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Post by titchycatnipsandwich on Apr 16, 2015 11:36:12 GMT
Well, we went back last night for another check up, with the vet who did the original op. When I asked who the appt was with, and explained why I was concerned, I was told she was a locum vetinary surgeon who for other reasons was already on the "never coming back list", and my concerns would be added to the list of very good reasons why that was so...
He's still eeking pus. The vet helped me drain him fully last night, and today he's leaking a lot less with a bit of blood mixed in, which apparently shows it's healing. However, if it becomes a river of blood or just blood instead of pus, I'm to take him back ASAP. If he isn't improving further by the time we go back in two weeks, she thinks they'll book him in as a morning surgery and remove the knot in the stitches if the tissue is healed enough.
But we are getting somewhere! (The vet also agreed that the statement "give him plenty of metacam, he'll need it" is a bit of a sweeping statement and if he doesn't need it then don't give it, there isn't enough data to say it's otherwise safe.)
However, his pee absolutely stinks. It's a side effect of the sulphur component of the Septrin, but doesn't help that it truly stinks and he's on newspaper still so there's not a lot of absorbency going on.
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Post by deguconvert on Apr 16, 2015 14:01:34 GMT
Ewww!! Stinky pee is terrible, especially if he is a degu that likes to mark you. Our first three boys marked me all the time, and although it is not a proven thing, I am sure they can extrude a musk kind of thing as well, because they could sometimes leave this seriously pungent reek that meant washing those clothes immediately, for my own sanity. It was always the same odor, no change in urine colour, but EWWWWWW what a stink! LOL! Anyhow, the scent that the Septrin is imbuing his urine with must be really nasty. Sorry about that side effect, but really glad to hear that 1. you got to see your preferred vet, 2. there are definite signs of improvement, and 3. that vet of questionable skill will not be back. Kind of makes you wonder what "else" she did . . . .
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Post by moletteuk on Apr 17, 2015 12:15:17 GMT
Hope he responds more soon and doesn't need the extra anaesthetic. Is this already your second AB? There is always the option of doing a culture if there is any doubt he is responding to this one.
How is he in himself?
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Post by titchycatnipsandwich on Apr 20, 2015 6:27:35 GMT
It is his second antibiotic, if there is no improvement then I'll get the pus cultured but I think it is reducing slowly. There was certainly a lot less to drain yesterday. The vet also reassured me that while it is good in the short term for the drainage hole to be staying open, if once we're done with the pus draining they don't close then they will sort that out as non-infectively as possible (I was concerned they'd want to use stitches to hold it shut, which is how we got here in the first place...) He is fine, getting less hand-tame (probably because it feels to him like every other playtime involves his abdomen being squeezed, no matter how often he gets a "treat" after it- I do love that he thinks his antibiotics are a treat!). On the upside, the girls have started nesting by the cage divide and I think he has too, although I'm not exactly certain on that
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Post by moletteuk on Apr 20, 2015 10:38:16 GMT
Hang in there. At least it seems like you might have some happy degus at the end of all this. The tameness should come back after a while.
Perhaps the vet will be able to glue the drain hole shut.
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Post by saddlers on Apr 20, 2015 14:55:41 GMT
I really hope things settle down he deserves a treat after everything he has gone through
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Post by titchycatnipsandwich on Apr 27, 2015 17:16:11 GMT
Well, today marks the end of 8 weeks post-op, so I packed up River, Bea and Miho and we went through to the playpen in the back room, and they had a run around together and... Nobody died? I kept it short because I didn't want to push it, but River sniffed everyone and everyone had a sniff at each other and there was a little teeth chattering but otherwise it was very nice and neutral even more so because I forgot to sand bath everyone first, so hoorah! (On the infection side of things, the Septrin seems to be working. A lot less pus is draining now! I have us another appt on Wednesday, and I'm hoping that they'll say that's it, stop traumatising your poor degu and let him get on with loving his new friends)
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Post by moletteuk on Apr 27, 2015 19:51:20 GMT
That's great on both fronts
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Post by deguconvert on Apr 29, 2015 5:15:42 GMT
Woo Hoo!! Happy news all around!
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Post by saddlers on May 1, 2015 14:55:32 GMT
Great news, keep us updated on progress this little chap has certainly been through a rough period, hopefully a degu hareem is just around the corner for him
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Post by titchycatnipsandwich on May 2, 2015 13:25:43 GMT
So, I am officially "allowed" to stop squeezing! Well, kinda. What the vet said was that the quantity that came out when she squeezed it was a lot smaller than the previous quantities that had been documented, and that it was obvious that it was no longer a one-person job. I am to try and drain him, but keep on with the antibiotics and he's on the way to fixed And he and the girls are... Oh, I think I need a new thread. I have no experience with how positive introductions go
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Post by deguconvert on May 3, 2015 0:04:08 GMT
LOL! Sounds good?
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Post by titchycatnipsandwich on May 13, 2015 19:06:45 GMT
Hoorah! Yippee! Callooo calleigh! My favourite veterinary surgeon, of all the people we've seen over the last 10 weeks, has said that's it! No more vet visits for this! Finish what's left of the antibiotics, keep an eye on him for a little while longer incase it recurs, but she thinks it's gone, done, finished, no need to see him again. Both he and the girls are very pleased by this. The girls did not enjoy being taken to the vets with him, even though the vet was lovely and told them they had very nice noses (I did not enjoy the part where I had to try and get three degus in a box. Even Mr Compliant wasn't playing ball today...)
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Post by moletteuk on May 14, 2015 10:07:41 GMT
Woop woop hooray! I reckon there should be some sort of saying associated with trying to get 3 degus in one box, something like painting the forth roadbridge, mad as a box of frogs and something else all combined!
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Post by deguconvert on May 15, 2015 4:00:56 GMT
WOO HOO!! Celebration time, come on!! So relieved for you! Now you can help him love you again instead of dreading you.
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