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Post by savvy on May 7, 2021 8:53:13 GMT
They don't have to drink the whole bottle, it's just the ratio of drops to water to dilute it enough for them.
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Post by moletteuk on May 7, 2021 10:06:54 GMT
The drops aren't all necessarily the same concentration, so if you would like to put it in the water get the Boots one, if you would prefer to drop it onto an item of food, get the holland and barrett.
It's not unusual for degus to have ongoing medical issues that can cause a lot of concern or look nasty but actually be OK. Only you can judge on their quality of life. Keep an eye on Scar Face's front teeth and make sure he can get food past them and that they aren't cutting into his lip. Some fresh sticks might encourage chewing.
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Post by zo on May 7, 2021 15:59:43 GMT
Will do he still eats critical care every day I don’t think he is eating much else he has a try on his nuggets but that takes him ages to eat them and he gets fed the critical care twice a day I’ve ordered lots of new things for them to chew hopefully that will encourage him I am going to get shadow a cone of shame for her scratching she still none stops does it all the time it’s horrible to see she even makes it bleed and now her eye looks really sore and damaged from the constant scratching one side of her face is fine and then you look at the other side and it’s shocking hopefully the cone will stop her scratching it but I think they might just chew it and pull it off could it be the scab on it what’s itching her
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Post by moletteuk on May 7, 2021 18:38:35 GMT
That sounds tough to see. Do bear in mind that now you have a better vet they usually don't mind if you need to phone them for advice or to ask what to do next, especially if you tell them you live a distance away. It might be worth asking if they have any suggestions to keep Shadow more comfortable.
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Post by zo on May 7, 2021 23:01:33 GMT
I feel so sad and upset the lumps are growing rapidly now all in her ear and the back of her ear and keeps bleeding she has a slight head tilt too they are probably all in the back of her mouth too yeah I need to ring the vet to ask what came back from the scrape they took a sample of and what her mouth was like with it I know it’s cancer deep down but you always hope it’s not and it might be something else I know in my heart now that it’s probably not going to be long until I have to make that horrible decision it’s so sad she is the mummy goo her two babies have been with her always well they are not babies now they are 5 still her baby daughters though I think getting a cone might just stress her out more I can’t believe I have too poorly goos at the moment to try and be there for the poor little things it’s odd because shadow is mummy goo and scar face is daddy goo I think it’s because they did the deed before so now they have problems later on in life it’s so sad 😞
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Post by moletteuk on May 8, 2021 9:07:56 GMT
See if you can get the vet on the phone today, see if they have the results, update them and get some advice. Check she is on the max dose of painkiller while you are on.
I can reassure you their health problems won't be anything to do with them being parents.
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Post by zo on May 17, 2021 16:50:25 GMT
Hi all so update on both shadow and scar face had to take them both vets today again because scar face his top teeth was way to long and looked like it was cutting into his bottom lip so took him again to have them filled done he also has a massive lump abscess on his bottom jaw I asked the vet if she could drain it but didn’t because she said it would have gone everywhere and made a mess tut so left it and said it should go down with antibiotics but it won’t as he has been on them for weeks now they put his penis back in but I think it will probably just come back out and gave him an injection of pain relief and antibiotics for today I still think his teeth look long the vets are useless bad news for shadow they want to remove her eye now they said because it’s badly damaged and if I don’t remove the eye it could get infected or put her to sleep I said I want to try her with antibiotics pain relief and eye drops first to see if it will help before remove her eye so have to see in 7 days fingers crossed it won’t come to that also they said that they are not sure now if it’s cancer or a cyst they won’t know unless do a biopsy but either way they can’t remove it as it’s in her ear I also got them to file her bottom front teeth down as they was to long it just cost me another £240 why didn’t they file the front teeth down two weeks before when they did the back
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Post by deguconvert on May 17, 2021 17:13:12 GMT
I'm so sorry, Zo! This is deeply distressing, and I am sure you are very heart broken for each of them!
