Abscesses in Dogs - Treatment

Soft swelling under the skin is the first sign of abscess. It might be painful but most of the times there is little or no pain. When a dog has an abscess, it is more likely to cause generalized illness, and it is more serious, though most can still be handled at home.

Abscesses occur much more frequently in cats than dogs, and cats generally handle them better than dogs. An abscess occurs when a infection develops in a part of the body that is capable of opening into a pocket.

Bites and scratches from fighting are the primary cause happens under the skin as a result of a puncture wound. It appears elsewhere if there is a space that can become a pocket. The area around a tooth root is a good example of this. These pockets fill with pus, which is an accumulation of dead bacteria and dead inflammatory cells (primarily white blood cells) that have moved into the area to attempt to eliminate the bacterial overgrowth. Pocketing is also the result of the body’s walling off the infection to spare the rest of the body; in this way an abscess is good management of infections.

The rupture occurs because the increased pressure from the pus interferes with circulation on the surface and weakens it, allowing the pus to exit. Eventually, if the inflammatory cells cannot clean up the infection on their own, the pus accumulates to the point that the abscess must rupture. This is serious. We are only addressing abscesses that can rupture to the outside-usually those under the skin. Usually, this creates an opening through the skin to the outside of the body and facilitates elimination of the infection. In rare circumstances with internal abscesses, the rupture may drain into a body cavity (such as the abdomen or chest).

The resultant wound from a big rupture can look quite nasty, but these usually heal fairly well and much more rapidly than you might expect. After rupturing to the outside, in most cases the body finishes the cleanup on its own. In a few cases, the wound will close over and the abscess will recur; this sometimes happens numerous times.

Most animals can heal an abscess with the support of homeopathic treatment. Although conventional veterinarians usually prescribe antibiotics for abscesses, these are rarely needed

General Care for Abscesses

If the abscess does not rupture or diminish within a couple of days and your companion seems to worsen, take him in right away. The main conditions that require the assistance of a veterinarian are listlessness (any listless animal should be examined right away) and abscesses that do not heal within a few days to a week. If his energy remains strong, you may work with him a bit longer.

If the abscess is immediately adjacent to the eye, the anus, or the genitals, you should also have an examination to be sure there is no risk to these organs.

The best method for administering herbs is a tea (infusion). Use the dry herbs (one teaspoonful dry herb to one cup water) and pour boiling water over them. Allow to cool, and strain off the herb. Give one-half to one dropperful per ten pounds, two to three times a day. As with any infection, immune-building vitamins and herbs can help. Vitamin C (5-10 mg/lb, two to three times a day), vitamin E (5-10 mg/lb, once a day) and vitamin A (75-100 IU daily) are helpful. Echinacea and goldenseal can also boost the immune system, although I recommend limiting goldenseal administration to a week.

In most cases, it is best to encourage the abscess to rupture to facilitate removal of pus. Before the abscess has ruptured, you will see the swelling and you may see evidence of a fight or other wound. Some animals will not tolerate the pressure, as the abscess is painful. This helps to differentiate the indicated homeopathic medicine. The correct remedy will usually hasten rupture and thus healing. When this happens the swelling will simply diminish as the animal improves overall.

Warm compresses stimulate development of the abscess (bringing it to a head). These should be applied three to four times a day. Simply run warm water onto a cloth until it is saturated and then hold this over the abscess for about five minutes. Longer may be more helpful. In some cases with small abscesses, the remedy may initiate reabsorption of pus and healing without rupture.

A quick lancing is relatively painless and much less traumatic than hospitalization and anesthesia. The argument for anesthesia is that the abscess can be cleaned better, which is true, but it is mostly unnecessary. If the abscess does not rupture and does not reduce in size within a day or two, the abscess may need to be lanced. This may be needed about 10 to 15 percent of the time. Ask your veterinarian, if she can simply lance the abscess without using anesthesia, since this is usually unnecessary.

Once the abscess has opened, it is important to keep the resulting wound clean and open so any pus that forms can continue to discharge.

Steps in wound cleaning

Continue the warm compresses as well as flushing the wound with a solution of Calendula and Hypericum (St. John’s wort) in saline.

Use one-fourth teaspoon of table salt and ten drops of each herbal tincture per cup of water. If you boil the water first, it will sterilize it; as it cools, add the salt and the herbs.

Allow to cool to body temperature before using the rinse.

Use a basting syringe or an ear syringe to gently rinse out the abscess.

Do this three to four times a day until the wound is clearly healing on its own.

