Critical Care Food and Antibiotics

[buckandbolt]

Hi all,

In the continuing mis-adventures of Buck the one-eyed Degu (long story) he managed to break out of his cage, find his way under the bathroom door and into the loo, nearly drowned, cue general heart attack, rush to the vets, heat pads and mouth inspections.

He's back at home now, grooming a lot which I am taking as a good sign, but we have been given critical care food and antibiotics to give him. He was over-handled when he was young by the owners we rescued them from, so he doesn't let us pick him up unless he's injured or sick. Now he's feeling better I think getting his medicine in him might be tricky - any advice?

Also - the critical care food the vet gave us has some fruit listed (Papaya and Pineapple) it is a powder you mix with water to make a paste and he'd only be having about 2ml but I wanted to check about sugar intake? He's eaten a pea flake and a pellet since he got home so I'm not sure about giving him the mix?

It is this stuff: www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/vets/products/critical_care

[zenaida]

Oh my goodness! I'm glad he's ok!

Others will come and correct my mistakes I'm sure, but I know critical care does have some sugars in it. It is used in situations where the diabetes concerns take a backseat to "he just needs to eat". For my own curiosity, is there a reason they sent you home with the antibiotics and critical care? I would think that if it was a near drowning, but he's ok now, he would be ok and not need that stuff? Are they worried about developing pneumonia?

Because it has sugar, I've heard many reports of degus LOVING their critical care "treat" and some owners don't need to handle the degu at all to get intake. They often use a syringe and the degu will come right over to lap up the tasty goodness coming from the tube. Another strategy is to put the critical care on a spoon, same deal, they will come right over for it once they know how good it is. I have heard that you need to make sure it isn't too watery on the spoon though because they don't lick too well.

There are also so recipes for homemade critical care variants on this forum somewhere. I'll go looking for it.

[buckandbolt]

Thank you! He's eaten a little since he got home, I think I'll do a small amount of the mix and see if he takes it but he definitely has something in his stomach at least.

We don't know how long he was in there for, between the SO going to work and me getting up, so about half an hour, and I think they are concerned in case he catches a chill. I have a heater on a low setting near one end of the cage and he's with his brother in their hammock at the moment so I think he's doing okay. He hasn't had anything to drink since he got home but I think they gave him some fluids there.

There was also a noisy dog at the practice while he was there so they sent him home earlier because it was stressing him out a bit :/

[zenaida]

deguworld.proboards.com/thread/6023/recipe-food-entice-sick-degu

It was right in a sticky at the top. Many people also use organic baby foods in lieu of critical care when they need to use such feeds for extended periods.

Again, others might correct me, but if Buck is eating his regular feeds right now, I wouldn't use the critical care just yet. No need to start a sweet tooth in him. 

Edit: it sounds a bit to me like you have a good vet. Knows that the degu will recover better at home, but also wants to give you the tools you need in case something goes south. 

[buckandbolt]

Thank you so much!

I put in a mix of all their favourites (his brother thinks it is Christmas) and he was tempted down out the hammock and is having a munch on some more pea flakes.He looks very sleepy bless him, but he's totally dried out from the looks of things.

[deguconvert]

Sorry about the frightening adventure!! It's good to see you again.

Did the vet weigh him and feel that he is low in weight? Perhaps you could call the vet and ask for further information?

[buckandbolt]

Thanks! I moved overseas for work a few months ago and the boys are still here with the SO so I went a bit radio silent, came back for my first visit and they pulled this! Maybe because they are teenagers now...

He's definitely not underweight, since he lost his eye (through another escape attempt/climbing adventure) he's not been running as much as his brother so we check his weight regularly and monitor his water intake to make sure he's staying healthy. He's a bit of a bruiser to be honest, but not unhealthy at all.

He just tried to escape when we put in some food so I think he's almost back to his escape-artist self...

[bouncy]

There are different flavours of critical care, including a green leafy/herby one. Sounds like you don't really need it, though, if he's a healthy weight and eating. Disguise meds with his favourite treats!

