katbun
Warren Scout
Hi again, so we've just been at the vet and had a slightly alarming chat.
Basically the past few months pipers been sneezing more and more, and has been slowly losing weight. She's lost muscle mass in her back legs, so I believe that's the cause of the weight loss.
This may just be due to arthritis on slippery floors? She was on quite a low dose until a few weeks ago, now we've moved and she loves the carpet.
She's also just had a dental and the xray showed both ear 'cavities' (behind the eardrum, I forget what he called it now) are full of pus.
I went back to the vet to get something for the sneezing cause last time they said wait and see, and also to ask about the weight loss because she's eating lots.
The vet wants a ct scan (expensive!) And do pribably do a surgery wear he cuts the side of her face open? He showed me a diagram and then tried to show me a video but I shut that down. He didn't tell me how much the surgery was but said a lot. It seems very extreme and scary given she's 9 and fairly well on the outside.
He thinks pain is putting her off food causing the weight loss but I don't see that, other than maybe less hay. And he said it should hurt her when he pushes on the ear and she doesn't flinch.
He seems to and to get a good look at her skull because she's a crossbreed with dental and ear disease and it's a strange shape.
For the moment, we've settled on co-trimoxazole for the sneezing, upping her metacam, and feeding her up (she's delighted with extra pellets and greens). And I've been reading about building up muscle so she's got more boxes to hop on and off of, with food rewards on top, and we're going to play more chasing us games.
I might get some readigrass or alfalfa for the protein but i don't want to go too crazy and throw her off.
Also I've been giving her panacur for the last 2 weeks in case of EC, mostly for my own peace of mind due to Joey.
But this morning I've got up the courage to look into the ear thing and it seems quite bad, like if left alone it could pop out of her head!!
So has anybody had the scary ear surgery? Maybe it's cause it's on her face and her head's so small, I suppose a spay is a big scary invasive surgery and we all do that. But with her age I'm worried that the surgery would be so bad she wouldn't make it and her last days would be in suffering after all that. But then if i wait for a sign that its bad enough, she'd suffer more and make it worse?
Anyway any thoughts/experience would be helpful
Basically the past few months pipers been sneezing more and more, and has been slowly losing weight. She's lost muscle mass in her back legs, so I believe that's the cause of the weight loss.
This may just be due to arthritis on slippery floors? She was on quite a low dose until a few weeks ago, now we've moved and she loves the carpet.
She's also just had a dental and the xray showed both ear 'cavities' (behind the eardrum, I forget what he called it now) are full of pus.
I went back to the vet to get something for the sneezing cause last time they said wait and see, and also to ask about the weight loss because she's eating lots.
The vet wants a ct scan (expensive!) And do pribably do a surgery wear he cuts the side of her face open? He showed me a diagram and then tried to show me a video but I shut that down. He didn't tell me how much the surgery was but said a lot. It seems very extreme and scary given she's 9 and fairly well on the outside.
He thinks pain is putting her off food causing the weight loss but I don't see that, other than maybe less hay. And he said it should hurt her when he pushes on the ear and she doesn't flinch.
He seems to and to get a good look at her skull because she's a crossbreed with dental and ear disease and it's a strange shape.
For the moment, we've settled on co-trimoxazole for the sneezing, upping her metacam, and feeding her up (she's delighted with extra pellets and greens). And I've been reading about building up muscle so she's got more boxes to hop on and off of, with food rewards on top, and we're going to play more chasing us games.
I might get some readigrass or alfalfa for the protein but i don't want to go too crazy and throw her off.
Also I've been giving her panacur for the last 2 weeks in case of EC, mostly for my own peace of mind due to Joey.
But this morning I've got up the courage to look into the ear thing and it seems quite bad, like if left alone it could pop out of her head!!
So has anybody had the scary ear surgery? Maybe it's cause it's on her face and her head's so small, I suppose a spay is a big scary invasive surgery and we all do that. But with her age I'm worried that the surgery would be so bad she wouldn't make it and her last days would be in suffering after all that. But then if i wait for a sign that its bad enough, she'd suffer more and make it worse?
Anyway any thoughts/experience would be helpful
