[Terry]

Moe has a new infection near his anal area, at the base of his tail. Swelling, redness, and oozing whitish fluid. I'm not sure if it's an infected cyst (Poor Moe is literally covered in cysts of varrying sizes, with more appearing all the time, or so it seems). A quick call to the vet earlier ruled out the possibility an anal gland infection. They said if it was that it wouldn't be oozing in that particular spot. How can he develope an infection while on anitbiotics for a previous infection? I'm curious... and frustrated. I HATE to see him suffering so!

We have an appointment tomorrow morning (we were just there last Thursday!!!) but tonight I'm just treating it with hot compresses and topical anibiotic ointment. I've put his e-collar on to keep him from licking it. He is NOT happy...

Terry

 

[Betsy Iole]

Why is he on antibiotics? If he has an infection that seems resistant to the antibiotics he's currently on, it might be worth while to ask for a culture and sensitivity (C&S) on material collected from the site of the new infection. This test grows out the organism(s) and then tests them against various antibiotics, to determine which antibiotics would be most effective. The one potential drawback is that sometimes, when antibiotics are already being used, the bugs' growth is inhibited. Sometimes, the patient has to be taken off all antibiotics before a C&S yields useful information.

 

[Terry]

Moe went to the vet last Thursday because I was worried about his shedding and because he had an minor infection in a cyst located just below his tail gland. The anitbiotics were for that minor infection.

Today the vet said the swollen oozing lump below and to the left of the base of his tail (not the one ON his tail) was an infected sebacious(sp?) cyst. He squeased out the equivelent of a ping-pong-ball amount of cottage cheesy goo and gave him a more potent antibiotic because of the location of the cyst (near his rectum). Moe should be more comfortable and possibly the cyst can heal more quickly now. He was so good at the vet's... of course he whined but he allowed the vet to do what needed to be done with less fuss than I would have made, if it had been me.

The doctor said we may be in for more frequent trips to the vet's office with all the cysts that Moe has, and more popping up all the time. There may be more infections and a need of more surgeries to remove problem cysts. The surgeries are so traumatic for Moe and his recovery times are traumatic for ME (keeping him from the wound as it heals, helping him with e-collar related issues, worrying about hima nd distracting him from his discomfort, and yes, the financial burden). Moe is only eight... but I'm afraid that if his cysts become too numerous and a serious health issue, I may have to consider the unthinkable...

I'm not going to borrow trouble worrying about what MIGHT happen. Right now he's a relatively happy guy who enjoys a belly-rub, long naps, his afternoon cookies, and lots of lovin'.

Terry

 

[Betsy Iole]

Poor guy--hope he's more comfortable soon. Buffet had a cyst near the end of her tail burst yesterday evening. Boy, a little blood goes a long way, especially when it's flying off the end of a vigorously wagging tail.

 

[Terry]

Betsy, do your dogs get many cysts? And do you treat them yourself (if so how)? When do you know to go to the vet? How do YOU decide what should be removed and what to leave alone?

Terry :?:

 

[Betsy Iole]

Yes, Buffet has had a ton, and currently has several more. In the past, she has had something like 12-13 removed at a time, but we decided that was more trouble than it was worth.

Now, I keep an eye on them, and when one bursts, I clean it vigorously with soap, water, and hydrogen peroxide daily and then put triple antibiotic ointment on it until it heals. Every time I clean, I make sure I express as much junk out of it as I can. Most don't get infected, and I can manage them myself. However, sometimes they do get infected, and she needs oral antibiotics in addition to warm soaks and wound care for those. (I do sometimes need to muzzle her while I clean, because it's not the most pleasant experience for her, especially if it's infected.)

The infected ones tend to have a lot of hard, tender to painful surrounding tissue and don't respond as well to my usual regimen.

Most of Buffet's are sebaceous cysts (also called epidermal inclusion cysts or epidermoid cyts--the terminology changes), but a couple have been benign skin tumors of other types.

The non-cyst skin tumors tend to feel more solid and to continue to enlarge slowly over time. These are the ones that I now have removed.

 

[Basset Momma]

Our Abby- who is our "not a basset" has lots of cysts with more popping up weekly. She is almost 10- We have only had one burst with lots of yellow pus... but they are numerous in her arm pit area and groin. She now has 2 in the neck region that worry me. We have been to the vet often- including this Monday and are currently just watching them. The vet did a quick aspirate of a couple of them to be sure they were not lymph nodes- and they were not... but said a full biopsy may be needed if they keep growing. Clavumox worked wonders on hers- It is a very scary feeling watching these things appear and knowing the discomfort. Abby is on Rimadyl for arthritis but I was only using once a day- We've gone to twice a day and sometimes she acts like she is still in pain. She moves from the couch to the chair to the floor. Like you we've have the "unthinkable" cross our minds- though for now we are going one day at a time. As long as she eats and cuddles her "babies" we will let things ride...

 

[biscuit]

I'm sorry Moe is having all this trouble.

But Terry, really, it will probably turn out to be not nearly as bad as you fear. I've had these exact same worries about Lady, the perfectly gigantic German Shepherd, for two years now. It's seemed like one thing after another, but each time, it's managed to work out okay and we've figured our way through it. You will with Moe, too.

