Torres and his fractured femur

[lorrainekuk]

Hi all,
as posted in the limping degu thread deguworld.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=health&action=display&thread=7051
Torres decided it would be a great idea to take a leap of faith and ended up with a limp which turned out to be a fractured femur. Vet says muscles are holding 'things' in place and the use of splints etc are not the best option.
My problem lies in what I have been told for aftercare.
Keep him in a small boxed area - no ladders/tubes no toys etc - basically nothing that he can climb up/on. This was a bit of a nightmare in itself but resolved with bits of wood and bodging!! The boys are in the same cage still just the bottom (now after he was doing monkey bars across the top grill) We have a open grill so they can talk to each other/ventilation. The nurse said they should be kept apart as the healthy goo may attack/pick on the ill one. Now this is my first area of concern. As you all know goos love goos and our 2 do get on very well and snuggle and cuddle and preen and chatter and it concerns me they aren't being allowed to do this - surely Pip will help Torres in terms of his happiness ? I understand they get a bit frisky and box at times but still.
The other issue is the space he is being kept in. I know he needs to rest but have you ever tried to get a goo to sit still?? They are still babies ( approx 14wks old) and very active. He is going stir crazy already and sitting with puppy eyes up the glass when we are there (Let me out mummy!!) They are used to being let out for a run nearly every day and it feels cruel. I understand the stopping him climbing but surely he will just keep moving regardless of space?
We have let Pip visit Torres when we are around so they can keep the contact so at least if they get a bit 'wild' we can stop it ( well try!!) This is bothering me a lot and I have gone against advice this morning and let them out in the conservatory for a play ( in a flat and more restricted space) nothing to climb on etc and he seems to have been fine. I have then put them back in together in Torres' space and now they are fast asleep cuddled up. This has just confirmed what I am uncomfortable about - they love each other and thrive on the company of each other.
I cant leave pip in with Torres all the time as its not fair he can't run and exercise ( especially his wheel!!) but I really feel they need to be together. Any suggestions other than keep letting Pip visit as often as I can?
Also should I let them be together over night when we cant keep an eye on them ?? How much do they sleep at night?? (we do take the wheel out so they know its bedtime)
I am so sorry for the long post but this is really bothering me.
BTW Torres in himself seems fine - keeping his bad leg tucked up and not using it but does seem not bothered - just using the 3 legs to carry on. He is having pain killers every other day too, which may be masking it? I know they have a high tolerance to pain and I really want to do the best for his welfare so he can mend as quickly as possible. Any advice or words of wisdom would be much appreciated xx

(piccy shows where he is although he is now on the ground floor)

[w8152]

lorraine, i know it feels cruel but you really do need to keep him on his own and restrict his movement so it can heal. i do very much understand how much it tugs on your heartstrings but you have to be strong. give him cuddles and let his friend in supervised but only for short periods.

bottom line is the nurse is bang on with this advice in my opinion and while what you are doing is not hurting it may slow down his recovery if he moves around too much (i'm not trying to scare or tell you off, just warn you) what happens when a human breaks something, think of it like that.

[lorrainekuk]

Thanks, I know it's the cruel to be kind thing. I think the supervised thing is the way to go - they are in together again now sleeping again, look sooooo cute and snuggly!! I think that may be the best option - when I kn ow they are sleepy and will only preen and snuggle not be a mad pair!! Really appreciate your reply - can't believe how attached I have got to these 2 already - old sop I am - supposed to be pets for the kids but it's me that adores them the most!

[smux]

It should be okay to let them sleep together as company at bedtime is what degus strive for most, the sharing of body warmth, but they would need to be separated in the morning. Degus tend to sleep for short periods of time, not as long as us, because they have naps in the daytime as well. In Torres' case, he is probably sleeping less as he isn't getting rid of the excess energy, but this isn't anything to worry about. The problem with Pip being in with Torres is the fact that he HAS this energy and Pip just being there will encourage him to make use of his energy, and that is another reason for why he should be alone in his cage until it heals.

While w8152 is right that he should be kept on his own, the time he had in the conservatory with Pip is probably fine as well as long as he didn't exert himself too much. Once the bone starts healing they do need regular exercise to keep the muscles in good condition or they'll start to weaken, so I would keep to the daily routine of letting Pip and Torres out together in the conservatory (for short periods multiple times a day if you want, or a longer play once a day) but it should definitely be supervised to ensure Torres isn't being picked on or trying to do things he's not allowed to do. If he starts trying to do more than he should be and won't stop when you tell him no, you are going to have to cut the playtime short and put him back in the cage until he learns to respond properly to your commands.

Notice above that I said *once* the bone heals...I would recommend you give him the bare minimum of interactions with the others for at least a few days to let his bone start to heal if it hasn't already. Any pressures on the bone at the early stages will slow the healing process (as w8152 mentioned) but once the healing has started and he's improving then it shouldn't be a problem unless he tries acrobatics again and damages himself in the same way he did before.

[lorrainekuk]

Thanks smux - that was another worry muscle wastage - I have first hand experience of this myself and know how quickly it happens , I guess it's early days . I will try and give them both the best access without comprimising Tores' recovery - I am hoping as a young goo he will be like kids and heal pretty quick. It's funny to watch them apart too - Torres will stand at the 'fence' and squeak until Pip comes down from up high - I would love to know what they are saying!! wonder if he is rollicking him for having fun in the wheel?? I also reckon Pip may be a bit jealous that Torres has been given mum's scarf for a lovely comfy bed and he just has his wooden hut!!

[lorrainekuk]

Just thought I would post an update on Torres. 2 Weeks since his accident now and he is doing well. He is bearing weight and doesn't seem too bothered by whats happened, he is still on cage rest although we are letting them spend more time together as too much alone time seemed to cause fighting the other day, they seem much happier now together for longer periods. Hoping he continues to make good progress and recovers quickly as the poor sod is getting fed up of being confined - he actually sits at the glass giving us sulky goo eyes :-(

[deguconvert]

I'm so relieved and GLAD that he is doing so well! WOO HOO! LOL at the sulky goo eyes!

[nickymills30]

thats fab news xxx

[hellsbells]

Glad to hear he is doing so well!

[w8152]

Dont fall for the eyes! its a trick!

[lorrainekuk]

Too late I couldn't stop myself.....

Dec 9, 2010 13:27:33 GMT w8152 said:

Dont fall for the eyes! its a trick!

[laureen]

One of my degus broke his leg when he was a few months old....It was a spiral fracture and the vet was not sure that it would heal....once sometimes twice a week i would take him into the vet and they would redo the splint they had put on it, we kept him in the same cage with his brother but removed the wheel, he also had on a collar so he would not chew at it....we had to pretty much feed him by hand or take his collar off while he ate and watch close....it took about two months but now two years later he is completely healed and his favorite thing to do in run in the wheel... So u never can tell what the outcome will be but we just hoped for the best and all was ok..

[smux]

They're pretty much the same as us humans (as are most animals)...give them enough care and they'll heal just as well as we do. It's just sad that so many people will choose not to give this care because it's so expensive (and we have free healthcare in comparison) and it's also sad that animal care IS so expensive because it means that so many animals are needlessly put down or left untreated. Part of the reason my Elsevier died was because even the cut-price RSPCA would have been an expensive trip to put my mind at rest that he was okay (which, obviously, he wasn't)...had it been cheap enough for me to not worry about I might have had the bump checked out and would have found out it wasn't just a lump from a fall.

[sarahh]

Glad you little one is doing well bless him. Hopefully he will be back to jumping around in no time.