Slow bowel movement

[soremi]

Hi!

Today our Degu was found laying on the shelf, and he was weak, bearly moving. We take him to Vet. Vet says that he has weak bowel movement, he is dehydrated, and he has a lot of food in his oesophagus.He was cold too. Vet give him the painkillers with antybiotics, liquid parafine, and the drip. After take him home, get him warm he start to drink and eat some sunflower seeds. He starts to move faster but we can't find any poo. Any advice what to do ? We have appointment with our Vet tommorow at 3 pm.

[yasmin]

It may take some time for the food to move through his system. Did the vet take an x-ray? I have had something similar to this happen to a couple of my degus but treatment and outcome are dependent on why the bowel is not moving.

If it is because of trapped gas, then that can be helped by giving Simethicone emulsion drops (this is sold in Canada at pharmacies/drug stores to be given to human babies when they have gas) – one drop every couple of hours for the first six hours, and then several times a day for the next few days.

However, if the stomach is twisted, then there is not much that can be done.

Because your degu is eating and drinking again, it sounds like he is getting better. Hopefully you will see poo soon. (It might look strange, like green or slimy. This is okay.) I am not sure what the liquid paraffin is for but you can ask the vet if he thinks there is gas trapped and if an "antiflatulent" like "Simethicone Emulsion" might help.

It is good that you have a second appointment with the vet. Please let us know how it goes.

[soremi]

Paraffinum liquidum is mild laxative use for cats, degus( according to vet) and humans ( I use it myself) Vet told us she can barley hear degu bowels. She checked his mouth and examing his long but she didn't give him x-ray. She said he is weak and need extra calories ( his diet is usually versele laga degu pellets, hay, apple branches, sometimes sunflower seeds&walnuts). I wasn't at home from monday but my boyfriend said he ran a lot and make a lot of love sounds( girls are in cage near him) he change his water (he definitely drink) and food but he can't say degu was eating or pooping. I went back home today after I heard bad news prepared for worst but he was actually moving and eat. Degu (Texas) is rubbing his stomach on shelves like it hurts and lie down or run around. Maybe I should massage him or something?
I got simethicone in caps but it also have hydroxybenzoate, glycerol, Sunset Yellow FCF, Quinoline Yellow WS (for the irony I got bowel infection on monday and I get is as a drug...) so I not sure I can use it

[moletteuk]

I honestly don't know if the additives in the simethicone are safe for degus or not. If you can feel he is bloated then it might be worth the risk of trying a little bit, or maybe you can find a version for babies with fewer additives?

A possible drug option to get the gut moving again is metaclopramide, my degu has had this 0.1ml twice a day, but I don't know what the concentration of drug was. One of the best treatments could be Critical Care or other recovery food, they are good for providing emergency nutrition, rehydration and kick starting the gut again.

Is it possible he could have eaten something poisonous or eaten anything with nasty bacteria on it or something like that to cause the issue? Could he have what you have?

I don't see any harm in rubbing his tummy for him if he will let you. And a heat pad may provide some comfort and ease the pain slightly.

[soremi]

Well right now he behave like perfect normal degu except poo ( but honestly it's hard to say if he poop or not since there are old poops in his cage). He is not pooping when is under my shirt but he haven't been such mad pooper like Alabama, 8 poops in 2 minuts in hoodie lol)
Right now he was eating his pellets, some hay, drinking water, start to get apple branches (no sign of poo!) have sand bath, run around etc. Vet advice him some baby food mix carrot and apple but he prefer just piece of out garden apples ( vet said sugar is least imporatnt thing to worry right now). Also I am not sure I suppose to give him some water from syringe since he is drinking normally, but maybe he need some extra?
Moletteuk I think if he has the same bacteria my boyfriend would be ill too (or the rest of family since we have more and less the same food). I though I got some food allergy since I drink hemp ( cannabis sativa not indica of course!) tea and get sick (suprisely rest of family felt great after). I have card of my cross allergies reactions but it contains normal food like cherries or curry still I can have reaction after more "exotic food". Propably it makes me more exposed for not so dangerous bacteria.
Texas might eat some dust because degus like go behind closets and places you can't usually hoover.
He have snuggle safe warming pad.
Right now he is playing spiderman and climb on the top of cage. Before that he wave his tail madly kissing Virginia through bars. Still vet said today that we should have much hope so I am quite nervous.