In the meantime, give him an extra treat for me.

 

[Terry]

Treat given. 8) Moe's already doing better. The sore spot is looking seventy-five percent better today. He managed to get the e-collar off this afternoon when no one was home by wedging it between the coffee table and the loveseat and then pulling his head out of it. We left it off tonight but we're watching him closely. So far he's not licking too much and when he does lick he listens when I tell him to stop. He moans and groans in protest but he DOES stop. I think he knows I'll put the collar back on if he doesn't listen... he hates it so much!

Thanks for the pep-talk Biscuit. The last cuople of days were not so great and got me feeling down... I'm feeling more like my old, optimistic self today.

Terry

 

[biscuit]

glad to hear both of you are feeling better.

now give yourself a treat! :lol:

 

[Betsy Iole]

Buffet just had another cyst burst, this time on her ear. :roll:

 

[Barbara Winters]

I don't know who I feel more sorry for, you or Moe! My Toby had about 50 cysts out in two different surgeries as he would have been under anesthesia too long if my vet had done them all at once. I drew maps showing the location and put red nail polish on the hair so they could find them more easily. He looked like a patchwork quilt. After that my vet did them under local before they got big enough to require general anesthesia.
They never seemed to show much discomfort after that first day. My vet uses a yellow antibiotic powder so never had an infection and never had to use an e-collar.

I don't know how much of a genetic predisposition there is in certain lines. I think they're enough of a nuisance to warrant trying to breed dogs without cysts. But then that would probably eliminate most of the breed. :wink:

Glad to hear both you and Moe are feeling a little better.

 

[Beverly Anne]

I've actually taken to calling Francis "Lumpy Rutherford". Am I dating myself with this????? :shock:

 

[Terry]

If so, Bev, then you must be older than I am, 'cause I have no clue who you're talking about! :wink: (Or perhaps you are much younger? )

Barbara, 50 cysts?!!!! How did you stand it? Moe is very pitiful when he goes to the vet... it breaks my heart. And then when he comes home I have to distract him from scratching or licking till he heals... HOW did you get through it? And, did your vet charge by the cyst or by the length of the surgery? Taking so many at one time must require a VERY long time.

Terry

 

[Barbara Winters]

Teri that wasn't 50 at one time-it was two seperate surgeries several months apart. There were a lot of very small ones but I figured seeing as he was being anesthetized we might as well get all we could.

I think my vet only charged me $50.00 for the first surgery-that's for all 25 lumps. I remember thinking it must have cost her more than that for the sutures alone. The second time was more, maybe $ 150.

It really doesn't take long to remove a simple cyst. I've seen a couple done under local and she just cuts them out, skin and all. I'm surprised Toby had enough skin left to cover all the holes.

PS: I know I'm older than Beverly Anne and I don't know who she meant either. :wink:

 

[Beverly Anne]

(sigh...) Do I have to tell you gals everything?!? Lumpy Rutherford was Wally Cleaver's rather rotund pal on the "Leave It To Beaver" show.
Franny has so many small sebaceous cysts that in the right light he, too, looks rather lumpy.
I think I'll go smear some Olay on my face, I guess I'm older than I thought.

 

[Bassets3]

:lol: Beverly Anne, don't worry, I know who Lumpy Rutherford was. I don't think Barbara watches much TV. That's a great name for a Lumpy Basset though. Why didn't I think of that!!

 

[Barbara Winters]

Well I know I'm older than Teri, Beverly Anne and Bassets3. I do know who Lumpy Rutherford is but when you get my age the memory shrinks while everything else get's bigger. I used to watch "Leave It To Beaver" but Bassets3 is right, I only watch TV about once a year. My TV days ended when I got my first basset 40 years ago. I don't like watching TV by myself and since none of my bassets were TV fans, I sat and read while they tried to eat the books, for which I was banned from the local library. :wink:

 

[Rubydoo]

Ruby has had a lot of cysts and some where removed last summer. As far as a lumpy nickname, I sometimes call Ruby:

"Ruby-Lumplestiltskin"

My childhood basset Bud had to be put down at 11 because of cysts taking over all of his entire inside; started with sebaceus cysts when he was young.

 

[Terry]

I remember Leave it to Beaver - I watched it all the time when I was little. BUT, that was many, MANY years ago!

Barbara... $50 dollars?!!!!! Holy moly, that's wicked cheap!! Moe's last two surgeries cost WAY more than that. The first time was removal of one cyst - $400+, the second time we removed two cysts $500+ - but both times included teeth cleaning and nail clipping, and the second time we opted for lazer surgery so he'd heal faster. I have no clue how much this trip tomorrow will cost but I'm figuring at least $600 - there are six cysts that need to come off (more if the vet sees other potential problems), and perhaps another teeth cleaning. I know our vet doesn't charge per cyst (I asked). It's the length of the surgery that determines the cost, along with extras like cleaning, nail-clipping, amount of sutures (time consuming and determined by size and location of incision) amount and type of anesthesia, lazer use, and medication (antibiotics to take home). Follow-up visits related to surgery are included in the initial cost. I love our vets (Moe no longer cares for them) but good care here is pricey. Though, when I think about it, both my husband and my son had surgical procedures done this past spring and those cost sonsiderably more than Moe's so it's all relative.