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Post by hpdegus on Mar 29, 2022 0:32:19 GMT
Tom just had a stroke I think. He was running around fine, then just fell over on his side. Completely lost balance. Couldn't correct. He did get up on his feet again, but then couldn't get his feet under him. He's now up and moving a bit, but looks very tired. I don't know what to do.
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Post by hpdegus on Mar 29, 2022 0:38:07 GMT
He's moving around a bit more now. On the phone with the emergency vet, seeing if anyone is in who would be able to see him. It might be best to wait though, if they don't have any experience.
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Post by hpdegus on Mar 29, 2022 1:08:23 GMT
Ok, he's eaten rice puffs and is now exploring the play area.
I'm going to call my vet in the morning. I just don't know what they can do? He's small and I don't think it would be good to have him under sedation again.
I don't think its an infection, his tail looks just fine. His stitches haven't dissolved though.
I don't know.
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Post by teemu on Mar 29, 2022 1:17:20 GMT
Oh dear, that sounds really scary! But if he's doing fine now, I think the best you can really do is monitor him and keep an eye out for repeat incidents. Try to remain calm, as hard as it is.
Has the tail healed alright? Has he had other issues with balance during the recovery, or just health issues in general? It does not sound like an issue due to just the tail, though it could be related.
Did he appear panicked or listless during the episode?
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Post by hpdegus on Mar 29, 2022 1:22:47 GMT
Should I try to take him in? I'm worried the stress would be really harmful.
It seems fine to me. He's been gaining some weight back and hasn't had balance issues since the first day or so.
Panicked? He kept trying to get up, so his legs were moving, but it was like he couldn't figure it out. He then started crawling with his hind legs dragging. After he was hiding in a box. Once I offered him rice puffs he seems to have perked up dramatically. Climbed on the pillow I sit on when I'm with them and has been exploring since.
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Post by teemu on Mar 29, 2022 1:31:02 GMT
You should consult with the vet, but that does sound like something that should be looked at, especially if you notice any changes in his behavior or if this repeats.
He was likely quite spooked by the episode himself, it sounds like. Keep an eye out on him definitely. If it looks like he's unsteady at all, consider making sure he can't fall from somewhere in the cage or hurt himself.
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Post by hpdegus on Mar 29, 2022 1:33:53 GMT
I'll definitely call my vet in the morning when they open.
Honestly, other than moving around a bit slower, I'm not seeing any after effects. His brother just tried to hump him and so he raced around to avoid it!
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Post by winic1 on Mar 29, 2022 2:02:20 GMT
maybe it was some kind of seizure?
do you think the rice puffs may have helped stabilize his metabolism, or maybe just helped distract and calm him down?
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Post by hpdegus on Mar 29, 2022 2:10:44 GMT
Maybe? I guess I thought the loss of balance and weakness were stroke. But I guess I also would have expected to see side effects.
I'm not sure. Its one of his fav treats so I thought it would help perk him up. Maybe it is a metabolism thing? He has mature cataracts so he most likely had diabetes at one point. Think it could be related to that?
I also don't 100% know how old he is. They came to me Dec 2018, person before me had them for 6 months and guessed they were just 6 months before he got them.
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Post by hpdegus on Mar 29, 2022 2:24:20 GMT
He just run a bit on the wheel and ate some oats. I've restricted their access to just the first floor, just in case.
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Post by deguconvert on Mar 29, 2022 8:04:18 GMT
I'm also thinking that it sounds like a seizure. Definitely something to ask your vet about.
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Post by moletteuk on Mar 29, 2022 10:10:26 GMT
I think seizure too, as I think a stroke would leave a one sided after effect. It's good that he stayed conscious and good that he came round fairly quickly.
It's important that you monitor him as much as possible because, unfortunately, once they have a seizure they are at increased risk of having more seizures. You and the vet will need to know if it's an ongoing problem or just a one off to know how to proceed.
There are multiple possible causes and it can be difficult to figure out.
