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Post by moletteuk on Jan 24, 2011 12:35:46 GMT
My four month old girl is poorly, she's going to the vet this afternoon, but I wondered if anyone had any advice before we go?
She's got a slightly dirty bottom, and she's fiddling with it quite a bit. She was fiddling with it last night and it was clean then, so I'm thinking she is in some discomfort. I think there is some squishy poo and a little blood, I checked the bottom of the box they sleep in and I could see small signs of both on the cardboard. Over the last few days I had also noticed some wee that was a bit more orange than usual - I was putting this down to eating orange bark, but maybe she has a urine infection. I gave them some readigrass for the first time last night, I'm not certain but I think she was fiddling with her bum before this.
She's still eating and drinking, she looks a bit off it, but not really bad.
She is not used to being picked up and certainly not used to being examined. She's just young and we've only had her a matter of weeks so we have been taking taming at their pace. I'm worried how the vet is going to get a good look at her. The vet does not have much degu experience - I rang round, but none seemed to have much experience so i thought I'd stick with the vet I used to use for my hamsters who I know a bit. I'm going to take the degutopia medication list.
Any advice please?
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Post by moletteuk on Jan 24, 2011 13:07:23 GMT
I've just seen on the degutopia medication list that baytril is not recommended under 6 months, does anyone have experience of antibiotics safe for juveniles?
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Post by moletteuk on Jan 24, 2011 15:09:39 GMT
She's going downhill  vet at 4.15 |
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Post by Kins on Jan 24, 2011 15:15:00 GMT
Aww poor Florence! I can't be of any help I'm afraid, other than wishing you luck and Florence a speedy recovery!
Thinking of you!
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Post by nickymills30 on Jan 24, 2011 17:15:17 GMT
how did she get on hun? keeping my fingers crossed for her xx
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Post by deguconvert on Jan 24, 2011 18:38:05 GMT
I've just got on to the site now, and I am distressed that little Florence is not doing well! She is clearly having intestinal trouble, and due to the fact that degus hide their suffering so well, she could have a few days of trouble behind her already. You must be back from the vet by now? How are you both doing? I have no experience with antibiotics and degus . . . I don't know why degutopia would advise against the use of baytril in degus under the age of six months. I would avoid any fresh foods with Florence . . . so no fresh greens etc. She needs hay and pellet foods, and you need to watch her eating and drinking to ensure that she is taking in fluids and nutrition. I DO hope she is OK! Please let us know.
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Post by moletteuk on Jan 24, 2011 19:59:22 GMT
Thanks. I have a bit more info now. It's definitely a bowel problem, everything looked OK when the vet cleaned her bum up, it didn't look too bad. You can smell it's a bowel problem too. Since she's now separated off from her pals, I've seen her poop up close, and the poo itself looks OK, but it's surrounded by mucus mixed with blood. It's causing her pain to poop too.
The vet was lovely, he has a little degu experience, he knew they can't be scruffed and so on, which was reassuring. He was in two minds over antibiotics since it's a digestive problem, but she looked absolutely at deaths door while we were there, so we decided it was worth trying. In the end he gave her a shot of saline and a shot of baytril, and he's ordering in some Septra antibiotics.
I'd be very grateful if anyone has any experience whether the antibiotics are likely to do more harm than good?
He's also given us some Critical Care. She doesn't like it, and she is no longer subdued enough to syringe feed without major stress. She has taken a little bit from dipping her favourite foods in, but I presume it's not a great idea to load her up with locust beans? I've also mixed up some oat/rice flake/wheatgerm/oatbran watery porridge, which she took a little of this afternoon. I think the critical care is full of probiotic stuff though so would be better. I haven't seen her drink for ages and she is now in an unfamiliar cage with an unfamiliar water bottle.
She's perked up quite a lot since we came home, I suppose partly because it's now evening when she is normally most active, and maybe partly the saline shot. She's not lethargic and puffy atm, she was this afternoon.
She's separated off in a hamster cage, so I'm worried about her being on her own too.
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Post by moletteuk on Jan 24, 2011 20:02:02 GMT
I'd appreciate any ideas on the best things to try to get her to eat, and any ideas to get the critical care into her please.
