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Post by michele23 on Sept 27, 2008 23:37:59 GMT
One of my degus has been coughing/sneezing quite frequently for the last couple of weeks. I have removed her from the other degus just in case it's contagious and changed the bedding from pine shavings (which I've been using for 3 years) to just some timothy hay in case it's a dust allergy...anyhow its been a few weeks and I'm not sure what's wrong with her. She's not showing any other signs of illness, still eating and drinking fine, taking treats and running around on her wheel/being playful. Every time she coughs though it makes me so worried. The closest vet to us that knows anything about degus is 4 hours away and the soonest I can take her there is October 14th. They wouldn't give me any advice on the phone, said I'd have to bring her in.
Does anyone know what I should do, or has had similar problems?
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Post by deguconvert on Sept 28, 2008 0:24:20 GMT
I do not yet have experience with this, but something I can pass on to you, while you are waiting for the opportunity to see the vet is a steaming method that might be helpful.
Are you in the UK? There is an inhalant sold there called Olbas Oil. It is great for colds and such. If you can get your hands on some, do so. Then follow this method for your degu.
Have on hand: Two straining bowls (like what you would use to drain a pot of boiled spaghetti) One bowl large enough to set one of the straining bowls on top of, but not so big that the straining bowl will sit deep inside it. Hot water . . . tap hot is probably sufficient. Olbas Oil. A towel large enough to drape over the whole combined thing. The sick, or coughing, degu.
Now arrange in this manner. Pour hot water into the bowl, putting in 3-5 good drops of the Olbas Oil. Place on top of that the first straining bowl. Place in the strainer the degu, immediately placing the second straining bowl "Upside down" over top of the degu and the first straining bowl. Basically you have now created a temporary holding place for your goo. Over all of that, drape the towel. Now sit beside your goo, giving her about 10-15 minutes of steaming time. Then remove her back to her cage. If she looks or feels damp, gently dry her with your towel, and maybe let her have a roll in her sand bath. Do not let her get chilled.
The Olbas Oil will help to relieve her air ways, and hopefully hold things in check until you see the vet. At that time the vet can tell you if you require more involved treatment. You probably need to do this daily, and if she worsens, maybe twice daily. If you see improvement, maybe try every other day to see how she does. Basically you will judge by how you see her doing.
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Post by michele23 on Sept 28, 2008 0:55:45 GMT
Hey, thanks for the advice. I am in Canada though, so I don't know if I'll be able to find any Olbas Oil but I will look tomorrow at the health food store just in case. Do you know of anything I could buy in Canada that would have the same effect?
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Post by jolie on Sept 29, 2008 2:03:26 GMT
I think you can get Olbas Oil in Canada. here's their website -http://www.florahealth.com/flora/home/Canada/products/R1001.htm They say that 'Flora's natural health care products are available at quality health food stores and natural pharmacies throughout Canada.' I would look at health food stores near you. Otherwise, I would try eucalypus oil or wintergreen oil (two of the ingredients in Olbas oil) but only a small drop of it in the water for your degu. Good luck with your goo!
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jacky
Burrowing Degu
Posts: 293
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Post by jacky on Sept 29, 2008 8:54:25 GMT
Just to give Michele a bit more hope I have used Olbase oil on a cat and found it wonderful. This cat had been ill for some weeks and the vets could do no more for him. (He was coughing and sneezing but it was not cat flu) I had used the Olbase Oil when my kiddies had a cough so in desperation I put the cat in a cage and covered it and a bowl which had water/oil with a towel . I did this daily for about a week and it worked!!. Hope it is the same for your little pet.
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Post by michele23 on Sept 29, 2008 15:17:21 GMT
I found some Olbas oil in the natural food store today and I just tried it with my degu. She seemed to tolerate it alright although she wanted to get out of the strainers so I gave her a nutri-block treat to keep her busy. She's still coughing obviously since it was only the first time, maybe I will try it again tonight. And everyday till she improves. The only thing I was worried about was her getting overheated from the steam and the towel covering it because she is quite sensitive to heat (even more so than my other degus). So I lifted the towel occasionally to let fresh air in and only left her in for about 7 minutes since it was the first time.
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Post by deguconvert on Sept 29, 2008 20:19:22 GMT
Sounds fine . . . I had thought of suggesting boiling water, but like you, I was concerned about how hot that would be. You do want to have some of the steaming effect though . . . so lifting the towel occasionally is probably a good alternative as opposed to going with cooler water.
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Post by Degumagic on Oct 28, 2008 17:10:32 GMT
Fab my idea with O oil is being passed on, thats great news
It really helped mine, i fort for months with the sneezing thing with 2 of mine, anti bys didn't work, one thing was that they both had fast growing teeth that we had to cut, not sure if conected, waqs not catching either, hope this helps
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rie73
Foraging Degu
Posts: 85
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Post by rie73 on Nov 30, 2008 10:05:58 GMT
My degu has been sneezing for months - seems well other then that. I will try the oil and see if that will work.
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Post by jackdaniels on Nov 30, 2008 13:44:43 GMT
What bedding are you using Sawdust/wood shavings? If you are try using something like carefresh instead
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Post by michele23 on Dec 31, 2008 17:00:16 GMT
My degu seems to have taken a turn for the worse . In October when I took her to the vet for the cough they said it didn't look serious and gave me some antibiotics to give her just to be safe...eventually the cough seemed to subside, and the olbas oil really seemed to help. But just yesterday she's started mouth breathing and you can hear the strain with every breath...she's also very bloated from air going into her belly and the vet thinks she has pleurisy. I don't think she'll survive even though I have a new antibiotic...I am so upset, it's all I can think about, I just wish I could help her. So...if anyone else ever has a coughing/sneezing degu and the vet tells you it doesn't look serious, maybe you should take the degu to a different vet...which is what I did this time but unfortunately I think its too late
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Post by deguconvert on Dec 31, 2008 20:06:44 GMT
I'm so sorry!!! I wish things had gone better, and differently. I hope she will be able to turn around and improve for you!
