Antibiotic Dosing help for abscesses in feet

[Nonny]

This little fellow was brought to me by a friend who knew I rehabbed a couple of squirrels many years ago. He has abscesses on one of his back toes and on the top of one of his front feet. He’s 137g. I have 500mg cephalexin, but it’s expired. I have a prescription for doxycycline. Could someone help me with dosing recommendations?

[RockyPops]

Nonny, thanks for helping this baby!

Keep checking back to this thread. Someone will answer that can help you.

[Javarat]

I have a prescription for doxycycline.

We would need to know the strength of the doxycycline to dose.
How expired is the cephalexin? It may have lost some strength, but still be usable.

[RockyPops]

Do you have close up pics?

[Nonny]

Ceph expired in 2016. I think doxy is 100 mg, but I’m not 100% sure from the script. Thanks.

[Nonny]

[Nonny]

[Javarat]

Sending PM with dosing for doxycycline.

Baytril might actually be a better antibiotic for this.
You can get it at a pet store that specializes in birds (or online) without a prescription as 'Enrofloxacin 10%'.
It is very cheap.. like 3 to 6 dollars for a bottle
If you can get some let us know.

Even better would be Clavamox, if you can locate any.

[island rehabber]

I am concerned that these "abcesses" may be the beginning of squirrel pox. Pox begins on the feet and genital areas -- check his groin for any other bumps. If it is pox, at this early stage a course of Valtrex/acyclovir (which is prescribed for herpes viruses in people so one of your family or friends may have some) is excellent at stopping the progression of pox. Maybe a few more pix would give us a better handle on this? Sorry to alarm you, but pox is deadly and we want to treat it ASAP.

[Nonny]

Thank you, Javarat. I will see what I can get today.

Island Rehabber, I appreciate your caution. I was concerned about pox, but as I read about pox, observed and treated his wounds, I've grown more certain that it's not pox. I'd be happy to describe, though, because you all know more about pox than I do. I received him on Tuesday, October 1st. The woman who had picked him up on Sunday had apparently been giving him pedialyte, and she'd offered him food that he didn't eat. He was left outside my office building, and my co-workers found him with ants on him and cleaned him up before I got to work. When I got him, he was having seizures, and he appeared to have a torn lens and his eye was clouding. Tuesday, I got a can of Esbilac (Made in USA, and he's had no digestive issues) and started feeding him. I wasn't sure if the seizures were from head trauma or fluid/nutrient issues. I think it was Wednesday, I crushed a small amount of tums, mixed with water and gave it to him. I'm not sure if the calcium helped or if it was getting his diet under control or just rest, but he stopped having seizures. It was Sunday, the 13th that I noticed the swollen back toe, but when I look at a picture from Saturday, I can see that it was a bit swollen. Monday, I noticed the swelling on his hand. He has no other spots. They don't look like the photos I've seen of pox. I've opened them, and what I'm relatively certain is pus comes out. Would the time elapsed with no other spots appearing and the presence of pus support my conclusion that it's not pox? My best guess is that they were fire ant bites. He has a good appetite, he's grown stronger and more active, his coordination issues have disappeared, and his eye clouding has gone away. His pee and poop are normal and adequate. I can't believe how tolerant he is of my attempts to treat his wounds (opening them, soaking in epsom bath, expressing pus, peroxide). He complains, but he never bites.

[HRT4SQRLS]

Nonny, that was a helpful description of the problem. I think you are right, it probably isn’t pox.
To be honest with you I would continue the doxycycline and NOT switch to Baytril. Doxycycline is a broad spectrum antibiotic so it is a good antibiotic. It might be slower but it works well. I really don’t like Baytril for any type of wound. It is much too narrow in its spectrum. Clavamox is great but I think the doxycycline is a good choice for this situation.

As far as wound care, I wouldn’t use peroxide. A better choice would be a diluted Betadyne (provodine-iodine) solution.

[Nonny]

Thank you for the helpful feedback, HRT4SQRLS. I know peroxide is often not the best treatment because it destroys the body's cells as well as bacteria, but that's actually why I decided to use it. I was hoping that it would weaken/slow the closing of the wounds, allowing them to drain. When you all have treated abscesses with antibiotic, have you also kept the wounds open for draining, or did the antibiotics work without opening the wounds?

[HRT4SQRLS]

Thank you for the helpful feedback, HRT4SQRLS. I know peroxide is often not the best treatment because it destroys the body's cells as well as bacteria, but that's actually why I decided to use it. I was hoping that it would weaken/slow the closing of the wounds, allowing them to drain. When you all have treated abscesses with antibiotic, have you also kept the wounds open for draining, or did the antibiotics work without opening the wounds?

It’s always better for the wound to stay open. If a draining wound closes it can form an abscess. A toe is pretty small so I think the antibiotic should control infection so that healing can begin.

[Nonny]

Thank you all for your help. Should I anticipate any digestive issues from the antibiotics? Should I give him yogurt, probiotics, or any other countermeasure?

[HRT4SQRLS]

You can give yogurt or probiotics but they usually tolerate antibiotics well.