Posted By: Crescent
Miracle baby looses hair, dehydrated and rejected - 02/26/07 02:33 AM
This will be long, but I think you will be amazed...
First, I think that the only reason Sky has made it is because so many people prayed for him. He is truly a miracle baby. I want to especially thank Sugarglidersuz who gave me so much good advice! Thank you!!!
Monday, 1/16 It all started 6 weeks ago tomorrow. Eve had two joeys in the pouch and decided that they needed to come out. I heard lots of noise through the night and in the morning there were two joeys. She never let them back in the pouch. Star was 8 grams, Sky was 10 grams.
Saturday, 1/20 Both joeys were at 10 grams...
LESSON - I should have known something was wrong. They both should have gained over the 4 days. I should have started supplementing & maybe the rest of how things unfolded would have been different. Next time, if there is a next time with joeys, I will weigh and watch more carefully!
Sunday, 1/21 Both joeys are at 8 grams... They are declining! I talked to Suz and we decided that, since Eve was still grooming them and they appeared to be nursing, she probably didn't have enough milk and to supplement. I supplemented with baby BML.
Tuesday, 1/23 Both joeys are at 10 grams. I am hopeful.
Wednesday, 1/24 Eve is not nursing them! They both look like dried prunes. I am panicky and decide to switch them to puppy milk. They are ice cold. I get home from work around 6 and I feed pupply milk and put on a heating pad. Star passes away with a full tummy. I think, in addition to being too dehydrated, she is too hot. I feel so bad. Somehow Sky survives.
Lesson! I should have gone straight to the vet for subques! I don't know why I didn't... NEVER switch one food for another with a joey - they will likely die! If as switch has to be made, it should be done over at least 72 hours.
At around 10 p.m., I try to bring Sky and Eve back together. Eve bites Sky's tail. I try again, she bites his arm. He is totally rejected. I set the heating pad under a small open type cage & begin feeding every 2 hours.
Thursday, 1/25
Continue with feedings every 2 hours.
Friday, 1/26
Continue with feeding every 2 hours. I come out for a middle of the night feeding and find he has climbed around to find food, got in a cold place in the cage and is like an ice cube. I am sure he will die...
Saturday, 1/27
Sky is only at 10 grams... maybe 12. He is not doing well from the night before. Very lethergic and dehydrated. He has diarrhea. On a feeding of water he chokes and passes out. I am sure he has died. He comes back around. We take him to the vet. I am sure it is too late... The vet subQ's him and gave something for the diarrhea. Plus, he has gas in his stomach.
I rig up a incubator from Suz's instructions.
Sunday, 1/28
Sky is not doing well in the morning, but feeling a bit better in the afternoon. I talk to several people on the phone and decide to switch back to baby BML.
Lesson! The gas problems that occur next are a direct result of switching diets! Poor baby!
Monday, 1/29
Sky is doing well in the late morning, but in the afternoon begins to develop severe gas problems.
Tuesday, 1/30
I notice that every night Sky seems to lose ground. I decide to have him sleep throught the night on me and abandon the incubator. He is often like a little ice cube. I wear 3 shirts over top to try to keep him warm. I heat up cloths and wrap him when I feed him so he can keep the little heat he has.
More gas... I take him to the second visit to our local vet, but don't really get any help.
Wednesday, 1/31
Late afternoon - the gas becomes critical. Sky's stomach looks like a balloon. Cris and I decide to make an emergency call to the exotic vet clinic/Cornell University.
They check with a clinician and call back with a suggestion: Try a drop of "Little Tummies" - semathicone for infants. Sky is so bad that I mix a bit with every feeding. It works! The gas goes down. But, he still has diarrhea.
Sky is 2 weeks, 2 days and still at 10 -12 grams. I feel so sorry for the tiny thing... he has hardly had even one good day since rejected...
