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Post by hpdegus on Jun 3, 2021 11:22:58 GMT
I was really surprised about that, they don't look particularly appetizing to me, haha!
The only issue with that is that he is picky, so he likes to paw at them to find his next bite. I'm not sure if I'm oversoaking, but that means that most of them fall apart in the process. Not an issue if he wastes food, but it is a problem if it means he's eating less. Any suggestions?
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Post by moletteuk on Jun 3, 2021 16:13:48 GMT
You could experiment with different amounts of water,and/or just don't offer very many at one time.
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Post by hpdegus on Jun 4, 2021 1:43:16 GMT
Back at 187g tonight. At least it isn't a huge loss! And he did seem less snotty today, which is great.
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Post by teemu on Jun 4, 2021 9:42:26 GMT
It might not be a loss at all! A small variance in weight is normal in any case. Human weight can vary by as much as a couple of KGs depending, to put it simply, on how much stuff is inside us at any given moment. So it's perfectly possible that he'd just done his business before being weighted and was a bit lighter. As long as he's got more of an appetite than before, it's all progress
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Post by hpdegus on Jun 6, 2021 0:57:32 GMT
I didn't get to weigh Ollie or observe him yesterday or most of today since I was out of town, so not sure exactly how he did.
But good news was that his nose was hardly snotty at all (and barely had to clean his paws) 30 hours after his last dose of benadryl.
Bad news is that he was 185g when I weighed him just now. I know it's not a bug loss, just discouraging since the trend is going the wrong way. But he is eating, he seems to really like the softened/wet pellets.
It's also been absurdly hot here today, 92F/33.3C. I've got the AC on, but its still hotter than normal in my house. I know o tend to eat less when I'm hot, maybe he's the same way?
Sorry I've been posting about this so frequently, I'm just really worried for him and very stressed in general. Thank you all for being so helpful!
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Post by moletteuk on Jun 6, 2021 11:11:48 GMT
Please post as much as you want or need, it's never a problem. These longer term degu health issues can take a real toll on us. (I have my parents staying, so I'm struggling to get in the forum this week).
Heat can certainly reduce the appetite of degus, even quite significantly.
Give it a few days to see how things work out with the benadryl and softened pellets and heat, you have three variables going on, two of which ought to work out positive, a couple of grammes is nothing.
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Post by teemu on Jun 6, 2021 18:15:38 GMT
Yeah, it's totally normal to feel worried for one of your animals. And it's totally normal to want to talk about it. And that's what the forums are for, after all I do think that things still sound very good. He's obviously feeling better and isn't suffering from the symptoms nearly as much any more. That's all a great improvement!
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Post by hpdegus on Jun 7, 2021 1:11:49 GMT
Thanks Molette and Teemu! These long term health issues really are rough.
He was at 183g just now, but nose was almost completely clean, as were his paws. I think I'm going to cut the benadryl, I've had him on a single dose a day for the past two days. I worry it's causing issues since he is still losing weight steadily.
Its still unbearably hot here. But the pollen count is way down, so I think that much be helping.
I worry that I should be taking him to the vet. He was there less than a month ago and the vet said his teeth looked fine.
I wonder if this is actually partially dehydration? I've seen him drink, but he contorts into these weird positions. And he eats the normal pellets just fine from what I can tell. Not sure if this is true, but maybe he likes the softened pellets because of the water?
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Post by hpdegus on Jun 7, 2021 1:22:51 GMT
I did catch him jogging in short spurts on the wheel just a bit ago. And he's eating the softened pellets now.
Forgot to mention, but his eyes aren't weepy, though they do seem to be half closed. He doesn't seem to fully open his eyes much.
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Post by moletteuk on Jun 7, 2021 16:27:22 GMT
I think there's really quite a lot to take into account with Ollie's health. Do remind me if it sounds like I've forgotton something at any point.
Regarding the Benadryl, have you seen any changes in his poos? That's the only other cross reference I can think of for checking if it is affecting his eating.
Have you tried the water bottle at a different height? If he is doing the reverse head from underneath and behind drinking thing, then try lifting the bottle up a fair amount. Have you tried doing the thing where you pull the skin and see how fast it springs back to check for dehydration? It is unusual for a degu to like dampened pellets. Not unusual for a degu to be weird though, as we know.
