Priarie dog help...?
We have an 8 year old priarie dog who is sick. The vet said that since she is exotic there isn't much he can do other than to put her down and the shock of the car drive might kill her. In explanation of why we have her she was a gift to a family when she was a few weeks old and was purchased at a pet shop.
In addition she can not be handled. In the past few weeks she has been loosing weight dramatically, not eating, and leaving what looks like blood in her bedding. Her cage is very clean and since the bleeding we change it almost everyother day. We can't handle her because recently if any hand attempts to get near her she squeaks and bites at you, this is very unusual because normally she loves to be stroked and given attention. I was wondering if anyone knew what could be done to at least make her more comfortable or maybe even what could help or what she might have? Thanks.
Comments
You should definately take your Prairie Dog to a vet that treats exotic pets.There are many out there. Remember that an 8 year old Prairie Dog is very old and will not live that much longer. Rarely do pets live to their possible life span. However, this illness may be something treatable if you get help from a proper vet in time. Prairie Dogs can get parasites, bacterial, viral or fungal infections as many other pets do. They can also pick up illnesses transferred to them by people. Prairie dogs kept outside can get illnesses from other animals. Sometimes when people let their Prairie Dogs run around without supervision, they may eat something that is poisonous to them. Certain plants and foods can kill Prairie Dogs but many pet owners are not aware of it. Chocolate for example is poisonous to Prairie Dogs. If your Prairie Dog only had personality changes then I would not worry. They have seasonal behavior changes from October to February. However, this is decreased alot if they are fixed. Though, you said she is not eating and there is blood in the bedding. That indicates a definate internal problem. You really need to take her to an exotic vet that can treat her properly. Please don't let her suffer if an exotic vet can't do anything either. I have been in your situation. Sometimes there is nothing that can be done. However, you won't know until you take her to the right place. Good luck.
something similar to this happened to my sister's hamster.. she was sweet up until she started getting stiff and would bite everyone before she died... i'm sorry to say that there really isn't anything you can do to change her condition... she sounds very sick and the best you can do is to give her healthy foods and make sure she has fresh water... maybe you could put gloves on and gently take her out of her enclosure and put her on a blanket in your lap or something...she's probably scared right now... good luck
I'm not really sure... have you tried a small pet heating pad or a hot water bottle... maybe some heat could help if she is in pain.... Sorry, I hope this helps