Hekomi
11-09-2014, 06:43 PM
Biscotti came to us from another person in our area, and I was just so excited for him to come home. He was such a calm, adorable baby. When we brought him home in May, we had to go on a quick trip through the mall, and so quite a few people were interested what was in our purple carrier!
http://i.gyazo.com/99f686a8303760b60a3da28b779bd030.png
He was always super sweet, even when just a little wee fella. I love this picture, because it shows just how adorable he was. Plus he peed right on my SO right after I took the shot.
http://i.gyazo.com/2ef3a8cf914c01961fd8d123c7991109.png
My favourite thing Biscotti did was trying to fit in his food bowl all the time to eat from it. He actually fit in it for quite a while too! He was a pretty small little guy.
http://i.gyazo.com/6232361105841ec81cc80692ab5c6a0d.png
He still tried to fit...
http://i.gyazo.com/f495ee4ca4744443927de8517394aa46.png
And fit...
http://i.gyazo.com/f8ade124a3917fb0c8f1beecf52894b6.png
And fit...
http://i.gyazo.com/ac942f5686432e98e9f4f382f09e3e2a.png
He always made it work.
http://i.gyazo.com/f84b43dba75d615de34442ce2688e127.png
He had the stink eye mastered. And was the pickiest eater.
http://i.gyazo.com/6b1ef6ce644b58a3ea98cd7d4ad43cdb.png
But his little face could fill me with smiles whenever I saw it.
http://i.gyazo.com/91f8ced1b796dd2455f174f871474390.png
One of my favourite features about Biscotti was this little black dot, right near his lip. You can see it best on this picture. He looooved his wodent wheel.
http://i.imgur.com/mplExkJl.jpg
He liked to snuggle and watch movies with us, and sometimes played xbox with us. Though, he was never any good.
http://i.gyazo.com/06d9094eb898b2dff996fda0775d0067.png
But it couldn't always be great. This is the last picture I took of Biscotti, enjoying some toilet paper we ripped up for his nest.
http://i.gyazo.com/9c890862c051c79373a48387d66fafdd.png
Between October 16th and October 26th, Biscotti gained 16g. At first I thought it was great - he was following the growth spurts he had had since he was little, and he was just 6mo old. Unfortunately, I was wrong. I pulled him out of his house on the 26th, and found a severely bloated Biscotti. My SO and I freaked out, and rushed him to the Emergency Veterinary, as it was late on a Sunday evening. We stayed there for quite a few hours, waiting for our turn. The vet saw him, but didn't know what she could do, as her expertise was in cats and dogs. She could refer us to a place 3 hours out of town, for a huge expense, or try to do x-rays to rule out a blockage, in house. Our main concern was blockage, and right as we were making a decision, he pulled some poops out of his bum and flung them across the carrier. Cheeky bugger!
At the vet's recommendation, we increased his fiber and did a full diet change. However, the bloat stayed the same, and there was no real improvement. I took him to our vet as soon as we could get an appointment on the 28th. She could not feel fluid or gas. The vet gave us some options - we could do x-rays, however I did not feel comfortable putting him under anesthesia, as he was not very robust, or exploratory surgery for a tumor, or treat it medicinally. We opted to take a medicinal route.
It was clear the medicine wasn't working. He began to get more and more dehydrated, his stomach still swollen, but his body losing fat and muscle tone. It was incredibly hard seeing him waste away. The vet believed the problem to be genetic. I was force-hydrating him, and tempting him with every treat I could. I crocheted him a small blanket, and then looped it up like a cup so he could cuddle in it.
On the 4th, I knew it was his last day. He was clicking with each breath, and while he took a sunflower seed, he didn't eat it. There was fluid in his lungs. My SO and I called the vet, making an appointment for that evening to have him put to sleep, but giving him the ability to pass peacefully at home, should he do so. At about two that afternoon, he passed, snuggled in the little blanket I had crocheted for him.
I had spent the morning with him on my lap, singing to him, and talking to him. I told him we loved him, and that it was okay to go - he didn't need to keep fighting. We understood it was his time to go, and join all the other hamsters at the Rainbow Bridge. I am glad he went in his sleep, happily at home.
We buried him at my mum's house, underneath an apple tree, and some purple flowered ground cover. She let me put a beautiful stone bear on top of him, and I wrote his name, as well as Corretto, Nanaimo, and Coffee's, on the back. We read him the Rainbow Bridge, and I spoke to him softly.
I love my Scotti, my Scottiboy, Scottiballs, Scottiottiotti, so, so, so, much. But I am glad he is no longer in any pain. I know I will see him again one day.
---
As part of the medicinal treatment, we did a fecal sample on Biscotti, and found out too late from the vet that he carried three parasites: Capillaria, Giardia, and Entamoeba Coli. The vet said she doesn't usually treat these parasites, and that it's usually only a problem in hamsters with compromised immune systems. However, we immediately tested all the other hamsters, everyone is fine, and the vet assured us we have no reason to believe any hamster was ever in any danger. The parasites simply exacerbated Biscotti's condition. We have taken great measures to sanitize and sterilize everything in the Strong Brew household just in case. The parasites that were found in Biscotti's stool only affect hamsters, and are transmitted from fecal to oral transmissions, or unsanitary water.
The vet believes Biscotti was born with these parasites. The vet said the one parasite, Capillaria, is a parasite that is commonly found in wild mice, in this area. As Biscotti was never in contact with mice, one of his ancestors must have been in contact with them, or their droppings, possibly from being taken outside. For us, this stresses the importance of safety when you are outside with your hamster and for their own safety, I would urge you not to do so in the first place.
