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Post by randomname on Aug 8, 2016 10:01:23 GMT
Am giving his cage a good clean while he's out, will keep his bedding though.
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Post by randomname on Aug 8, 2016 10:45:28 GMT
Vet's just phoned. She can't see anything wrong with his teeth, or body. He's groggy but awake. She thinks it must be an infection. She'll send him home with baytril & metacam.
Am worried about how to get meds in him, especially if he's not eating. What if I can't get him to eat? He hasn't really eaten since Saturday.
Totally puzzled now
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Post by randomname on Aug 8, 2016 10:48:02 GMT
Should I be asking for xrays?
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Post by bouncy on Aug 8, 2016 11:23:52 GMT
Xrays might have been an idea, but it wouldn't be fair to put him under twice in one day.
Metacam shouldn't be a problem. If it's branded metacam, it's honey flavoured and he should find it tempting by itself, especially as he's drinking.
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Post by bouncy on Aug 8, 2016 11:25:30 GMT
If you can reduce pain with metacam, he should feel better to eat.
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Post by randomname on Aug 8, 2016 11:59:37 GMT
Have just found a weird poop in the cage when cleaning. Forgot to get a photo. It was a long lump, not the usual pellet. Looks a bit like the squidgy rabbit poops they eat, like a bunch of grapes all squashed together. Was soft & about an inch & a half. Maybe this is related?
Thanks Bouncy, will look at xrays soon if nothing else works. Am assuming metacam & baytril will take effect in next couple of days. So if no improvement by , say Thursday, it might be worth doing Friday?
Should I ask the vet for Critical care/ recovery plus foods? Also, should he be getting some meds for his guts? I'm definitely going to try that moors liquid, that's what it's designed for. Can't hurt at this stage
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Post by goolover on Aug 8, 2016 13:34:02 GMT
Ask for his meds to be injected today which will cover him for the first 24hours. As for getting meds into him once he's home if he doesn't take it how it comes maybe add some blackcurrent juice into syringe. A vet who has rats told me she dilutes the meds this way and her rats take it. We use the rabbit critical care feed that you can order online and can add meds to it. If he starts to eat maybe put some on a handful of oats fr him. Regarding his poop ive noticed if mine are poorly with an infection it comes out in their poops and can be like a jelly substance. Its the only way the infection can leave the body. They can also get an injection to keep gut going but cant remember the name. Know this might sound strange but ontop of infection you dont think he's depressed do you? Just with his low mood,teeth chattering and not eating!
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Post by bouncy on Aug 8, 2016 15:02:21 GMT
As well as recommended fennel, mint has a good effect on the digestive system.
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Post by randomname on Aug 8, 2016 17:04:32 GMT
goolover - that's exactly what I did. He had the painkillers, antibiotics & gut stuff (cloppy-thingy as I call it!) by injection today. It's up to me from the morning. My vet advised watered down orange or pineapple juice, but he might actually like the metacam as it's flavoured like honey. The antibiotics can go in his water, so not too worried about them. He has been drinking so I know he's getting some. I have some recovery food, not going to try with the syringe, will keep that trauma to meds so I don't freak him out too much. Have put some in a bowl to see if I can tempt him. I've put his normal forage/food mix in a bowl with some dried dill on (as he seemed interested in that yesterday) but he's not bothered yet. I have been going in every hour or so, offering him a different seed or an oat etc. Nothing's tempted him yet. He did take a sunflower seed, but didn't eat it, but that's a start. I was very surprised when I offered him some Moor's liquid on a teaspoon - he ate 2 tiny bites! It's great for guts, so I hope he likes it. Will try him again later with it. I was thinking about the possibility that he's depressed. He doesn't seem very interested in the babies, but maybe having them has sparked his loneliness? He doesn't attempt any communication but he does watch them sometimes. Ironically, I can't do introductions until he's better! His poops & the way he's lying on his belly make me think it's physical, not mental though. Maybe the depression is because