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Risa
Foraging Degu
3 Goos- Rag, Luna and Squeak.
Posts: 122
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Post by Risa on Jan 3, 2009 10:42:40 GMT
I'm so sorry, you must be feeling awful. You are both in my thoughts, I hope she takes a turn for the better with the new antibiotics.
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Post by michele23 on Jan 3, 2009 16:07:56 GMT
Thanks everyone. She seems to be doing much better on the antibiotics...playing and running around again, as well as eating and drinking. Still coughing/sneezing sometimes though...but there's still another week left on the medicine so we'll see. I really thought she wasn't going to make it because she was sooo sick for a couple of days, it was unbearable to watch and I seriously was considering having her put to sleep because she was suffering so much...but she seems to have rallied so I'm really happy, I just hope she keeps getting better and this doesn't happen again anytime soon...
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Post by michele23 on Jan 17, 2009 3:17:35 GMT
Unfortunately Coco's Baytril course is over now and it doesn't have seemed to have completely fixed the problem....she hasn't gotten sick again like on New Years but is just really quite wheezy all the time. Any activity or excitement (like a run around the bathroom) has her wheezing like an old man within seconds And even when she's not wheezing like an old man you can still her her breath noises all the time. She's not really lethargic at all and is eating and drinking fine, but just isn't as peppy as she used to be before she got really sick on new years. She used to do the funniest things and be really saucy (always squeaking and making cute noises...not a quiet degu!) now she doesn't do that much anymore. And when she does she gets so worked up from it that her breathing gets worse. I've been putting her in the Olbas oil steam every day but she hates it sooo much that I can't keep her in there more than 2 or 3 minutes at a time. She starts coughing and hacking and getting so worked up trying to get out that she's wheezing like crazy until I put her back in her cage and she can calm down. I'm not even sure if it helps.
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Post by deguconvert on Jan 17, 2009 5:56:11 GMT
I'm going to go out on a bit of a limb here, and I have to caution you that I really don't know if this will help you or not. But I'm just kind of following a line of thought, and you can judge as you feel is best.
Inflammation in humans, well any animal, is a huge cause of illness, pain, and trouble. Often if comes of what we eat. For an animal like a degu, I have no idea what might bring it on, but I would think that it is most likely an accompanying issue with RI's. So . . . what if there is imflammation in Coco's lungs, as well as the infection? The inflammation may prevent the antibiotics from having the full impact that she needs. SO what if you could feed her some small bits of food that has natural anti-inflammatory properties? The skins of red apples, the skins of blueberries, rosemary herb, and curcumin (turmeric) powder, all have this natural property, as do walnuts and whole grains. What if you were to try feeding her a couple grains of whole wheat seed, maybe a single small ribbon of apple skin, if you have access to blueberries (frozen/thawed?) . . . squeeze the guts from one and give her the skin, maybe a piece of rosemary herb, little pieces of walnut? I don't know if I would go so far as to try the turmeric powder (Indian cooking seasoning), as I have no idea if it would be toxic to her or not. But the others, small bits, each day, a little of this and a little of that, maybe will help her in another way from the inside out. She is getting thin you said, so a few extra calories are probably needed, and she may need the energy they supply. Other herbs to think of . . . Basil, Dill, and Oregano are also good for her. (Fresh or dried, which ever entices her most.)
My only other thought, also a little wild I fear, is to get a prescription for an asthma inhalent, and fix up a small chamber that is sealed into which you can squeeze a small dose of the asthma spray, and she can sit still in there and breathe it in for a little bit. I am certain you wouldn't want anything stronger than what you would give to a child. How you would go about procuring this item, I have no idea. Maybe it is an idea to ask of your vet . . . who might scoff aloud at such a rediculous idea. That wouldn't hurt my feelings in the least. It's just an idea.
I have asthma and these are things that help me, especially when I have a cold as the cold germs react with the inflammation of the asthma and make things 10 X's worse than they are normally.
I hope there will be something that can help her. Please continue to let us know how she is doing. My thoughts are with you.
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Post by buzz on Jan 17, 2009 12:46:41 GMT
When in doubt I always pop off to the fancy rats site... Most times when the RI hasn't cleared on Baytril they return to the vets to get a drug combo. I'd have said she'd need to see the vet again anyway... just a shame that the experienced vet is so far away... if theres a vet experienced in dealing with rodent RI whose nearer then perhaps try them... Theres also this I found about herbal rememdies: www.fancy-rats.co.uk/community/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=112143
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Post by michele23 on Jan 17, 2009 21:04:24 GMT
Thank you both for the advice. I'll try some of those things. I also found a rat respiratory guide that looks interesting, maybe some of it would work for degus...I'll have to ask my vet next time I'm in. www.cavyrescue.co.uk/rat-respiratory-guide.shtml
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Post by rachelgull on Jun 21, 2009 16:03:07 GMT
hiya my degs have been having trouble with coughing recently too. One is worse than the other and peanut has begun to breathe more through his mouth. They still have the same playfull nature as always but it's horrible to listen to. Is it worth getting this oil, or just going straight to the vet???
thank you
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Mojo
Burrowing Degu
Posts: 270
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Post by Mojo on Jun 21, 2009 16:19:36 GMT
Definitly get them booked into the vet but you can always try the oil in the meantime........
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