Conjunctivitis still getting worse after two sets of antibiotics - Page 6

jsp · 12-10-2021, 12:18 PM

This is what he looked like in his youth. He was a powerfully-built chap.

jsp · 12-12-2021, 02:10 PM

This is what Roc's eye looks like now, when he is wide awake and has had 13 lots of drops directly in his eye. I think we will be back to the vet tomorrow.

souffle · 12-13-2021, 08:18 AM

I think it's probably that the eye surface is now damaged and the drops won't be doing anything much as the infection looks to have gone. It may need something else done to stop the eyelashes turning in though I'm unsure if that would work on a hamster. Poor lad

jsp · 12-15-2021, 03:52 AM

Roc's been back to the vet and we've to do eye drops 5 times a day now! (Poor guy, he'll have no time to sleep.)

Apparently there is pus in his eye and an ulcer, which ought to be healing, but isn't. The vet said that oral antibiotics or an injection wouldn't do it and it has to be eye drops.

My husband is getting lessons in how to put the eye drops in. (He just phoned from the vet.)

I asked if we could have two bottles this time, as they keep giving us one bottle to use 3 times a day for a fortnight, and then it runs out after 15 drops.)

jsp · 12-15-2021, 04:31 AM

Apparently Roc had a very thorough looking-at when he was at the vet. The man used the same tool as Doctors use to look in people ears, but instead the vet used it to look in Roc's mouth, pushing it in on either side of his big front teeth.

The vet also put luminous eye drops in Roc's eye and used a UV light to look at the cornea. He then looked to see if the luminous drops trickled out of Roc's nose, to show that the duct in his eye was working. (It was.)

There was a student vet there too, so Roc got handled by two different people. My husband says that Roc look really sad and crestfallen by the end of it, which is not surprising as Roc was never handled at all before this conjunctivitis started. It must be a lot for his little mind to take in.

Roc looked pleased to be home. He was really keen to socialise this morning and took lots of nuts from my son, and kept coming back for more. I'm glad he is enjoying that part anyway.

The vet's method for putting eye drops in, is to scruff Roc really firmly, tip him on one side, put the eye drop on the closed eye, lay the bottle down, and then open the eye to let the drop fall in. My husband brought a video back. I don't think I would like to do anything that rough to him. I'll have to think about that (five times a day!).

jsp · 12-15-2021, 04:58 AM

I just watched the video again and the vet doesn't really scruff Roc, he just picks him up very firmly like a telephone receiver, and tips him on his side. I think the way he does it makes the hamster stop squiggling, because he just lies there on his side and doesn't fight. I tried it and my hand isn't big enough. I also tried wrapping Roc in a tea towel, and he was having none of it.

jsp · 01-09-2022, 02:11 AM

I wondered if you would like to know that Roc's eye is getting gradually better? He has had five treatments with eye drops a day since the middle of December and the ulcer on his cornea has gone now. The infection in his tear duct is still there.

The vet did a swab last week and we are waiting to see what bug they find in case a different antibiotic would be more effective.

He has better healthcare than I do.

Ria P · 01-09-2022, 06:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsp

He has better healthcare than I do.

Lol, don't i know it. Anything amiss with a hamster and i drop everything i'm doing to rush to the vets but if it's me, it's more like, ach, it's just old age and will go away if i ignore it.

On a serious note, i'm so pleased to hear that Roc is getting better which, no doubt, is down to your excellent care.

Please keep us updated.

jsp · 01-09-2022, 07:54 PM

Thank you very much for such kind encouragement. Five times a day has been a lot of stuff for him and me to cope with (he doesn't like it at all) and I'd really nice to be encouraged to keep ploughing on.

jsp · 01-15-2022, 08:01 AM

Hi,

I wondered if I could ask what you think we should do for Roc next? I just heard back from the vet. I'd be really glad to have advice from people who have been there before.

She says that the swab of his eye showed that he has a Bacillus infection (species unspecified).

She said we could try oral antibiotics, and I wondered if you think that is likely to work?

She thinks the infection is stuck down in the duct between his eye and nose.

I worry that we are doing an awful lot of weird stuff to Roc and I would be so glad to know what the right thing is, rather than just keeping trying loads of things on him.

Thanks!