chy
Newborn Degu
Posts: 20
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Post by chy on Feb 3, 2024 12:24:37 GMT
Hello, I was at the vet yesterday and had Uno's teeth filed down. This isn't the first time we did it, and usually she recovers pretty quickly. But this time it's different... When I got home and put her back into the cage, she looked pretty normal. Exhausted, of course, but nothing out of the ordinary. I put a warm water bottle into the cage for her to relax on. A few hours later, I noticed that her breathing got quite rapid. I could clearly see her body moving with every breath she took. She also wouldn't eat anything. I tried giving her treats, but she burried them instead of eating. I tried searching online to see if this could be a post-op thing or anything related to the medicine, but I didn't find anything. I decided to see how she was doing the next day. I thought that maybe she was just stressed from the vet. I did end up force-feeding her some Critical Care that night out of worry. This morning, she did look better at first glance. She was up and at it, with open and clear eyes, and her breathing looked much better than the day before. But an hour later, after refilling her warm water bottle, I noticed her mouth breathing from time to time. I fed her Critical Care again and gave her the painkillers prescribed by the vet ( animeloxan, 0.15 ml once a day). I wasted no time and got her sab simplex as well, to fight any bloating that might occur from mouth breathing. I'm very worried, and I also don't know why exactly this is happening. Could this be due to swelling in her nasal cavity from having dental work done? She did have two molars removed from the roof of her mouth. The procedure was roughly 24 hours ago. Will this get better as she recovers? Or should I take her to a vet immediately once they reopen on Monday? Yesterday, the veterinarian also told me that her lungs and heart sound perfectly fine and that there's no issue there. I will keep checking her for any bloating and give her sab simplex for relief. Is there anything else I can do for her? I do have saline here; maybe inhalation could help? Any help is greatly appreciated!
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chy
Newborn Degu
Posts: 20
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Post by chy on Feb 3, 2024 13:18:57 GMT
Small update! She's currently eating by herself! Very slowly, but she's eating! I really hope her appetite is returning. Her breathing still looks pretty rough, but she is not gasping for air for now. To my surprise, she even left the cage to roam free with her sister! I'm very relieved for now. Let's hope it will only get better from here. I will keep you updated!
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Post by savvy on Feb 3, 2024 15:55:26 GMT
Welcome to the forum.
I'm glad to hear she's recovering. I think it can take them longer to recover as they get older.
Please keep us posted as to how all of your degus as doing, they look super cute in your avatar.
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Post by winic1 on Feb 3, 2024 16:27:52 GMT
just a thought--both times you say she started the breathing difficulties after you put the warm water bottle in. Could it be she's getting overheated on the warmth? If it's too warm, she may still be staying on it because she feels poorly and it's comforting, but it's overheating her?
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chy
Newborn Degu
Posts: 20
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Post by chy on Feb 3, 2024 18:35:29 GMT
I was thinking the same thing at first, actually! I took her out yesterday to see if she was overheating, but it didn't look like it. I've noticed that her breathing looks worse when she's lying down and resting. Whenever she's up and running around, it doesn't look like she's struggling to breathe at all. I will keep a close eye on her, especially when she has access to the warm water bottle. Thank you for your thoughts!
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Post by bouncy on Feb 4, 2024 1:51:38 GMT
If she's had teeth removed, I should think there's a fair bit of swelling to get over. It sounds like she's on the mend, though.
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chy
Newborn Degu
Posts: 20
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Post by chy on Feb 4, 2024 8:47:17 GMT
She made it through the night! I was honestly very worried because I could hear her gasping for air when she went to sleep. It was very hard to ignore and go to sleep myself. However, the noise did disappear after some time, and she doesn't look much bloated after waking up this morning. It also felt like she gained quite some weight! She wasn't really underweight to begin with, but it's still a relief to know that she has some food in her tummy. Her nose still sounds very stuffy, unfortunately. But she's currently free roaming my room instead of lying on the warm water bottle I just gave them. I would assume it means that she isn't feeling too miserable I also emailed her "dentist" to see what he would recommend, but I doubt I will get an answer before Monday.
