4-year old Gi (aka Gigi): molar trim/white tail tip

[yasmin]

Worse.
• She has lost 2g of weight
• She would only eat a few of the canned adzuki beans – would not touch sunflower seeds or anything else that I offered.
• She has a white discharge at the corner of one eye
• She has a problem with one of her rear legs. It suddenly spasms upward and then stays there for a moment until she gets it to go down again. The same is happening to one of her forearms. (It is possible that she has injured herself because when she attempts to use the wheel, her sister Rei jumps on and moves so fast that Gi goes flying off of it.)
• She is having problem with her jaw – she moves her lower mandible back and forth.

I tried giving her half the dose of Metacam. Not sure how much she got – I gave it via a syringe filled with water. This morning she still would drink from the syringe.
I am at work now but hope to leave here in a couple of hours.

[bouncy]

Fingers crossed for you and Gigi!

[deguconvert]

Yikes, Yasmin, that doesn't sound good at all. Has she been on antibiotics as well as the metacam?

[yasmin]

No she has not been put on antibiotics. I have some left over from the others. Maybe I should try and give some to her?

[deguconvert]

At this point, I think it would be worth a try.

[yasmin]

I tried. She refuses and is so frail I'm afraid to force it on her.
She keeps on adjusting her jaw. I wonder if her throat is paralyzed. She comes to take a treat, and then either backs away or takes it and drops it.
One of her rear legs keeps going rigid – it is very distressing watching her use all of her strength to get away from me.
I will leaver her be – check on her every half an hour and see if she will take anything.
At the moment, she looks as if she is in pain.

I will make an appointment with the vet tomorrow.

[yasmin]

She is alert this morning. Still coming to me to be fed but then turning away. She did take water from a syringe. I am not going to weigh her today – don't want to aggravate the injured (at least I assume it is injured) leg. Have left them with a bowl of water and lots of food to choose from – she does show interest in the dried plant mix.

It might be my imagination but she looks brighter today than yesterday so I am not going to give any Metacam– not even half a dose – for the next day or so.

I won't call the vet just yet. I am afraid that there is nothing he can do except put her to sleep and I am not ready for that yet. As long as she is alert, is trying to run her wheel and has energy to jump from ledge to ledge, I will keep trying to keep her going.

[moletteuk]

Sounds like a good call for now.

[deguconvert]

Hoping amazing good things for you and Gi today!

[yasmin]

Each day she becomes weaker. She wants to eat but can't/won't. I have been trying all sorts of foods and concoctions but she has rejected all until, just before going to work, I offered her some organic baby food made of peas (she rejected the spinach and root vegetables one the night before) and she actually ate it!

I have made an appointment with the vet on Monday just in case. Very difficult decision to put her to sleep right now because she is still running her wheel (despite her bum leg) and interacts with her sister.

[deguconvert]

Oh Yasmin! How painful for you! I hope that she will continue to be interested in the pea baby food, and to be able to gain some strength and turn a corner toward improvement.

[yasmin]

This morning she was running the wheel again. She had no interest in the pea baby food but did eat a bit when I offered of sweet potato organic baby food. She attempts to eat chopped up sunflower seeds but I am not sure if she actually is eating it. She did take a syringe of water just now.

I will offer her food and water every hour today and weigh her to see how she is doing. (Always hopeful that she might be eating when I am not looking – perhaps I am delusional but so be it.)

[yasmin]

She has lost more weight. I have just force fed her the Metacam and a wee bit of Critical Care. I think I will have to force feed her Critical Care for the rest of the weekend.

[bouncy]

It's good that she's still active, and even better that she's got such a great mum looking after her. I hope she turns a corner, and starts to eat unassisted soon.

*EDIT* Read your latest post, which came as I was writing. I'm so sorry it's changed for the worse, but sending happy healing vibes to you and Gigi

[yasmin]

Thanks, bouncy.

[deguconvert]

I'm sorry she has lost more weight. That is so distressing! You are such a marvel and superstar in your efforts for her and for all your degus and budgies. I pray for wisdom and creative ways to help and stimulate healing and eating.

[yasmin]

Thanks, deguconvert.

[kati]

I hope she is doing better today! From all your posts you sound so dedicated and such a good mum. Sending my thoughts to Gi and hope she will show signs of improvement very soon.

[yasmin]

I am totally useless at force feeding anything to anyone.

This morning Gi is asleep in her hut; she holds her head up for a moment when I try to offer food, but she refuses it and her eyes stay closed. Her sister Rei is bringing in strips of paper to put around her.

I have lost all hope. I pray she goes peacefully and will let her be. Otherwise, I will be taking her to the vet tomorrow morning to be put down. She is too far gone.

[bouncy]

I'm so sorry Yasmin, it's been a really bad run sounds like Rei is helping to care for her too, and will make sure she's comfortable and not alone at the end.