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Post by zenaida on May 2, 2017 23:05:30 GMT
Hey, will post details later, but remind me of the first aid for tail degloving? Sand bath is out. Heating water for salt bath. What salt to water ratio? Dip the tail in? How long? Am I forgetting things?
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Post by ntg on May 2, 2017 23:13:31 GMT
Oh dear! Hope whichever feminista it is is doing okay!
For saltwater I'd say at least 1-1.5 tsp table salt to 1/2 cup of water, there's no real "right" recipe though, and it also depends on which salts you're using as some dissolve more readily than others.
Bathe it for as long as she'll let you - 5 minutes should be sufficient if it's plopped in some water but if she's struggling too much then the stress may not be worth it.
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Post by goolover on May 2, 2017 23:14:19 GMT
Nothing else needed, just keep an eye on it to watch for infection but the salt water should take care of things. If its a clean de-gloving it should heal no problem on its own but if you feel its messy and there is alot of bone showing, you can always see a vet. Nothing to worry about though, just one of those things and she or a cage mate will nibble the exposing bone off eventually.
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Post by zenaida on May 2, 2017 23:57:34 GMT
So I've done what I can for now. Here's what happened.
I was working a little late tonight, I get a call from Nico. He is SOBBING. Like crying so hard my first thought is he should have called EMS instead of me if he's hurt that bad. He manages to tell me that he hurt one of them. He had the cage open, one tried to get out, he reached and well you know the rest. She got out anyway, he got her back in pretty quickly using a tube, his next step was to call me.
I wrap up my work ASAP and fly out of there. I get home to find a distraught husband and a degu with about 1.5 inches less tail. I made my panicked post then remembered that I have the internet. That reminded me about cornstarch. She's still bleeding and it is about the 30 minute mark, so I fly out to the store and get some. I get back to find your very useful posts, mix up the salt water, and get ready. I would say it had been about an hour between injury to treatment time. I tubed her, brought her to the bath tub for treatment, burritoed, and then dipped the tail. She wasn't happy, fought at first, but then submitted. Like enough that I stopped after only about 30 seconds of time in salt bath because I was concerned she was going into shock. She was still bleeding so I applied cornstarch. Only when I offered her the chance to go back into the cage did she revive.
The cage looks like a blood bath right now from all the places where she rubbed her tail on the glass, walls, bedding, etc. I'll deal with that later to avoid further trauma unless you all suggest otherwise.
Nico is completely broken right now. I don't know if he'll touch them again. He got so upset when he briefly choked one by closing the glass and there was no permanent damage with that incident. He still wasn't fully over that, and it was at least 2 weeks ago.
Fresh issues:
I'm concerned that her cagemates may be licking off the needed cornstarch. I can reapply, but that means more trauma. Any thoughts about doing a hospital cage in the travel cage for the evening or overnight?
Is a wound of about 2 inches particularly severe?
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Post by zenaida on May 3, 2017 0:08:43 GMT
Nico insists he'll never touch them again because "he breaks them" and "he's supposed to protect them". At this point I'm more worried about Nico than the degu to tell you the truth.  |
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Post by zenaida on May 3, 2017 0:20:59 GMT
 I know she is eating. She was having kale right before I caught her for treatment and this is her having a "mommy feels really bad so everyone gets treats" almond. She was the second to approach for a treat. I honestly think there will probably be less trust damage with her than with some of the others. All the skittish ones are currently back to being very upset at us. |
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Post by goolover on May 3, 2017 0:42:19 GMT
The first time this happened to us it was my fault, we had a young goo named Sophie (no longer with us unfortunately bless her little soul) but she was at my feet and I didn't see and stood on her tail, she panic'd and de-gloved. Was literally having a panic attack and it was before i had this site so we looked on internet and salt watered and bleeding stopped. Didn't need cornstarch and tbh didn't know about it. Was surprised how natural it actually is and how they deal with it without any human interaction needed. If you imagine how much danger to them there is in the wild, there will be alot of goo's without tails I imagine! Is it 2 inches, hav you measured, that is abit of tail but not a severe injury as its just cosmetic really. Makes them look more prettier with them lol. We have had 2 de-gloves and probably an inch or just over. Post a pic if you can and we can see how it looks. The worst that can happen if there is alot of bone is that you can get it surgically removed. Tell Nico not to be so hard on himself, it happens to alot of us, they are so quick, one minute the cage is free to shut, the next a head or tail is getting jammed. Did that to Millie once, wondered why the door wasn't closing and her little head was jammed! She had de-gloved after a fight with Sophie once but it healed beautifully and she even grew back a little brush on the end again.
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Post by goolover on May 3, 2017 0:45:20 GMT
Ah you posted a pic while i was typing. That is fine, don't worry about it, she will take care of that herself. Just make sure it has dried up and isn't bleeding again. It wont be any big deal to her, just us owners who get the upset of it all lol.
