Treating Abscesses on Your Donkey at Home
While it is not desirable, it is possible to treat an abscess at home and without contacting a veterinarian to perform the job. It should be noted, however, that you should only treat an abscess on your own after you have been directly taught by a veterinarian or other animal healthcare expert. Furthermore, it is best to leave treatment of abscesses on the neck or the face to the veterinarian in order to reduce the risk of major bleeding.
If no veterinarian is available and you absolutely must perform the procedure on your own, here are the general steps involved with treating an abscess:
- Apply a heated, moist cloth (referred to as a poultice) to the site of the abscess
- Trim the hair around the abscess
- Disinfect the surface with an antiseptic
- Make a small, low and vertical incision into the abscess with a sharp, sterilized knife
- While wearing sterile gloves, carefully squeeze the abscess to expel the excess pus
- Flush the wound with disinfectant
- Sterilize or discard anything that came into contact with the pus
You should then be sure to monitor the wound for up to a month to ensure it is healing properly. You may also want to isolate your donkey depending on the size and location of the abscess. This will help to prevent reinfection while also helping to ensure it does not infect any other animals that you may have.