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Post by TiffaLynn on Jun 11, 2013 22:08:40 GMT
So my degu gracissimo had a seizure mid day yesterdsy.. thevwas non respondive.. i brought her back with cold air and a tidbit of sugar water then after 5minutes the seixing got reakky violent. She broke her right arm completly n does want to walk or eat. She like cool water from a spoon n a good scratch. Vets here know nothing about degus n want to put her down.  |
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Post by TiffaLynn on Jun 11, 2013 22:13:23 GMT
She does seem to get her strength back n is trying to move more. She keeps grinding her teeth lightly in increments then stops after 10 sec and her eyes get big then goes sbout grinding her teeth. She weeped for sbout 30min earlier... today. She seems to have the will to nlive...
Help
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Post by TiffaLynn on Jun 11, 2013 23:16:39 GMT
Well i font want her to suffer... but she doesnt act like she wsnts to give up yet... so she is giving her fluids and will look up seizure meds for her. Splinting the leg she broke. She appears to have dislocated her hip too
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Post by TiffaLynn on Jun 12, 2013 4:47:21 GMT
Well update she is doing a bit better other that the mini seizures which is just when her head picks up n her eyes get big fir like 2 second the its over. Cant wsit to hear from the doctor to see what she found. She is crawling a little and managed to get vout of the splint the vet put on her for her humus break. Been giving her baby food and pedialite plain.
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Post by TiffaLynn on Jun 12, 2013 4:48:56 GMT
Just wish i had something for herpsin and for her seizures...
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Post by moletteuk on Jun 12, 2013 9:09:45 GMT
I'm very sorry to hear that Gracissimo is so poorly. It's good that she is still fighting and will take food and water, but there are several issues that she needs to overcome. For the pain she can have Metacam, if you print off this meds chart from degutopia, any vet should easily be able to provide some www.degutopia.co.uk/deguvetlist.htm If you can get her dosed up on painkillers, then it's less stressfull for everyone to give her a couple of days to see if the seizures can be stopped. Her broken leg and possible dislocation are quite big issues. Any dislocation needs correcting right away. There's a chance the break might heal up, but sometimes it's necessary to amputate. If the leg is loose, it can affect blood flow below the break which can be a big problem. I'm sorry, I don't know about seizure meds, I'll get back to you if I find anything. If she doesn't stop fitting soon, I don't think there is much hope P.S. I think autocorrect is changing a lot of your words, it's quite difficult to understand everything you write. |
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Post by TiffaLynn on Jun 12, 2013 17:55:19 GMT
It does that. Im on my phone because my computer has been down quite awhile. I was also crying as i was typing it out which didnt help. Nerveous wreck today... she is in alot of pain today so i need to call the vet n see wat we can get done. I was thinking amputation. She didnt want to work with her hip she said bit might scar(score) back in place. She is hobbling around better today. She worked the splint she had her in off last night. Lol brat. She is fussy taking food but her belly feels full too. Im not sure how much baby food to give her. I have a syrenge a pharm tech gave me at the store, they were out of eye droppers. It is measureable too. I bought carrots, green beans and peas (not sweet) and plain pedialite to give her oh and some baby oatmeal. I managed to get a few bites to her today n some fluids too. She seems some wat disoriented/exausted prolly from siezing... n the pain. Doesnt seem to be fitting right now. Hopefully the worst is behind us
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Post by TiffaLynn on Jun 13, 2013 0:37:42 GMT
How long after giv her the metacam befote it takes effect? Symthoms?
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Post by Maravilla on Jun 13, 2013 7:21:57 GMT
I am very sorry to hear about your degu! This is a really sad thing and I think that only very few people do really have experience with seizures in degus and therefore can give good advice.
I also see several problems in your case, as moletteuk already mentioned the (probably) dislocated hip, the broken leg, which seem to cause lots of pain, the seizures, which do seem to continue if I understand you right. And - additionally - a vet who is lacking experience with this kind of animal.
I am sure you do not want to read this, but if I were in your situation I would let her go. It is a very hard decision we as owners do not want to take but actually it is the only possibility we can show our animals how much we really love and care for them.
You can give her metacam for the pains and hope that the dose is high enough (but not too high to poison her). You can try to give her some food (actually, I would not give her peas and beans as these are legumes and said to cause bloating; the last thing you want to have right now). But you say that her belly feels full. Does it feel rather hard or soft?
The next problem is that you do not know what the reason for the seizures is. My vet book give a couple of reasons, e.g. intoxication, heart failure, heat stroke, nephropathy etc.
I suppose the prognosis is rather fatal. We do not know how much she is really suffering. Degus are pretty good in not showing pains.
I am sure you are taking the right decision for the best of your animal.
Wish you a lot of strength!
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Post by moletteuk on Jun 13, 2013 11:08:29 GMT
Metacam works very quickly, say within an hour or so. You should not see any short term side effects, long term use can affect the kidneys.
It's possible the tummy is full of gas or air, perhaps she has gulped in air through her mouth when she was fitting. Baby food in jars or the baby oatmeal or mashed up veg or seeds are all fine as emergency food. You can get specialist small animal recovery food like Oxbow Critical Care or Supreme do a recovery food too, which are good for energy and for getting the gut working again.
How are you and she doing today? Like Maravilla, I'm very worried for her future unless you've seen some very significant improvement already.
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Post by bijett on Jun 13, 2013 20:57:18 GMT
:-( , i have no advice, sorry she is so poorly.
