

Have used needles before also - but with how thick the stuff is inside, I switched to a scalpel and small slice.

I seem to get a couple every spring now for some reason. I see them chewing on straw and balage, but thats not new. Running a lot more black cattle now, maybe they have weaker mouths who knows.

Needle will not work , Its the consistency of cake icing.

The large needles will work. It is how the vet I worked for taught me. It is hard to find the large needle anymore. We always verified if there was puss first and then depending on what we found and the size either drained it or made a small incision. I've used the large needle on many and never had it not work.

 

[skyhightree1]

 

[wbvs58]

I would go for a bigger slash Sky though can be hard to go back with the pressure released, something the size that you can get a garden hose up there to give it a good wash out. You won't need any antibiotics then.

Ken

 

[TCRanch]

Bet that stinks to high heaven! I usually flush using a 50cc syringe (no needle) with diluted iodine.

 

[76 Bar]

The ropey, "cake icing" consistency of the pus is why I make a generous initial opening. Facilitates drainage and 3-4 days of irrigation with a "weak tea" colored solution of Betadine (or equivalent) using a 30-50 cc catheter syringe. FWIW, an old time very savvy vet advised years ago against using systematic antibiotics with a run of the mill abscess. When I asked about packing the drainage area with a topical after flushing, he laughed and said sure, if it makes you feel better. Point taken.

 

[gizmom]

We had a bull with a huge knot on his head and one in his flank, both were abscesses when we were gettin him up he took another hit in the flank by another bull. That sucker ruptured no words for quite how nasty, consistentency of cottage cheese. That nasty stuff went flying and good gravy stunk to high heaven. Gave me another reason to hate working with bulls.

Gizmom

 

[skyhightree1]

I would go for a bigger slash Sky though can be hard to go back with the pressure released, something the size that you can get a garden hose up there to give it a good wash out. You won't need any antibiotics then.

Ken

when I first lanced it it was just blood so I didn't want to make a huge hole incase that wasn't what it was

 

[skyhightree1]

Bet that stinks to high heaven! I usually flush using a 50cc syringe (no needle) with diluted iodine.

Luckily my nose is stopped up most of the time in the summer :lol:

 

[skyhightree1]

The ropey, "cake icing" consistency of the pus is why I make a generous initial opening. Facilitates drainage and 3-4 days of irrigation with a "weak tea" colored solution of Betadine (or equivalent) using a 30-50 cc catheter syringe. FWIW, an old time very savvy vet advised years ago against using systematic antibiotics with a run of the mill abscess. When I asked about packing the drainage area with a topical after flushing, he laughed and said sure, if it makes you feel better. Point taken.

I wouldn't want to eat any lemon iced cake anytime soon

 

[wbvs58]

I would go for a bigger slash Sky though can be hard to go back with the pressure released, something the size that you can get a garden hose up there to give it a good wash out. You won't need any antibiotics then.

Ken

when I first lanced it it was just blood so I didn't want to make a huge hole incase that wasn't what it was

Well anyway the pus found its way out through the weak point in the skin. You just didn't go deep enough but you have to be a bit gutsy to keep on cutting not knowing what you are really cutting. When draining an abscess like that I will cut through the skin then use a pair of sharp pointed scissors and blunt dissect, that is push forward as I open them up tearing away tissue over the top of the abscess capsule then you feel a pop as they drop into the cavity then open them up and pull them out tearing a bigger hole in it that you can get back into it with a hose or your method of choice for irrigation. With a good abscess just effecting drainage will be enough for it to heal up as the body sort of everts the abscess capsule expelling the contents in the healing process.

Blunt dissecting tends to push away any structures that might be there rather than straight out cutting with a sharp instrument.

Ken