Your vet has been fairly good with dental treatments and trustworthiness, hasn't she? I think you have to go with your gut whether you trust them and whether you are seeing any other signs there could be a dental issue.
When you weigh Ollie, are you weighing other goos for comparison? If there was a general pattern of losing a few grams due to the heat, this could relieve you of a little of the worry.
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Post by hpdegus on Jun 7, 2021 22:08:04 GMT
I think you've got everything Molette! It definitely is a lot at once, which doesn't make it easier to figure out treatment.
I'll check his poops tonight during playtime. That's a very good idea though.
I moved the water bottle higher and added a second water bottle at the normal height to give him options. He seemed a bit confused by the increase in height, but he figured it out. And yes, before he was doing the weird bent over and head turned completely side wise drinking routine.
I tried pulling the back of his neck an hour ago and it seemed to snap back decently? I'll check with another goo today, just need to figure out who will let me try it! Haha, and yes, weird goo is standard!
He seems to have been good about this. I'll see if this continues though and may have to go in again soonish.
Good point, I'll weigh the whole group tonight and see what happens.
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Post by hpdegus on Jun 7, 2021 23:27:08 GMT
I've got the rescues out for playtime (an hour earlier than normal though). Just weighed everyone. Tom has maintained his weight, Q lost some (262 to 252g) and Ollie is now at 178g. This is the absolute lowest I've ever recorded him at.
He is happily exploring the play area, no changes in behavior that I can see. I've purchased squash baby food (organic, nothing but squash and water) to mix with the critical care to see if he'll eat that.
Edit: no go on squash baby food number 1, but when I opened the second winter squash he dug in!
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Post by moletteuk on Jun 8, 2021 12:06:51 GMT
The weight loss is getting more difficult to explain away now, but still really difficult to know what to do about it, other than the concerted effort to get him to eat a bit more, which you are already doing. Have you tried nuts or adding nut butter to the wet food just to add some dense calories?
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Post by hpdegus on Jun 8, 2021 12:22:34 GMT
Yeah, thats what I'm worried about.
I haven't but I'll go to the store and buy some peanut butter (just ground peanuts). Unfortunately he won't eat anything with critical care in it. It seems to make him sneeze.
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Post by teemu on Jun 8, 2021 14:13:11 GMT
Ground seed dust you sprinkle on the pellets might be good too. Just get some shelless seeds and crush them down to small particles. They'd stick to the wet pellets well. Seeds have a lot of fat and calories in them, and most degus like the taste. Although if the peanut butter works, that will certainly give him a lot of calories and fat as well.
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Post by hpdegus on Jun 8, 2021 17:10:41 GMT
Ok just tried a new mix: winter squash baby food, peanut butter, and ground things on top (sunflower seeds, very few hazelnuts, and a crock). He ate a bit. And ran on the wheel, so who knows.
Maybe it's pain? I don't know. But if it was benadryl causing the issues I would think they'd be going away soon? I'm not sure. I should probably try to bring him in.
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Post by moletteuk on Jun 8, 2021 17:22:14 GMT
You haven't mentioned anything that made me think of pain.
Is the weather set to cool down at all soon?
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Post by hpdegus on Jun 8, 2021 17:24:44 GMT
Honestly just throwing out thoughts at this point. The squinting, he's ruffled too. But all of that could be allergies/heat.
He's been grinding his teeth quite a bit, but that could be due to the more liquid or sticky food. He likes to grind his teeth after he drinks water for some reason. He's also been doing quite a few full body shakes (like when I dog is shaking off water).
Yes, thank goodness. Its 84F right now, so 10F lower than yesterday. The rest of the week is supposed to cool off by another 10 or so degrees.
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Post by hpdegus on Jun 8, 2021 21:16:10 GMT
Going through the possibilities of what might be the issue. Things that come to mind are teeth, allergies, or URI. Would a respiratory infection cause these symptoms? I can try listening to his breathing later.
I'm going to call the vet tomorrow and see if I can get an appointment.
Edit: just called the vet and I have an appointment for next Tuesday. They said if he gets worse though, just call and they can work on squeezing me in earlier.
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Post by teemu on Jun 8, 2021 21:37:00 GMT
Ultimately, almost anything can cause loss of appetite due to discomfort. If an animal is feeling poorly, they often don't want to eat. Seems like a good idea to have a vet take a look at him in any case.
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