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Post by hpdegus on Mar 29, 2022 11:09:29 GMT
Ok, so Tom is now running in the wheel. If I'm seeing any effects at all, he may have the tiniest head tilt.
I'll ask the vet techs what they think. I just thought the hind leg weakness pointed to stroke, especially since I didn't see what I thought was seizing, but the after seems more like a seizure.
Thank you all for the comments when I was definitely panicking! I'll keep you updated on what happens--will definitely be keeping a close eye on him.
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Post by hpdegus on Mar 29, 2022 11:12:36 GMT
I'm trying to think through things that have changed in recent times that could be a trigger.
I switched the swiffer wipes I used from no scent to (unfortunately) lavender since my store only had the one type. I'll switch back. This has been for a while though.
I killed an ant pretty soon before the event, right where it started. I know this is a crazy reach.
The brand of apple sticks I gave them changed? But that was a while ago too and everyone else (fingers crossed) seems ok.
Or like Winic mentioned, it could be something metabolism/diabetes related.
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Post by savvy on Mar 29, 2022 13:30:54 GMT
I'm wondering if this could be ear related as his balance was affected.
Any news from the vet?
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Post by hpdegus on Mar 29, 2022 13:41:40 GMT
Called the vet, they said I could bring him in to do blood work, but he'd need to be sedated. Since he just had an x-ray and was on antibiotics, thats the main thing they'd be able to do. She said that it should hopefully be fine to observe for a bit longer to see if it happens again.
That was my first thought, but it looked nothing like when Pickett has had ear problems. It seemed to be very much an event, with a quick recovery. Though I guess there could be an inner ear problem with dizzy attacks? If it happens again ill try to film it.
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Post by moletteuk on Mar 29, 2022 14:19:27 GMT
It could be anything at this stage. Was the vet able to rule out a stroke from your description? Cause could be anything too, and is even more difficult to speculate if we aren't sure it was a seizure, I don't think you need to be too concerned about the brand of apple sticks or wipes if you have used both for while.
I think waiting and observing is a decent option especially if the next vet thing is sedation for blood tests. I suppose a vet could look in his ear and perhaps feel along his spine in case he might have had a fall and injured himself?
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Post by bouncy on Mar 29, 2022 17:52:01 GMT
Yes, a vet trip should be made, but don't panic or rush. I agree it's more likely a petit mal seizure. There is almost always a degree of one sided weakness, rather than just a single limb. Seizures can be caused by any number of things, such as excessive heat, electrolyte imbalance, erratic brain activity.....the way he perked up again with the rice puffs suggests the middle cause, but only a vet can say, if at all. Keep an eye on him. If they happen again, note the time, how he was behaving just before, the duration, and how he behaves afterwards. This will help the vet.
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Post by deguconvert on Mar 29, 2022 22:49:45 GMT
We had a dog, years ago, that had epileptic seizures and his legs would move like he was running. As the seizure would begin to wane, he would try to get up, but he would be seriously disoriented and kind of muddled. After the first 2-3 seizures, I had learned that if I held him and kept him quiet for about 10 - 15 minutes following, he would stand on his feet again and the rest of his recovery would move along more quickly than it did without that quietness. I don't know how a degu would respond to a human trying to comfort him . . . but what you describe strongly reminds me of that dog.
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Post by hpdegus on Mar 30, 2022 0:01:14 GMT
@molette I only talked to the vet tech (surgery tech who hoped with Tom's amputation actually) and we didn't really focus on whether it was a seizure or stroke. I honestly didn't even think to ask since I don't think she would have been comfortable without seeing him. I'll definitely be taking him in 2 weeks, sooner if something changes. bouncy yeah, the more everyone has posted, I'm definitely agreeing it seems more like a seizure of some sort. Fingers crossed it was only a one time event brought on by some imbalance. And yep, they asked me to film it if it happens again! I have a decent idea of how long it lasted, but I'm sure video would be more helpful. @dc that does sound really similar! He very much did not want to be on my lap (thought heat would be better for him) but he did spend some time resting in a cardboard box.
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