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Post by karengoo on Jan 29, 2014 19:00:19 GMT
mine use thiers but no very often, I think ye can get diff grains of sands fir their sand baths baths
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Post by moletteuk on Jan 31, 2014 20:48:19 GMT
I think the dustbath should be OK unless it's a very dusty mix (as opposed to quite sandy), but I would clear out any other dusty places there might be. Do they like to shred cardboard or have a bedding that might be a bit dusty? I would keep this to a minimum to be on the safe side as degus can have a lot of problems with dust, my degus get a bit sniffy when their nest or diggin box needs emptying.
I think the best bet for a probiotic is probably to get a sachet of Oxbow Critical Care from the vet and feed a little bit of this at a different time to the antibiotic. If you phone up the vet and explain, they will probably let you just call in and buy a sachet.
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Post by anita on Feb 1, 2014 10:49:00 GMT
Gerald who had breathing problems for 3 years couldn't use the dust bath without having sneezing fits I also replaced shavings with a paper based product to try and keep dust to a minimum in his cage, not that he spent much time in there!
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Post by ntg on Feb 4, 2014 13:40:25 GMT
How is the little one doing now yasmas? Has his sneezing gone completely?
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Post by yasmas on Feb 4, 2014 15:17:24 GMT
No, he is still sneezing and it seems like it comes and goes sometimes. Some days he will make these quiet gasping sounds, and then other days he doesn't gasp but only sneezes when he uses the dustbath. But i wanna say he was alot worse off the days up to the vet visit, so the baytril is doing something but hasn't eliminated the infection fully. He has been on baytril for 13 days now. And the vet was kind enough to give me 3ml for the price of 1ml just in case i should spill some. That was very nice of them.
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Post by ntg on Feb 4, 2014 15:34:10 GMT
That is nice of them! I'm usually struggling to eek mine out to the full course because they give me just enough without taking into consideration that some gets left in the syringe each time! Put that over a 30 day course and it's not fun It's great that he's improved from before but some infection must still be there, so just keep an eye on how much baytril you have left and take her back to the vets if he's still showing symptoms as you start running low.
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Post by yasmas on Feb 20, 2014 14:29:15 GMT
I have something bad to report. today when i wanted to give him his baytril i noticed a pretty big lump on his belly. And i'm afraid its a tumor? It is the size of a very big pea and it must have happend very quickly because i didnt notice anything the day before. I've read on degutopia that it is fatal, and letting him go would be the humane thing to do. He doesn't seem to be in pain. He is still playful but not as much as from before the infection. I have pretty much made up my mind on letting him go, and i knew from the start that he might not survive the infection. The vet even told me not to get my hopes up because he is getting old, turning 5 this summer.
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Post by anita on Feb 20, 2014 18:46:47 GMT
I have something bad to report. today when i wanted to give him his baytril i noticed a pretty big lump on his belly. And i'm afraid its a tumor? It is the size of a very big pea and it must have happend very quickly because i didnt notice anything the day before. I've read on degutopia that it is fatal, and letting him go would be the humane thing to do. He doesn't seem to be in pain. He is still playful but not as much as from before the infection. I have pretty much made up my mind on letting him go, and i knew from the start that he might not survive the infection. The vet even told me not to get my hopes up because he is getting old, turning 5 this summer. Poor little mite, thinking of you both.
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Post by rmazeds on Feb 20, 2014 18:58:34 GMT
I'm sorry :-( maybe see what the vets say about it? I think they can go hill very fast. Just give him lots of love and treats and spend as much time with him as possible!
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Post by yasmas on Feb 20, 2014 22:30:35 GMT
anita, thank you rmazeds, I've been sitting with him, feeding him his favorite snack, peaflakes. And he doesn't seem to be to bothered by the situation he is in. Right now he is dragging an old sock around the cage and just tearing it up like always. Since my last post the tumor has gotten considerately bigger. I am shocked by how fast it is growing and i am starting to see cracks in the skin and red is showing. It saddens me to do this when he seems so happy. I'm going to the vet tomorrow to get their opinion on the situation.
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Post by moletteuk on Feb 21, 2014 16:53:46 GMT
Wait and see what the vet says, maybe there is a chance it is an abcess?