Calendula and Hypericum are the most valuable treatments for wounds.
Calendula

stimulates healing and will improve the rate of closure.
In some cases of deep abscesses, it will close the wound before the infection is cleared.

Hypericum

In abscesses that are especially large or deep you might use alone for the first few days and add the Calendula later. In this case, use fifteen to twenty drops of Hypericum per cup of water and salt.

After the infection has cleared and the wound is clean but not healed, you may use a Calendula ointment (so it says on the wound longer) to stimulate closure.

Homeopathic Medicines for Abscesses

Abscesses respond to one of a very few remedies, though there are over a hundred remedies that may be indicated. Usually start with either Silica or Hepar sulpb, as these are effective in many cases. If you do not get a response or if another choice seems indicated, try another remedy or call for assistance.

Arnica Montana- It maybe useful for abscesses that have formed if they have the Arnica characteristic of great pain and fear of touch. Hepar sulph is similar, but the animal is aggressive and may scratch or bite, whereas the Arnica patient mostly tries to get away.We know Arnica best for trauma, and it can prevent formation of abscesses if given at the time of an injury.

Calcarea Sulphurica - If The pus is usually yellow this remedy is useful once the abscess has ruptured and the pus is discharging, as it speeds further healing, consider this one (also Sulphur).

Calendula Officinalis- Remember that in deep wounds it may close the surface too quickly, so use it only with wounds that are well closed under the skin. Calendula may be used in potency in addition to topical use to stimulate wound healing. (see above).

Hepar Sulphuris Calcareum - The state that calls for Hepar Sulph is a condition in which the pus is especially foul-smelling (yes, some are worse than others) and the wound is particularly pain. This is one of the two big abscess remedies. These animals often scratch or bite when you try to examine or treat the wound. Even if they don’t bite, they will often growl fiercely enough to make you nervous.

Lachesis - These abscesses are severe, and there is a lot of damage to tissues around the area. This remedy is made from the venom of the bushmaster snake. Imagine a snake bite wound and you have a picture of what the remedy can treat. The pus or wound edges may be bluish or blackish; there may also be dark blood coming from the wound. (despite their underserved reputation for aggression, most snakes prefer not to bite and only do so as a defense except when seeking food. To do otherwise simply wastes venom.) These animals may also bite or scratch, though they will tolerate a moderate amount of handling before they reach the breaking point.

Mercurius (virus or solubilis)
Here the pus tends to be greenish-yellow, and it may irritate the skin around the opening. This remedy is also indicated for more serious abscesses. The lymph nodes (“glands”) may be swollen near the area. Often these animals are ill and somewhat listless from the abscess. These patients are similar to those needing Hepar Sulph. They may have diarrhea as an accompaniment.

Myristica Sebifera This remedy is excellent in these cases.The primary indication for this remedy is removal of foreign bodies. I list it here because many apparent abscesses turn out to be discharging pus in an attempt to remove a foreign body.

Nitric Acid
The pus is quite foul. These animals are at least as angry and vicious as those needing Hepar Sulph. The abscess may be near a body opening (anus, prepuce, vulva, mouth, nose) where the skin and the mucous membrane meet. The wound is very painful and these animals may viciously attack anyone who tries to attend to the abscess.

Phosphorus
These may be bright red blood along with the pus.The startling reaction (see above in the introduction to this section) is most characteristic.

Pyrogenium
The wound and the pus will typically be quite foul though it may not discharge much because his reaction is very low. This remedy is often needed when the abscess has opened several times and the patient continues to deteriorate (compare with Silicea and Sulphur). When the abscess is foul and the animal is very ill, this remedy may be needed. The patient is generally restless, as he is achy due to the generalized infection and cannot find a comfortable position.

Silicea (Silica)
Another indication is that the abscess may drain constantly while the animal remains generally healthy (see Sulphur). The key is that these animals have difficulty mounting a strong enough response to heal the wound. This remedy often will initiate rupture of abscesses that are slow to come to a head. This is probably the most useful remedy for abscesses. In these cases the pus is bland and yellowish to brown. While all pus has a bad odor, the pus here may be less foul than in other cases. The cat may be sluggish and somewhat weak but not so severely debilitated as those needing Pyrogenium or Mercurius.

Sulphur
Often these patients are dirty and do not bother to attempt to clean themselves, or give a half-hearted effort-rare in a cat. I find this remedy helpful for those abscesses that continue to rupture and close a number of times, though the animal stays relatively healthy. Like those needing Silicea, these animals cannot mount a strong inflammatory response. Whereas Sulphur patients are typically warm, when they have abscesses they may be chilly.