Archive for May, 2010

Wet Poo Poos

May 21st, 2010

The bad pet owner that I was gave in to that cute begging face of Winnie’s & gave him apple skin. Not a good idea. The next day (this was the beginning of last month), Winnie had diarrhea .. really bad diarrhea!

Winnie diarrhea

Compare the above picture with a picture of normal poop. Because chinchillas poop constantly, Winnie kept stepping onto his own poop & smeared the wet poop everywhere; it was such a mess.

When the vet performed a gram stain on Winnie’s poop, the vet said that the ‘bad’ bacteria outnumber the ‘good’ bacteria; the ‘bad’ bacteria have always been present in Winnie’s stomach, but because of the apple skin, Winnie’s stomach got upset. Here is a detailed timeline:

  • 5 April: started on Baytril (0.2 ml twice daily for a week) & Bene-Bac (a pea size, approximately 1 gram, once daily for 2 weeks).
  • 7 Apri: I started to syringe feed Winnie with Critical Care because the Baytril reduced Winnie’s appetite.
  • 15 April: no improvement, so the Baytril was discontinued & Winnie was prescribed another medication that’s labeled as “SMZ/TMP Ped Susp” (0.25 ml twice daily for a week), which didn’t help much.
  • 19 April: started on Doxycycline (0.2 ml tiwce daily for a week), which was given alongside the SMZ/TMP. Winnie’s poop improved considerably.
  • 26 April: the course for Doxycycline & SMZ/TMP was over, but Winnie still continued on the Bene-Bac.
  • 9 May: Winnie finally finished his course of Bene-Bac & was diarrhea free!

I always made sure that after being in contact with Winnie while he was having diarrhea, I would wash my hands before touching Tubby. But I guess that wasn’t enough, Tubby eventually fell ill too; I have a feeling this was a parasitic infection that was easily transferred from my clothing because I didn’t change my clothes after being in contact with Winnie. Tubby’s poops were soft, but not as wet as the photo above. Tubby saw the vet on the 28th of April. Because Tubby’s poops weren’t as bad as Winnie’s, the vet didn’t want to prescribe Tubby with antibiotic that would kill the ‘bad’ AND the ‘good’ bacteria. Instead, the vet wanted to try a more ‘natural’ approach, by encouraging the ‘good’ bacteria to multiply. Tubby was prescribed Diarysanyl (a pea size, approximately 1 ml, twice daily for 5 days) & Bene-Bac (a pea size, approximately 1 gram, once daily for 2 weeks). Unlike Winnie, Tubby’s initial recovery as much faster. But the strange thing was that Tubby’s poops would get better one day & the nexy day he’d revert to soft poops. This continued even after his medication course was over. Tubby didn’t return to the clinic though, I just kept an eye on him & eventually the soft poops didn’t return.

*sigh* The troubles my animals went through just because I gave 1 chinchilla a fruit treat .. I’ve learned from my mistake & I no longer give in to those sad-looking eyes that seem to say “Puuhhhllleeeassseeee give me something sweet!”

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Skin Tumour .. Gone!

May 16th, 2010

Earlier this year, I noticed that Joy had something that looked like an abscess on her tummy. After conservatively treating the area with antibiotic & Hydrogen Peroxide, the lump wouldn’t go away. So on the 19th of April morning, Joy went in for a surgery to have it removed. The procedure wasn’t too life threatening because it was the surface of Joy’s skin that was being operated on. The surgery was a success; Joy bounced back fast & managed not to chew on the stitches. The vet explained that operating on such a small creature requires some improvisation. For the Oxygen mask, he had to cut the tip of a small syringe; the cut syringe tip was placed over Joy’s face, secured with a small piece of latex cut from a latex glove. I think it would’ve been neat if I could have watched the operation :-)

Joy went home later that afternoon & acted as if she didn’t have the surgery at all. 2 weeks later, she returned to the clinic to have her stitches removed. Today, she is herself and is tumour free!!!!

Joy skin tumour free

I know Joy has no fur on her chest & on her belly, I think that’s because she constantly pees on the wheel & her chest & tummy rub against the wheel. At least she looks much better now than she did a month ago.

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Good Night Almond

May 9th, 2010

I haven’t posted in awhile because it’s been hectic. Not only that both chinchillas are sick (more on that later), Almond had passed away on the 28th of April, late at night.

I noticed that a couple of months before Almond left forever, the fur around her legs were almost gone, exposing her skinny legs. I knew that she was getting older, but I expected that Roborovski hamsters could live up to 3 years of age. Besides, Almond was still super active, running on her wheel all night like. My other Roborovskis passed away early because of illnesses, so I was hoping that Almond could make it until she’s at least 3 years old. Almond was brought home in May of 2008, so she was a little over 2 years of age when her body gave in.

In general, Roborovski hamsters are super timid, but Almond was the one who was not scared to sit on the palm of my hand; Almond wouldn’t run away when I tried to pick her up, nor would she jump off when I held her. I rarely blog about Almond, but she’s one silly girly who happens to not be camera shy:

Almond wheel1

Almond scratching herself

Almond sleeping

Peacefully sleeping

Almond sleeps in wheel

Almond tired herself out & fell asleep on the wheel

I had her body cremated. This time around, I went to another funeral home because I personally don’t like the funeral director at the funeral home I was previously a patron of. Of course I had to have her paw prints done.

Almond rainbow bridge1

The poem reads:

I know that it must be different, now that I am no longer here.

I realize how much I was loved, and how all of you did care.

I know it will be hard at first, when you look around for me.

Expecting to find me in my bed, or beside my favorite tree.

Some days you will begin to see, although it’ll take some time.

The happy times you shared with me, the memories are yours and mine.

I’ll remember you my family, and how much you meant to me.

So please don’t grieve and be sad, it was just my time to leave.

Author unknown~

I started with 4 Roborovski hamsters, I can’t believe now I’m down to 1, Joy (who just underwent surgery, more on that later). The place is quiet without the sound of Almond’s wheel ….

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Bored Winnie ..

May 8th, 2010

This is what he does when Winnie is bored:

Winnie bored

Winnie rests his chin & hands on the hammock & just stare into space for the longest time.

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