he's feeling so rotten. When he came to us, he wasn't eating, but he wasn't hiding or lying on his belly & his poops were small but normal. I just wish they could speak!! bouncy I've got fennel seeds & fresh mint, I'll give him a try with them - am trying everything else. I have about 20 seeds, 10 forage mixes, various hay, treats & his normal food. There's 5 fresh herbs on my windowsill & I have some cucumber, salad leaves & tomatoes to try. Surely he'll like ONE of those?! Just tried his favourite sweet potato, wouldn't touch it. Didn't want a nut, some oats or sesame seeds either. Will keep trying. It's probably too soon after the sedation for him to want to eat, but am hoping to see some improvement by the morning. Vet said he wouldn't go under sedation - he jumped off the operating table & wouldn't be caught! Said he fought & bit them when he was under too! Said she'd never seen anything like it. Hope he doesn't have a sore leg now - I'll be billing them. I told them he was like a wild chipmunk, but they obviously underestimated him. Quite a busy day for a goo - just going to let him rest for a bit. (no I'm not, I'm going to check on him every 5 minutes like I have been doing, can't help it)
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Post by bouncy on Aug 8, 2016 17:22:33 GMT
Hahaha kamikaze degu! Bet they'll make sure he's the healthiest goo around!
Recovery from gas varies from goo to goo. Some on here have said a day or so. With Scaredy, he came round around lunchtime. Collecting him three hours later the vet told me he hadn't been eating or drinking, so I put my hand into the hay and said hello, and he came straight out and plonked his mouth into the food bowl!
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Post by randomname on Aug 8, 2016 17:31:54 GMT
He seems bright & alert enough, he was lively in the carrier on the way home. They kept him a couple of hours to make sure he was ok after his attempt at flying! Just waiting for his appetite to return. He's snuggled up on his furry tunnel (I must think of another name for that thing, it always sounds like crap euphemism!) asleep at the mo. Enjoying a bit of sunshine. Hopefully he'll awaken ravenous & eat everything in the cage. Can hope. To be honest, I'm fairly surprised he's still with us. Really thought Saturday night was it. Today has been pretty dangerous too. He's got some fight in him, as the vets found out! Hopefully the fighting spirit will be what gets him through.
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Post by saggy on Aug 8, 2016 17:37:04 GMT
Sorry, I've been reading and was really praying for a good outcome Did they do any kind of poop analysis. My parrot caught a horrible bacterial infection off a cat who attacked him badly through the cage (not neglect on my part, the cat had actually climbed through a second floor window which I could never have expected and I was at work at the time). He wasn't doing so great and even though the vet offered AB, I wanted to try and avoid at first as he's always been a fighter and a lot of birds don't do so well with ABs which can finish them if already ill. I got a high strength vitamin solution to put in his water and it gave him just enough extra strength to get him to fight it off, he had really pepped up by the next morning even though they can't normally fight this paricular infection and he's been fine ever since. Obviously degus can cope with ABS much better so not saying to use instead but it might help alongside especially if not eating? THe only food I could get him to eat while he was ill was millet sprays and I know my degus love it although rarely give. I know it's a different type of animal lol but it seems easy to eat compared to other seeds/nuts and high in energy lol! I completely sympathise re your agorophobia, I became very bad with this once with post natal depression, I was making up excuses but knew it was a problem once my ex left and all I could think or get upset about was "oh no, who's going to go to the shop for me" lmao! You did well
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Post by saggy on Aug 8, 2016 17:44:23 GMT
Oh and just in case you're still looking for ideas, my degu has just been on metacam and Abs and the metacam was no probs as is sweet like you said. THe ABs were much more difficult as she was even resisting the water as she could smell it and I didn't want her becoming dehydrated as well. THe only thing I could get her to take the ABs on in the end was on dried parsnip or carrot pieces and had to make sure it had completely dried on there otherwise she would just bury it!!! I imagine dried pea flakes may also work?? Edit - if you can get him to eat at all obviously!