Thursday, 2/1
Sky is doing so poorly we decide to take him to the Cornell University Exotic Vet clinic as an emergency patient. We arrive at 4 & it is time for feeding. I ask the technician if I should feed & she asks me to hold off. Over the next couple hours, Sky starts feeling better with no food! The vet does a complete workup. He recommends going back to puppy milk. He sees undigested food in the fecal analysis. He suggests - Pedilyte Friday, 25% milk-Sat., 50% milk for Sunday. 75% milk for Monday, 100% for Tuesday.
Friday, 2/2
Amazingly, even though Sky is on Pedilyte, he is feeling better.
Saturday, 2/3
25% Milk
Sunday, 2/4
50% Milk
Monday, 2/5
At last, Sky is at 14 grams. 3 weeks old. 75% milk.
Tuesday, 2/6
Diarrhea returns. :-( back 50/50. Sky is weak & bouncing between 12 and 14 grams.
Wednesday, 2/7
Sky very weak. We call Cornell - I think it might be best to hospitalize him. He is clearly not making it and I don't think we can do any more for him. The doctor says that he thinks the problem is that Sky is not getting enough calories. He says to add .05 cc canola oil for 1 cc feeding.
Thursday, 2/8
The oil is helping! Sky seems better.
Friday, 2/9
Finally, the scale tips between 14 and 16 grams.
Saturday, 2/10
Sky is sluggish again. I decide to add a bit of baby BML. But, taking the lesson from earlier, I add just a bit.
Sunday, 2/11
Increase BML to 25% (milk is at 25%) Sky seems perky!
Monday, 2/12 - Saturday 2/17
Steady weight gain! Sky is at 22 grams. But! He looses all of his hair!!! He just has a little tuft between his shoulder blades and on the the top of his head! Over a day or so, I stop the oil. I suspect it has caused the hair loss, but this is unconfirmed.
About mid-week, Wednesday... Sky seems lethargic again. I am thinking he really needs another glider. I have shown him to mom, Eve and dad, Adam - both are agressive. I have a thought. Maybe his sister, 4 month old Song would not be agressive. I introduce them in the morning. Song licks him. He is in second heaven. I take them to work in a pouch. He is thriving with this new companionship!
Sunday, 2/18
24 grams! Wheee!
Then, we are on the way to the mall... I notice that Sky's cloaca area is swelling. I am panicked - I am afraid he can't urinate and it is all pooling in the area! We drive straight to Cornell University. The vet does an ultrasound and determines that it is a water blister, not the bladder. Recommends treating with sugar - yes, smearing on table sugar and prep H. She is puzzled with what caused... I realized the next day that Sky is constipated... that was probably the cause. Perhaps caused from stopping the oil...
We are very concerned that he has no hair. He looks all pink and naked! The vet suggests just waiting for a while to see.
Monday, 2/19
Sky's body seems darker.
Tuesday, 2/20
Sky is developing a dark line down the center of his back. I am hopeful it is the beginning of hair!
Wednesday, 2/21
A milestone! 26 grams! Plus, he has been sleeping on me for weeks, in the day I am taking him with Song, but at night he is on me. In the morning I wake up to find he is on top of the bed - he is growing & exploring. I need to make other sleeping arrangements & set up a second cage for he and Song. I put a heating pad near the pouch so he can sleep and not get too cold. Plus, I am hoping that as he ventures our at night that Song will help him to learn how to eat adult food.
Friday, 2/23
Unexpectedly, we had to go out of town Wednesday night through Friday.
I weigh Sky when we return Friday night.
Sky is at 32 grams!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And, his body looks grey.
Today, Sunday, 2/25
Sky is at 34 grams. He is having some loose stools and has had to have some sub Qs Friday and Saturday night... But, he is doing so well!!! And, TODAY, I can see that the grey is actually fuzz. He looks like he is wearing tighly fitting fuzzy pj's. :-)
So many people have asked about Sky and told me that they were praying for him. Cris and I have been praying for him, too. I have been hand feeding him for over a month. Up until a week or so ago, almost every day... I thought it would be his last day.
