Abscess

by River Thu 08 Feb 2018, 10:15 am

Went to the vet today for Graham's scratching and...it's an abscess! She got one inside her cheek pouch and basically lost control scratching at it -- trying to get to it through her cheek or back. It's definitely swollen and puffy today. The vet said she'd scratched to the fatty layer on parts of her back and to the muscle on her cheek.

She's on Baytril and Metacam. Since she's scratched over her scruff, we have instructions to put it on her paws if we can't get it in her mouth. Added up to $102, $4.50 of that being because she left 'waste' on an employee. Didn't know such a charge existed, but oh well. She has another appointment in two weeks to follow up

I didn't even consider an abscess as a possibility. Luckily, though, they say she should be scratching a little bit less by tonight. Any tips on medicating a scruffless mouse, or...any tips at all?

by River Thu 08 Feb 2018, 10:41 am

Gave her the first dose. Yikes! It was hard but we got it pretty good. I had to flip her on her back, no scruff, put my thumb on her stomach to keep her still and have someone else put the meds in. She was unhappy but she got a cheerio for her cooperation.

by Peachy Thu 08 Feb 2018, 10:54 am

I never would have considered that either! I have a girl who recently started scratching in the same spot over a tumor somewhere around there. It's terribly visible now, but not when she first began scratching. How interesting! The charge for leaving waste on an employee is... also interesting. Rolling Eyes

I'm glad the vet could help, happy healing to Graham! Good vibes

by River Thu 08 Feb 2018, 11:14 am

Yeah, Graham's wasn't visible at all till this morning...the day of the appointment! Good timing on her part, I guess. She looks like she ate a bee. Thank you!

by Rodents rock! Thu 08 Feb 2018, 6:34 pm

I hope Graham is feeling better real soon!

A charge for leaving waste on an employee, I've never heard anything so absurd in my life. They work in a vet's office, what do they expect.

If they had said that to me I would have thought they were joking!

Unbelievable!

by AnonymousMouseOwner Thu 08 Feb 2018, 6:51 pm

Seriously? They charged you for that? That's crazy! Like Rodents Rock said, what would they expect working as a vet? If you can't deal with animal waste, what are you doing going to vet school and becoming a vet? Laughing

Glad to hear things went okay and that you figured out what it was. I hope administering the medicine gets easier soon! It sure was hard for me at first, but like I've said before, Autumn got used to taking the medicine and it just became part of her daily routine. I hope it becomes that way for Graham too, because it will make it a whole lot easier for you. I have never scruffed my mice, I've always used the burrito method. I tried the glove method once but it didn't work for me at all. Try different ways!

I saw a really neat thing a rescue did, and I'm considering doing it myself. They used the medicine syringe to give their animals treats, that way the animals associate the syringe with treats, and if they ever need medicine, they will gladly accept it from the syringe because that's how they are used to getting treats. Sounds like a good idea to me!

Oh and by the way, sometimes it's worth paying more for the exam. Some vets might seem cheaper, because they advertise a cheap exam, but they have lots of hidden extra fees like that. My vet that I used has an exam price on the more expensive side... $65, but that and the fee for the medicine is all I paid. No extra fees at all. And the vet tech even came in and showed me how to give Autumn medicine, no extra fee for that. I really liked the vet too, she was amazing with animals and you could tell she loved her job. She loved Autumn's big ears and how tame and easy to handle she was Smile

by River Thu 08 Feb 2018, 7:49 pm

Thank you!

This vet was quite good other than the ridiculous 'biohazardous waste' fee. I paid an extra $4.50 for a few mouse droppings that can easily be wiped up. Ridiculous. They were good with her though! They loved her chattering. Checked her breathing just in case and showed me different ways to restrain her. They handled her gently, picked her up properly...and they called her by her name! My past vets called all my mice 'the mouse', so hearing them treat her like a real being is good. Though the lady at the desk put 'male' on her prescription fee, assumed by her name I guess.

They also had this pretty lengthy exotic animal sheet you have to fill out. Asked for food she was on, cage she used, toys she had, cage mates, history, age, name, place of adoption and more. Seemed like they really cared about the animal and the situation they were in. The fee for the appointment itself was only $53 so I guess being sprung that fee for pooing on an employee wasn't that bad. Next time I get an appointment I'll know the real fee is $57.50!

The medications were $22 for Metacam and $17.80 for Baytril. I guess they make up for the initial appointment price being so low, but that's alright. As long as it works. She seemed to have seen this condition in rodents before, so I have hopes. Even explained how it probably occurred!

by AnonymousMouseOwner Thu 08 Feb 2018, 7:59 pm

Wow, actually that's a good price for Baytril. I was charged $30 for Baytril in addition to the $65 exam.

And that's cool that they called her by her name! My vet had a chalkboard with all the patient's names on it for the day, and Autumn's name was on there. They also put her name on the medicine, like they do with people's prescriptions! Pretty cool when they know them by name! Glad to hear you liked your vet! I wonder why such a good vet would charge such a ridiculous fee, lol.

by Rodents rock! Thu 08 Feb 2018, 8:18 pm

AMO, that is really interesting about the rescue and the syringe. Really a great idea!

by CallaLily Thu 08 Feb 2018, 8:54 pm

Glad you were able to find the cause and can treat it. That’s kind of silly about charging for a little poo. But at least it’s only a few more dollars. I imagine that fee makes much more sense for larger animals that would normally have more control.

by River Thu 08 Feb 2018, 9:27 pm

I feel terrible for her but good lord does she look funny. You know those memes about dogs who ate bees? Straight up mouse version.

by River Fri 09 Feb 2018, 12:34 am

I am a wizard. A true magician. I put the tiniest bit of watered down peanut butter around the edge of the syringe. Graham couldn't resist, so whilst she was sniffing and licking we squirted it into her little mouse lips. All gone.

I think it's working a bit already! She isn't scratching constantly when she's out playing, like before. The pain reliever must be helping at least.

by CallaLily Fri 09 Feb 2018, 9:43 am

Good idea! I’m glad you found a simple stress free way to dose her.

by River Fri 09 Feb 2018, 12:52 pm

I wouldn't say stress free...she wouldn't take it at all this time! Got on her face and my hands instead. We had to get another drop and put it on her paw like the vet suggested. She takes the Metacam no problem but Baytril must taste terrible.

I wonder if soaking it into a Gerber puff would work...? I'll have to ask the vet, but I imagine it would work just about as well as the paw method.

by CallaLily Sat 10 Feb 2018, 12:09 pm

Baytril is bitter I think. Just FYI, don’t mix it with dairy. It effects the absorption some how, or so I’ve read. I know it’s frowned upon here, but I used to dose Daryl by putting it on a bit of his favorite whole grain cracker. He would gobble the whole thing up quickly (it was just a small piece). But definitely talk to your vet first, see what they think.

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