Rtho87
Foraging Degu
Posts: 53
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Post by Rtho87 on Apr 20, 2018 11:11:07 GMT
Hello! I've been lurking this fantastic forum for a long time now, as well as Degus International. I've always been too shy and self-conscious to reach out to the community, but a sad, scary situation's arisen that's prompted me to create a thread. But first, here's a bit about my degus: I have a castrated male named Alex: I took this picture when he was in the middle of a yawn. He's 5 or 6 years old (his age was never clear when we got him on his own from the adoption area in Pets At Home). I've had him since he was 1 or 2 years old. He's always been calm and laidback, happy to climb out of the cage on to my hand. I've also got two rescue females that are sisters (I think) and about 4 years old. I've had them since they were only a few months old. They're a lot more excitable than Alex. Daisy: She's the shyest and the most aloof around humans, although I've had some lovely interactions with her when she's in the right mood. She is the most vocal and the largest out of the group. Annie: Annie is the smallest, but she's got a big personality. She fiercely defends her food bowl from the other degus and then steals from theirs afterwards. She's also the boldest and nosiest. I recently discovered a hard, deeply attached lump on Annie's back, most likely some type of tumour. She's at the vet's right now (I'm very fortunate to have an experienced exotics vet within a 20 minutes drive away - www.arkvetsheffield.co.uk/ ), where she'll have it removed and sent off for a lab histology. I'm really hoping it all goes smoothly and isn't malignant, but you always tend to fear the worst. On a lighter note, I swear it's only water in that glass!
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Post by misscatafer on Apr 20, 2018 11:40:46 GMT
Lovely to meet you and your degus, your pictures are great! Hope it all goes smoothly with Annie today, sending lots of positive thoughts.
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Post by ntg on Apr 20, 2018 11:51:07 GMT
Nice to meet you (and your goos)! Wishing you the best of luck with Annie's surgery today, that she recovers swiftly and that it's nothing too serious.
There are a couple of threads from the past several months about degus with similar lumps to Annie's that you may want to read to see what sort of wound care you may need to do (using the search bar the words "lump"/"sore" and "back" should bring them up). I'll warn you though that the outcomes haven't been good, but every case is different so please don't take that to mean that it will be the same for Annie!
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Post by randomname on Apr 20, 2018 13:32:26 GMT
So glad you made an account, your pics are awesome. So sorry to hear about Annie, must be stressful for you. You know we understand totally, so feel free to fret & worry on here if it helps Let us know how it goes, we'll all be keeping everything crossed for her.
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Post by deguconvert on Apr 20, 2018 15:34:13 GMT
Hello, Rtho87, and welcome to the forum . . . where we can see you and know you! It is lovely to meet you.
I am so sorry about Annie and the development of this tumor. I hope and pray that all goes well at the Vets and that there is total success in the removal, healing, and absolute freedom from any further tumors for Annie and for your other two, Alex and Daisy.
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Rtho87
Foraging Degu
Posts: 53
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Post by Rtho87 on Apr 20, 2018 20:32:18 GMT
Thank you for your warm welcomes and well wishes. It helps a lot! Annie is back home and in a spare cage to keep the other degus from fiddling with her wound, but hopefully, she can rejoin them soon. Here's a picture of her poor little back: The vet was able to remove all of the growth/mass/tumour and used internal stitches. She was pleased with how well Annie recovered from the anaesthesia. I was also amazed at how active she was this evening, exploring the spare cage and snatching treats. She's tucked up in her bed now. Thanks for the searching tips, ntg. I've also googled the subject area, but you're right... The outcomes haven't been good. Everything I've read on tumours seems to end with the poor degu rapidly degenerating and having to be put to sleep. I should get the results of the histology next week, so we'll see what to expect...
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Post by deguconvert on Apr 21, 2018 1:09:28 GMT
Something you need to perhaps start doing from the very start is bathing the wound and ensuring that it stays clean and dry . . . but not going flaky. You don't want to allow any sort infection to begin. Did they give you pain relief for her? If not, you should call and ask for some, she will need it. Also some critical care food to keep her gut functioning well and keep her calories up for her healing. As well, though the surgery is different, the care will be very similar so read through this one . . . deguworld.proboards.com/thread/22125/tibb-castration-neuter-snip for ideas of how to clean and care for her wound site. Although . . . if you find a lump forming, take her straight to the vet and have them take care of it. her surgery is much larger than the degu in the above link, and I would be afraid that you could injure by trying to squeeze out any puss.
