lua and heidi-the joys and sorrows of hedgies

weesiepoo · 07-08-2004, 04:16 AM

well, lua is really ill. we are not at that pint where all we can do is watch her for signs of total failure or of pain, and then ease her over the bridge. she had to go to the vet while i was gone, she has masses throughout her head and her ears are now drainign and infected and smell like the nastiest crud alive. the vet debrided (?) inside her ear that was draining horribly, and then sent drops and AB's...but the other ear has started draining tonight and the first ear seems to have nasty rotted skin, so she will ahve a visit first thing in the am. she seems to be ok with me wiping her ear down with the wash and she is eating her mealies and weted food and baby food like a trooper and playing and acting fine, but she still has the limp and i guess now we know why. journey has done danage to her nose trying to get to lua in her seperate cage and she kind of keens facing her cage at night when they are both out so i finally let them be together again and i am crunching up her kibble and letting them share that plus their normal meat sticks and i am also getting lua out four times a day to have a couple of mealies, some meat, veggis, and fruit from the baby food jars. her weight has stayed consistent.

i am very upset. i have had rats and hamsters and smaller animals pass on me, and i had my favorite dog-my hear dog-pass years ago when she was staying with my sister while i was moving....but i have never had such a beloved baby pass from my arms, my life, before my eyes. how do you prepare yourself for this? what else could i have done to avoid this? ok, change of subjects, the tears are welling and i am bound and determined not to cry again right now.

as for heidi, she is NOT dark eyed white by any means! she looks like a piece of white paper with a few brown specks! her skin is greyish pink, her nose is liver, and she seems to have a mask --but it seems kind of fuzz free from what i have seen.......i am thinking a chocolate white. her skin is definately grey pink between her spines, but she stays rolled so she is hard to see face wise. i have only gotten one good look and she was licking me-and i, like all good hedgie slaves-was mesmerized. she was being fed royal canin cat food, alfalfa hay, flukers worms, and some commercial fruit mmix that was supposedly fo hedgies. i am switching her to my food mix slowly, and switched her to my own gut loaded mealies and crickies, gave the alfalfa to the guinea pig and the fruit mix seems all natural so i have been giving it to the ratties, the guine pig, rabbit, and the degus.

when i picked her up, the lady was picking her up with huge gloves and was afraid of her! she set her don on the ground and i picked her up and she unrolled enough to curl around my hand a little. i am guessing she has been dropped enough to know to hang on. after a few minutes, she started licking my hand and she looked like a little hedgie kilroy--quils and nose over the edge of my hand while she looks around. she responds to her name. she does not pop or click or any of that, she just rolls and sits. she is a vey calm girl-just shy and unsure. i am thinking she will blossom into a real lover with lots of gentle attention and time. she has complete health papers from an exotics vet in dallas, but i am quaranteening her anyway, to watch for any sickie signs. she is in the far room and i strip out of my shirt and wash any exposed skin on my arms and face before i go in to the other animals. i hope this is enough.

my digi cam went kaput, so i broke down and took film pics of heidi and some of the other animals and will be finishing the roll tomorrow and then dropping it off to be developed. when i get them back, i'll put some pics of heidi in a folder for everyone to judge. maybe i can get her to open up a little if i sit quietly by the cage until it is her time to come out and wheel and eat.

well, i also have a new kitten that someone was giving away-unweaned-that i need to go feed...and i have one more email to send first...so night all.

neuroleptical · 07-08-2004, 09:10 AM

I'm so sorry to hear about lua.

It sounds like you are doing everything you can. What caused the masses in her head? I hope it is not contagious to other hedgies. I have tears in my eyes reading about your poor little hog. I'm not a hedge expert so all I can say is that I guess if she's still enjoying food & company then she still has something to live for.
Heidi sounds great- I am learning firsthand from my own hedgie Haley that these guys have quite charming personalities!!