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Post by goolover on Aug 8, 2016 18:13:46 GMT
Furry Tunnel *snigger*. Can just imagine them trying to catch BB, poor boy, hope he didn't hurt himself but don't blame him for trying to escape! Would you believe my vets made one of those plastic buckets that dogs wear around their heads when they've had an operation but a very small version (must have taken some thought and time to make) and brought Millie through to me with it attached to her head. Was after an operation to stitch her mouth up after lula ripped it open and they said that she had bit a couple of nurses quite badly when they were struggling with her to put it on. I was amused but a little narked and had to tell them thanks but you cant put that on a goo. Felt like saying I'm not surprised she bit you, I would have bit you lol. Bet its lovely to have him back, no today has been hard on you both but least he has the chance to sleep with the meds in his system to start fighting the infection. Must admit I don't like being out and about socially that much either so I too can sympathise. I'm sure you will have a better night than last night!
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haaj
Foraging Degu
Posts: 99
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Post by haaj on Aug 8, 2016 18:26:13 GMT
What a great little fighter BB is! From your recent reports I'd say it's time for some cautious optimism? Hoping for some good news tomorrow.
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haaj
Foraging Degu
Posts: 99
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Post by haaj on Aug 8, 2016 19:29:32 GMT
Also, forgot to mention, amusing (?) factoid Re: furry tunnel. That's nothing, really. We've been buying our degus these large tunnels made out of very firm cardboard, and a lot of edible stuff on top, like rosehips, little oats, parsley, but mostly hay, for goos to nibble on, kind of like this one - www.shirksanimalhealth.com/shop/viewitem.php?productid=885 But ours is locally made and has the most disgusting trade name which translates into English roughly as "tasty little hole"... I think the only reason they're selling any of these at all is that the trade name is printed in absolutely tiny letters on the smallest bit of paper that comes off really easily.
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Post by moletteuk on Aug 8, 2016 19:49:32 GMT
I would go ahead with syringe feeding some recovery food if at all possible. Get some leather or cut-proof gloves if he is a bit wild. Good luck!
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Post by bouncy on Aug 8, 2016 21:06:03 GMT
Love how you gloss over the names Moletteuk! Translation has a lot to answer for too. There's a Swedish shop over here called Tiger, which sells almost everything for around the home. A lot still has the Swedish on there. Bluetac reads as Elephant Snot. There's also a brand of household cleaning products in Cyprus under the brand Titiz, perhaps to grab the attention of potential male customers
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Post by randomname on Aug 9, 2016 5:55:31 GMT
omg! woke up & he's eaten some (a tiny amount) recovery food out of the bowl! YAY! Made up some fresh & he ate some of that too - am so happy it's unbelievable. He looks a little better in himself too. Last night he ate 1 salad leaf & 1 mint leaf. It's not much, but it's a start. Am at the vets with Eddie the cat later, will pick up more recovery food. He also seems to like the moors liquid, which is the best news ever, hopefully it'll help his guts & it's full of vitamins & minerals. Very, very, very cautiously optimistic....
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Post by randomname on Aug 9, 2016 8:07:38 GMT
omg another miracle! He took the metacam straight from the syringe!! That'll make life so much easier. He's getting baytril in his water so I know he's getting all his meds. That's a brilliant start. He's also just eaten a tiny bit of sweet potato! He took some oats & sunflower seeds, but didn't eat them, dropped them in the corner.
He's maybe not at death's door any more, but definitely still in the porch area!
Am going to take any bit of progress as good news, but still worried. Maybe we'll have a stronger bond together if he gets through this though? He seems a lot less miserable looking, that weird look (pain?) has gone from his face too. Can't describe it, but you guys will know what I'm talking about. He looks a little frail still, but is back to coming over to say hi when I walk in the room. He's not hiding under his wheel any more. He even took the oats (he didn't eat) from my hand when usually he wants me to put them down for him.
Bless his furry little soul, he knows how to scare the life out of me, that's for certain. Although I tried, I could not help but succumb & become a slave. Stoopid goos will take over my house, my heart, then the world I'm sure
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