I think God has helped Sky to survive. He is so adorable. He lets me hold him and pet his little head. He looks me right in the eye. I'm his mommy now. He is the best little gremlin. I just love him. :-)
Thank you for reading his story. :-)
First, I think that the only reason Sky has made it is because so many people prayed for him. He is truly a miracle baby. I want to especially thank Sugarglidersuz who gave me so much good advice! Thank you!!!
Monday, 1/16 It all started 6 weeks ago tomorrow. Eve had two joeys in the pouch and decided that they needed to come out. I heard lots of noise through the night and in the morning there were two joeys. She never let them back in the pouch. Star was 8 grams, Sky was 10 grams.
Saturday, 1/20 Both joeys were at 10 grams...
LESSON - I should have known something was wrong. They both should have gained over the 4 days. I should have started supplementing & maybe the rest of how things unfolded would have been different. Next time, if there is a next time with joeys, I will weigh and watch more carefully!
Sunday, 1/21 Both joeys are at 8 grams... They are declining! I talked to Suz and we decided that, since Eve was still grooming them and they appeared to be nursing, she probably didn't have enough milk and to supplement. I supplemented with baby BML.
Tuesday, 1/23 Both joeys are at 10 grams. I am hopeful.
Wednesday, 1/24 Eve is not nursing them! They both look like dried prunes. I am panicky and decide to switch them to puppy milk. They are ice cold. I get home from work around 6 and I feed pupply milk and put on a heating pad. Star passes away with a full tummy. I think, in addition to being too dehydrated, she is too hot. I feel so bad. Somehow Sky survives.
Lesson! I should have gone straight to the vet for subques! I don't know why I didn't... NEVER switch one food for another with a joey - they will likely die! If as switch has to be made, it should be done over at least 72 hours.
At around 10 p.m., I try to bring Sky and Eve back together. Eve bites Sky's tail. I try again, she bites his arm. He is totally rejected. I set the heating pad under a small open type cage & begin feeding every 2 hours.
Thursday, 1/25
Continue with feedings every 2 hours.
Friday, 1/26
Continue with feeding every 2 hours. I come out for a middle of the night feeding and find he has climbed around to find food, got in a cold place in the cage and is like an ice cube. I am sure he will die...
Saturday, 1/27
Sky is only at 10 grams... maybe 12. He is not doing well from the night before. Very lethergic and dehydrated. He has diarrhea. On a feeding of water he chokes and passes out. I am sure he has died. He comes back around. We take him to the vet. I am sure it is too late... The vet subQ's him and gave something for the diarrhea. Plus, he has gas in his stomach.
I rig up a incubator from Suz's instructions.
Sunday, 1/28
Sky is not doing well in the morning, but feeling a bit better in the afternoon. I talk to several people on the phone and decide to switch back to baby BML.
Lesson! The gas problems that occur next are a direct result of switching diets! Poor baby!
Monday, 1/29
Sky is doing well in the late morning, but in the afternoon begins to develop severe gas problems.
Tuesday, 1/30
I notice that every night Sky seems to lose ground. I decide to have him sleep throught the night on me and abandon the incubator. He is often like a little ice cube. I wear 3 shirts over top to try to keep him warm. I heat up cloths and wrap him when I feed him so he can keep the little heat he has.
More gas... I take him to the second visit to our local vet, but don't really get any help.
Wednesday, 1/31
Late afternoon - the gas becomes critical. Sky's stomach looks like a balloon. Cris and I decide to make an emergency call to the exotic vet clinic/Cornell University.
They check with a clinician and call back with a suggestion: Try a drop of "Little Tummies" - semathicone for infants. Sky is so bad that I mix a bit with every feeding. It works! The gas goes down. But, he still has diarrhea.
Sky is 2 weeks, 2 days and still at 10 -12 grams. I feel so sorry for the tiny thing... he has hardly had even one good day since rejected...
Thursday, 2/1
Sky is doing so poorly we decide to take him to the Cornell University Exotic Vet clinic as an emergency patient. We arrive at 4 & it is time for feeding. I ask the technician if I should feed & she asks me to hold off. Over the next couple hours, Sky starts feeling better with no food! The vet does a complete workup. He recommends going back to puppy milk. He sees undigested food in the fecal analysis. He suggests - Pedilyte Friday, 25% milk-Sat., 50% milk for Sunday. 75% milk for Monday, 100% for Tuesday.
