Millie dropped about 50 grams in roughly 2 weeks time.
She looks healthy. Clear eyes, nose and ears. No breathing issues. Front teeth look fine.
The only thing besides her weight drop that I noticed were her small poops, well formed, just small. She has always had small poops.
With handfeeding, literally putting pellets in her mouth, I kept her weight pretty steady for about a week. She would still eat vegetables on her own and nibbled hay, I am not sure how much hay she was actually eating. But since she wasn’t getting better I went to the vet yesterday.
No xrays were taken, but they did see some irritation on her tongue when they looked inside her mouth. Most likely from her molars, which seemed to have some overgrowth. The vet could not see the whole mouth properly. Millie kept chewing on the scope thingy.
They gave me metacam, 0.5mg/ml. She weighs about 660grams. Told me to give her 0.26ml (twice a day). I took her home for more handfeeding and today brought her back to the vet.
She is at the vet now to get a closer look and most likely to get her molars planed.
She is only 8 months old, so I am guessing this is most likely a genetic thing. I am hoping it was just a fluke, I cannot financially afford to get her molars fixed every couple of weeks/months.
Anything to look out for when she gets back?
Pain meds okay? Twice a day, or is splitting it up to 4 times better?
Should I ask for antibiotics?
Something to keep her gut moving? (Not sure if aneasthesia (sp?) affects the gut, her gut sounds were not optimal yesterday, but she did poop throughout the night)
Any help is appreciated.
Millie (born 26 july 2019)
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Sef
- I dissent.
That dose of Metacam (0.26ml) would be total, right? 0.13ml two times a day? According to my calculations, that would be precisely the correct dose for her weight. However, keep in mind that pain relief has a sliding scale and I wouldn't hesitate to bump it up slightly short-term if she needs it for a few days. I personally would not split the dose into more than two.
I'd probably ask for Metoclopramide as a gut stimulant to use for 1-2 days post-op if needed.
I'd probably ask for Metoclopramide as a gut stimulant to use for 1-2 days post-op if needed.
The 0.26ml is for twice a day, basically double of what you say it should be? It is the first time I have used Metacam so I never checked the dosage, trusting the vet to get it right.
Not sure I can get metoclopramide, on the vet’s website it seems to be discontinued by the manufacturer.
While I was typing I got the call to come pick her up.
She is wobbly, but trying to eat. And making horrible “grinding” noises while moving her jaw like something is stuck in her mouth...
Will do some gentle forcefeeding when she is more awake and less wobbly.
Asked about te metacam dose and they adjusted it to .13ml twice a day.
They gave her cisapride for her gut.
Not sure I can get metoclopramide, on the vet’s website it seems to be discontinued by the manufacturer.
While I was typing I got the call to come pick her up.
She is wobbly, but trying to eat. And making horrible “grinding” noises while moving her jaw like something is stuck in her mouth...
Will do some gentle forcefeeding when she is more awake and less wobbly.
Asked about te metacam dose and they adjusted it to .13ml twice a day.
They gave her cisapride for her gut.
I put in a heating pad when she got home and she got on it herself, she had the choice and apparently liked the warmth.
I just tried to feed her. She allows it, it is just me getting the consistency right that is the problem! ;)
Now she is trying to eat a piece of bell pepper.
I just tried to feed her. She allows it, it is just me getting the consistency right that is the problem! ;)
Now she is trying to eat a piece of bell pepper.
Millie is sort of maintaining weight, with about a 15 grams loss on the day of the surgery. She now hovers between 640 and 650 grams throughout the day. At her heaviest she was 720grams.
I did try to keep up with force feeding her, but she hated it. She does allow me to put pellets in her mouth though and does eat them.
This morning is the first time I’ve seen her voluntarily eat from her pellet bowl. She has been nibbling hay and I suspect she has been eating all her poos. At least I hope so, I don’t see any poos in her part of the cage. (I have been separating her at night, the others bully her). She still gets a motility drug and metacam. Both twice a day.
She eats her greens.
She is alert, bright eyed and did a fine job of trying to run from the scary hands that needed to pick her up.
So all in all I think she is doing better. I just hope she will start to put on weight again soon.
I did try to keep up with force feeding her, but she hated it. She does allow me to put pellets in her mouth though and does eat them.
This morning is the first time I’ve seen her voluntarily eat from her pellet bowl. She has been nibbling hay and I suspect she has been eating all her poos. At least I hope so, I don’t see any poos in her part of the cage. (I have been separating her at night, the others bully her). She still gets a motility drug and metacam. Both twice a day.
She eats her greens.
She is alert, bright eyed and did a fine job of trying to run from the scary hands that needed to pick her up.
So all in all I think she is doing better. I just hope she will start to put on weight again soon.
I have had to separate her from her two cagemates. They kept bullying her and her weight kept dropping.
She is now in a 2x2 c&c cage (I do not have space for anything bigger) in the hopes that she will get stronger and I can try reintroductions.
She is eating, just not her pellets. I have tried a different brand already, and will try yet another brand today. I know pellets are the least important, but I do think she needs them right now.
She is now in a 2x2 c&c cage (I do not have space for anything bigger) in the hopes that she will get stronger and I can try reintroductions.
She is eating, just not her pellets. I have tried a different brand already, and will try yet another brand today. I know pellets are the least important, but I do think she needs them right now.
SHOP AMAZON