|
Post by ntg on Dec 12, 2016 23:29:04 GMT
For baby food, either make your own by steaming some veg and puree it with a little water or look for a commercial food with as few ingredients past the veg as possible and one without fruit in. Organic may be your best bet but don't assume that will definitely be the case as organic stuff can be a bit of a scam.
|
|
|
Post by Emziedee on Dec 12, 2016 23:31:45 GMT
Thanks newtogoos! Early morn shopping for me before I pick up the little guy! Heartbreaking to see his cage empty 😭😭😭 Have given his cage a wee spruce ready for his much anticipated return. The farm replied this -
|
|
|
Post by Emziedee on Dec 13, 2016 0:35:46 GMT
ntg just reading reviews on critical care and they have a fine grind version that's apparently easier to use with a syringe. Says high in fibre and no added sugar so shall I get this one?
|
|
|
Post by yasmin on Dec 13, 2016 1:59:20 GMT
I have not seen a "fine grind" version. If it is easier to use with a syringe, then that is good.
Re: baby food. In Canada, we have a grocery store brand of "organic" baby food puree in small jars. I have only ever had success with giving Critical Care when mixed in with baby food (only ingredients are spinach, sweet potato, squash or peas, or green beans - no apple, sugar, or other ingredients added) and let the degu lick it up themselves. But then again, I am very timid when it comes to syringing anything into an unwilling animal – a handicap for sure.
If you do decide to mix it with baby food, don't give up if the degu turns his nose up at it and runs away. I find it takes several times offering it to them before they take a first taste. Once they taste it, though, mine love it.
|
|
|
Post by Emziedee on Dec 13, 2016 2:04:49 GMT
Thanks Yasmin. Here's the fine grind version I've ordered for next day delivery www.amazon.com/Oxbow-Critical-Grind-Supplement-100gm/dp/B004W78400As Tibbs loves fresh food I'm hoping he'll like the baby food. This version of critical care also seems to go down well with small animals, in terms of flavour and literally going down well via syringe lol. Fingers crossed anyway
|
|
|
Post by yasmin on Dec 13, 2016 2:10:13 GMT
Update: he's staying over night. His teeth are in pretty bad shape as suspected.. he had a tooth at the back hanging by a thread and a ball of puss behind it Spurs were growing over his tongue and they are surprised he has been able to drink from his bottle! He's come round and doing well after sedation but they'll be keeping an eye and syringe feeding him tonight and administering his meds. His roots at overgrown but we knew that, they're not in his sinuses but they are overgrown at the top as well. He'll have to have antibiotics orally for a week twice a day and anti inflammatories. Poor boy!!! How has he been coping 😩 What should I do now? What's recommended food wise after something like this? Should I get some critical care and baby food? Good to hear that his roots are not in his sinuses. So lucky that they caught the infected tooth in time. That must have been miserable for him, as were the spurs over his tongue. Again, good he's had them removed before it affected his drinking. I hope he will be eating on his own soon. Try to feed him anything he wants to eat. Most will eat rolled oats if nothing else. Some like thawed frozen green peas. It may take a few days, maybe a week, for him to be eating close to normally again. Make sure he gets the anti-inflammatories and the antibiotics - I hope he won't give you too much trouble. The anti-pain, anti-inflammatory, Metacam, that we get here is honey-like so it is easy to hide in baby food/Critical Care. Can't hide the Baytril in anything - most of my degus can smell it a mile away whether it is banana, honey, peanut or ribena flavored (did have one degu, Lilac, who loved the Ribena-flavoured Baytril so much that she drank it out of the syringe. Put her little hands up and pulled the syringe into her mouth! She, however, is the exception.) I make sure that the vet mixes it so that I only have to give as little as possible per dose. Also, some degus will drink water if you offer it in a syringe. You can take the shell off of sunflower seeds – many will eat that. Also, organic puffed rice. I also feed a treat called "Versele-Laga Complete Crock Herbs Flavor) – they are not too difficult to eat and have some good vitamins in them. Another thing to try is dried pea flakes, or fresh greens like organic dandelion. I've ground up sunflower seeds (with a mortar and pestle), added water, and fed it to them as either a "porridge" or formed into little ovals. What they will eat depends on how sore they are, what is causing the soreness (wound in mouth or jaw problems), and what they like.
