[:"green"]As most of you know, Pika is my rescue glider that I believe is about 12 years old. Tomorrow will be my 3 year anniversary with her & her hubby, Cricky.
Pika has been having a lot of health issues in the last few months... most having to do with her eyes. However, now, it is her right hand. I don't know if this might be a severe arthritis flare-up or what... Yesterday, her hand looked perfectly normal. Today, her middle finger is totally swollen, like a little sausage... She is obviously in pain and is favoring the hand... Here's a picture of it...
[:"green"]As soon as I noticed it, I gave her a dose of Metacam. I will call & schedule an appointment to bring her to the vet first thing in the morning... Has anyone seen anything like this before? Here's another picture...
I haven't..other than from a known injury. Could it be edema from something (fluid retention) possibly? I know there are a number of conditions (heart disease, diabetes, etc) that can cause edema in extremities. Other than that...can you absolutely rule out some kind of injury? Poor Pika <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hug2.gif" alt="" /> Let us know what the vet says.
Jen/Colin Commander Riker 12 16 02-10 04 12 you will be FOREVER missed Sinbad, Gabby, Baby, and Alley
Re: Pika is sick... again... *cry*
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#77923 01/16/0610:12 PM01/16/0610:12 PM
Ouchie! That looks like when you smash your thumb with a hammer! She hasn't been working on any construction projects, has she?
I don't mean to make light of her pain. I'm glad you had some pain reliever on hand. Hopefully the vet will know what it is. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worried2.gif" alt="" />
Re: Pika is sick... again... *cry*
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#77924 01/17/0603:46 AM01/17/0603:46 AM
Aww, Suz, I am so sorry for your little Pika. She is such a sweetheart of a girl. I hope that the Metacam relieves the pain until she can get to the vet. I hope that everything works out ok! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hug2.gif" alt="" />
Re: Pika is sick... again... *cry*
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#77925 01/17/0609:41 AM01/17/0609:41 AM
I gave her another dose of Metacam this morning... Her finger looks the same as it did yesterday. I'm wondering if she injured it somehow The thing is, her cage is set up for her being blind, so I don't have a clue what she could have caught it on or anythingI'm going to ask Dr. West to do an x-ray when I bring her in... I'll let everyone know what she says... Thanks for the encouragement, everyone. It's so hard to see her suffering from one thing after another... Getting old is rough!
Poor little Pika... and Suz, you are just THE BEST! I can see firsthand that Pika is getting nothing but the very best of love and care... she is truly a very blessed little glider! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hug2.gif" alt="" /> to you and Pika!!
Re: Pika is sick... again... *cry*
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#77928 01/17/0611:41 PM01/17/0611:41 PM
[:"green"]I brought Pika to the vet this afternoon. Dr. West examined her and agreed that an x-ray would be beneficial to determine whether her finger was fractured or not. She also wanted to run a full battery of blood tests to determine whether or not Pika has gout since this is the 3rd joint exhibiting major swelling in the past two months. The x-ray showed that there are no broken/fractured bones (that was a relief); however, it also showed a lot of cloudy areas around many of the joints throughout her body. This, again, indicates the possibility of gout. Unfortunately, although she attempted to withdraw blood from three different spots, she was unable to get enough blood to be able to run the tests. So... she recommended that I continue to give her Metacam for the inflammation and pain during the coming week. I will bring her back in next week for another try at drawing blood.
So... has anyone ever had any experience with gout in sugar gliders? Dr. West has been making inquiries on VIN (Veterinary Information Network) but none of the vets she has consulted with have any information about this subject... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nixweiss.gif" alt="" />
Aww, poor little Pika. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> I hope the Metacam does the trick (it seemed to help my boys after their neuterings). Unfortunately I don't know anything about gout. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hug2.gif" alt="" /> to little Pika!
Re: Pika is sick... again... *cry*
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#77930 01/19/0612:14 AM01/19/0612:14 AM