Making a burrow in mum's bed

Yum yum Critical Care

I'm having problems with my tummy again, but this time I'm perfectly capable of eating myself.

When mum first made Critical Care mix for me some days ago I ran and hid under the bed as usual and kept a long distance to my dish. But now some days later I've found out that it actually tastes really nice when you can eat it out of a dish and not have it forced down your throat with a syringe.

Trying to get mum to give me pellets again though; she's just giving me hay, water and critical care + my daily papayatablet right now... I want my daily ration of pellets back!

Nå er det over

Like før klokken 09:00 i dag sovnet Balto inn i hånden min hos dyrlegen..

Savner jeg kjempe mye lille venn...

Siste bilde:

Bilde av graven hans:

Hehe

Even though I've had Balto for 2,5 years he's still able to amaze me.

I just found him drinking water even thought he was so in pain that he could not move yesterday (maybe it's the water I gave him yesterday?).

I'm just going to check him now, and then we're going to the vet...

I love you...

I don't think Balto will survive this night...

He's in so much pain now...

He barley reacts and his cheeks seems swollen and painful...

If he survives until tomorrow morning I will take him to the vet and if they can't find out what's wrong I will let him go...

Update: Balto

Balto seems much better after the abscess was removed :)
He's got his energy back, and it's a little more difficult to apply salve to the wound.
When it comes to the antibiotics I'm really impressed by how easy it is to give it to him, he swallows it without much fighting and doesn't spit out even a little droplet ^^

His eyes or rather his pupils is still white, thought. I can see that the whiteness in his eyes is dependent on the light and therefore the size of the pupil. And when I think back on the night I found him lying in the cage it was very dark so his pupils should be extracted so the whole eye would seem white to me.

I've tried to ask on a Norwegian hamster forum, but I've haven't got any answer, so I think I'll ask on an international forum to see if anyone seems to know what this is. I also think I will send some photos (the two bellow) to the vet, as it seems to me like they diden't check his eyes properly.

After surfing on the net a little searching for his symptoms I've begin to suspect cataract, as I he doesn't have problems with runny or sticky eyes I don't think is an eye infection, but I'm not an expert. And since he is on antibiotics shouldn't any infection been better by now? To me it seems like Balto has no problems with his eyes hurting, but it seems like he has lost some of his eyesight, as it seemed as he had some problems finding water in his cage, but I think that's solved after I gave him a water dish in addition to his water bottle).


Some pictures were you can see his white pupils (they were taken while he explored the bathroom after last evenings dose of medicine). Please click on the pictures to make them bigger.

Balto is sick :(

About 02:00(am) 17. august in the middle of the night I found Balto lying in his cage and his eyes were turned completely white. At fist I thought he was dead, then I lifted him up and he moved. It was to late to call the vet so I found a 1ml syringe and got him to drink about 2ml of water. I checked him lots of times during the night and it seems like his eyes got a little less white.

Next day I called the vet and had to leave him there since they ware really busy. Some hours later I got a message that they had found a abscess and removed it. When I come back to get him he seemed like he was in a little shock but fine, and his eyes seemed fine. I asked if they found out why his eyes turned white, and they told me that they hadn't found out and that probably it was because hamsters had a white transparent set of eyelids that had made his eyes seemed white. When we leaved we got some antibiotics (he's having 0,03ml twice a day for 10 days) and some salve for the wound.

When I came home I cleaned his cage and have used some kitchen paper as bedding. After a while I saw his pupils turning white again, so I gave him some more water and it seems like they became clearer again. I've also given him some Critical Care and some cockroaches since they contain lots of goodies (B. dubia). It seems like his eating, but not drinking by himself, so I've given him some cucumber (changes it every night) since it contains loots of water (and he eats it) in addition to giving him water with a 1ml syringe.

This is really scary since it's the fist time ever that Balto has been sick. Especially since he tends to sleep when I'm awake and wake up when I turn of the lights and go to bed when I turn it on. So it's was really luck that something kept me awake Tuesday night. I actually think Aristoteles have tried to tell me that something was wrong with Balto (he's laid in front of Baltos cage every night instead of under the table as he tends the, he's also spent loot of time in front of the cage), but as I'm just a stupid human I didn't get it... So I think Balto has been sick for maybe one or two days before I reacted as that's when Aristoteles "weird" behaviour started.