---
Rest in peace Biscotti.
http://i.gyazo.com/99f686a8303760b60a3da28b779bd030.png
He was always super sweet, even when just a little wee fella. I love this picture, because it shows just how adorable he was. Plus he peed right on my SO right after I took the shot.
http://i.gyazo.com/2ef3a8cf914c01961fd8d123c7991109.png
My favourite thing Biscotti did was trying to fit in his food bowl all the time to eat from it. He actually fit in it for quite a while too! He was a pretty small little guy.
http://i.gyazo.com/6232361105841ec81cc80692ab5c6a0d.png
He still tried to fit...
http://i.gyazo.com/f495ee4ca4744443927de8517394aa46.png
And fit...
http://i.gyazo.com/f8ade124a3917fb0c8f1beecf52894b6.png
And fit...
http://i.gyazo.com/ac942f5686432e98e9f4f382f09e3e2a.png
He always made it work.
http://i.gyazo.com/f84b43dba75d615de34442ce2688e127.png
He had the stink eye mastered. And was the pickiest eater.
http://i.gyazo.com/6b1ef6ce644b58a3ea98cd7d4ad43cdb.png
But his little face could fill me with smiles whenever I saw it.
http://i.gyazo.com/91f8ced1b796dd2455f174f871474390.png
One of my favourite features about Biscotti was this little black dot, right near his lip. You can see it best on this picture. He looooved his wodent wheel.
http://i.imgur.com/mplExkJl.jpg
He liked to snuggle and watch movies with us, and sometimes played xbox with us. Though, he was never any good.
http://i.gyazo.com/06d9094eb898b2dff996fda0775d0067.png
But it couldn't always be great. This is the last picture I took of Biscotti, enjoying some toilet paper we ripped up for his nest.
http://i.gyazo.com/9c890862c051c79373a48387d66fafdd.png
Between October 16th and October 26th, Biscotti gained 16g. At first I thought it was great - he was following the growth spurts he had had since he was little, and he was just 6mo old. Unfortunately, I was wrong. I pulled him out of his house on the 26th, and found a severely bloated Biscotti. My SO and I freaked out, and rushed him to the Emergency Veterinary, as it was late on a Sunday evening. We stayed there for quite a few hours, waiting for our turn. The vet saw him, but didn't know what she could do, as her expertise was in cats and dogs. She could refer us to a place 3 hours out of town, for a huge expense, or try to do x-rays to rule out a blockage, in house. Our main concern was blockage, and right as we were making a decision, he pulled some poops out of his bum and flung them across the carrier. Cheeky bugger!
At the vet's recommendation, we increased his fiber and did a full diet change. However, the bloat stayed the same, and there was no real improvement. I took him to our vet as soon as we could get an appointment on the 28th. She could not feel fluid or gas. The vet gave us some options - we could do x-rays, however I did not feel comfortable putting him under anesthesia, as he was not very robust, or exploratory surgery for a tumor, or treat it medicinally. We opted to take a medicinal route.
It was clear the medicine wasn't working. He began to get more and more dehydrated, his stomach still swollen, but his body losing fat and muscle tone. It was incredibly hard seeing him waste away. The vet believed the problem to be genetic. I was force-hydrating him, and tempting him with every treat I could. I crocheted him a small blanket, and then looped it up like a cup so he could cuddle in it.
On the 4th, I knew it was his last day. He was clicking with each breath, and while he took a sunflower seed, he didn't eat it. There was fluid in his lungs. My SO and I called the vet, making an appointment for that evening to have him put to sleep, but giving him the ability to pass peacefully at home, should he do so. At about two that afternoon, he passed, snuggled in the little blanket I had crocheted for him.
I had spent the morning with him on my lap, singing to him, and talking to him. I told him we loved him, and that it was okay to go - he didn't need to keep fighting. We understood it was his time to go, and join all the other hamsters at the Rainbow Bridge. I am glad he went in his sleep, happily at home.
We buried him at my mum's house, underneath an apple tree, and some purple flowered ground cover. She let me put a beautiful stone bear on top of him, and I wrote his name, as well as Corretto, Nanaimo, and Coffee's, on the back. We read him the Rainbow Bridge, and I spoke to him softly.
I love my Scotti, my Scottiboy, Scottiballs, Scottiottiotti, so, so, so, much. But I am glad he is no longer in any pain. I know I will see him again one day.
---
As part of the medicinal treatment, we did a fecal sample on Biscotti, and found out too late from the vet that he carried three parasites: Capillaria, Giardia, and Entamoeba Coli. The vet said she doesn't usually treat these parasites, and that it's usually only a problem in hamsters with compromised immune systems. However, we immediately tested all the other hamsters, everyone is fine, and the vet assured us we have no reason to believe any hamster was ever in any danger. The parasites simply exacerbated Biscotti's condition. We have taken great measures to sanitize and sterilize everything in the Strong Brew household just in case. The parasites that were found in Biscotti's stool only affect hamsters, and are transmitted from fecal to oral transmissions, or unsanitary water.
The vet believes Biscotti was born with these parasites. The vet said the one parasite, Capillaria, is a parasite that is commonly found in wild mice, in this area. As Biscotti was never in contact with mice, one of his ancestors must have been in contact with them, or their droppings, possibly from being taken outside. For us, this stresses the importance of safety when you are outside with your hamster and for their own safety, I would urge you not to do so in the first place.
---
Rest in peace Biscotti.