I'm going to mention the Canaural drops again, because it is an anti inflammatory. There must be inflammation in the penis area that is contributing to the prolapse. It isn't a guarantee that it will do the trick, but it could help. I think it is worth trying. When you go back . . . please ask for it.
As for the eye . . . I don't remember hearing that she was also having eye issues. Is it related to the lumps that are growing? If her eye is badly damaged, and the lumps are in her mouth . . . it sounds very aggressive. I hate to say it, but I am not sure antibiotics will be able to help.
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Post by zo on May 17, 2021 17:54:20 GMT
Thanks dc it is heartbreaking going through all of this with them and it’s draining me so badly I’m so tired from it all I will try and get Canaural if it decides to make an appearance again you have to get it from the vets don’t you? It’s horrible to see shadows eye like that well all of that side of her face is bad she scratched her eye and damaged it from that I think they told me the lumps wasn’t in her mouth now I really don’t understand it all it’s so confusing really no I don’t think the antibiotics will work for her eye but the drops might I’m hoping I really am i watched a YouTube video about a guinea pigs eye it was bad like this and they managed to save it without removing it so I’m hoping for the best with it I really don’t know what more I can do for them I also trimmed shadows nails they was really sharp and I filled them a bit haha so hopefully that will stop her injuring herself by scratching I’ve also bought a cone of shame from the internet so fingers crossed for all of this trying with her I have spent everything on them to try and make them better and comfortable I feel a bit skint and deflated now like I’m not getting anywhere and if I’m doing the right thing it’s so hard and so expensive it’s a tough battle to get through
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Post by deguconvert on May 17, 2021 23:07:05 GMT
You have been a real trouper through it all. I know you are doing everything you can to help them fight their way back to better health. I pray they will!
I do wish I could reach through and give you a long hug, and then we could go and look at your goos, especially Shadow and Scar face, and love on them together.
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Post by zo on May 18, 2021 8:48:52 GMT
Thank you for your kind words dc
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Post by moletteuk on May 18, 2021 9:53:58 GMT
Is this the better vet that didn't drain the abscess?? I'm appalled that they didn't drain it. I'm sorry you keep getting charged so much and keep getting substandard care. So frustrating when you are doing your absolute best and those around you aren't.
I'm going to be honest with you and you are absolutely free to disregard this opinion, but if it's likely that Shadow has a substantial spreading tumour in her head, then I'm not sure it's worth the trauma to her to remove the eye if it is only going to buy her a few weeks extra, since it won't remove the cause of the problem. If you think it might gain her more than that then absolutely consider it, but I think there is a quality of life issue if she is scratching due to pain or discomfort.
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Post by zo on May 18, 2021 11:03:29 GMT
Supposed to be the better vet yes I was shocked too that they didn’t drain it I clearly told them it needs doing do it why he is under so he won’t notice it as much but when I went to collect him she didn’t do it just like they didn’t clip there front teeth when they went for a dental two weeks ago yes you are right with shadow there is no point in removing the eye if she has cancer and it’s spread in her ear and eye if that’s the case I know she will have to be pts as I don’t want it to prolong her having to suffer but if it’s not cancer and hasn’t spread then removing her eye might be ok is there anyway of knowing only a biopsy would a X-ray be able to tell if it’s spread everywhere I appreciate your opinion I need honest opinions to help me make the right decision for her can I ask what all of you would do if it was your decision is it time for me to say goodbye to her 🥺😭😔
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Post by bouncy on May 18, 2021 11:52:51 GMT
I've had one I had to say goodbye to, and one I'm waiting for. Both have/had on pain meds.
It's heartbreaking. With Scaredy, he'd not been good for a while, but he was pottering around quite happily, enjoyed the special attention and feed. I knew he'd had enough when he just refused to interact with anything or anyone, just sat there. That was a hidden tumour.
Spidey has an inoperable tumour now. He's slowed down anyway because he's getting on a bit and has arthritis, but his personality is still him. I know that time isn't far off when he will have just had enough, but I'll know it's right.
