Jaina_Organasolo
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2011
- Messages
- 168
Hi everyone,
I am having a really bad time at the moment and I just wanted some advice.
About 4 weeks ago, one of my boys was diagnosed with a URI (Upper Respiratory Infection).
It started with an eye infection, which was treated with anti-biotic drops from the vet and after a week or so he got the sneezes (the loud kind) so we took him and his cagemate to the vet.
He was then diagnosed with the URI. His cagemate had shown no symptoms and had his breathing and lungs checked out and the vet ruled him fine. Had I thought about it (gotta love hindsight) I would have placed them in quarentine in a different room. I did put them in a small, low hospital cage though as their new cage is about 4ft wide x 2ft x 2ft and they are hard to catch in it.
He was prescribed a 7 day course of Baytril once a day, a 5 day course of metacam and the anti-biotic eye drops to continue. I also gave pro-biotics 4 hours after anti-biotics.
Of course as you might suspect, the Baytril or URI supressed his appetite and so we had some weight loss (on hindsight both him and his cagemate had lost recently prior to any 'obvious' symptoms). I managed to get his weight stable on only 20ml of critical care a day (4 feeds of 5ml).
By the end of the first week he was no better and his cagemate started sneezing. The Baytril dose was upped to twice a day, plus metacam plus eyedrops for the two of them. This time they were given a 10 day course.
At the end of that, we still had symptoms and a 3rd Chin, Lucky started sneezing. At this point we put my 6 month old in quarrentine at the other side of the house!
This time we were given the following, Baytril twice a day to treat all 3, Bisolvin once a day, metacam and eyedrops. The Chin who was originally ill, Ted was given a nasal swab to test exactly what was going on. This was then a 14 day course. Bill and Ted (first two) are still being handfed about 15-20ml critical care a day to maintain weight.
In the middle of all this, Lucky (3rd chin) broke a lower left incisor but he was the only one eating for himself and keeping stable. When his painkiller ran out, his tooth must have started to hurt we think and he stopped eating. To cut a long story short we stepped in, fed every two hours. He was taken to an ER vet for gut stimulants and spent the day yesterday being nursed by my vet. we had some poop (barely any) but he developed GI Stasis and bloat (hence the ER vet). He was in real bad shape yesterday morning, tummy pressing, rolling and stretching. By the time he got back from the vets for overnight nursing by me he wasn't doing that anymore. But everytime I handled him he was floppy. His eyes and coat were bright though. we spent a night cuddled up on the sofa with feeds,infacol, tummy rubs and compresses but for whatever reason he began to struggle to breath and he passed away just after 11pm last night. My oh tried to revive him but it was no good. Myself, and other owners, and the vets thought he was going to make it. He didnt. So yeah, rough day today.
Anyway!
Bill and Ted are much improved. They are eating more for themselves (but i'm still support feeding, they each lost about 100g) and are bright, bouncy and scrappy. Bill has occasional signs that his eye is being affected again, tiny little bit of white (not yellow) bits on the corner of his eye and flat fur where he's wiped it.
Other than that, no signs of URI anymore. No auiable sneezing, wiping or anything like that.
we are getting the odd silent sneeze when they are being syringe fed. Can this be caused by syringe feeding or does it mean they still have the URI?
The problem I have is the infection has pretty much all been upper. They have had clear lungs throughout, so If I go to the vet, she WILL say the lungs are clear, the breathing is fine. She relies on me to give her symptoms. The nasal swab came back negative for anything so in all likelhood it just means the Baytril works. I have no way of the vet ruling them clear.
The Baytril course is up tomorrow - so what should I do?
Should I stop and keep a careful ear out for anything getting worse? Should I carry on with the anti-biotics I have left and treat a bit longer incase? I do not want this coming back. The last month of my life has been a Chinchilla medical nightmare.
Also how long should I leave it before moving my baby out of quarrentine? a month maybe as it took 3 weeks from 1st definite signs to the last infection? I really don't want him getting it as I don't want to treat him, I'm aware it could affect his development and he's doing so well.
Arrgghh!!
Any advice would be appreciated.
