Common Surgical Conditions

• Abscesses


  Pocket of pus somewhere in the body

  Including skin, mouth, between the toes or within the body cavity.

  Many types small to large and dangerous.

  Appear suddenly - painful swelling that is form to touch or soft and jelly like.
• Abscesses 


  Sometimes abscesses can form internally or deep within the tissue and do not appear on the outside of the skin.
• Abscesses 


  Will rupture and leak bad smelling pus filled fluid.
• Abscesses- Causes 


  Many causes but typically formed when a wound becomes infected with bacteria.

  Other causes-

  Impacted anal sacs, blood infections that result in liver abscesses, tooth damage that can cause root abscesses and ear, sinus and mouth infections that can cause brain abscesses.
• Abscesses- Symptoms

  • Pain, inflammation, swelling and redness at the sight of abscess
  • Heat from abscess
  • Appetite loss
  • Fever
  • Lethargy
  • Excessive licking or chewing of the site
  • Hair loss
  • Bleeding or oozing around wound
  • Black or putrid smelling skin
• Treatment - Abscess 


  Lancing the abscess for proper drainage or surgically removing.

  Antibiotics to fight off and prevent further infections

  Anti-inflammatory drugs reduce swelling

  Site should be monitored to ensure healing- bandages and elizabethan to prevent licking or chewing
• Wounds

  Vet needs to assess the area to ensure no surrounding tissue is affected.

  X-Rays or ultrasounds are necessary to ensure other tissues, bones and organs are not damaged by the open wound
• Symptoms of Wounds

  Laceration to skin - breaking

  Skin surface is scratched or scraped

  Bruising

  Hair loss

  Hair matting around wound

  Bleeding Pus in or around the wound

  Obvious pain redness and swelling
• Causes of Wounds

  Abrasions or scrapes

  Lacerations when your dogs skin has been torn or cut open

  Puncture wounds or bite wounds
• Treatment of Wounds

  • Cut dead tissue away
  • Clean wound
  • Dress with bandages
  • Close with sutures
  • Antibiotics
  • Anti inflammatory drugs
• Signs of foreign bodies 


  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhoea
  • Abdominal tenderness and pain
  • Decreased appetite or anorexia
  • Lethargy
  • Straining to defecate
  • Changes in behaviour - biting or growling when touching abdomen
• Treatment of foreign bodies

  • X-Rays to determine what size of object
  • May monitor and pass foreign bodies
  • Fluids
  • Antibiotics to prevent secondary infections
  • Emetic drugs
  • Endoscopy into bowel
• Fractures - Fissure

  When bone cracks, doesn’t break apart- heals fastest
• Fractures- Incomplete 


  When bone partially cracks
• Simple Fracture 


  Clean breakage of bone, cracks into 2 pieces which are separated, can be distinguished depending on direction fracture takes
• Multiple Fractures 


  Total Fracture and bone breaks into different fragments - usually require surgical intervention
• Complicated Fracture 


  When broken bone sticks out through the skin- infection risk for bone exposed to air
• Incrusted Fracture 


  Some fragment of broken bone is incrusted into another one, forming an angle.
• Describe what an abscess is


  A local inflammatory reaction

  With a necrotic pus filled centre
• Explain the procedures for post-surgical wound management


  Checking for signs of infection

  E.g discharge, smell, heat, swelling and redness

  Check stitches, sutures

  For correct healing / production of new tissue

  Check any wound drains to ensure they are not blocked or draining inefficiently

  Clean and redress the wound to prevent infection and promote healing
• abscess

  a local inflammatory reaction

  with a necrotic pus filled centre