She's lost a lot of trust in us and seems quite wary of us.
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Post by nickymills30 on Jan 24, 2011 20:32:21 GMT
i can't give you any advice, but glad she back from the vets, and appears to be better xx
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Post by deguconvert on Jan 25, 2011 2:09:48 GMT
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Post by moletteuk on Jan 25, 2011 11:39:59 GMT
She's doing brilliantly! It's like a miracle, the vet hardly believed me when I told him, he thought she was a goner, as did we! She had a sleep after I last posted and then she got up and ate and drank normally and then set about trying to chew her way out of the hamster cage, bright as a button. We then transfered her to the small degu cage, where she proceeded to keep us awake most of the night pottering about and chewing wood as normal, and finally having a sleep. I could see that the poo problem was mostly mucus and blood around the poop, with the poop itself looking fairly normal - vet said this means it's a problem at the end of the bowel. It's dried up now and is almost back to normal. It was so bad at the vets, there were proper smears of blood on the bedding paper. Vet thinks it's best to leave the ABs for now and stick with the critical care, here's a link to it if you are interested - the vet swears by it, and so do a couple of my friends. You mix it with warm water. www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/products/type/detail?object=1608She's got a heat pad, and looks warm enough and comfy, she's not fluffed up any more. Will try to move her back downstairs so she is near the others. Vet says she could probably go back in with them later today if she is clean and dry and poop looking normal  Phew, I'm so relieved, thanks for the support. |
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Post by nickymills30 on Jan 25, 2011 11:42:07 GMT
thats brilliant news! xxx
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Post by Kins on Jan 25, 2011 11:54:28 GMT
Fab news! Well done little Florence! She sounds like a right little pickle!
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Post by nuttz on Jan 25, 2011 12:02:24 GMT
phew!! what a relief, glad she sounds to be on the mend!!! just one thing though, as i read from your first post, you mentioned that you give them orange bark... now im not completely sure of this but i think i have read somewhere, infact, something tells me that DC advised me not to give orange bark- but i may be wrong  i believe its because its citrus and this could be a reason why little florence got her upset tummy??? dont hold me to this as i could be completely wrong, hopefully someone else may know more! just glad she is feeling better |
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Post by moletteuk on Jan 25, 2011 12:25:16 GMT
I meant the bark of the linden/lime tree (not citrus) (on safe list) is orange colour under the top layer, not bark from an orange tree ;-) |
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Post by nuttz on Jan 25, 2011 12:27:30 GMT
 as normal..............i got it wrong.......lol
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Post by moletteuk on Jan 25, 2011 17:21:54 GMT
LOL, no worries, I was actually very impressed with the kind and tactful way you managed to express your concern ;-) I think I may have relaxed a bit soon. She's still lively, but there is also still blood in her poop, some poops seem to have blood throughout too I've spoken to the vet again, and my other half has just nipped out to get the Septra antibiotics. Fingers crossed. |
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Post by Whizz on Jan 25, 2011 22:01:38 GMT
How is Florence getting on now? I've been reading this thread since you first posted it and have been reading it regularly, haha. Just hope she is OK xx
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Post by deguconvert on Jan 26, 2011 4:38:06 GMT
Yeah . . . I'm hoping she is OK as well. I'm really hoping there will be a real help for her in the septra meds.
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Post by moletteuk on Jan 26, 2011 11:58:34 GMT
Thanks for the support She's doing great! Poop was still a bit squishy last night and looked like there was still blood in it, but she's lively as anything and seems fine in herself. There was hardly any manky poop in the cage this morning and the heatpad was clean so hopefully her guts are improving. Got some of the septra into her eventually, and they are all still getting Critical Care. I put her back with her pals yesterday afternoon, which was probably a bit soon, but they were all looking so pathetic and sad I caved in , they were overjoyed to see each other, and Molly and Alice 'reclaimed' her thoroughly! Phew, it's terrifying when you realise how much you love them and find yourself scared witless over them. She's looking in better shape than me today! |
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vet at 4.15
i believe its because its citrus and this could be a reason why little florence got her upset tummy???
as normal..............i got it wrong.......lol 
