Another two

Good luck Ron. I am sorry to hear he is going down hill.

Oh Ron, I feel for you, I really do. Wish I were closer then I would come and see - not saying I could do more because i couldn't but sometimes you just need someone who really gets what you are going through. Sending hugs and hope the vet visit brings some hope.

went to vets this morning to say thet was no improvement in his condition all he said was to try and collect some poo samples and bring them in on friday to see if there are any worms or worm eggs left in him. I get back to work to find phone calls to say vets trying to get in touch with me to say to take him off the milk straight away as this may be causing some of the problems. He as been ringing around and found out some info, so on my back into town to see him.

What a good vet to be trying to help - a refreshing change as many are simply not bothered.

Lets hope he has found something, and that coming off the milk helps the poorly hedgie.

Good luck Ron, I hope the Vet has the answer to your problems.

Bethany.

Trish wrote:What a good vet to be trying to help - a refreshing change as many are simply not bothered.

Lets hope he has found something, and that coming off the milk helps the poorly hedgie.

The vet made some phone calls today after I left and it looks as if the milk replacement that was sold to me for the hogs could be whats causing the upset tummy. I did ask for esbilac and was sold cimicat and was told it was the same, its not, this one is based on cows milk and I think esbilac which many hedgehog carers use is based on goats milk. He now on lectade with a little honey mixed in. If the upset tummy goes away, great, if not back to the start again and he will send away poo samples on monday to get a culture done to see whats going on, and he taken my book by Kay Bullen to read.

Sounds like a helpful Vet. Shame about the Cimcat, lets hope that it is just that and nothing else.

Bethany.

Got up this morning thinking the worse after yesterday, looked through the lid on the box and there wasn't no mess at all on the floor, I thought he had gone as usually the floor is covered in very light green runny poos. I didn't notice in the corner was one little hog diving into his live food. There were only 2 poos in the box, both normal looking but still on the soft side but a great improvement.

That sounds positive!!!

That's fantastic, his improvement! All your hard work is finally starting to pay off. Looks like it was just the cimcat stuff, now we know not to use it, and you learn from your mistakes.

Well done, keep up the good work.

Bethany.

Today as been quite good with the hog he was eating live food this morning and as had some drink, this afternoon he let me syringe 4-5 ml of Hill a/d down him and for some reason took the lot down no problem, I just hope he didn't open his just because hes to weak to keep it shut, and its now to late. Also no runny poos today at all. What a great start to the year.

Sounding good!!

As Bethany said, we learn from our mistakes, and some no necessarily our own mistakes if we are given wrong information.

A hedgehog can be very weak and still refuse to open its mouth so I don't think he opened his mouth today due to being too weak to keep it shut.

Hope the improvements continue.

I hope his improvements continue too.

I once fed one of my Hedgehogs a Tesco brand of cat food. The Hedgehog did not like it one bit, his poos went as mushy as mushy peas. I then knew not to give that food again.

As said before, keep up the fantastic work, Ron. He is on his way, one step closer to his release in Spring.

Bethany.

Good luck Ron! I hope this one gest better and better.

My little one is still with us, no more runny poos, took another 5ml syringe of hill a/d last night before bed, had another one before I went to work this morning and the misses just rang to say she got another 5ml down him. She going to try and get another down him before she goes to work. He also had quite a few meal worms in the night, and weighs at the moment 258g which is good for this time of day. Vet wants me to pop in later to let him now how he is and want to see Kay Bullens book.

sounds like a fighter,should call him rocky!
but seriously, you are doing a great job with him and are very dedicated, i hope he continues to pick up for you and take care of yourself too, they cause us such worry, i'm sitting here looking like i've got two black eyes from lack of sleep over the past few weeks with one of mine, but they are worth it

At the moment there is no weight gain in this little hog despite taken food from the syringe, at the moment he is taken 5 feeds of 10mls day each. He as stopped loosing weight but I thought he would be putting some on by now. He is having Hills A/D in each feed. He is no way as active as he used to be, may be this is because hes not as hungry as he used to be. Might set up cam one night to see if he is doing things at night. I have also placed some giant mealworms in a pot tonight to see if he likes them. Not quite sure how much food I should be giving him for him to gain weight.

ron wrote:At the moment there is no weight gain in this little hog despite taken food from the syringe, at the moment he is taken 5 feeds of 10mls day each. He as stopped loosing weight but I thought he would be putting some on by now. He is having Hills A/D in each feed. He is no way as active as he used to be, may be this is because hes not as hungry as he used to be. Might set up cam one night to see if he is doing things at night. I have also placed some giant mealworms in a pot tonight to see if he likes them. Not quite sure how much food I should be giving him for him to gain weight.

I would think he would need a lot more per day than that to put weight on, when you consider that a healthy one would eat between one third and one half of a 400g tin of food per day at least. 5 x 10mls would only be about 50gms of food.

Well after yestersays feeds of Hill A/D it was a shock to find his weight had plummeted from 249g last night to 232g this morning, thats almost 100g down from when I got him from the vets 30 days ago. I think this is one of the hogs thats destined not to make it, but I wont give up on him.

You have got the right attitude, Ron, not to give up.

I am hoping this little one fights for his life, because you both deserve it.

Keep up the good work, if you give up you will never know he had a chance.

Good luck

Bethany.

Just wanted to wish you all the best of luck with the little Hedgehog.
You are doing a fantastic job!!

It must be very stressful for you. But at least your not giving up.
I dread when mine don't eat and last week my blind one looked like she wasn't going to make it. I put her on rehydration fluid, given warm and made a mix of lamb in jelly cat food, cat biscuits, warm boiled water and added vits, all blended to mush, she really loves it. The rehydration fluid gives a boost and the biscuits in the mush add bulk (even though they're blended to nothing) because the lambs smelly shes started to locate her food and I leave some down for her. It might be worth a go with your one.
I really hope that he'll pull through for you and you're doing a great job.
P.S. just out of curiosity, have you checked his eyesight? It wasn't obvious to with my one!

Yesterday
Well yesterday couldn't have gone better, he ate loads from a syringe and had his drinks from a syringe also, very active, walking allover me after his feeds nuzzling into me and having a long sleep before his next feed.His weight went up after a very low weigh in fist thing in the morning.

this morning
My worse nightmare, he his now gasping for breath, I dont think he will make it till dinnertime. I have never seen him this bad before, I think this is the end, at least he will go in the warm,

Oh, Ron. I am sorry to hear your little one is so ill. You have done you very best through out these last few weeks and as you said, at least he will be warm.

Good luck with you other Hedgehogs.

Bethany.

Ron, you have done your best and you have made his life longer, he may have died weeks ago if it was not for you.

Good luck