Balto after given water the night before the vet. Do you see the little white dot in the middle of his eye? That's not the camera. Before he was given water everything black in his eyes were white/greyish...

Sick again...

Right now we're visiting granddad and my aunts. Some days ago my it started to hurt inside my mouth so I kind of lost my apetite yesterday. It hurts so much when I chew, but it hav ehurted a little. So I have just eaten soft things, like leaves and dandilions or tasty things like my papaya tablets. And even thought I tried to trick mum into believing that I was fine by running a lot and pretending to eat she understood and today she and granddad took me to the vet after I had "played" a while in the garden...

And after the terrible new vet looked at my teeth mum LEFT me! And then they gave me something and I felt asleep. When I woke up I feelt really bad and my mouth hurt. A vet came and gave me Critical Care and then my old vet(!!!) came even though we are about 450 km away from home! [mums comment: His old vet had moved to work on this veterinary office, I was really surprised to find out].
After a looooooong time mum came and picked me up and granddad drove us home. Right now I'm sitting in the cage inside my enclosure here, with a blanket over me and is feeling kind of betrayed. Stupid mum... We're on a vacation and she left me with the vet :(

Think I'm going to try to relax a little, before mum starts to give me Critical Care.
[mums comment: His medication after fixing he's teeth this time is painkillers for three days (starting tomorrow), FibrePlex and Critical Care.]

Birthday!

Today I became 2 years old! So now both Balto and me is two years (he had birthday the 19th of April) :D

Cause dandelions is best you know :3

Aristoteles seems fine now, and finished all of his cures today, and it seems like his well now :)



Psst: Look at Balto's lovely blue eyes ^^

Yes, he's still alive ^^

Some pictures of my little Balto (I think I'm going to opload some pictures from Christmas later).

Look at his small adorable and cute paws <3

(unfortunately I had to take the pictures trough his cage so that's why the pictures is full of stripes)

Update #3 - Aristotels

My tummy hurted again on Thursday, so mum took me back to the vets office. I was really scared! [mums comment: And me too, the vet told me that if he wasn't better the next day they wanted to open him to see if something was blocking his gut].

When we came home mum gave me something and afterwards it didn't hurt that much, she also forced me into drinking water. I CAN drink myself you know! I also had to start to take paraffin again.

But now I'm feeling better, and mum have even given me some outside plants and a little branch I can chew on.

The really sad thing is that she have taken my cardboard boxes and laid a blanket over them in such a way that I can't play with them. Se says it's from my own good, but I really want to play with them...

I'm a a lion hear me roar! (relaxing under the desk)

Update #2 - Aristotels

I'm feeling much better now.
Started to feel better and hungry yesterday so I have eaten lots of hay, and then I just started to feel better and better. I think it's magic of something!

So now I'm eating by myself as you can see on the picture (but of course it looks like I'm in shock or something, but I'm not).

I feel like always actually.

And do you know what I have discovered!? Mum haven't given me pellets the whole time I have felt ill, and even not today when I'm feeling just fine! So I have to philosophise on how to give me all the pellets at once. But as usual I think she is going to give me my regular pellets ration (or maybe less!!!)... But that doesn't mean that I have given up yet!

Update - Aristoteles

I'm feeling better today :)

I was placed in my cage last evening and has been sitting there until now, so I ate some hay since it was really boring.

And I tricked mum today so I just had to take one syringe with medicine! [mom's comment: he just had to take antibiotics today, as we ended the paraffin cure yesterday]

Right now I'm lying under the bed to hide in case mum finds out that she is going to give me some more, or if she decides to put me in the cage again.

Everybunny should be allowed to roam free at all times, especially when they are not feeling well!

I'm not feeling really well right now

Thursday evening I didn't feel really well and my tummy was really painful, so when mum gave my my pellets I didn't eat as I was in so much pain. So mum force-feed with Critical Care me and massaged my tummy. I tried to run away of course but my strength just disappeared as I tried.

