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Post by odspartan on Sept 14, 2016 23:04:12 GMT
Hello all, thanks so much for reading. (TL;DR at bottom)
My degus are about 12 weeks old. I've had them for two weeks and they have been a dream come true. Training is going great and they're very social. Well last night I made them a ramp to go from the upper level of their cage to my dresser. Unfortunately, my girlfriend and I woke up to one of them on the ground, so apparently at some point in the night she fell/jumped and it's about a 3 foot fall into hardwood (worst case scenario), but she may have jumped onto the bag of hay which would be fine. This fall had happened before but they were fine.
As I said, this morning we woke up to her hiding underneath their cage. She is normally super curious and social but she was very still and definitely not herself. We got her back in the cage (using a carry cage which we baited her in since they don't like to be carried by hand yet).
It's been maybe 10 hours since she's been back in the cage but she has not used the wheel once. For the most part she sits in the corner with her eyes half shut, which could be interpreted as wincing. ANY TIME our other goo Chloe approached her she starts squeaking like crazy, which I am interpreting as a firm request for her to stay away. She still let's me touch her and pet her, will approach me for a treat, and I've seen her move quickly on a couple of occasions, but usually to get away from Chloe.
What is the chance that she's hurt or maybe just in shock from a night alone out of her cage?
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TL;DR
Cooper likely fell at night ~ 3 feet and spent the entire night out of her cage. No longer runs on wheel, even when tempted with a "carrot on a stick" approach with an oat. Sits in corner in a ball with eyes half shut. Squeaks VERY loudly when approached by other degu. Still eats and moves normally on occasion but very atypical behavior as she's usually super active.
Thoughts? Did she break a rib? Just in shock?
Thanks so much everybody.
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Post by Emziedee on Sept 15, 2016 0:04:03 GMT
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Post by deguconvert on Sept 15, 2016 4:08:20 GMT
Can you tell if she is feeling chilled? Sometimes shock causes the body to cool and that can have adverse effects. If you have a snugglesafe or perhaps an old sock with rice in it that you can warm up in the microwave (be careful not to overheat, and to manipulate the sock/rice after heating to ensure that the heat is evenly distributed throughout with no hot spots) that she can cuddle up on and keep warm. It will help to soothe her. Give her a good looking over in the morning if you are able. If she still seems not herself, take her to a vet.
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Post by bouncy on Sept 15, 2016 8:33:16 GMT
Just asking the obvious....Have you properly examined her? She might not like being handled, but it's important to find out if it is just shock or whether there are any other injuries. Give her a quick feel on her limbs, ribs, and check to see if her abdomen feels normal and not hard.
I agree with the others that it's more likely shock, but trampolining has taught me it's not how far you fall, but how you land, and it was dark. If it is shock, it's vital to give her some warmth. Clinical shock creates a cold feel because the body goes into preservation mode by effectively shutting down all non vital functions, and drawing the blood to the core to ensure these vital functions can continue (heart, lungs, abdomen, kidney, liver etc.)
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Post by moletteuk on Sept 15, 2016 10:34:26 GMT
Difficult situation. I agree, keep her warm, examine her if you can but otherwise try to keep her stress free and watch like a hawk to try to see if she is moving OK. Watch to see if she is eating and pooing, this would be a really good sign. Check her poos look normal. If she is injured she needs to see a vet, but if it is shock then a vet visit could do more harm than good right now.
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Post by odspartan on Sept 15, 2016 14:01:14 GMT
Thank you so much for all of your input and advice!
It is now the second morning and she is still not herself. She just picks one spot and will stay there for 2-4 hours, whether it be a corner or under the stairs. She still squeaks up a storm when the other goo approaches.
When she does occasionally move, she does seem to move fine with no limping. However, she hasn't touched her wheel since the incident however and it's been over 24 hours. Since they're normally addicted to the wheel this concerns me.
Honestly I'd love to do a physical exam but I haven't truly grabbed them and held them since getting them two-three weeks ago. I've been training them to hop into my hands and let me carry them and didn't want to break their trust (they're doing really well so far they will jump into and stay in my hands for a while. What is the best way to pick him up without him running and me chasing, causing him to feel like I'm a predator?
Also how long can they be in shock? It's been over 24 hours at this point.
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Post by odspartan on Sept 15, 2016 14:14:02 GMT
Additional update:
She is moving more today. Carrot (oat) on a stick got her running on the wheel a little bit but still not full speed. I also have seen her holding her left front paw off the ground occasionally. She will still use it but occasionally will hold it up sitting on the other three. Could she have hurt her leg and if so how can I help her get better? Is it just a waiting game with the leg if that is the case?
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Post by bouncy on Sept 15, 2016 14:26:27 GMT
It depends on whether the damage is soft tissue or bone. I have a goo that likes to get attention (for self inflicted injuries) and that often involves running around on three. That she's occasionally putting it down suggests more soft tissue, but it can also take longer to heal than bone, so be patient with her. She may well benefit from some metacam to help with pain and inflammation, but that involves the vet.
It sounds like she's over the clinical shock. She's eating, and she's moving. One of the killers of shock is loss of fluids (assume she's drinking too?) and the incredibly low blood pressure. Her moving and trotting in the wheel are both things that raise her blood pressure, so I suspect she's just feeling a bit sorry for herself now, and perhaps a bit humiliated,
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Post by odspartan on Sept 15, 2016 14:36:44 GMT
You never know maybe she is a bit humiliated haha they're so darn cute I love how their personalities can be so dynamic.
She is moving much more today. Drinking plenty of water and eating. For now she seems like she is improving at a good pace so I'm far less concerned than yesterday, but still unconvinced whether I should take her to the vet just in case.
If it is soft tissue damage how long would recovery take?
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Post by bouncy on Sept 15, 2016 14:50:26 GMT
Er, how long is a piece of string? It's the same with humans. With rest and care, a soft tissue injury can heal in a week or two. If you try to carry on without adapting/treating, then it can take months or even years! See it as positive that she is picking her paw up and still wanting to sit  |
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Post by dops on Sept 15, 2016 15:02:25 GMT
when Lemmi had a fall/accident with Mowgli, he was in shock for a while then I took him to the vet who said he had most likely broken his leg. However as they are so small and Lemmi was quite young, the vet said the best thing was just some painkillers and time. he said there wasnt much you could do and it would be best to wait and watch closely
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Post by moletteuk on Sept 15, 2016 17:07:56 GMT
If in doubt, take her to the vet. Vets are quite limited in what they can do in a case like this, but it can be reassuring to get a diagnosis or at least get some things ruled out. If you are seeing gradual improvement in her, this is a good sign, leg injuries can take weeks to heal, but I think she would decline or fail to improve if there were serious internal injuries. Shock should have worn off after a couple of days, usually 24 hrs or less, but if she is in pain then you will see more cautious behaviour. Painkillers can be useful but counterproductive if the pain is dulled so much that they don't rest enough. Can you weigh her? If you weigh her perhaps twice a week, same time of day, you should get an indication of how badly she is affected in herself, if she is in serious trouble the weight will fall off her.
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Post by skardsen on Sept 15, 2016 17:36:53 GMT
It's worth pointing out that even though degus are very social animals, they'll often take an hour or two to relax by themselves, and if their cagemates disturb them they can be quite vocal about it. They'll sit there, eyes half shut for a while. I have a lava ledge in their cage that serves no purpose other than to give them a place to have alone time, and they both use it every day for a quick siesta.
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