I am having a really bad time at the moment and I just wanted some advice.
About 4 weeks ago, one of my boys was diagnosed with a URI (Upper Respiratory Infection).
It started with an eye infection, which was treated with anti-biotic drops from the vet and after a week or so he got the sneezes (the loud kind) so we took him and his cagemate to the vet.
He was then diagnosed with the URI. His cagemate had shown no symptoms and had his breathing and lungs checked out and the vet ruled him fine. Had I thought about it (gotta love hindsight) I would have placed them in quarentine in a different room. I did put them in a small, low hospital cage though as their new cage is about 4ft wide x 2ft x 2ft and they are hard to catch in it.
He was prescribed a 7 day course of Baytril once a day, a 5 day course of metacam and the anti-biotic eye drops to continue. I also gave pro-biotics 4 hours after anti-biotics.
Of course as you might suspect, the Baytril or URI supressed his appetite and so we had some weight loss (on hindsight both him and his cagemate had lost recently prior to any 'obvious' symptoms). I managed to get his weight stable on only 20ml of critical care a day (4 feeds of 5ml).
By the end of the first week he was no better and his cagemate started sneezing. The Baytril dose was upped to twice a day, plus metacam plus eyedrops for the two of them. This time they were given a 10 day course.
At the end of that, we still had symptoms and a 3rd Chin, Lucky started sneezing. At this point we put my 6 month old in quarrentine at the other side of the house!
This time we were given the following, Baytril twice a day to treat all 3, Bisolvin once a day, metacam and eyedrops. The Chin who was originally ill, Ted was given a nasal swab to test exactly what was going on. This was then a 14 day course. Bill and Ted (first two) are still being handfed about 15-20ml critical care a day to maintain weight.
In the middle of all this, Lucky (3rd chin) broke a lower left incisor but he was the only one eating for himself and keeping stable. When his painkiller ran out, his tooth must have started to hurt we think and he stopped eating. To cut a long story short we stepped in, fed every two hours. He was taken to an ER vet for gut stimulants and spent the day yesterday being nursed by my vet. we had some poop (barely any) but he developed GI Stasis and bloat (hence the ER vet). He was in real bad shape yesterday morning, tummy pressing, rolling and stretching. By the time he got back from the vets for overnight nursing by me he wasn't doing that anymore. But everytime I handled him he was floppy. His eyes and coat were bright though. we spent a night cuddled up on the sofa with feeds,infacol, tummy rubs and compresses but for whatever reason he began to struggle to breath and he passed away just after 11pm last night. My oh tried to revive him but it was no good. Myself, and other owners, and the vets thought he was going to make it. He didnt. So yeah, rough day today.
Anyway!
Bill and Ted are much improved. They are eating more for themselves (but i'm still support feeding, they each lost about 100g) and are bright, bouncy and scrappy. Bill has occasional signs that his eye is being affected again, tiny little bit of white (not yellow) bits on the corner of his eye and flat fur where he's wiped it.
Other than that, no signs of URI anymore. No auiable sneezing, wiping or anything like that.
we are getting the odd silent sneeze when they are being syringe fed. Can this be caused by syringe feeding or does it mean they still have the URI?
The problem I have is the infection has pretty much all been upper. They have had clear lungs throughout, so If I go to the vet, she WILL say the lungs are clear, the breathing is fine. She relies on me to give her symptoms. The nasal swab came back negative for anything so in all likelhood it just means the Baytril works. I have no way of the vet ruling them clear.
The Baytril course is up tomorrow - so what should I do?
Should I stop and keep a careful ear out for anything getting worse? Should I carry on with the anti-biotics I have left and treat a bit longer incase? I do not want this coming back. The last month of my life has been a Chinchilla medical nightmare.
Also how long should I leave it before moving my baby out of quarrentine? a month maybe as it took 3 weeks from 1st definite signs to the last infection? I really don't want him getting it as I don't want to treat him, I'm aware it could affect his development and he's doing so well.
Arrgghh!!
Any advice would be appreciated.
My vet wouldn't give me injectable and I didn't feel confident - It seems to have been a really nasty case :-(
