sophialeila
Foraging Degu
RIP ** pip&pepper ** *RIP Bear*
Posts: 80
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Post by sophialeila on Dec 27, 2016 23:52:35 GMT
Hi degu people! I'm a bit worried but I noticed just under a week ago just before Christmas that one of my degus has obtained a hard dark looking lump on her back! When I first noticed it it was a tad scabby so wasn't sure if it was an injury but felt pretty hard like a bone sort of hard. I have for the last couple of days been bathing it with warm salty water as it looks like it might be an abscess... Yesterday it looked like the scab had gone down and the lump might have got a little larger in size (I'm not positive it has) and today it was bleeding a little so maybe my other degu had been biting it when they were sitting on top of each other. I've been wanting to take her to the vets since I found it which was a couple of days just before Xmas eve but with the holidays and with me working all the way through I've not had a chance as I've either been working or when I haven't the vets have been bloody closed for the holidays!! So stressed and worried is an understatement! There is no strange behaviour from the goo - she's still moving around hyperactive and loving as normal. Does anyone have any light they can shed? And some advice on what I can do for the best in the meantime? I'm hoping to take her to a couple of vets tomorrow evening to get some opinions on what this may be and see what can be done. I just love her so much! Don't want her suffering and certainly don't want it left untreated and it turns out to be something that it had been checked out sooner would cost her life.
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Post by bouncy on Dec 28, 2016 0:09:09 GMT
If it is from a bite or wound, it's possible your bathing has dissolved the scab, hence bleeding. Squidgy has a scar on his back that is a noticeable bump on his back, and that is nearly 18 months old.
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Post by yasmin on Dec 28, 2016 0:11:13 GMT
It is a good sign that she is still behaving normally. Also good that you are planning to take her to see a vet tomorrow evening. Do you have a veterinarian that is experienced with degus?
A few more questions:
How old is she? Is she eating normally? Is there any pus or oozing from the lump? How big is the lump and what is its shape? Is it located directly on top of the spine? Does it move when you push it and if you put your fingers around it, can you feel around it and under it – or is it attached to a bone?
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Post by deguconvert on Dec 28, 2016 0:42:34 GMT
Good questions, Yasmin! I, too, think it is a good thing you are having it looked at. If it is an abscess, it may need to be drained, and she may need antibiotics. Have you noticed any other bites on her . . . oops, I should say that I am assuming this is a bite. Have you pushed her fur forward to have a look at her skin to see if there are any more scabs on her? Is it possible that the two of them are fighting? What are their ages? Are they anywhere from 5 months to 18 months of age? Lastly, what are you using for their cage?
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Post by ntg on Dec 28, 2016 1:50:48 GMT
Another question - what's the blood like that you got from the area? Was it clear red like normal blood or did it have a slightly creamy/yellow colour to it?
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sophialeila
Foraging Degu
RIP ** pip&pepper ** *RIP Bear*
Posts: 80
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Post by sophialeila on Dec 28, 2016 14:58:43 GMT
HI everyone thank you for your responses! Some more info on my degus - they are both around 5 years old and have been with each other since I got them in 2011. They also rarely fight and are both female. So it looks as if maybe a lump/absess of some sort has come up it's quite a hard lump and looks to be skin colour. It does seem to be located directly on the spine by the lower back. And doesn't seem like it's puss but I haven't really squeezed it tbh haven't wanted to irritate it. She is eating and behaving as normal. But I think pip has been biting on peppers lump (pip & pepper are their names). Hence the scab maybe. And when I bathed it the blood was kinda reddy/yellowish. I am going to try and take a photo if I can and post it here. Hopefully i can get her to the vets later on tonight! Unfortunately I don't know anywhere that is a specialised vet in degus around my area The cage is a very large chinchilla home with flat surfaces so nothing that can irritate their feet etc as I know they can get bumblefoot from wired flooring.
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Post by deguconvert on Dec 28, 2016 18:09:30 GMT
I don't think that the vet will have to be specifically degu experienced for the lump/abscess . . . though if meds are needed that might be a question they will wonder about. Having it looked at and assessed is important, especially if it is an abscess, which may need to be drained.
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sophialeila
Foraging Degu
RIP ** pip&pepper ** *RIP Bear*
Posts: 80
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Post by sophialeila on Dec 28, 2016 21:39:07 GMT
Yeah. I got her registered today and booked her in for first thing Saturday morning which was the earliest we could do.. also got a little carry case so now she's all set.. I will report back once she has been looked over. Bathed in salty water again this evening. Poor baby. Hopefully it isn't anything serious. She doesn't seem to be in any sort of pain. Maybe slightly when the lump is touched or pressed
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Post by yasmin on Dec 29, 2016 5:01:42 GMT
Good luck on Saturday. Hopefully it is just be a cyst of some sort. (If she becomes lethargic, sits in a corner all puffed up, or if you notice that the lump is collecting pus or turning red or growing quickly, you might want to take her in earlier on emergency.) Please keep us posted.
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sophialeila
Foraging Degu
RIP ** pip&pepper ** *RIP Bear*
Posts: 80
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Post by sophialeila on Dec 29, 2016 18:17:43 GMT
Thank you, I am closely watching it and her every evening. And continuing with the salty water until Saturday morn! Will update after her appointment
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Post by ntg on Dec 29, 2016 19:04:18 GMT
And when I bathed it the blood was kinda reddy/yellowish. I am going to try and take a photo Okay, so the yellow tint to the blood suggests that there is pus present. However, the fact that it's mixed with blood is a somewhat good sign that the infection is fairly mild at the moment, as with a bad infection it would be mostly/all yellow, with bloody discharge only being seen after a thorough cleaning. You're doing the right thing by bathing her with salt water while you wait for Saturday. The vet is likely to prescribe antibiotics and a common painkiller (metacam). If they do so, I would insist on making an appointment for the end of the course just incase the infection isn't cleared - you can cancel an appointment quicker than you can get one.