Can't wait for the pix!!

suzoo · 07-08-2004, 09:43 AM

Sorry to hear that Lua isn't well. There is never a way to prepare yourself for losing a loving pet. All you can do is keep her comfortable and make the best of the time you have with her. We're here for you Angela

fertmom · 07-08-2004, 10:00 AM

That is the good and the bad in a nut shell, and seemingly all in one day.... I am so sorry about Lua's health issues. How old is she? Yes, those small animals including hedgies are so prone to tumors, and we all know that, but it doesn't make it any easier when it is one of your own. {{HUGS}} You are doing a wonderful thing keeping her fed, comfortable and loved and that is all you can do for now. Heidi and the new kitty will help keep you busy it sounds. Can't wait to see pics of them both. Give Lua an extra mealie for me. I sincerely hope she doesn't feel any pain. It is amazing with all that going on that she is still eating and maintaining her weight- you must be doing an excellent job!

Candycane · 07-08-2004, 10:42 AM

I am very sorry to hear about Lua.

There is really no way to prepare yourself for them to cross. Even when you suspect that they aren't going to hold on much longer, you still have that tiny bit of hope that they will be strong enough to make it.

It sounds like you are doing all that you can for Lua...she is a lucky hedgie.

Heidi sounds like a doll.

Lixx · 07-08-2004, 11:35 AM

I am saddend to hear of poor Lua's condition. All I can suggest is to focus on the positive, and though it can be hard to find, it will ease the pain a little. She knows that you love & care for her and you should know that she does the same. And soon you will have a guardian Hedgie watching over you. And who wouldn't want a guardian hedgie?

I can't wait to see pics of Heidi.

pamm013 · 07-08-2004, 11:39 AM

aww.. Im sorry to hear about Lua... hope things will work out for her..

congrats on your new hedgie.. she sounds adorable..

and congrats on the new kitty too.. good luck with the feedings..

weesiepoo · 07-11-2004, 02:17 AM

i got the girls out tonight and lua's ear seem to be responding well to the antibiotics. the draining is very light and the smell is much better. she ate wormies like there is no tomorrow and i have ordered them some silk worms.

heidi still will not take worm from me or while i am anywhere around, but she is coming out and walking around on me. however, when i put her down, she runs for cover! she is so silly.

journey, being the head hog of the group, leaped out of my hand onto the paper plate i was sifting wormies out of and started chowing down!! lua saw this and started doign the run mid air so i let her down and she started digging through the flakes too! i let heidi down, but she just wanted to hide back under my leg.

in most illnesses, you have good days and bad days. today was a good day. i am hoping there are many more. lua is my ehdgie angel.

weesiepoo · 08-17-2004, 02:49 AM

well, things have been going well with lua, she has been in high spirits and her normal lovey self. today, my son went to get her out, and she was laying on her side and he started to panic. he was saying her name over and over and there was no response. i was at the store, so he called me and i said, is she breathing thaty yu can see? he said yes. i said, then lightly run your hands over her quills and shake her as you talk softly. see if she wakes, i am on my way home. when i got here, lua was awake and happy as a clam in his arms...but her ears are draining again. her tumor is now twice the size it was, which was about a standard green grape size to begin with. she is still a little week in her left back leg, same side as the tumor under her jaw. however, i cleaned her cage and put her in and she rolled in her litterbox for an hour, which she always does with fresh litter, and then came out to eat and cuddle and seems happy. but i noticed that she was not responding to my voice at all. i am thinking the ears are so clogged, or so infected, that she has gone deaf. either permanantly or temporarily. i called the vet and he said, clean and medicate them like before and watch her.

it is just a waiting game until she either dies or seems to be suffering and i have to help her cross. it is so hard to be sure of yourself in this situation. i guess that as long as she looks at me with that sparkle in her eyes, then she is willing to live-and i am willing to let her. i do love her so, my little cuddlebug.

LankaKitten · 08-17-2004, 08:10 PM

I'm so sorry you have to go through this. I wish there was some great thing I could say, I'm sorry.