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chy
Newborn Degu
Posts: 20
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Post by chy on Feb 4, 2024 10:39:57 GMT
I was planning on taking her to a vet on Monday to get her checked, but both vets I usually go to are closed the following week. Argh, why does this always have to happen when one of my goos isn't feeling well? I hope the clogged nose is really just caused by temporary swelling due to the two molars getting removed. I really hope her nose will unclog soon- I'm really worried.
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Post by moletteuk on Feb 4, 2024 11:31:31 GMT
I would think it is the swelling affecting her nasal passages. Keep on top of the painkiller and perhaps consider splitting the dose and giving every 12 hrs if she struggles more when the effect is wearing off. The Sab Simplex should help with the bloating. Did you weigh her when you thought she put on weight, as that could just be bloating?
I wonder if the weight of her head squashed onto a surface when she sleeps is reducing the airway a little compared to when she is active. I can only think of that or the animeloxan wearing off at night making her worse at rest.
You could keep offering some Critical Care depending on how much she is eating for herself.
Difficult to say what to do about the vets being away, I don't suppose you can get them on the phone? It's hard for a different vet to comment or offer advice after another vet's work, I don't imagine that being all that fruitful unless you get into a real emergency or they could think of another medication to give or a different dose. I would see if she improves by Monday.
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chy
Newborn Degu
Posts: 20
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Post by chy on Feb 5, 2024 10:12:04 GMT
I would think it is the swelling affecting her nasal passages. Keep on top of the painkiller and perhaps consider splitting the dose and giving every 12 hrs if she struggles more when the effect is wearing off. The Sab Simplex should help with the bloating. Did you weigh her when you thought she put on weight, as that could just be bloating? I wonder if the weight of her head squashed onto a surface when she sleeps is reducing the airway a little compared to when she is active. I can only think of that or the animeloxan wearing off at night making her worse at rest. You could keep offering some Critical Care depending on how much she is eating for herself. Difficult to say what to do about the vets being away, I don't suppose you can get them on the phone? It's hard for a different vet to comment or offer advice after another vet's work, I don't imagine that being all that fruitful unless you get into a real emergency or they could think of another medication to give or a different dose. I would see if she improves by Monday. I just called the veterinary practice, and they told me that the vet who worked with Uno isn't available this week. It seems like everyone is on leave right now. I could only talk to the receptionist, and she said that I should "maybe" take her to a different vet to make sure things are okay. So I guess that means she doesn't have a clue... I've been splitting the dose now, but it doesn't seem to affect her breathing. However, she looks pretty active and spends a lot of time outside of the cage. I'm still feeding her critical care to make sure she gets enough nutrients and liquid. Other than that, she's only really eating her favorite treats for now. She currently weighs 240g! I'm not sure if I should try taking her to a different vet now. It's quite a long drive, and I don't want to stress her out. But waiting a whole week for the other vet to return? Whew, that's quite a long time... I read that swelling from tooth removal in humans usually gets its worst in the first 48 hours and then lasts 5-7 days before it gets better. I am not sure if the same thing would apply to degus. I'm not really sure how to continue now. She looks fit and is running around like usual, and her weight is great. The breathing is only really bothersome when she's lying down and relaxing/ sleeping. The surgery was roughly 72 hours ago. Should I give her more time to recover or try my luck at a new vet? What do you think?
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Post by moletteuk on Feb 5, 2024 16:19:45 GMT
The best way I can think to advise you about whether to consult another vet is to ask: Are you still in fear for her life at night? How bloated is she getting, is her abdomen getting very full and hard?
Are you seeing some improvement?
