Swollen Cheek

Hi Everyone,

So I went away for the week and when I got home last night I noticed Lia's cheek was all swollen between her mouth/nose/eye and there was a small scab. She was still eating, drinking water and playing in her wheel, so that's a good sign. I called the vet this morning and asked if the one that specialized in Gliders was there. I was told yes and to come in at 11.

This morning her cheek was bigger and she had some eye goo. I got her to the vet and first off it was not the glider vet but another one who does small animals. He didn't know gliders at all and didn't even know how to pick her up properly. Had the receptionist not lied to me, I would have brought her to another glider vet I know in the city. But at this point it was too late.

Anyways, he thinks it's a tooth abscess. When we looked in her mouth, the gums around one of her back teeth was red and swollen. He gave me Baytril and Clavamox, to give her once a day and said that usually antibiotics will take care of the infection though she might have to have the tooth extracted but only the other vet would know and does that. He asked if I wanted to lance the cheek to try and release the fluid which I agreed to. When they came back with her, the side of her face was totally open. They said that they took the scab off when they lanced. (They didn't even giver her any anesthetic or anything) I almost started to cry when I saw her. It's such a big wound for such a little face. I asked if I should clean it and he just said I could wipe any gunk away with a paper towel.

We are back home now and I set up a separate cage for her. I put in a heating block and extra blankets, food and some water. She's hiding out in her pouch and hasn't come out yet, but then again it is the middle of her night. I'm debating if I should go out and get some saline solution to try and keep the wound clean. Thoughts from the experts on here? I have another appointment set up Monday morning for the real vet and hopefully will know more then. I'm just not sure what else I should do for my little girl. I'm so worried about her. I'm also thinking I'll only giver her blended up food tonight so that she doesn't have to chew and use her bad tooth.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks everyone.

As I posted above in red, go get some saline or Veterycin (which would be better than saline) and flush the wound twice a day.
Hopefully they will pull that tooth for her on Monday, she will heal up fast after that.

You shouldn't have to change her diet, just give her what you normally do. Do not blend it as you are the forcing her to eat the fiber that they normally spit out.

Just keep an eye on her, and please keep us posted.

Hi,

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. Ok I'll go pick up some Veterycin for her and flush it later today. I'm going to wait till she wakes up cause I'm sure she needs her sleep right now. It was a big morning for her.

I'm just so worried about her.

Hi Pheonix. Sorry I'm a little late to the game here. This is something I deal with on a pretty consistent basis here and believe it or not, is relatively common in gliders. Here's my advice and/or recommendations.

1) It is impossible to know if there is tooth involvement without Xrays. It is imperative that you have these done to rule that in or out, and definitely before someone just says that you need to have a tooth extracted because it's "red and swollen". With facial abscesses, redness and swelling (both indicative of infection) are seen, so don't let anyone tell you otherwise until Xrays confirm. Extractions are not always easy with gliders, and if it is not confirmed by xray, can be harmful to your glider.

Lancing facial abscesses without any anesthesia is normal. I promise you, when an abscess is lanced and the pressure is relieved, your glider feels SO much better. It's a simple process and generally, it's all they need. The fact that they did not attempt to stitch, even if this is not your normal glider vet, is a good sign. I like this and I would feel confident that they did the right thing. Once an abscess is lanced, simply watch for signs of infection, but in most cases, it will heal up within a couple of days and you'd think that nothing happened. If the infection was bad enough and moved up into the eye, it may take more than a couple of days, but with antibiotics, you should be in good shape. That said...and if you happen to have this done again, I would ask your vet to culture the "goo" that comes out of the abscess. This will enable them to give you the right antibiotic for the strain of bacteria/infection. So, pay attention and if the infection comes back after your run of Clavamox, it's possible that the strain is resistant to that particular antibiotic and you need to try something else.

Now, I want to touch on the separate cage. This is NOT necessary and honestly, can hinder her healing process. There's no need in this case to keep her away from her cagemate(s).

I also wouldn't worry much about flushing that wound out. Believe it or not, the more you mess with it, the higher the chances are of you introducing bacteria into the wound. Me, personally, having experience with this, I'd simply leave it alone to heal.

Last thing. You said that she was eating and drinking and playing. No need to blend her food. In most cases, you'll notice your glider NOT eating if there is tooth involvement because it hurts. The fact that she's still eating says to me that chances are good this is simply a facial abscess that will clear up. I can't give you 100% on that, and you'll know for sure with Xrays, but I bet you're in good shape. So, no blending necessary unless you REALLY see that she's not eating at all and simply can't chew.

You're welcome to shoot me a private message or text me at 202-747-4898. I'm happy to help you out further and answer any questions you may have. This is a simple thing and she's going to be fine.

Hi DCMuffin,

PMing you!

Thanks

Hey Guys,

I just wanted to let you know that Lia is healing nicely. Her teeth were fine thankfully and her cheek is almost healed now with just a bald spot. I'm amazed how fast she bounced back.

Thank you all for your help and support!

Wonderful report. So good to hear she is doing so well.