Rikki and another shot for Lisa and Pippin. Rikki's got a large
tumour, Lisa's got a little one he's hoping might be just an infection
(highly doubt it on my part) and Pippin's nose area is apparently
inflamed because she's got rhinitis. I noticed that over the last
week when I first thought I saw a scab like thing spreading across the
top of her muzzle. I switched bedding and it looked like it was
clearing up but I took her in anyway just to make sure and also
because I thought she had drank way too much water one day (which
sounded all too familiar due to my last hamster). Just a day or two
ago, I also noticed she was very jumpy - i.e., if I touched her, she'd
flip around like she really didn't like it, which is odd for her.
That behaviour had existed pretty much from the time I'd had Tsia, and
I figured it was because she wasn't tame enough, but three months
later, she still wasn't tame and then died. I'd wager for Pippin that
the original scabbing issue /was/ the bedding and there were
complications from the sensitivity. I was using ComfortCare which I
realized was SOFTwood. Even though it didn't state it, it's probably
pine and cedar - both bad for little creatures' noses. I don't
understand why they sell the stuff. She's got paper towels right now
and will be switched to the Aspen I used to use (which I just found
again at the pet shop, yay!) once things have cleared up. Dr. Vet
says the shots will clear up any UTI as well, if she does have one,
but he was positive of the rhinitis. (It's like a sinus infection.)
As for Lisa, I hope he's right about her swollen mammary, but I'm
being careful not to place much hope on the shots he's giving her in
an attempt to stave off whatever he called it. He says if the lump
doesn't go away after the shots, she'll need surgery, too, because it
will be a tumour after all. I'm glad for his knowledge, because
obviously shots are easier on them than surgery, so it's worth a
shot. The tumours do grow quickly but I've a feeling he's got a
timeline in mind and won't let it get any bigger than it can in a
prescribed number of days. At the very least, I'm sure he can get her
in right away if I see the thing grow /more/.
I have no idea what all this is gonna cost but I'm NOT watching
another rat die of that crap again. Nor am I having a hamster just up
and die, either. All three of them are way too young to be getting
inflictions such as these!
No comments:
Post a Comment