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chy
Newborn Degu
Posts: 20
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Post by chy on Feb 5, 2024 23:37:26 GMT
The best way I can think to advise you about whether to consult another vet is to ask: Are you still in fear for her life at night? How bloated is she getting, is her abdomen getting very full and hard? Are you seeing some improvement? I feel like I'm seeing a slight improvement. Today, when she was lying on the warm water bottle and relaxing, I didn't hear her mouth breathing as frequently as before. Instead, I could see her nostrils flaring. I would assume this means that her nose is still not free, but perhaps better than before? Today she started eating fresh and dried greens and also ate a good chunk of a farmy's grainless stick. In fact, she is happily chomping on one at this very moment. Her appetite has definitely improved, and she's eating a lot by herself! For some unknown reason, she's also really into chewing the wall and cardboard right now. I really have to pay attention so she won't actually eat some... She doesn't feel bloated at all today. I check her tummy each time I let her out, and it has only felt soft today. I still give her sab simplex mixed with critical care, and it's working very well for her I'm only really worried about her getting sick from mouth breathing. I heard something about bacteria getting directly transported to the lungs when they are mouth breathing. But don't quote me on that, I'm not sure if that's accurate. Depending on how she's doing tomorrow, I'll give the other vet a call and see if I can come in the same day. She's still doing absolutely fine, besides the breathing. I noticed her sneezing sometimes, and I'm not sure how to interpret it. My first panicked thought was that she's getting sick. But could it also mean that her nose is starting to clear up or that she's generally breathing through her nose more often, even though it isn't completely free yet? She did have a sneezing issue two weeks before her dentist appointment. During the two weeks before the appointment, I went to my usual vet to make sure she wasn't ill, which she in fact wasn't. I went there twice, and both times I was told that her lungs and heart sounded great. Her dentist said the same thing after her appointment. I'm very torn I would say that over all, she is improving, but the sneezes make me anxious. If only her regular vet was open... I would go there in a heartbeat just to make sure she's doing okay. I'll just see how she's doing tomorrow and give the other vet a call in case she looks worse.
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chy
Newborn Degu
Posts: 20
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Post by chy on Feb 6, 2024 14:34:16 GMT
She doesn't look worse, but I did end up making a vet appointment for tomorrow morning anyway. I really need to get a second opinion on her because I'm waaay too anxious. I'll let you know what he says!
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Post by moletteuk on Feb 6, 2024 19:41:17 GMT
Sometimes the worry is the deciding factor! I never regretted going when I wasn't sure.
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chy
Newborn Degu
Posts: 20
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Post by chy on Feb 7, 2024 10:34:27 GMT
Back from the vet! Honestly, the vet seemed kind of clueless... Her lungs are still fine, apparently, which is relieving. He gave me Meloxoral (a painkiller, I think) and Baytril (an antibiotic). Let's see if her breathing improves! Besides the breathing, she's still doing great I heard antibiotics can be quite harsh on degu guts; is there anything I can do to support her digestion and such? I'm pretty sure she will do fine, but I'm just wondering.
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Post by savvy on Feb 7, 2024 11:25:22 GMT
The only issues I've had with baytril are stickier poos, drinking more which is usual with antibiotics as they are trying to flush out any infection, also baytril does tend to taste awful so you may struggle getting it into her. A tasty treat as a reward afterwards may help.
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chy
Newborn Degu
Posts: 20
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Post by chy on Feb 7, 2024 14:31:25 GMT
The only issues I've had with baytril are stickier poos, drinking more which is usual with antibiotics as they are trying to flush out any infection, also baytril does tend to taste awful so you may struggle getting it into her. A tasty treat as a reward afterwards may help. I usually mix her medicine with critical care powder so it doesn't taste as awful and syringe feed it to her; it works really well for us this way! She always gets a little treat afterwards c:
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Post by moletteuk on Feb 7, 2024 17:27:40 GMT
Be careful with the painkiller, it's probably the same as she is already on, just with a different brand name!
You can give something with pre and probiotics after she has finished the course of antibiotics. I can't remember if CC has probiotics, Supreme Recovery Plus does I think, there's a Vetark product that is a probiotic and various other supplementary things, best to check what you can get in Germany.
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chy
Newborn Degu
Posts: 20
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Post by chy on Feb 7, 2024 20:46:48 GMT
Be careful with the painkiller, it's probably the same as she is already on, just with a different brand name! You can give something with pre and probiotics after she has finished the course of antibiotics. I can't remember if CC has probiotics, Supreme Recovery Plus does I think, there's a Vetark product that is a probiotic and various other supplementary things, best to check what you can get in Germany. I'll look into that, thank you! And no worries about the painkiller! The animeloxan I was given on Friday has been empty since today, so they pretty much just gave me a refill I probably should have mentioned it!
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Post by bouncy on Feb 8, 2024 0:17:24 GMT
Ah, don't you just hate end of semester holidays! If she has access to some of her cage mate's poo, that will help restore gut bacteria. I think in the past, we have also recommended some Moor Liquid. Alternatively, perhaps this? www.fressnapf.de/p/bunny-re-aktiv-10ml-1017795/
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