The importance of a drain

I have dealt with my fair share of facial abscesses, and one thing that is true of most all of them is that they are very persistent and will keep coming back time and time again.

The most effective treatment I have found for dealing with abscesses that do NOT involve a tooth is to insert a drain when the abscess is drained.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO CULTURE THE MATERIAL DRAINED FROM THE ABSCESS. This is the only way to know that you are using the best antibiotic for the particular infection.

IN ADDITION, talk with your vet about the use of a drain. A drain is inserted in the site of the abscess and left exposed so that any infection can continue to drain out. The abscess site is then flushed daily (sometimes more than once per day) and the drain is moved a bit to ensure that it stays open. By using a drain for 3-7 days after an abscess has been lanced and drained, IN COMBINATION WITH ANTIBIOTICS, I have found that facial abscesses are far less frequent in occurrence.

Here are a few pictures of a glider with a drain made from a large suture:



Because we still do not know what causes these type of abscesses, we must do all we can to treat them effectively and to study them. PLEASE be sure to speak with your vet about a drain, to have the infection cultured, and to share your culture results with the SUGAR group.