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Cleo's Diary - A battle with EC/UD 11th October
- Thread starter *Bex*
- Start date
Alvins mummy
Mama Doe
Lots of vibes for Cleo. Xxx
*Bex*
Mama Doe
Thank you!
Sunday 19th May
Spent quite a bit of time with Cleo today. She had her meds and syringe feed out on the grass today as its so sunny i thought it'd be nice for her to have fresh air. I sat her on the grass but couldn't let go of her as i knew she'd roll. Her head and body are just so badly tilted to her left.
She's still been eating loads and shes very alert. I watched her in her carrier after i put her back and she positioned herself kind of sat on her bum/laid on her back (hard to explain) and she washed her paws and her face. It was amazing to see how she has adapted and learnt to do these things. I gave her some food which she ate. When she goes to eat she sort of rolls/throws herself onto all fours and picks up the food then she'll lay down to eat it. She's so clever learning how to cope with her body while it isn't working properly. I think if she can recover from the severe tilt and straight her head and body up she will be ok, but that is going to be a big challenge. She does feel skinny but she is eating and eating, i'm not sure if it is possibly more of a loss of muscle tone. All in all, she's doing as ok as can be expected.
*Bex*
Mama Doe
Wednesday 22nd May
Not updated for a few days as there hasn't been much to tell. She remains stable, eating us out of house and home which is great! Her tilt has not improved and she remains severely tilted still.
She does however spend quite a bit more time sat up, whereas she used to lay on her side all the time. She's usually right up at the front of her carrier so I am going to buy her one of the indoor cages as I am wondering if this is a sign she is ready to have more space and wants to be able to look around some more. I know she needs to learn to cope with her tilt and she needs to get stronger so hopefully having some more space will do this and hopefully the improvement in her tilt will follow. We've got her this far, she hasn't given up with herself yet so I'm hoping she will carry on fighting. She certainly seems to have a lot of determination. She kicks and wiggles about when she is handled which was something she did not do at her worst. She doesn't immediately roll when let go of, although she does still roll sometimes. Usually first thing on a morning when she seems quite sleepy.
It's 2 weeks today since she took her severe turn for the worse and she has definately improved since then.
Not updated for a few days as there hasn't been much to tell. She remains stable, eating us out of house and home which is great! Her tilt has not improved and she remains severely tilted still.
She does however spend quite a bit more time sat up, whereas she used to lay on her side all the time. She's usually right up at the front of her carrier so I am going to buy her one of the indoor cages as I am wondering if this is a sign she is ready to have more space and wants to be able to look around some more. I know she needs to learn to cope with her tilt and she needs to get stronger so hopefully having some more space will do this and hopefully the improvement in her tilt will follow. We've got her this far, she hasn't given up with herself yet so I'm hoping she will carry on fighting. She certainly seems to have a lot of determination. She kicks and wiggles about when she is handled which was something she did not do at her worst. She doesn't immediately roll when let go of, although she does still roll sometimes. Usually first thing on a morning when she seems quite sleepy.
It's 2 weeks today since she took her severe turn for the worse and she has definately improved since then.
*Bex*
Mama Doe
She is that, I'm so proud of her!
There is nothing to tell today, she's the same. Hoovering all her food up
going to get her some new accommodation tomorrow and see where we go from there.
*Bex*
Mama Doe
Friday 24th May
She's moved into her new cage today. She did a bit of rolling when she first went into it but I guess it's a bigger space and different to what she's been used to. She managed to get herself right quickly though and started eating.
Before we moved her, when we first went to get her she was sat on all 4 feet with her head at a 90 degree angle but she had it laid flat on the floor. This is definately a difference to her having it upside down.
Here's hoping we see some good improvements soon.
She's moved into her new cage today. She did a bit of rolling when she first went into it but I guess it's a bigger space and different to what she's been used to. She managed to get herself right quickly though and started eating.
Before we moved her, when we first went to get her she was sat on all 4 feet with her head at a 90 degree angle but she had it laid flat on the floor. This is definately a difference to her having it upside down.
Here's hoping we see some good improvements soon.
*Bex*
Mama Doe
Tuesday 28th May
Cleo is doing quite well generally. Her appetite is great and she is now managing to sit with her head at a better angle. She can hold it at around 90 degrees tilted instead of completely upside down, although she still does this sometimes. I was watching her eat her soft pellets on Sunday morning and she was bringing her head up to almost normal which was great!
