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Post by teemu on Aug 29, 2023 10:54:23 GMT
Kaneli seems to be developing some sort of an ear issue, and I'm not sure at all what to make of it. It's clearly not good, whatever it is.
Her ears are developing this scabby crud towards the tips. At first when I noticed it I though it was some sort of earwax or flakes of dandruff, but when I attempted to wipe it off with a finger, a piece came off and clearly took some skin with it (no blood or real damage, just very pink skin undeneath, thankfully) so it is some sort of a skin issue or a scab. Both ears have this, and there's a bit of it further down as well. It's not ear mites, because only the tips have been affected, and it doesn't look the same. The crust is very pale in color, like ear wax. I'm really unsure what it could be.
I'm not sure how long it has been on her. I don't think it was there when she came in, though I must confess I have not gone through her ears very carefully before now. It looks weird, whatever it is. I'll try to apply some moisture to see if it helps, but if it doesn't I'm taking her to the vet soon - if it's something caused by a parasite or something transmissible I need to know so I can protect (and potentially treat) the others as well.
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Post by teemu on Aug 29, 2023 11:08:08 GMT
Actually, now that I've conferred with my wife, she said that she did notice her having that when she came in already. And I took a closer look at her, and I think there actually was some dandruff (or similar) on her ears, since now the pale stuff is gone. The skin of her eartips is rough, but I'm not sure it even qualifies as scabby. It's more like the skin is drier and kind of hardened and rough. The color of the skin is actually, now that there is no dandruff, still the same, which might explain why I did not notice it. The other ear, where there was a lump at the tip, does not actually seem to have any more of it. The other ear has more on the inside of the ear, but only at the tip.
Since it was on her when she came in, and has not gotten worse (and I don't see any issues with anyone else), it's probably not contagious, thankfully. It might indicate some sort of a nutrient deficiency, maybe? Or that she just has dry ear. It does not seem painful though, more like the skin is numb there. She did not even notice when I accidentally brushed off the skin there, and does not mind at all when I feel around the other ear. It's not sores or lesions, certainly...
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Post by moletteuk on Aug 29, 2023 16:52:41 GMT
yasmin had something that sounded a bit like this in some of her goos, it was a circulation issue. There was also another case not that long ago that Yasmin replied to. If you search for yasmin as author you should find them. Of course it could be something entirely different in Kaneli.
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Post by teemu on Aug 29, 2023 17:22:25 GMT
Yes, now that you mention it, I remember that other case. I'll have a look there.
Looking at the thread, this seems to be more likely vasculitis than mites. There is no irritation as far as I can see. Our old dog had a similar issue, though it was much more aggressive, and also involved skin sloughing off from the paws. This seems to just be minor crusting at the edges of the ears - though of course it could get worse. Quite worrying, since I'm not sure at all if degus can be medicated for a condition like this; sometimes these things can apparently get quite serious...
I'm thinking that I'll at least drop my vet a message and inquire about how worried I should be about this, and if there is something we could do. If it stays like this it will be manageable, I think, but it very well might not...
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Post by teemu on Aug 30, 2023 14:12:40 GMT
It's a bit weird, but now that I've looked at it a bit closer, I'm not totally sure it's vasculitis either. Careful examination showed that for the most part, there is healthy and normal skin under the cruddy stuff. When I rolled the ear a bit to get a better look while I was looking at it with good light, some of the stuff just flaked off. It's like there's clumps of dead skin or something like that stuck to her ears. I carefully tried removing it, and almost all of it came off with very little resistance (some of it was stuck harder and I did not want to use any force), and it did not even leave a pink mark. The ear underneath was totally normal.
I guess I'll keep watching to see if it comes back, but I wonder if it is just related to some sort of dandruff or dry ear after all? I've applied a small amount of oil, so hopefully that helps.
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Post by moletteuk on Aug 30, 2023 18:51:06 GMT
Could you try cleaning the ears with some kind antiseptic and antifungal petsafe wash? Like Hibiscrub or Neosporin type things. Or a cream or spray with the same properties? It could just be a simple skin infection.
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Post by teemu on Aug 30, 2023 20:57:02 GMT
That's a good idea. I think we have mild antiseptic pet shampoo left from when our dog needed it. It's probably not going to be easy to use it on her, but it's certainly worth a shot. She actually does like it when people rub her ears or otherwise give her grooming, but the water will probably be a much tougher sell. Maybe it'll be possible to just get a small amount on my fingers so I can massage the ears. And I suppose rinsing would work the same way, or at most with some wet cotton.
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Post by savvy on Aug 30, 2023 21:09:37 GMT
Try using a cotton bud or two.
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Post by yasmin on Sept 7, 2023 13:25:19 GMT
Really seems like It is vasculitis.
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Post by teemu on Sept 7, 2023 14:33:03 GMT
After I cleaned the ears, the issue has not really progressed at all. There is still a pinkish spot where I took off that larger lump, but it hasn't dried or progressed from there. Some crusty stuff on the skin still, but nothing new seems to be happening with her ears now. I've not cleaned them again, since the situation seems to be staying the same.
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Post by teemu on Sept 15, 2023 9:16:37 GMT
Yeah, it is vasculitis. The skin on her ears is drying again, the edges of that pinkish area are frayed (very slightly, I had to look at it very closely to notice that there's some wear there) and the tip of her tail is also similarly dried out. Not sure if the tail was like that already, or if it's a new development, since she does not like having it handled and I haven't really gotten a good look before.
It seems to be very minor for now at least. I'll try to book a vet in any case so that they can at least check her over.
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Post by teemu on Oct 22, 2023 19:18:25 GMT
Well, we did not take her to the vet after all, since it slowed down dramatically right after I posted the previous update. Her ears have been totally free of any issues and she did not lose any more from the edges. The tip of her tail is currently drying and dying off, but it's the same area that we observed earlier, so it has not spread there either. She does not seem to have pains, and the tail does not really bother her. We figured that if it does not progress, there isn't much a vet could/should do in any case.
I would have kind of expected her to trim the tail off already, since the tip of it is quite clearly dead and dry, but so far she does not even seem to notice it. I guess it's fine and not dangerous, and some of the tip has nackered off already, so I suspect it will resolve in the near future.
I wonder if it was just a slight case, or if her coming here actually improved her situation due to proper feeding/less stress/whatever. She seems really happy to just have a space and get attention...
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