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Vets Diary - Tizzy is Pet of the Month for February

Tizzy is a very friendly and energetic little Jack Russel puppy. She came to visit us a few weeks ago when her owners noticed a swelling had developed underneath her right eye. It had happened overnight and had not responded to antihistamines, which had been given on veterinary advice. Tizzy was not concerned by the swelling and was eating and drinking normally, still charging around with as much energy as ever. She had no obvious wounds on her face when she came to us the next day, but did have a small amount of pus coming from the corner of her eye. She was treated for an infection with a course of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. The swelling went down and she was back to normal within a couple of days. However, a few days after finishing the antibiotics, it was back.

This time we took a sample of the fluid – which was pus – confirming the swelling as an abscess. As she had only had a relatively short course of antibiotics, this time we gave her a long course – as sometimes this can help fully resolve an infection. Again the swelling went away but returned as soon as the antibiotics were stopped.

We decided more invasive action needed to be taken. For the problem to keep returning, it meant that we suspected something was stuck in the middle of this abscess. In order to find out what this was, we had to give her a general anaesthetic. She was still only 4 months old, so we had to take extra care to keep her warm whilst she was having her anaesthetic. Very small animals, such as Tizzy, can be prone to getting quite cold. We opened up the swelling and after a lot of pus was flushed out from the area, we were able to investigate around inside. We managed to find and remove a grass seed right from the middle!

Quite how this managed to get in there remains a bit of a mystery; the entry wound would have healed by the time we operated. We were very happy to have managed to find the cause of the abscess, as they are often very difficult to find and remove.  We flushed out the abscess with a lot of fluid in case any small pieces had been left behind. A small hole was left in the abscess to allow any remaining fluid to drain out and prevent us trapping anything inside which might cause the infection to recur. She recovered very well from her anaesthetic and operation, and went home that evening after lots of cuddles from all the team, who couldn’t resist her!

She has been doing very well since her operation. It has been over a week since she finished her antibiotics now and the swelling has not come back. Her visits haven’t stopped her being very excited to see everyone here at the vets, and she continues to be her lovely, lively self.