The next morning I was feeling better and ate a little pellets so mum went to do some errands. And while she was away I started to feel ill again, and didn't manage to finish my food. I tried to trick mum into believing everything was fine but she force-feed me again and put me in the my carrier. So we went to PetVett again... The vet checked my teeth as usual and after mum said something the started to touch my belly and I tried to run away. We went out but didn't leave and after a while another vet came took me away from mum(!) then she laid me on a table and held me tight and I was really scared. But then she took me back to mum. I tried to tell mum that we had to run and that these people was trying to kill me or worse! Then the vet came out again and we went into the room where I had been held on the table. Mum and the vet was looking on something and talked. I picked up the words serious, but I'm always serious you know.

Mum left me with the vets again and they force-feed me with something and then I was held on the table again before they gave me some medicine and put a cable (you know almost like the one that mum has put out of my reach) with water or something in one of my front legs (it really painful because it has a torn in it that they put in my leg).

After a long long time mum picked me up and we took the bus home, and then I was put in my cage even though I wanted to run under the bed. Mum also force-feed me and gave me medicine.

Now two days later I was allowed to go out of my cage. And I'm feeling a little better but I'm still feeling really sick, but I have managed to eat a little (mum has brought some really tasty hay, I think it is called alfaalfa hay or something). Right now I'm lying under mums desk and telling her what to write.

So see you later, and I will try to keep you fans a little updated on how I'm feeling.

[Mums comment: Aristotels has became really sick. The x-rays showed that his stomach has been magnified and he has problems with his digestion. I was tolled that if I had come later, it could have been to late for him... He got intravenous therapy at the vet (the cord he is talking about), and some medicines. Right now he gets antibiotics, medical paraffin and FibrePlex (and Critical Care). It's seems like his condition is stable right now, but if he gets worse it's straight back to the vet.]

Me after coming home from the vet:


And like it weren't enough that I felt ill I was put in my cage for two whole days!

En slitsom helg - Hva har egentlig skjedd?

This entry is written to the people close to Aristoteles and me and will therefore not be translated into English, but Aristotels will write a little entry in English today to explain what has happened the last couple of days.

Torsdagskveld fikk Aristoteles siste del av sin dagelige pelletsrasjon. Han hadde virket slapp hele kvelden, men det vårt først når han nektet å spise pellets at jeg ante at det var virkelig fare på ferde (og alle som kjenner Aristoteles ville nok også reagert ettersom han er helt vill etter pellets). Skal nevnes at han hadde vært interessert i mat bare noen timer før. Klokken var ganske mye og bussen hadde stoppet og gå. Jeg kjente på magen hans og den virket veldig oppblåst så jeg antok at han kanskje hadde forstoppelse. Jeg tvangsfôret han deretter med Critical Care og lunket vann, og masserte magen hans samt ga han litt FibrePlex. Jeg var oppe hele natten sammen med ham helt til han kom seg på do utpå morgenen en gang. Så jeg fikk i underkant av 2 timers søvn, men da jeg våknet igjen var i alle fall filosofen interessert i mat og kom løpende når han hørte at jeg ordnet med pelletsen hans og slukte papayatalettene sine som vanlig (de han tar siden han ikke klarer å bryte ned sin egen pels). Siden han var i så god form dro jeg og ordnet med mine daglige ærend.

Da jeg kom hjem igjen var han skikkelig dårlig og jeg fant ut at han verken hadde spist opp pelletsen sin eller vært på do siden morgenen. En rask telefon også bar det til dyrlegen. Vi ble sittende å vente ettersom han skulle bli sett på imellom noen andre når de hadde tid. Dyrlegen kikket på tennene hans og konstaterte at de var helt like som sist, og siden han sprellet så fælt (hadde jo blitt tvangsfôret rett før vi dro) så mente hun at det ikke var så alvorlig. Jeg sa at magen hans hadde virket ganske oppblåst og hun sjekket den, og konstaterte at dette måtte det taes røntgen av.

Så ble det å sitte å vente på venterommet en stund til før det kom ei og hentet Aristoteles. Etter en stund ble jeg også hentet for at jeg skulle få sett på bildene. Jeg ble mildt sagt sjokkert; bildet viste at magesekken hans tok opp ca 2/3 til 3/4 av kroppen hans. Videre fortalte dyrlegen meg at de trodde han hadde fått forstørret magesekk, men at det også kunne være for eksempel en svulst. Jeg fikk beskjed om at han måtte være hos dyrlegen litt til for å få tatt røntgen med kontrastvæske så jeg ble nødt til å overlate han til noen andre igjen.

