Diagnosed with Cushing's

[Potato]

Sadly, the other exotic vets are not available.. One's been booked full for the month and the other one has very suspicious reviews. The same vet has given her some Baytril, and one good thing is that her urine is starting to look less red and the amount she urinates at a time has decreased slightly after 2 days of giving her medicine, but her head is still tilting to the left. And another thing is that she isn't eating or drinking unless I physically hand her food or give her water via those plastic syringes without needles at the end.

[Pebbles82]

If she is not eating or drinking then her quality of life has reduced to the point she is suffering. It is a difficult call whether to wait and see if she improves with the baytril.

[Potato]

Since the medicine usually takes a couple of days to take affect, I'm going to continue feeding and giving her water and medicine for 2-3 more days, and if there isn't a noticeable improvement or more problems arise, I'm going to make an appointment to have her go.

Though whatever happens next, I'm satisfied with the time I got to spend with her ^-^

[Pebbles82]

It is a very hard situation X. Also difficult when we are not there and you are. It could take 5 to 7 days for antibiotics to start working so you might want to give it a bit longer but you will probably know if it when it is the right time to help her. Last time one of ours had antibiotics he was actually not great at all while having them (they can get side effects) but improved after they had finished. Maybe you could ask the vet for Metacam as well in case she is in pain.

[Potato]

One thing is that she isn't squeaking in pain, so that's good. Her ears are only half down when she is awake, i'm guessing that's better than all the way flattened all the time? I will see if I can get some Metacam for her but that will depend on if the vet thinks she needs the medicine.

Another update is that her urine colour is improving! It's not the same colour as when she was healthy, but it's definitely not red anymore and leaning towards the dark golden-yellow side, but it’s kind of like a faded/clear version.

She's spending all of her time resting and isn't getting up to drink, but I have been making sure to feed her water. As for food, she isn't getting up to eat but when I bring the syringe to her mouth, she will automatically start to eat.

The downside is that the leaning to the left side and head tilt hasn't improved much but I think her balance has improved and she isn't turning in circles anymore.

[Pebbles82]

I really hope the antibiotics do the trick. You can only finish the course and see how she is then. But if in the meantime she seems in severe distress you may need to take her to the vet urgently. Fingers crossed bit is infection that can be resolved so she returns to normal.

[Potato]

Update: The medicine seems to be working. She's eating food and I see a concave dent in the bedding close to the water bottle, leading me to believe that she has drank water at night. She's dehydrated and might need a boost of nutrients, but at least she's starting to drink and eat on her own again! Her urine is yellow, though it's still not completely healthy looking (probably due to her drinking and eating habits). I can't say for sure about the head tilt because she still isn't walking around much, but I'll keep an eye out. I'm glad I decided to go back to the vet and question the diagnosis.

[Pebbles82]

That is good news . See how she is when she’s completed the antibiotics but it definitely sounds like she has an infection of some sort. How long is she on the antibiotic for? It’s usually at least a week.

[Potato]

It's been 5 days so far since she has been taking Baytril every 12 hours. The vet has prescribed her 0.03mL and said to continue feeding her for 15 days.

I'm so on edge right now She seems fine one minute and the next, I feel like something shows up. She has lots of toilet paper and tissue paper for her nest and it always stays above 21C or 70 fahrenheit, but she is feeling less warm than a few hours ago. She's not completely cold, just not as warm as I would like her to be. Currently, I am holding her close to me. She is not lethargic though.

Also her rectum is a little red? I have no idea what it could be or if it's just a little irritated because the fur around the area is always stuck together and I've only been wiping it with a wet paper towel.

Another problem I have now is that when she urinates, there's barely any urine. I have just found a rehydration recipe (3/4 tbsp sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 cup warm water) and I'm going to see if that helps. Her urine is also not very yellow. It's kind of faded so I am taking it as a sign that she needs more nutrients.

I am hoping that she will soon be on track.

[Potato]

Yep. Her ears, feet, and nose are a little cold.