[yasmin]

Sounds like he is improving.

It is a coincidence that you have been prescribed the Simethicone too.

The Simethicone that I have given my degus also contains Aluminum Magnesium Silicate, Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium, Citric Acid, Flavor, Hydrogen Peroxide, Polyoxyl-8-stearate, Purified Water, Saccharine Sodium, Sodium Benzoate and Sucrose.
It is formulated for infants and comes as a liquid with a dropper so that you can give just one drop. I would not use the adult-formulation that you were given, just in case.

[soremi]

Good news. I was sleeping with Texas on his degu play area and he wake up better. He made 12 small poops, eat, drink be a little sleepy but definitely better than yesterday. I take him to the vet and he get metaclopramide, his bowels work fine and vet was really suprise. He has a little runny poo now but it's normal after treatment according to vet. Tommorow he will have last check up and I hope he is fine now.

[spottydegu]

Thats great news! I hope he stays healthy!

[deguconvert]

What a relief!! May the improvement continue and all be well!!

[moletteuk]

Great!

[yasmin]

Wonderful news

[soremi]

That awkward moment when you took your degu for last check up to the vet and he started to pleasure himself in full room of people, pets and children...
I think I need a non-transparent degu transporter.

[deguconvert]

OH NO! LOL!! Did you have a jacket you could drape over the transporter? Definitely an awkward moment. At least it was a good indicator of him feeling good . . . ?

[soremi]

Yeah I covered him with my jacket. Still pretty embarrassing moment.
Today we have another problem. He try to take him penis out and it stuck. He has like 0,5cm of penis out and he can't put it back (at least for last 10 minutes). And chances of getting degu vet is really small, it's holiday weekend. Maybe it's side effect of drugs?

[winic1]

If it doesn't go back in by itself, this is what is called a "prolapse".
If you use the search function for "prolapse" there are a number of threads about this problem, and they will tell you what you can do yourself to help him fix it.

(sorry that I cannot pull this information out for you, I have vision problems and lots of reading is very difficult for me. but hopefully this will help you find the information you need, until someone else comes on and can give you better advice.)

[soremi]

We found other degu vet, she give him ointment I read on this forum, put it back and told us it might be because of girls near him or because he got neurological problems(since he got those bowels problems). His penis pop out again and I am going to put it back by myself but I am worrying he really got some neurological disease Or maybe I should put cage with girls far away from him?

[deguconvert]

You need to have a really good look at it, (sorry to put you through this but it is important), make sure the penis is out all the way and examine to make sure there is not a hair ring around the base. This is a painful condition, and it prevents the penis from properly retracting. The hair ring can cut off the blood as well and really cause complications. If you see hair there, very gently work to remove it. Once it is all gone, he should be able to completely retract and heal. It can take a few hours to a couple of days sometimes, but it should be fine.

[soremi]

Vet already chceck that penis is clear. I put it back with ointment but it look like cone is "too small" to cover it fully and it's kind of opening and you can see penis. It's not out, it just not fully closed. Maybe it is swollen. Or it is just normal after prolapsing and after few days it will be normal?

[deguconvert]

It can be that it is swollen. Canural, an ear treatment for dogs, has good slip and has anti-inflammatory in it. This can be used to help with the treatment. Hair rings can be hard to see, though, so it wouldn't hurt to be looking yourself, just to be sure.

[soremi]

Actually vet let me chceck it good, she show me how to take penis out and put back in, it was definitely clean Today he look better, it still a little red dot showing from cone but it's much smaller
Yeah I got Canural from vet and it works great