Jeg benyttet dette til å få i meg noe mat ettersom jeg ikke hadde fått spist annet en frokost. Da jeg var ferdig med å spise fikk jeg melding om at Aristoteles var satt på drypp og at de hadde gitt han medisiner. Jeg dro tilbake til klinikken og satt og ventet på venterommet en god stund, før det kom noen ut til meg og sa at han snart var ferdig med dryppet i tillegg til at jeg ble instruert i fôring og medisinering de neste dagene. Jeg fikk en flaske med medisinsk parafin, en med antibiotika og beskjed om at han kun skal fôres med høy (kjøpte med noe Alfaalfa høy, som er veldig næringsrikt og fint for kaniner som er syke) og Critical Care fremover. Jeg fikk også beskjed om at det var kjempe fint at jeg hadde kommet nå ellers hadde det kunnet gått fryktelig galt, og at alt jeg hadde gjort natten i forveien hadde vært helt riktig og ville nok gi ham et bedre utgangspunkt for å bli bedre. Jeg spurte hva det kunne skyldes og fikk til svar at det var det ganske vanskelig å si noe om det kunne være at han hadde fått i seg noe, eller andre ting; ble også fortalt om en kanin som hadde dødd av det samme fordi den hadde spist skudd av gress og planter om våren som vist kunne være giftig for sarte kaninmager.

Etter en stund ble Aristoteles ferdig med dryppbehandlingen og vi kunne dra hjem igjen. Fikk beskjed om at hvis han forverrer seg måtte vi ringe vakttelefonen for smådyr og at det ikke var de som hadde vakt denne helgen.

Sent på kvelden, når det var tid for medisinering, la jeg merke til at flasken med antibiotika var tom, eller ikke tom, men kledd med bomull som antibiotikaen hadde trukket inn i og stivnet, og det var helt umulig å få ut noe som helst. Jeg ringte vakttelefonen og snakket med en annen dyrlege fra en annen klinikk og fikk beskjed om å komme innom tidelig neste dag etter for å hente antibiotika siden det var veldig akutt.
Denne natten ble det også i underkant av 2 timers søvn ettersom jeg var kjempe bekymret for den vesle gutten min. Han satt forøvrig i buret hele natten og hele tiden siden vi kom hjem ettersom han har en tendens til å spise når han kjedet seg. Han var veldig apatisk, men likevel sur fordi han måtte siste i bur (han er nemlig vant til å gå løs 24 timer i døgnet og buret brukes kun som en plass å ha dokassen hans og som fôringsstasjon).

Dagen etter fant jeg ut hvor klinikken som hadde vakt lå, og ble satt ut når jeg fant ut hvor langt det var unna i tillegg til at jeg fant ut at jeg ikke kunne ta busser dit fordi de ikke gikk ettersom det var første mai. Jeg spurte alle jeg kjente med bil, men ingen hadde mulighet til å kjøre meg ut. En venn av meg kom bort for å prøve å hjelpe meg med å ordne. Litt over klokken 10:00 ringte jeg vakttelefonen (koster forøvrig 26,- per min...) og fikk beskjed om at jeg måtte komme ut meg en gang ettersom de kom til å dra derifra snart og da måtte jeg betale enda mer for antibiotikaen ettersom jeg da ville bli nødt til å betale for utrykning i tillegg.

Vi endte derfor opp med å ta taxi og fikk verdens snilleste taxisjåfør. Først ble hun så opprørt over det med at jeg ikke hadde fått antibiotika til kaninen min og at det gikk ann å gjøre slike feil, så hun glemte å slå på takstometeret, og hun valgte å ikke legge til noen kroner heller når hun fikk det på igjen. Siden klinikken lå langt vekk fra alt og ingenting endte hun også med å kjøre feil, og slo av takstometeret helt til vi kom frem og hun ringte også vakttelefonen fra bilen for å finne frem og for at jeg ikke skulle måtte bruke enda noen kroner på å ringe dit. Da vi kom frem tom hun seg også pause sånn at vi slapp å betale for venting, ettersom vi ikke viste hvor lang tid vi ville bruke hos dyrlegen (og det endte med å ta litt tid ettersom Aristoteles måtte registreres i datasystemet). Denne dyreklinikken kunne fortelle at antibiotikaen var en feil og at jeg burde ta kontakt med dyreklinikken som behandlet ham for å se om jeg kunne få igjen noen penger.

