Post OP Chinny

theminsterman · Jun 22, 2013

Hello everyone I was hoping you could all give me a little advice.

My 6 year old lil lady Chilla Nibbler had an operation yesterday on her teeth to remove from spurs and has been on anti-biotics since coming home to combat a minor infection at the back of her mouth where the spurs had cut into her gum in the jawline.

I realised that obviously post op she'd be quite lethargic, before the op despite having eating difficulties etc she was bubbly and bouncy but since she came home she has just crawled into her bow and buried her face from the sunlight.

Getting water in her with a syringe has proven relatively easy, she doesn't dribble too much back out and seems to swallow it and she takes the anti-biotics well too, but eating and getting food in her is becoming a issue. I have given her some soft Recovery formula food but she doesn't appear to be interested in that at all and she hasn't touched any of her normal food or hay etc. OBviously I am concerned about breaking her out of this post op fatigue as pre-op she at least tried to eat so wasn't against it.

Any help would be grateful as I realise she basically needs to pull through this stage or we will need to do the best thing for her, hard as it may be.

Dreamlite · Jun 22, 2013

Do you have any pain meds for her? She won't bounce back as well if she doesn't feel good. Its not uncommon for them to not eat for a few day which is why syringe feeding is so important.

Mt. Zion Chins · Jun 22, 2013

Sometimes they don't eat on their own for weeks. You have to force her to eat the syringe food - at least 70 ml/cc a day. Since the syringe food is mixed with water you don't have to syringe feed her water. She will get plenty of water with the mixed food

theminsterman · Jun 22, 2013

Mt. Zion Chins said:
Sometimes they don't eat on their own for weeks. You have to force her to eat the syringe food - at least 70 ml/cc a day. Since the syringe food is mixed with water you don't have to syringe feed her water. She will get plenty of water with the mixed food

So you would suggest making the mixture more watery and then using that as both her fluid and food intake rather than separately?

I've been given Baytril (sp?) that she must have twice daily, I can always ask for some painkillers too when they re-open on Monday if you think that will help get her appetite back, because she still have energy, she definitely fights back!

Basket_of_Chinchillas · Jun 23, 2013

Yes, give lots of syringe food and that will get enough water into her as well. Giving water separately should not be necessary and also brings with it a higher risk of the water being inhaled, causing all sorts of un-fun complications.

What dosage of Baytril is she getting?

theminsterman · Jun 23, 2013

I regret to say that Nibbler passed away during the night, though she was sadly likely to be euthanised today if there was no improvement as it was unfair on her to linger.

Thank you for the kind responses anyway, I do appreciate them and it is a shame that its a little too late for the young lady.