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Rtho87
Foraging Degu
Posts: 53
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Post by Rtho87 on Apr 21, 2018 6:59:08 GMT
Thank you for the advice, deguconvert! She’s got a follow-up appointment today, so I’ll ask about the pain relief. I think they also sell critical care, which will save waiting for it to arrive off the internet.
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Post by Bexi87 on Apr 21, 2018 8:54:27 GMT
Welcome Rtho87 - another northerner! Hope Annie is feeling much better - you have some utterly gorgeous furries
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Post by moletteuk on Apr 21, 2018 10:15:31 GMT
Welcome to the forum Make sure the vet gives you antibiotics and meloxicam painkiller and Critical Care to keep her comfy. I'm not sure how warm it is with you right now, but a heatpad might be nice for her and should encourage her to rest. F10 antiseptic ointment would be useful to apply ASAP to try to seal off the wound from getting bacteria in or you could apply some type of disinfectant and then apply vaseline to form a barrier. Cooled boiled water with plenty of salt in or F10 solution (different to ointment) if the wound needs bathing. Keep cage as clean as possible and remove sand. Just thought I would summarise the essentials in one place, ignore if you were already familiar! Sending very best wishes for a good recovery.
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Post by sarahc on Apr 23, 2018 19:06:47 GMT
Hi and welcome. My degu pinky was given tramadol and metacam for pain after his operation if you have looked over previous posts you'll be able to see his wound was a lot bigger than yours and unfortunately passed away 2 weeks ago due to cancer spreading. Definatly get critical care foods it's really good for the healing plus it's really cute to watch them eating it from a syringe. Hope all is well keep us all updated on the progress
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Post by sarahc on Apr 24, 2018 12:42:27 GMT
How's Annie doing now?
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Rtho87
Foraging Degu
Posts: 53
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Post by Rtho87 on Apr 25, 2018 20:34:44 GMT
Hello Bexi87, moletteuk and sarahc! Thank you for the lovely welcomes and advice! sarahc, I read the thread about Pinky. I’m so sorry about your loss. He looked like a cute little thing. How are you and Brain holding up? Annie is behaving as normal. Eating well, staying a consistent weight, being active. Praying she stays that way. I’ve got her in a cage on her own next to Alex and Daisy, but of course she wants to be with them. The vet recommended keeping her separate 1 or 2 weeks in case they tamper with the wound. I’ve been closely supervising visits between the three of them and intervening when they give Annie's back too much interest. She’s been rolling on her side a lot, while the other degus gently nibble her chin or neck.
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Rtho87
Foraging Degu
Posts: 53
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Post by Rtho87 on Apr 27, 2018 11:17:39 GMT
Bad news. The tumour was sarcoma. The vet still seemed reasonably upbeat, though. I guess we've just got to wait and see if it spreads... :/
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Post by sarahc on Apr 27, 2018 12:09:12 GMT
Sounds like she's doing great how's her back doing now? As for the results just keep an eye out for any new bumps she sounds like a true fighter so it might not be the case it returns at all.
As for Brain he's doing great now he's in a cage with 2 girls seperated by chicken wire and allowed with them for supervised play time although while cleaning the cage other day he got to sweeps and done the deed so could end up with a pregnant goo on our hands. But he was so proud we couldn't even be mad 😂
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Post by deguconvert on Apr 27, 2018 20:02:00 GMT
OH! My heart sinks!! I'm so sorry . . . but I will hope and pray for the best of health and long life for her. May her body be blessed to fight well and overcome any and all potential returns!! Sending you hugs!!
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Post by ntg on Apr 29, 2018 18:35:37 GMT
I'm so sorry about the news from the biopsy! Hopefully it's managed to be caught in time and that it was all fully removed during the surgery!
How's Annie doing now? Is her back healing up okay?
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Post by moletteuk on Apr 30, 2018 16:43:29 GMT
Sorry it's not better new from the biopsy. Do let us know how she is doing.
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Rtho87
Foraging Degu
Posts: 53
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Post by Rtho87 on May 4, 2018 21:27:04 GMT
Hello! Thanks for the lovely messages! Whoops, sarahc! Hope everything goes smoothly if she is pregnant! Annie's still behaving as normal. Fingers crossed this lasts as long as possible! She went for her final post operation check-up the other day and the vet was pleased with how she was healing. I was able to move Annie back in with the others, which she's happy about. I got this picture of the two girls (Annie on the left):
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Post by deguconvert on May 5, 2018 3:51:19 GMT
Those are happy faces! LOVELY photo!!
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