[moletteuk]

The sugars in Critical Care are fine in small amounts for shortish periods, usually there is something more important to be worrying about ie the reason for needing the CC. I would go ahead with the CC for a few days, the probiotics might be useful in case he swalled any human faecal bacteria.

Do you know if he inhaled any water? Are the antibiotics precautionary to stop him developing pneumonia in case he inhaled any germy water? It's usually best to try disguising the meds on treats like shredded wheat, nuts, dried veg, oats, or any combination of whatever he likes best. If you can't get them into him that way you would need to 'burrito' him, which involved wrapping him in a towel to restrain him and then syringe the meds in the gap just behind his incisors.

Keep him nice and warm tonight.

[buckandbolt]

Thanks to everyone for their advice.

Quick update on Buck - we managed to get a dose of the antibiotics in him by scraping out the centre of a treat, injecting it in, and then refilling it. He's running around like a loon but taking pretty long naps in between energy spurts so I think he's still recovering a bit. He also tried to escape when we put their food bowl in last night so he's more or less back to his Piratey ways...

Here he is before his adventure:

[randomname]

ooh great 'photo. He's lovely looking, like he's giving you a friendly hello wink glad he's ok & is getting better.

[bouncy]

He looks like he needs a crafty eye patch!

[zenaida]

buckandbolt, I went through your history and I couldn't find the story about how he came to be so dashing (always winking at the ladies). Care to share that? I'm just curious and like a good story.

[buckandbolt]

Oh! Yes. We think he over-estimated his climbing ability, took a tumble, and somehow managed to bang his face off the edge of the cage, or the corner of the little house thing.

I was working overseas when it happened, got quite a panicked call from my SO who had come home to find that Buck's eye was swollen and bulging out his head, quick facetime and he was rushed off to the vet (same one as above). What was most worrying is that he calmly let my SO pick him up, move him into the carrier etc. which he absolutely never does.

The vets examined his eye and tried to save it by giving him anti-inflammatories and other treatments to see if it would respond and there was a way of healing the optic nerve, but when the swelling went down the next day and they looked at it properly it was clear the optic nerve was damaged beyond repair, and the eye needed to come out so they operated that day. It looked very, very strange at first as they shaved half his face and there was a pointy bit where the eye socket should be, but it has healed into the jaunty pirate scar and he looks like he's permanently winking.

The vet was great, I'm so thankful they worked so quickly.

He's a little terror though. My dad was looking after them once Buck managed to push the roof of the cage extension off centre enough that he could squeeze out and Dad found him on the apex of the roof. (The SO converted it out of a massive guinea pig/rabbit hutch thing so the roof comes off, but is heavy and latched.) Bolt, meanwhile, was perfectly happily just hanging out in his wheel.

Their cage is massive and they are out and given a free run for at least four hours a day, sometimes far longer, so I have come to the conclusion that Buck is just a curious idiot...

Here's a series showing: pre-pirate days (popping up from behind a thing designed to keep him out of a room); Pirate Buck, Half-drowned at the vets Buck, and fully recovered pushing his brother out of my hood Buck.

[zenaida]

He certainly sounds like a daredevil!

[moletteuk]

Wow, he's really one for adventures!!

[goolover]

Aw he is so gorgeous, lovely pictures and it does look like he is giving a cheeky little wink! My Millie didn't loose her eye but her eye lens was punctured in a fight. Not sure what she can see out of it if anything but she copes just fine and we didn't have to have it removed. The fur surrounding the eye is always wet and I clean it with cooled down water if it gets too gunked up. She also fell in the toilet once but I realised after a couple of minutes she was in there and dried her off quick enough. They are certainly adventurous outside of the cage, have had quite afew scares over the years!

[bouncy]

I think we all know a goo like that! He's adorably cute!

[buckandbolt]

We've renamed him "Liability Buck." His brother is such a well behaved little soul whose only vice is stealing my pens:

[bouncy]

I wish mine had fetishes. Instead, Spidey just takes whatever isn't nailed down!!