|
|
|
Post by degulover21 on Dec 13, 2016 2:11:17 GMT
Hey sorry to just randomly comment,i hope your degu is fine,my girl hazel has got spurs and having dental treatment sometime this week, im really worried about her pulling though.all the best to your lil guy
|
|
|
Post by Emziedee on Dec 13, 2016 2:18:53 GMT
Invaluable advice Yasmin, thank you 😊 he's a pretty laid back degu so I'm think if I burrito him in his favourite blanket he should co operate but by God I've got an Arsenal of food to mix things up with if he doesn't eat it! I'll be up and down from the kitchen with all kinds of concoctions until I find something lol!! If all else fails I will just have to syringe feed and water if he doesn't touch the bottle. Could also leave a water bowl out. Will set up the camera in front of his cage and go over the footage when I'm not with him and keep track. degulover21 don't apologise! I have been keeping an eye on your thread also. Horrible when they have dental issue isn't it, a lump or bump on the body you can see and keep an eye but inside that little mouth you just never know what's going on until sometimes it's too late! At least our little fellas have got us looking out for them
|
|
|
Post by yasmin on Dec 13, 2016 2:19:39 GMT
Good luck to Hazel, degulover21. Please keep us posted.
|
|
|
Post by degulover21 on Dec 13, 2016 2:27:41 GMT
Thats true they can count on us,thanks yasmin ill keep you all posted , im just worried of what they will do, do they removed the spurs or something. All i know is they are growing sideways instead of up. i dont really know much, would someone kindly explain.
|
|
|
Post by Emziedee on Dec 13, 2016 2:33:57 GMT
Yeah the Spurs can grow up or sideways into the cheeks or sideways into the tongue or over it. They're just like spikes that grow on the teeth if they're not naturally worn down eating hay.
My vet has removed them all with a special burring tool small enough for a degu. They can't use the tools they use on rabbits as they're too large and could nip the tongue so make sure your vet definitely has the right equipment for degu dental work
|
|
|
Post by degulover21 on Dec 13, 2016 2:39:22 GMT
she seems to know what she was doing, she explained to me but i forget things easy,my dad took it in tho, the vet and anoter vet took hazel and coco in the back ... they kindly checked cocos too
|
|
|
Post by yasmin on Dec 13, 2016 2:50:44 GMT
Garfunkel&Tibbs85 has explained it well.
(The spurs can also grow under the tongue and pierce it – that is the worst because there is no indication until it is too late.)
The vet will likely use a light anesthetic to sedate Hazel, then go in and grind down the spurs. Side growing spurs can cause a wound to the side of the mouth - the vet will be able to see if there is any damage. If so, then antibiotics are in order; if not (because sometimes the spurs are caught before they are actually digging into the cheek), then the recovery will likely be quick and painkillers may or may not be prescribed. (I would recommend getting a painkiller/anti-inflammatory just in case but that will depend on the vet because a side effect of medication is to alter gut flora and motility. That said, I have had degus on Metacam long term and they have all fared well with no issues.) If the vet has experience, then the whole procedure should not take very long unless the vet finds some other issue. After, it will take Hazel a little while to recover from the sedation and then she will be ready to go home.
|
|
|
Post by moletteuk on Dec 13, 2016 11:00:42 GMT
I'm really sorry to hear that TT has multiple dental issues, but at least you are fully in the picture now and it sounds like the vet was really thorough. You've already had loads of great advice about caring for him in the next few days, after that you need to really focus on calcium content and forage as much as possible and lets hope that will slow down his issues.
|
|
|
Post by Emziedee on Dec 13, 2016 11:45:55 GMT
He's out and full of beans! Must feel great being high on pain relief and having no pain at the moment!
Soooo good to see him! Vet held him in her arms and syringe fed him in front of me with no towel so he's quite compliant. He's in the basket now thrashing about and yanking the blanket again 😂
My little fighter. Saw the x-rays and it shows that the teeth at the back just don't line up properly so he'll never really be able to grind down his Spurs like Normal goos. Will be booking him in again in 3 months time to get another look at them and see the rate of growth and how often I'll need to get em burred.
If he shows any future probs with pain in roots then we'll go down the metacam daily dosage route but let's just get him through this week 🙏🏻
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2016 12:03:04 GMT
Yay! I'm so glad it's such good news! 💕❤️
|
|
|
Post by randomname on Dec 13, 2016 12:30:42 GMT
So glad he's home, that's great news. Just wanted to add I've had a lot of success with Supreme recovery food just in a bowl, most post-op patients have eaten it with no help. Might be worth a try if you need to (personally I'd try it before the baby food)
|
|
|
Post by Emziedee on Dec 13, 2016 12:47:38 GMT
He's eating on his own!!!! Soggy mashed nuggets!!! Good boy!!! vimeo.com/195451435Sorry vid quality is so bad but I didn't want to get closer and put him off
|
|
|
Post by Emziedee on Dec 13, 2016 12:54:51 GMT
Thanks randomname I'll get some of that too. Right now he's got soggy p@h nuggets, soggy beaphar care+ pellets, some wet food vet gave me and some crushed up soggy nuts and oats in there. Will keep on changing variety and textures
|
|
|
Post by Emziedee on Dec 13, 2016 12:55:09 GMT
Ok he's eating the mashed up nuts now
|
|