When she falls now she can manage to scramble back onto her feet. Although sometimes she does prefer to just lie down.
She has had a bit of problem with getting dirty on a night for the past few nights. I'm not sure if she is passing more cecals than usual, but it is only during the night, and there is a lot! She still passes plenty of normal poos. She's having to be cleaned on a morning at the moment.
We are working at trying to build her weight up as she appears to have lost quite a lot over these past couple of weeks, so we are keeping her supplied with plenty of food and adding some oats to her soft pellets.
So, on we plod with the fight!
Cleo is doing quite well generally. Her appetite is great and she is now managing to sit with her head at a better angle. She can hold it at around 90 degrees tilted instead of completely upside down, although she still does this sometimes. I was watching her eat her soft pellets on Sunday morning and she was bringing her head up to almost normal which was great!
When she falls now she can manage to scramble back onto her feet. Although sometimes she does prefer to just lie down.
She has had a bit of problem with getting dirty on a night for the past few nights. I'm not sure if she is passing more cecals than usual, but it is only during the night, and there is a lot! She still passes plenty of normal poos. She's having to be cleaned on a morning at the moment.
We are working at trying to build her weight up as she appears to have lost quite a lot over these past couple of weeks, so we are keeping her supplied with plenty of food and adding some oats to her soft pellets.
So, on we plod with the fight!
*Bex*
Mama Doe
Monday 3rd June
Cleo continues to do ok. Her mobilty is none existant still but she is able to sit herself up and right herself when she loses balance. When she eats she is able to sit right up and straighten her head a lot!
I put some food in for her and she stood herself up and was reaching and trying her hardest to get it, but she didn't want to hop because of her balance, but that is another slight improvement. She's also been trying to wash her back end after she's had a bum wash, which she needs every morning at the moment.
It's now 5 weeks since she first got the tilt, and almost 4 weeks since she took her severe turn. I can't help but sometimes think how long do we continue? The vets are happy with her at the moment, and she is happy enough in herself but what if she doesn't improve from where she is at now?
We are trying our hardest to get hold of some meclizine to help with her balance but it seems to be really difficult to find the tablet version as all we can find at the moment is the chewable pastil version.
It is so heartbreaking, I just hope so much that she can come through it.
Cleo continues to do ok. Her mobilty is none existant still but she is able to sit herself up and right herself when she loses balance. When she eats she is able to sit right up and straighten her head a lot!
I put some food in for her and she stood herself up and was reaching and trying her hardest to get it, but she didn't want to hop because of her balance, but that is another slight improvement. She's also been trying to wash her back end after she's had a bum wash, which she needs every morning at the moment.
It's now 5 weeks since she first got the tilt, and almost 4 weeks since she took her severe turn. I can't help but sometimes think how long do we continue? The vets are happy with her at the moment, and she is happy enough in herself but what if she doesn't improve from where she is at now?
We are trying our hardest to get hold of some meclizine to help with her balance but it seems to be really difficult to find the tablet version as all we can find at the moment is the chewable pastil version.
It is so heartbreaking, I just hope so much that she can come through it.
Just caught up with your latest updates on Cleo.
It really sounds like she's on the road to recovery - unfortunately it is very slow to recover from such a severe head tilt. I think B's recovery followed a similar timeline to your experiences - I can't now remember in detail but she came down with a severe tilt in the April and was being medicated into around mid-June at least & living in our dining room until mid-July (there was a delay as we needed to get suitable accommodation to move her and Willow back outside - a big ramp was going to be too challenging for her at first).
If the vets are happy with her at the moment and she is happy in herself then go with it. B ended up with a permanent tilt at about 30-45 degrees but she learnt to cope with it - the first time she properly periscoped post-tilt (without resting her paws on anything) I cried as I was so proud of her, but it was some months after the end of treatment. Cleo needs to relearn how to balance in the different positions to clean herself etc.
Is she back with her partner? Might be worth trying if the bond hasn't broken as whenever B got in a mess (covered in avipro usually so a bit sticky) then Willow cleaned her up, as well has making sure her ears and eyes were clean.
It really sounds like she's on the road to recovery - unfortunately it is very slow to recover from such a severe head tilt. I think B's recovery followed a similar timeline to your experiences - I can't now remember in detail but she came down with a severe tilt in the April and was being medicated into around mid-June at least & living in our dining room until mid-July (there was a delay as we needed to get suitable accommodation to move her and Willow back outside - a big ramp was going to be too challenging for her at first).
