# Abcesses



## dlwhite (Mar 23, 2010)

I was wondering if anyone else has had hedgies with very large abcesses and what they were able to do about them? I took my hedgehog Merlin into the vet a couple months ago, where the vet said she figured he had cancer, and although we could try to test and such, there wasn't much point as it is so common and she was so certain. Then the mass got a little smaller. He had 2 rounds of antibiotics which reduced it, but once he went off them, it FLARED up. The next vet I tried said it sounds like an abcess, and she could go in and drain it, but the surgery would cost at least $450. He is currently on another round of antibiotics, and she has given him a standing perscription for the next year. She figures he will have to be on and off for the rest of his life, unless I can eventually afford his surgery. Does anyone have any experience with this? Success rates? Any other suggestions?


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## Hedgiepets (Aug 21, 2008)

Where is the abcess?


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## dlwhite (Mar 23, 2010)

It is around where his lymph nodes would be, on his neck. I have been told that surgery is really risky where it is anyway, which makes be debate whether the surgery is better for him or the antibiotics...? His energy really seems to increase on antibiotics too, and the lump goes a bit down, but never disappears by any means. It is about the size of a grape and has been that way for a while now... I will try to upload a picture soon....


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## dlwhite (Mar 23, 2010)

I can't figure out how to add a picture into my post yet, but I have included an attachment where you can really see it well... My poor baby!


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Are they certain it is an abscess and not an enlarged lymph node due to something else going on. It looks just like my little Tessie did. This lump suddenly appeared on her neck and grew huge. Initially my vet thought tumour, then abscess, then when she was gassed and thoroughly examined it was discovered to be a lymph node and a huge oral tumour was found under her tongue. Has he been thoroughly checked out for tumours? 

I seem to recall that someone had a hedgehog who had a tumour in that area and it was removed successfully. I'll do some more thinking and it may come to me who it was. Julie or Deneen, do you remember?


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## shetland (Sep 2, 2008)

I truly hope your baby will be well soon.


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Sorry about your little guy!

If I were you, I'd go ahead and do the surgery. He looks like he's in good shape other than the lump and hopefully it is only on the neck. At least with the surgery your vet can get a better idea about what is going on, unless you want to do more tests on it to make sure about what it really is. Talk to your vet about the pros and cons of surgery vs. any other treatments based on his age, how he would react to surgery, and how his life would be after it. 

I'm a little curious though... $450 seems an awful lot for just draining an abcess... oops and I just realized that you were talking to several vets. In that case just go to the one with the most small animal experience you can, not necessarily for hedgehogs. Experience with surgery on rats/ferrets/guinea pigs would be something to look for.

Fingers crossed for you two!


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

I have not had any experience with an abscess in a hedgehog but when our chin had an abscess, my vet said that usually you have to go in and drain the abscess and clean it out or it will continue to come back. Chee had it drained and then was on antibiotics and it didn't come back. If it is just an abscess, it shouldn't cost $450 but perhaps the location is more involved.


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## HedgeMom (Nov 7, 2008)

Have the vet do a fine needle aspiration. That will show whether it's an abscess or a growth.


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## rainbowcookie (Dec 21, 2009)

Wow--I am so impressed with the suggestions from everyone! I hope your hedgehog feels better soon and that it's less expensive and less scary for you both!


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

I will second the fine needle aspirate suggestion. That could be an abscess or it could be a growth. My Riley had a similar looking bulge from his neck when his spindle cell sarcoma came back. He originally had a growth on his eyelid, we had it removed and when it came back it came back as a large mass that could not be removed.

We did an FNA just to ensure that it was indeed the cancer coming back and not an abscess. Sadly for us it was the cancer, but at least we knew.


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## dlwhite (Mar 23, 2010)

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and support. He is a couple days into this round of antibiotics and the lump is getting just a little softer, and a tad smaller already. I think I am going to try calling a couple of the other vets in the area and see what I can come up with too...


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## Tess (Apr 11, 2010)

Hi, 
I am new to this site but I was wondering how your hedgehog is doing. We have a female hedgie, her name is Kwi Kwi, and she is 2 years old. She has the exact same lump as your pictured hedgehog. I took her to the vet this week and the vet thought that she has a tumor and that since it is very common in hedgehogs that we need to decide if we want her to put Kwi Kwi to sleep. Since I took her to the vet alone, I told the vet that I wanted to take her home to discuss with my husband and daughter. Kwi Kwi has had this lump for a couple months now and it doesn't slow her down, she is active at night, eating and drinking and running on her wheel. She is our first hedgehog but we have since taken in another hedgehog and they are getting alone very well. They are both females but Kwi Kwi is about half the size of our newest girl. Just curious what other people have experienced with these type of lumps. 
Thanks,
Tess


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

If the lump is in the same place, It is very possible that KwiKwi's lump is a mammary tumour. Mammary tumours can be removed but the sooner they are removed the better. My Peaches had a mammary tumour removed at 18 months and she was almost 5 when she died of something unrelated to the tumour.


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