Vel hjemme igjen hadde hele denne turen kostet meg ca 1000,- (taxi + medisin). Jeg skjønner at feil kan skje overalt, men det er likevel veldig surt å ha måttet ut med disse pengene, så jeg skal ut til den første dyreklinikken på mandag med kvitteringer på medisin og taxiregning for å prøve å få noe tilbake.

Etter Aristoteles hadde fått i seg antibiotikaen kom han seg faktisk litt og begynte å spise litt selv. Kjempe fint ettersom det betyr mindre intens tvangsfôring, som verken han eller meg er noe særlig glade i.

Han satt i buret sitt i hele går og i hele natt, og har spist ca en neve med alfaalfahøy i løpet av natten. Så i morges valgte jeg å ikke tvangsfôre, men se litt ann hvor mye han spiser i løpet av dagen, og nå ser det ut som han må igjennom en liten rundt med tvangsfôring igjen ettersom han ikke har spist noe særlig i løpet av dagen. Akkurat ligger han rett ut under skrivebordet mitt; han virker stabil, men likevel veldig sløv.

New leash and harness!

Mum just bought me this blue and purple harnes and this pink leash (4m) from Annesela ^^

Yey!

The Horrors of PetVett

The day before yesterday me and mum went to the park, and meet many people. It was fun, it's been almost a year since last time I think. Thousand years maybe!

Anyway: Yesterday mum took me to the botanical garden. There we met S and she and mum tried to read while I thought about chewing on their books, to consume some literature. What to you expect? I'm named after a great philosopher, and not just any great philosopher, the one that founded biology! So I can't resist ecology books. But I didn't chew on them, though.

I relaxed a bit under mums backpack before I started to explore a little and tried to chew on a tree, then I cleaned myself and THEN! mum picks me up and puts me in the carrier. I try to run away but is NO use!

And before I know it we are in the scariest place on all of earth: PETVETT! Mum took me out of the carrier and I sat on heir lap trying to hide under her arm. But then the vet come out and was calling my name. Mum started moving into the dark and scary office! And I tried to run away! But still to no use!

Then mum held me tight and the vet looked at my eyes, then she opened my mouth and looked on my front teeth. She went to get that thing, and I tried to tell mum that we had to run for it! But like always she got tricked and I had to get that thing in my mouth so she could look at my molars. Like always I tried to chew or spit it out, but the vet's evil powers were to strong...

Mum and the vet talked a bit and then we could go and I hid under mums arm in case the evil vet was going to change her mind and do some more tests!

[Mums comment: He didn't have to be put in anaesthesia to get his teeth corrected this time. The vet thinks thinks his teeth is getting better (she said that his molars look like those of a cat or dog, but that that is fine as long as his teeth are stabilising), so were not going back for a new control until July/August].

After we left the vet we took the bus to H, and there we sat in her garden so I could run a little (but I had to use my leash). A big cat came and really scared mum and H. I don't know what the most scary part was; the cat of the fact that mum was scared. But after being scared a way a couple of times by mum the cat left.

After being at H's for sometime, we took the bus home.


Me relaxing under mums backpack in the park:

Right now I'm lying under the table, philosophizing on how to get mum to give me some more pellets (she gave me less than normal this morning)...

Easter

I'm still alive, but we have been really busy lately, so mum haven't have time to help me with my blogging.

We have for example moved into a bigger apartment, so I have bigger place to run and play around ^^ It's real fun and I run around and play a lot! I used really short time to adjust to my new surroundings so mum was a little surprised, but it's the same things and mostly the same smells and I have Bamsen (mums comment: Aristoteles' toy armadillo) , and he seems really comfortable so I started to feel safe too.

I have also been to the vet some weeks ago, it was another vet, and this time I didn't have to go back to fix my teeth. Yey! But mum says we are going back when we are coming home after Easter (we are on a little vacation right now).