If the vets are happy with her at the moment and she is happy in herself then go with it. B ended up with a permanent tilt at about 30-45 degrees but she learnt to cope with it - the first time she properly periscoped post-tilt (without resting her paws on anything) I cried as I was so proud of her, but it was some months after the end of treatment. Cleo needs to relearn how to balance in the different positions to clean herself etc.
Is she back with her partner? Might be worth trying if the bond hasn't broken as whenever B got in a mess (covered in avipro usually so a bit sticky) then Willow cleaned her up, as well has making sure her ears and eyes were clean.
*Bex*
Mama Doe
She is with her partner in the respect that she is still out in the shed with him but she is confined to her indoor cage as she can't get around herself. It's not safe for her to be in an open space just yet as she would just roll
They are still aware of each others presence and Polo rests next to her cage and he looks in on her. She still manages to wash her own face, it's just her bum we need to do, and sometimes her back if she's rolled in it.
It's just so hard to see that she can ever be properly better as in be able to hop round again. I know she'll always have a tilt which is fine as long as she can cope.
They are still aware of each others presence and Polo rests next to her cage and he looks in on her. She still manages to wash her own face, it's just her bum we need to do, and sometimes her back if she's rolled in it.
It's just so hard to see that she can ever be properly better as in be able to hop round again. I know she'll always have a tilt which is fine as long as she can cope.
She is with her partner in the respect that she is still out in the shed with him but she is confined to her indoor cage as she can't get around herself. It's not safe for her to be in an open space just yet as she would just roll
It's just so hard to see that she can ever be properly better as in be able to hop round again. I know she'll always have a tilt which is fine as long as she can cope.
I know it's hard to believe but they can learn to cope with the world being wonky - it becomes their new normal.
I know she'll roll in a bigger space but it might be something she needs to learn to deal with. I realise your set up is different but we never restricted B to such a small area - she and Willow shared a 6' x 3' space throughout her illness - covered in a blanket and with rolled up towels/blankets around anything hard/corners and we put the hay up in a manger or basket so she couldn't get it tangled round her legs.
*Bex*
Mama Doe
Maybe it should be something I need to consider then. I could let her out and supervise her in the shed with Polo and see how she gets on.
She's had a good day so far today. After she had her lunchtime meds she was sat up in her cage. There was a bit of her puppy pad sticking out from under her vet bed and she was reaching out and chinning it and nudging it with her nose
I am really concerned about her weight. She is so so skinny but is eating really well so any advice about what we could feed her to help her get some weight back on would be great. She already has oats twice a day with her soft pellets.
She's had a good day so far today. After she had her lunchtime meds she was sat up in her cage. There was a bit of her puppy pad sticking out from under her vet bed and she was reaching out and chinning it and nudging it with her nose
I am really concerned about her weight. She is so so skinny but is eating really well so any advice about what we could feed her to help her get some weight back on would be great. She already has oats twice a day with her soft pellets.
bunslave
Mama Doe
She sounds like she is doing fine It's really only been a month which isn't that long with EC.
Maybe some protexin pro fibre or fibafirst will help with her weight. I've ordered some for Cheeky as, although she's eating a lot, she still feels thinner than she used to be. Her course of treatment started the same time as Cleo's and I've got another 2 months worth of meds here now. Her head is nowhere near as tilted as it was and she demands out of her pen daily for a good runaround
Slow process but they'll get there :thumb:
It's really only been a month which isn't that long with EC.Maybe some protexin pro fibre or fibafirst will help with her weight. I've ordered some for Cheeky as, although she's eating a lot, she still feels thinner than she used to be. Her course of treatment started the same time as Cleo's and I've got another 2 months worth of meds here now. Her head is nowhere near as tilted as it was and she demands out of her pen daily for a good runaround
Slow process but they'll get there :thumb:
*Bex*
Mama Doe
She sounds like she is doing fine
Maybe some protexin pro fibre or fibafirst will help with her weight. I've ordered some for Cheeky as, although she's eating a lot, she still feels thinner than she used to be. Her course of treatment started the same time as Cleo's and I've got another 2 months worth of meds here now. Her head is nowhere near as tilted as it was and she demands out of her pen daily for a good runaround
Slow process but they'll get there :thumb:
Glad to hear Cheeky is doing so well