Friday, 2/2
Amazingly, even though Sky is on Pedilyte, he is feeling better.
Saturday, 2/3
25% Milk
Sunday, 2/4
50% Milk
Monday, 2/5
At last, Sky is at 14 grams. 3 weeks old. 75% milk.
Tuesday, 2/6
Diarrhea returns. :-( back 50/50. Sky is weak & bouncing between 12 and 14 grams.
Wednesday, 2/7
Sky very weak. We call Cornell - I think it might be best to hospitalize him. He is clearly not making it and I don't think we can do any more for him. The doctor says that he thinks the problem is that Sky is not getting enough calories. He says to add .05 cc canola oil for 1 cc feeding.
Thursday, 2/8
The oil is helping! Sky seems better.
Friday, 2/9
Finally, the scale tips between 14 and 16 grams.
Saturday, 2/10
Sky is sluggish again. I decide to add a bit of baby BML. But, taking the lesson from earlier, I add just a bit.
Sunday, 2/11
Increase BML to 25% (milk is at 25%) Sky seems perky!
Monday, 2/12 - Saturday 2/17
Steady weight gain! Sky is at 22 grams. But! He looses all of his hair!!! He just has a little tuft between his shoulder blades and on the the top of his head! Over a day or so, I stop the oil. I suspect it has caused the hair loss, but this is unconfirmed.
About mid-week, Wednesday... Sky seems lethargic again. I am thinking he really needs another glider. I have shown him to mom, Eve and dad, Adam - both are agressive. I have a thought. Maybe his sister, 4 month old Song would not be agressive. I introduce them in the morning. Song licks him. He is in second heaven. I take them to work in a pouch. He is thriving with this new companionship!
Sunday, 2/18
24 grams! Wheee!
Then, we are on the way to the mall... I notice that Sky's cloaca area is swelling. I am panicked - I am afraid he can't urinate and it is all pooling in the area! We drive straight to Cornell University. The vet does an ultrasound and determines that it is a water blister, not the bladder. Recommends treating with sugar - yes, smearing on table sugar and prep H. She is puzzled with what caused... I realized the next day that Sky is constipated... that was probably the cause. Perhaps caused from stopping the oil...
We are very concerned that he has no hair. He looks all pink and naked! The vet suggests just waiting for a while to see.
Monday, 2/19
Sky's body seems darker.
Tuesday, 2/20
Sky is developing a dark line down the center of his back. I am hopeful it is the beginning of hair!
Wednesday, 2/21
A milestone! 26 grams! Plus, he has been sleeping on me for weeks, in the day I am taking him with Song, but at night he is on me. In the morning I wake up to find he is on top of the bed - he is growing & exploring. I need to make other sleeping arrangements & set up a second cage for he and Song. I put a heating pad near the pouch so he can sleep and not get too cold. Plus, I am hoping that as he ventures our at night that Song will help him to learn how to eat adult food.
Friday, 2/23
Unexpectedly, we had to go out of town Wednesday night through Friday.
I weigh Sky when we return Friday night.
Sky is at 32 grams!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And, his body looks grey.
Today, Sunday, 2/25
Sky is at 34 grams. He is having some loose stools and has had to have some sub Qs Friday and Saturday night... But, he is doing so well!!! And, TODAY, I can see that the grey is actually fuzz. He looks like he is wearing tighly fitting fuzzy pj's. :-)
So many people have asked about Sky and told me that they were praying for him. Cris and I have been praying for him, too. I have been hand feeding him for over a month. Up until a week or so ago, almost every day... I thought it would be his last day.
I think God has helped Sky to survive. He is so adorable. He lets me hold him and pet his little head. He looks me right in the eye. I'm his mommy now. He is the best little gremlin. I just love him. :-)
Thank you for reading his story. :-)