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Post by deguconvert on Feb 22, 2014 23:25:06 GMT
Yasmas, have you been to the vet already? What has been the outcome?
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Post by yasmas on Feb 24, 2014 18:46:15 GMT
Hey guys, sorry for the slow update.
So a few things have happend, i was supposed to take him to the vet on friday, but the vet who specializes in degus was not in due to illness. On sunday to my surprise the pea sized crust had come off which means it was not a tumor afterall, but could very well be an abscess like you said. It is now monday and the vet is still not in, and noone else at the clinic deals with small pets. I am told that she might be back tomorrow. As for the "abscess" it doesnt look that bad, there are no fluids and no inflammation. i'm also changing the bedding to something less toxic and see if that helps his breathing.
That is the current situation. Does anyone have experience in dealing with an abscess?
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Post by rmazeds on Feb 24, 2014 18:57:33 GMT
Thats good news then! hen mine were sneezing constantly I removed the bedding completely, could be a good way to determine if it's causing problems.
I don't have any experience myself with an abscess. I did try and look for any thread about it but couldn't find sorry! Im sure someone will have experience with it though.
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Post by anita on Feb 24, 2014 18:57:51 GMT
Hey yasmas that is fantastic news I am so happy for you. I have been dealing with an abscess on my rabbit that I had to have lanced she is on antibiotics to ward of secondary infection and I have to clean the wound with a warm saline solution everyday I wouldn't think the treatment will be much different for goos.
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Post by moletteuk on Feb 25, 2014 12:10:33 GMT
Big abcesses usually need draining, even if it's just by squeezing the pus out with your fingers. Then it's treated with antibiotics. It's a bit odd that a big abcess would form while he is already on antibiotics. The bacteria could be resistant to baytril, so if it doesn't heal up, you would need a swab taking at the vets to find out what bacteria it is to find a better antibiotic. That's all presuming it is an abcess, let's hope the vet returns soon.
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Post by ntg on Feb 25, 2014 18:43:26 GMT
so if it doesn't heal up, you would need a swab taking at the vets to find out what bacteria it is to find a better antibiotic. Speaking from experience, the swabs aren't cheap, but they do give you a sense of actually doing something rather than feeling like you're floundering around.
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Post by yasmas on Feb 25, 2014 19:21:17 GMT
The vet called me today, and i explained what was going on. She also said that it shouldn't be an abscess because he is on antibiotics. It could just be a wound from fighting with his buddy. From what i've seen on google images, the wound doesn't look like an abscess. She also told me that regardless of what it is, he is not getting better from the baytril. He is still sneezing more than ever, and his nose is wet and runny. She has encouraged me to think about letting him rest, and knowing my budget i simply can't afford all the treatment he needs. The situation is very upsetting and i can't stand the thought of him leaving this early. And not only leaving me but his friend too. They're not actually releated but they get along very well despite their totally opposite personalities. And everytime i look at him i have second thoughts about what to do. Yea he is sneezing badly and his nose is runny, he is drained for energy but still runs around with his torn up sock with a curious look on his face. I am gonna try out the new bedding i've ordered, and see if it will do the trick to his sneezing. As for the "abscess" that might just be a wound, i am just forced to wait for now, and see if it heals like a normal wound would. The wound is pretty much flat with the skin after the pea sized crust fell off. i have uploaded a few images of the wound. postimg.cc/gallery/3djz3i92/
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Post by rmazeds on Feb 25, 2014 19:29:57 GMT
Is there any other anti-biotics they can try? Just in case Baytril isn't doing anything and so the wound doesn't get infected. Id take out the sand bath until it heals also. I'd definitely still take him in to be looked at and have the wound cleaned. I would beg you not to let them put him down just because treatment is costly, not if it's something he could overcome. You would have to then introduce another degu to his friend and they might not get on and it's a long process.
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Post by ntg on Feb 25, 2014 20:01:05 GMT
I can sympathise with where you're coming from, vet treatment is not cheap over an extended period of time, and any extra issues can really cause a financial headache. It could be worth trying a different antibiotic like rmazeds suggests, but it has to be entirely your decision - only you know your financial situation and what you can or can't afford. If he's getting worse with the antibiotics though, it's obviously not doing it's job.
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