Degu not doing good after surgery. Won't open eyes.

[zayjackal]

My degu had his tail amputated on Friday, but today he's not doing well. He won't leave his bed unless i nudge him (he's a rescue and hates being handled), he wont open his eyes, and I have no clue whether he's even eating or not. I tried to give him his favourite treat but he took a few nibbles and then just dropped it i cant give him the medicine the vet prescribed if he's not eating as it needs to be taken with food.

I'm so worried about him. I really don't want to take him back to the vet as it stresses him so bad, and honestly i doubt there's much they could do anyway except maybe perscribe more meds that are near impossible to give him since he won't stand being handled at all.

it's worth noting that he's very old 7 years at the very least. he's also a lone degu as he outlived all his friends.

is he dying? is there anything I can do? i love him so much but i don't want him to be in pain.

[darthchinchi]

Is he on any kind of pain meds? Sounds like he's in pain

[zayjackal]

Feb 11, 2024 14:00:40 GMT darthchinchi said:

Is he on any kind of pain meds? Sounds like he's in pain

he's on metacam (0.3 ml a day) but he can only take it with food and I'm not sure if he's eating. I've had to just put it in his water as trying to syringe feed it is impossible with how much he hates being handled

[darthchinchi]

You really shouldn't put it in his water as you can't be sure how much he gets.
I know it stresse both him and you, but you have to handle him and give him his meds. The risk is that he won't eat, because he's in pain, and by not giving him his pain meds, the negative spiral continues.

Oh, and try looking into critical care. You don't need to force feed it to him, but sometimes it's like critical care is preferred by poorly animals. My chinchillas love to get some lukewarm cc when I've had sick animals who didn't really want to eat.

[zayjackal]

Feb 11, 2024 14:30:13 GMT darthchinchi said:

You really shouldn't put it in his water as you can't be sure how much he gets.
I know it stresse both him and you, but you have to handle him and give him his meds. The risk is that he won't eat, because he's in pain, and by not giving him his pain meds, the negative spiral continues.

Oh, and try looking into critical care. You don't need to force feed it to him, but sometimes it's like critical care is preferred by poorly animals. My chinchillas love to get some lukewarm cc when I've had sick animals who didn't really want to eat.

thank you I'll look into critical care, is there anything I could try and make at home in the meantime? i don't know how long itd take for cc to arrive since we'll have to order online.

as for the water, i only mix it in with a tiny bit of water and then monitor him to make sure he's drank it all. my vet recommended i do it if i couldn't get him to take the syringe as he is remarkably good at making it as difficult as possible to even get it in his mouth lol, i dont think he was handled at all in any of his previous homes. I'll try and syringe it again tomorrow though

[darthchinchi]

With chinchillas it's possible to mash up their normal feed an mix in some how water, and then let it cool off until it has a nice temperature. I don't know if degus will buy into this

[zayjackal]

Feb 11, 2024 15:33:56 GMT darthchinchi said:

With chinchillas it's possible to mash up their normal feed an mix in some how water, and then let it cool off until it has a nice temperature. I don't know if degus will buy into this

alright I'll give that a try too, thank you! do you think its worth taking him back to the vet or would it just be unnecessary stress?

[yasmin]

See how he does on the Metacam.

Hopefully, he will eat it in some mashed up food. Put it on a spoon and bring it to him and make sure he laps it all up.

If not:

I have one Degu who will drink Metacam right from the syringe. Try that.
If that doesn't work, you will need to pick him up and syringe it into his mouth.

[moletteuk]

You can try a vegetable baby food, or cook and mash some vegetables yourself and mix with wet pellets.

Even if they hate the handling, they usually know you are trying to help.

Check the wound doesn't look red or hot indicating infection.

[zayjackal]

update: sweet Reggie unfortunately just passed away in my arms. he wouldn't eat at all, not even his favourite treats or the mushed up things I tried, and last night he slept in his hay pile rather than his bed which hes never done before.

this morning he was actually awake, sitting in his favourite spot and actually eating his favourite treat, but he still wouldn't open his eyes and was struggling to move. when I picked him up he pretty much instantly shut down. i could tell he was dying so i held him close and told him he could go. he passed almost immediately after.

RIP Reggie

[yasmin]

Sincerest condolences, zayjackal.

(Could be he had a heart issue which was aggravated by the anesthesia - that happened to one of my degus after a routine dental procedure).

Rest in peace, little one.

[moletteuk]

I'm so sorry. Rest easy Reggie x

[bouncy]

Sorry to read this. It sounds like Reggie had an adverse reaction to anaesthesia