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Post by zenaida on May 3, 2017 0:51:25 GMT
I was very concerned because I don't think the bleeding had stopped. At least enough that she was still spreading some on the cage walls. I did the hospital cage thing, put much more cornstarch on and made her as comfortable as possible. I've set the travel box up on a cardboard box so she can be at eye level with her sisters and everyone will know that they are close. I'll monitor throughout, she can go back in as soon as I'm sure she isn't bleeding. I've seen more eating throughout, she's got the hiding box in there, but she's out more than she's in. Behaviorally, no concerns, I just want the bleeding to stop.   |
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Post by goolover on May 3, 2017 0:56:53 GMT
Looks like the cornstarch is dry with no red so I think its doing its job. The thing is with goo's is that a nip or a cut bleeds out so much that it looks worse than it is. Good job though.....just Nico to look after now and get to sleep after his traumatic night!
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Post by goolover on May 3, 2017 1:00:14 GMT
Forgot to add, yeah if it gives you peace of mind, separate her for the night. Will do no harm, she can go back in the morning  |
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Post by zenaida on May 3, 2017 1:11:28 GMT
So that photo was taken right after I had applied. And I had pretty much DOUSED her tail with cornstarch. Since then some has fallen off. The tail is red, but it seems to be a relatively dry red. This is how it looks now:  |
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Post by zenaida on May 3, 2017 1:12:30 GMT
It is only 9 pm out here still. I haven't even had dinner yet with all the drama! We have another hour or two of being awake before we have to decide about her staying in overnight. Also, in hindsight, she's been remarkably easy to photograph. Like the last photo I started typing, realized I should have a photo to match, walked over with the phone and had that clear photo within seconds. For whatever reason she's making photos very simple and easy. |
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Post by zenaida on May 3, 2017 1:18:22 GMT
Are there any recommendations about when and how I should deal with the blood in the main cage? I have it splattered on the glass, in their toilet paper nest, all over the walls, etc.
I expect it has soaked into the wood and they will bear the marks of this night for a long time. The glass will clean easily and I can just remove bedding. Is there a good time or a bad time to do this cleaning? It feels like I should do this now with her out in the travel cage.
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Post by goolover on May 3, 2017 1:38:06 GMT
Ah it is 2.29am here, nights shifts mess with me so i'm always up late. When it happened to us I just took care of the blood when I cleaned the cage. If you want to wipe it away now if you feel better for it with her out of the way then yeah do it. I personally would put her back in as we've always just put ours back in with cage mates and they sniff but don't bother with it. Once the bleeding has stopped you are ok. It really is fine, you have nothing to worry about. Put her back in so she can cuddle with her sisters. In the morning check that it is dry and then watch as the days go on. Wont take long for her or a cage mate to chew away the bone.
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Post by zenaida on May 3, 2017 1:50:48 GMT
Thanks so much! I've been kind of a mess lately with some work issues. I tend to fret and fuss over things anyway. So this is just adding to it. Plus Nico feels so terrible about the whole thing.
Honestly, I think the biggest help has been the stories about other accidents and times that your degus have bounced back. Nico is reading everything right along with me and I'm hoping that it will help him heal and be ok with interacting with them in the future.
I'll post if we have more issues, but I'm going to put her back in and we'll go to bed.
Please if others can, share more stories! We'll read them in the morning and I think it will help Nico.
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Post by zenaida on May 3, 2017 2:08:09 GMT
Ok, one more update... we tried putting her back in with her sisters. They were very intent on biting her wound. It might have been the cornstarch, but they weren't leaving her alone and she would squeak in pain when they bit her. The final straw was when I noticed that she was bleeding again. She's going to spend the night in the hospital cage. The wound needs to set more before her sisters can bite at it.
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Post by goolover on May 3, 2017 2:22:00 GMT
Yeah the others will be on tomorrow to share their experience. If she is bleeding then yes just pop her back into the spare cage. As I said I didn't use cornstarch as I didn't know about it but maybe it has something in it that is attractive to goo's. Mine just gave a little sniff to the fresh tail but they are all different. I know how it is the first time it happens but you get used to. If it makes Nico feel any better, Millie once was attacked by Lula and her mouth/palette was split in two, it was horrendous but we got her stitched up. She looks like she has a cleft lip now. She has her lip scar, half fingers on one hand, half a tail and a punctured eye ball but she is 5 and happy as they come. If anyone seen her they would take her away from me but its just fights over the years. A de-gloved tail is nothing!
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Post by misscatafer on May 3, 2017 2:29:46 GMT
It looks like you dealt with the situation brilliantly! Hope Nico is doing OK. Which feminista was it?
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Post by winic1 on May 3, 2017 2:40:16 GMT
Tomorrow you can get styptic powder. It is for stopping bleeding, just like the cornstarch does, but it is not a foodstuff (like corn starch), so they shouldn't be interested in eating it. It is sold at drugstores and pet shops, one brand name is Kwik Stop Styptic Powder. Good to keep on hand with 6 degus in the house. Cornstarch works, and is often mentioned because it is more likely something someone will have in the house, but styptic is better.
If you need to clean blood stains out of wood or other items, try some hydrogen peroxide. It should "chew up" the blood and de-color it, and it's harmless as it degrades to oxygen and water, so there's no hazardous residue remaining.
Assure Nico we have all made mistakes with our pets.
And they forgive us and still love us anyway.
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