[Dailydrool] Cyst

[Brenda Waldrop]

What type of cyst is this?  If it's just a normal sebaceous cyst, it
probably doesn't require surgery.  My Copper gets them all the time, and
with a lot of help from other droolers when he got the first one, I realized
that they weren't that big a deal.  They are really gross, and if you just
leave them then every few months or so they will fill back up and burst and
ooze.  Of course all the other dogs will think this is a great treat and run
to help clean it up before you get to it.

If it is infected, as I understand they can be, then antibiotics are
probably a good idea, but I don't know that I would put him through surgery
on it at 13.5, especially if it's nothing more than gross and oozy.  If it's
not pressing on anything, or causing any hearing damage (you said it was
near his ear right), then it should be ok not to do any surgery.  When you
see it getting ready to ooze, hot compresses and light pressure will most
likely drain all the goo out, then some neosporin to keep it from getting
infected and help it heal faster.  Works like a charm on my Copper, who is
11 and gets a couple of cysts a year.

I would definitely get a second opinion from another vet before I hurried
into surgery with a 13.5 year old dog that is just about to go through a
traumatic move.  There are other wiser, more experienced dogslaves on the
drool that will probably weigh in with even more info than I have.  As for
the bassets licking the wound, as far as I understand, other than being
gross, there is not an issue with it.  Dogs lick their wounds if they can
reach them, and other pack members lick them if they can't.  I think in some
cases it even speeds the healing, it certainly seems to be the instinctive
thing to do.

Maybe once the infection is cleared up you could see a new vet wherever you
are moving and get a second opinion.  I hope your furbaby is feeling better
soon.

Brenda- momslave to the lumpy, oozy Copper and Elphaba (aaww mom, don't
clean that off, I was going to lick that!)
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