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Post by Jus on Jun 13, 2013 20:58:59 GMT
So sorry to read this!! You must be heartbroken! I don't really have anything useful to say, except that a little warming (but not hot) porridge made with water (not milk) works as short term ill degu food for us. Also sorry for the difficult decision you have to make. I'm always reluctant when a vet advises an animal being put to sleep as we had one of our first degus put to sleep on a vets (ignorant) advice and having read further later on, found that most degus recover from what was wrong with her. Personally I would be tempted to give her plenty of metacam until the legs start to heal a bit and then see how she is doing. That said, It is a decision that you and you alone can make, and I wish you strength as you go forward.
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Post by TiffaLynn on Jun 14, 2013 0:00:36 GMT
Sorry i havent posted sooner. Just got home from work. I am not dure if the is drinking while im gone, but the vet said that to make sure she is well hydtrated while on metacam. I havent given her the peas yet, and green beans are compromised mainly of the fleshy plumped pod. Mainly the carrots (her belly was feeling full now its not, only carrot and water.) I might have fed her too much. I see fresh poops, solid ones, and she is getting her spunk back. She isnt fighting the syrynge feedings, meds, or waterings now, she kind of knows what it means now. I noticed this time giving her the meds she seemed more relaxed 15 after administering. She started singing a bit. With the airid climate here in New Mexico usa it feels to me not as hot as it actually is. She was in her glass jar the dust bath was in laying when she had her first seize. So im really thinkng it was heat stroke. When i looked at the temp guage it was in the uper 90s outside, and mid lower 80s inside the house. Farenhiegt that is. So her enclosure is in the bathroom the coolest room in the place. She had no signs of blood sugar issues like diabetes(nueropathy is a diabetic disease... my grandfather has it). No chance she ate anything toxic unless it a bug or spider thst wondered in. All signs point to heat stroke. She hasnt had a fit that i know of since tuesday evening and those were very accute and lasted only a few seconds. Vet was an exotics specialist, and after i chose treament seems very intent on the knowing of these lil guys. There was a young boy at the clinic who was torn to tears seeing my girl take a shot in the backroom n take fluids along with the splint she wrigled out of. Im guessing it was one of their sons. Keep in mind no one in tthis city or the one i lived in before ever heard of, seen or knew what a degu was. They are rate beause of americas commerialism is all about supply demand and profit. Degus guestational period, birth #, and weaning process takes too long and doesnt fit demand. The lady i got my goos from her daughter left for college. The people at the bpet store knew next to nothing about them including how to sex them when her daughter bought them. So yea out popped pups... n the teacher (non-breeder) knew nothing of them... i taught her after i researched them. She then managed the population issue she was having.
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Post by Jus on Jun 14, 2013 5:46:40 GMT
It's good to hear that you have worked out what it is. Glad to hear she is doing better!
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Post by Maravilla on Jun 15, 2013 7:08:11 GMT
How is your degu going on? What about his food intake? And does he take the metacam? How does she use hip and legs? I am not dure if the is drinking while im gone, but the vet said that to make sure she is well hydtrated while on metacam. You can offer her also fresh stuff to make sure she intakes enough water. Nephropathy only says that it is a disease of the kidneys without telling you a reason. There are a couple of them, actually. Treatment suggested in the vet book I have is quite complex: cool place, cooling of the animal, application of oxygen, infusion of electrolytes, antibiotics. But it is careful about the prognosis as there can be some negative effects a couple of days later. Wish you all the best. |
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Post by moletteuk on Jun 15, 2013 13:40:47 GMT
How's she doing? How are the legs?
It's good that the vet is caring and interested in helping, that's worth a lot when you can't find an experienced vet.
Try and get her back on normal food as soon as possible, especially hay, and you can tempt her with seeds and herbs and so on, but still offer mashed food or baby food if she is struggling.
I'd honestly be surprised if it was heatstroke at less than 85F, unless there was some other factor, I suppose it's possible though...
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Post by TiffaLynn on Jun 17, 2013 0:07:39 GMT
Shorry life has been crazy... she has been taking the metacam, sje started refusing the feedings and waterings through the day so i put it in her food dish. I have her enclosure in the bathroom, where its a cool steady temp 18-22degrees c. She is regaining use of her broken leg as when she was trying to refuse the feeding earlier i noticed she was flicking it lol. She is doing really well. Looking rather scruffy with no dust bath in a week or so though. Mixing baby food electrolite solution and ground oat flour for her to eat. Ill add some hay tonite to see of she eats it
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Post by TiffaLynn on Jun 17, 2013 0:09:58 GMT
After refusing her feedings i dumped.what i had for her in her dish to find her later searching an empty bowel frantically. lol i guess she was tired of.being treated like a pup.
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Post by TiffaLynn on Jun 17, 2013 4:30:55 GMT
Now i think she ate too much oats... hope tats the issue went to pick her up n she was all wet underneith. Her whole belly is covered in urine and wet feces. Should i wash her n dry her? I know the are not supposed to get wet? Researching now n calling the vet in the AM. |
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Post by Jus on Jun 17, 2013 5:49:47 GMT
Her being wet is not too ugh of an issue as long as you keep her warm enough until she dries. The wet faeces is an issue though. I don't know for sure, but I highly doubt that eating too many oats would cause diarrhoea, if you have been feeding wet food to try and get her to eat. That is likely the cause. A just try and clean her up and make sure she doesn't get cold until she dries. Someone who can be a little more helpful should be along some time today. Best wishes.
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