Pickle's Thread - Page 28

Pebbles82 · 05-22-2021, 04:40 PM

Pickle came out for his medicine and baby food at tea time and licked it all up. I think it does wear off after 24 hours and he looked a bit strained again and went straight back to bed - but it kicks in fairly quickly.

At feeding time he had a bit of apple and a walnut. He came out when he heard me putting food out, so he's back in normal habits in that respect. He is so funny when he finds a walnut half. Gets really excited and grabs it and runs straight back into his house with it. You can really see how excited and happy he is when he finds a walnut! I'll keep giving him out of cage time while he's in that little tank.

Pebbles82 · 05-23-2021, 05:58 AM

So it is quite hard work with a post op hamster! I am letting him out at about 2am at night as that's when he's up and most active and going a bit stir crazy in a small cage without his wheel. Last night I set up the playpen so he could have a run around and put a wheel in it. He seemed quite feral and I think his sole motivation is escape right now! Even in the playpen all he wanted to do was get out of it! Although he did run in the wheel a couple of short times. But need to be careful he doesn't overdo things and split his stitches as he was incredibly active.

So he may need a bit more retaming after this experience. Removed from his cage, back and forth to the vets, surgery, small tank and no wheel. Not been in his familiar home/cage for some time so turned feral I reckon! He does listen to me though.

Most of the time he is resting in his house but I think as the metacam kicks in during his active phase he goes a bit feral!

I watched him on the nightcam last night (keep staying up late to see when he comes out) and he has worked out where the catches are for the lid on the cage. Sneaky ham. So he was trying really hard to get at that part of the bars and undo them. If the house had been under that area he could have managed it maybe. But the catch area is over the substrate so he was on his back legs, reaching up and hanging from the bars to get at the catches.

That's when I went downstairs to let him out for a bit. No sign of him when I got there. He heard me coming and went back in his house. Sneaky! He had no idea I had seen what he was trying to do!

Coco61 · 05-24-2021, 07:24 AM

Quite a sneaky ham is your Pickle! Glad the metacam is going down and obviously has a good effect. Sounds like a few more walnuts should be going his way to reward him and perk him up. Just hope he does not overdo things while his stitches are still in place.

Pebbles82 · 05-25-2021, 01:57 PM

Thank you Coco. His wound is looking good. Quite dried up and looking a bit more shrunk. He has his post op check in a couple of days.

Ria P · 05-26-2021, 11:41 AM

Haha! He doesn't like to get caught so disappeared when he heard you coming. Hamsters are funny.

Pebbles82 · 05-26-2021, 01:25 PM

They are funny aren't they

Sneaky too. I think he may be getting a bit institutionalised in that little cage now. Last night when I let him out in the playpen he didn't do much. Sniffed a few things, ran on the wheel for about 5 seconds then sat in a tunnel looking a bit bored. So popped him back in the cage. I suspect he doesn't like me being around when he has his late night activity - that's personal! Maybe he'd rather hang from the bars alone than use things in the playpen without privacy.

Pebbles82 · 05-27-2021, 03:22 PM

It has been one heck of a post op week. Lots of observation, getting up in the night etc. Pickle is now back in his Mickey 2XL, with his wheel. Trip to the vet again today for the post op check. 1.5 hours each way for a 2 minute check! Vet very happy with the wound, metacam can stop. His wound has healed amazingly in the last couple of days - most of it has disappeared in that it has healed completely. So just a small scabby line in the centre now. It looks very neat and clean.

He looked very happy when he went back in his Mickey 2XL and did a little victory roll by running up and down one of his bendy bridges. Tonight he was at the bars as if he wanted to come out with a look that sort of said - but what about my other little cage? You left my hoard in there. Sorry Pickle - you pee'd on it and you have plenty of hoard in the Mickey 2XL.

LunaTheHamster1 · 05-27-2021, 03:44 PM

That's great news Serendipity. Glad it all went ok.

Coco61 · 05-29-2021, 04:05 AM

Very pleased indeed to hear that Pickle’s recovery is going so well.

Ria P · 05-29-2021, 09:49 AM

Glad that everything went so well. So, now it's a waiting game until you get the biopsy result.