[Pebbles82]

Pickle has been to the vets. The exotic vet wasn't available till Friday and I didn't want to wait that long so he was seen by a new more junior vet (chat and handover in the car park). His eye is protruding more and looks really nasty. She said, as I expected, that they wouldn't be able to tell if it was cancer or an infection and would probably treat with antiobitics and metacam and see what happens. But if it's only just started up in the last few days there's a good chance it's infection or a tooth abscess. That was after having a peek at him in the pet carrier and a look at his eye. She confirmed, as I guessed by looking at it, that it is now a non functioning eye.

She then took him into the vet surgery to examine him and I mentioned his testicles seemed larger and out all the time. When she brought him out she said she had asked the head vet for his opinion and that had been that Pickle should "go". ie be pts. I had been wondering what the prognosis would be and thinking his eye would probably need removing or pts and I feel he is too well and active to be pts. She must have seen my face and said - or possibly removing the eye.

He'd just been crawling all over me in the car while we were waiting in the car park and very energetically trying to push his way through the blanket. He doesn't seem to be in any pain or affected in any way, which is suprising. Unless the eye is numb.

She then said she'd examined him and didn't find any issue with his testicles, no swelling to abdomen and she thinks those are fine. And gave me a bag with the baytril in (already have metacam). Said wait and see what exotic vet says tomorrow.

Said she'd call me back after double checking the dose of baytril (I'd queried it).

When she called back it was a completely different story - she said he'll probably be fine on Metacam and live out his time and the exotic vet would call me tomorrow to see how he was and discuss (except she hasn't seen the eye!).

I'll wait till I've discussed it with the exotic vet tomorrow before thinking things through. His eye does look really nasty now (weeping, swollen around the area and bulging a lot). And it's all happened quite quickly. Part of me thinks positively it could be an infection if nothing else going on. And with it happening quickly. But then you think he'd be in pain (he doesn't even wince if you wipe round the area).

Anyway one day at a time.

I'd already ordered some beef country hunter dog food to hide the baytril (guessing he'd be prescribed baytril) and put the first dose out in his cage on a little plate before I put him back in the cage. He looked very excited and went straight for it and started nibbling it. But then left it and went back to bed. Hmm. Hardly had any at all. I wonder if he can taste the baytril. If it doesn't go later I'll have to find another method of giving it. The beef country hunter worked very well for Nugget. But all hamsters are different.

He's on 0.04ml baytril (twice a day) and 0.03 ml dog metacam. And he seems perfectly fine! Just as active as usual.

Baytril is just in a syringe with a needle on the end. Never had that before. And a smaller syringe to draw it into. I found that very fiddly as it was full of air bubbles - much harder than just drawing it up straight from the bottle or another syringe.