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Post by zo on May 18, 2021 16:19:05 GMT
Sorry to hear that bouncy it’s hard to see them like it isn’t it knowing it’s there my problem is that she still seems happy in herself apart from scratching and now her eye i don’t understand the scratching from a tumour she is happy playing on the wheel still and with the others so don’t think she wants to rest just yet that’s why it’s hard for me to make that decision she isn’t scratching as much to what she has been and is still in antibiotics and painkillers its her eye now too does any of yours scratch themselves from the tumours and did you have biopsy’s to see if they were cancer
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Post by bouncy on May 18, 2021 18:10:51 GMT
If you think she's still happy, let her be. It's all about quality of life.
Spidey had an external lump at the end of December. He scratched around the lump, rather than the actual lump itself, so it left him with a rather bald arm and chest. The biopsy was inconclusive, but it was removed anyway. The lump itself was analysed and found to be malignant and aggressive. When it returned a month or so later, it was internal. John had a good poke around and xrayed, but it had metastasised and attached to things like his chest. Because there was no possibility of removing it all, we decided to leave him be. Although he'd bounced back the day following his initial surgery, there would have been no gain from further procedures. Since the external lump was removed, his fur has grown back and there's no other reaction. It's sometimes hard to tell what's his reaction to the tumours vs old age and arthritis, but I'll let him carry on until he's not himself and it's clear his pain meds aren't working any more.
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Post by savvy on May 18, 2021 22:06:46 GMT
I had to make this decision at the beginning of the month.
Dixie had been ill for almost a year and had been on steroids for that long, the dose being adjusted when necessary. I knew when he'd had enough, he told me in no uncertain terms. His meds were no longer working for him and there was nothing more that could be done. It was heart breaking. But I had a year longer with him than I thought I would when he was first taken ill.
Enjoy each day you have with them, any extra days are a blessing. It's not a decision any of us like to take, but it is sometimes necessary and it's the responsible thing to do when the time is right.
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Post by zo on May 28, 2021 14:02:37 GMT
Well not really much improvement on shadows eye she has like a scab over it and it bleeds it looks sore still well it’s changing colour a bit and the drops make it better for her so it’s not dry I think the scab is starting to go it’s hard to tell I have been putting the drops in twice a day one drops are to moisture it the other one is from the vets an antibiotic one I’ve ran out of the vet one now I’m thinking do I get some more and carry on the treatment as I wanted to until it got to two weeks treatment which that will be on Monday or shall I take her back to a different vet for another opinion if they say to remove her eye I might have too 😔I’m thinking if she has a tumour she isn’t showing any signs of slowing down from it and this has been going on for months now nearly a year it makes me think if she had a tumour she would have had enough by now and been slowing down but she still seems herself scar face is still underweight he does not eat the critical care now he wants to just eat his nuggets although I don’t think he eats that much of them that’s why he is very underweight I bought some baby food for him he loves that but I don’t know if he can have it it’s the Heinz by nature one mixed veg no salt or sugar natural ingredients but it says it has potato french beans spinach carrot and courgette in it is that ok? Also his prolapse is still there I’m going to ask the vet for the carnaurl drops for it to see if that helps 🙄
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Post by deguconvert on May 28, 2021 19:32:48 GMT
You can also grind up some seeds and nuts to add to the baby food to increase the nutritional value of it.
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Post by teemu on May 28, 2021 20:41:07 GMT
Yeah, I would definitely recommend adding something like ground seeds to the baby food, like Deguconvert says. It's very low calorie by itself. The seeds will add a lot of fat and energy into it and help him gain weight. The potato and carrots in it isn't optimal as degu food, but since it's that or starving, then the choice is easy. It'll do more good for him than harm right now, in any case. But it definitely sounds like Shadow is not doing too badly, despite everything. If she's all active, then even if there is something like a tumor, obviously it isn't an issue right now. Focus on getting her eye fixed and keeping her comfortable. You're doing very well
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