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sophialeila
Foraging Degu
RIP ** pip&pepper ** *RIP Bear*
Posts: 80
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Post by sophialeila on Dec 29, 2016 22:50:51 GMT
Thank you!! I'm glad I have been doing some good while I can with the salt water for now! Today the lump didn't seem to be bleeding or letting out any puss when I had a look. I do hope it's easily treated and doesn't take too long to heal up..
An unrelated question - but obviously now my degus are over 5 years old what is the most common average age they live for? I was always told they live 8-10 years. They have a really good diet and I never give them anything with sugar. So I'm hoping they won't ever get diabetic. Being just over 5 years old they are both still very active and hyper when I get them out the cage. Will they start to slow down the older they get? I do hope they are as lively and active as they are for a couple more years yet to come! Was going to get gerbils - and those certainly wouldn't be here now if I had! What a lovely long life span degus have! Despite their size!!
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Post by moletteuk on Dec 30, 2016 15:19:53 GMT
I think 8yrs is a realistic target, but it varies quite a bit, you would be doing really well to get to 10yrs. They do start to slow down, my two are just over 6 and one of them you wouldn't know how old she is from the look of her or behaviour, but my other girl who has breathing issues is starting to look a bit older and she has slowed down. Dental disease is probably the most common problem to watch out for, if they don't have any diabetic issues now they are unlikely to develop any from this point. If their age and health is starting to be on your mind, probably the best thing for monitoring them is to regularly weigh them and keep a record.
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sophialeila
Foraging Degu
RIP ** pip&pepper ** *RIP Bear*
Posts: 80
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Post by sophialeila on Dec 30, 2016 20:22:27 GMT
Thank you for info!! I will do that
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sophialeila
Foraging Degu
RIP ** pip&pepper ** *RIP Bear*
Posts: 80
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Post by sophialeila on Jan 2, 2017 20:03:56 GMT
Hi guys thought I'd update Took pepper to the vets on NYE and the vet said it's hard to say whether it's an abscess that hasn't quite filled with puss yet as when he squeezed it not much came out but said it could be a tumour and if it is then she'll have to go back and unfortunately go under anestetic which is obviously a risk because of their size to get it removed.. I really hope it is just going to form into an abscess and can be drained properly after her course of antibiotics. So I'm giving her antis and pain relief and bathing the lump twice a day now. For a week... since the vet squeezed it it has gotten a lot larger and does look to be getting slightly bigger every day. What are people's thoughts ? Reckon it's abscess rather than a tumour ? I do hope so!! Someone said to me they don't think tumours can grow that quickly and it's doubled in size since she's been to the vet and had it squeezed Poor thing she hates me right now she hates the antis and pain relief
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Post by ntg on Jan 2, 2017 20:14:36 GMT
To see it getting noticeably bigger over a couple of days would certainly be alarming for a tumour. I would think that a cyst or abscess would be a lot more likely and that maybe the antibiotics aren't particularly effective against whatever is causing the infection. If you take him back to the vets, it's continuing to get worse and they're able to get fluid/pus out then I would probably ask for a sample to be sent to the labs as they'll be able to test for antibiotic resistance along with what is actually causing the infection.
Is it tender/hot to the touch?
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Post by ntg on Jan 2, 2017 21:43:49 GMT
Oh as for the hate, don't worry about it too much right now. I had to grab my boy and clean his wound once a day for 6 months when he had a persistent tail abscess - he got over it eventually and he still trusted me after the whole ordeal. Only get concerned if you see them completely retreating into themselves including with the other degus as it can be a sign that a break is better for them than continuing the treatment religiously. Unless of course you're syringe-feeding the meds and that's why she hates you. Instead, try putting it on a small piece of shredded wheat or something else that she loves that will soak it in and see if she'll willingly eat it instead. It'll be a lot less stressful on the both of you!
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Post by deguconvert on Jan 2, 2017 22:55:03 GMT
The shredded wheat trick has worked wonders for several others, so do give that a try. Some leave it to dry on the shredded wheat, and then it goes down much easier, so be sure to try that as well.
Would you be able to show us a picture of her bump? That could be difficult I realize, but it would be interesting to see, if it is at all possible.
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Post by moletteuk on Jan 4, 2017 11:27:13 GMT
I wonder if you could get a really good hold of her if the vet could get a needle into it without sedation, this would also have the benefit if it is an abscess of getting some of the pus out, and a sample to send away.
Another alternative if the vet is reluctant to have a go at the above, and it's still getting bigger would be to try a different antibiotic. Normally you would try an antibiotic for a week and then report back to the vet, you would expect to see some improvement after 4 days. You can always phone to vet if it's getting worse and you want to change tack sooner.
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sophialeila
Foraging Degu
RIP ** pip&pepper ** *RIP Bear*
Posts: 80
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Post by sophialeila on Jan 8, 2017 23:04:04 GMT
I'm going to have to re book her in for another appointment as the course of antibiotics haven't helped as it's now been a week, and I managed to get her to eat the rest of the antis on her fave treat soaked up in the end and she seems ok still comes out to me etc now and isn't as much stress as the seringe! I have some photos but I'm not sure how to post them on here? Her behaviour is as normal. Have been cleaning the lump as well each day but my other goo might be biting on it coz it's always bleeding!
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