31
May
2007
Today was the day Lilac foster was booked in for his neuter. I was there with him for when they opened at 8.30 (actually I was early but the receptionist took pity on us and opened early so me the kids and I weren’t stood out waiting in the rain!) as per usual, signed the consent forms, had his health check and came home. As usual they said to ring around midday to see how he was doing.
As always when any of the meeces are in for any sort of op I spent the morning feeling generally nervous and unsettled, I must have been feeling particularly off today though as I even did the ironing!! Anyway when the phone rang around 10.30 I jumped out of my skin convinced something awful had happened but fortunately it wasn’t the vets. When it rang again an hour later though it was. 
Apparently lilac foster was put under fine but just as they were about to start the operation he developed a nosebleed! They abandoned the op immediately and brought him round, he was under less than 5 mins in total but the nurse said he really scared her. When they phoned they said I couldn’t pick him up until after 3 as they wanted him in observation until then but I was so worried I couldn’t help but keep phoning to see how he was. I had a long chat with the nurse when I collected him too (I was there bang on 3 as you can imagine!) and we both said we’ve never heard of this ever happening before. Very worrying and upsetting.
We’re home now and I have Lilac foster sleeping in his carry tank next to me. He seems a little dopey but is eating and drinking so that’s good. I’ve got a weeks worth of Baytril for him incase its a respiratory problem that caused the bleeding but basically its going to be keep a very close eye on him for a few days. I have a feeling my anxious day will be an anxious night too……
Posted: News
29
May
2007
I’m considering if it might actually be cheaper and easier for me to move into the vet surgery lol! I was down there with no less than 5 meeces this morning, will be there again for lilac foster’s neuter on Thursday and again Monday for Felix to have a lump removal and possibly Hoggle to be neutered too. My exotic specialist unfortunately wasn’t in today to discuss it but after talking it over with the vet she said to book him in and if for any reason the exotics vet doesn’t want to go ahead she’ll call me. She said she doesn’t see why it would present anymore of a risk than for a fancy mouse though which is good.
Benji’s skin had flared again after previously clearing up so now we are going to bath it with iodine a few times a day, which is also how we’re treating the inflamed polyps than have appeared in Fanulla/Lucy’s ears. She also has to wear a collar to stop her scratching them but they’re having to order in one to fit her so I won’t have that until Thursday. Never had to have a mouse wear one before so that’ll be a new experience for the both of us!
Also very sadly I had Charlie PTS this morning. I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet to be honest. I am pleased that the vet was happy with my suggestion for him to be allowed to go whilst still in his doughnut bed as he has adored that thing since the day he got sent it (fan mail from someone who’d followed a thread about him on the Fancy-rats forum) and so it seemed very fitting. I decided a long time ago that I’d bury him in when it was his time as it just couldn’t ever belong to anyone else. Its going to be difficult to bury him later, he’s been such a big part of my life for the past 18 months, my gorgeous Charlie-bear. Here are some pictures of him from his younger days.
Posted: News
28
May
2007
We had a bit of disastrous day here Saturday when not only did Old Bear the spiny pass away (the third spiny I’ve lost ) but I also found Gracie with two big bites on her after I thought the gradual intros had gone so well. Left with two lonely spinys now (Bear lived with Hoggle) I’ve spent the weekend trying to decide what to do for the best for them. Given what she’s been through I daren’t risk trying Grace with more adults, I couldn’t put her through the stress of it again but there are now no baby girls for me to get to live with her. Given that I’m also very worried about how introducing Hoggle to more boys would go the perfect solution seems to be having Hogs neutered so he and Grace can live together. However I know most vets, mine included, have never even seen a spiny mouse so I’m very apprehensive about what the risks would be with the op, if they’ll even do it.
Plus I really need to decide if its really fair to let my Charlie go on. Every time I think he’s had enough he seems to perk up for a couple of days but the reality is that he’s 2 and half, has limited use of his back legs, struggles with solid food, needs me to help him wash and is generally bald, frail and asleep most of the time. And its only going to get worse.
ETA: Have just been speaking to the foster home my spinys came from and it turns out Hoggle has had an operation before, he had his mangled tail amputated when he was first rescued. Knowing that he has successfully come through an op before makes a big difference, anxious to talk to my vet now!
Posted: News
20
May
2007
Baby the spiny mouse died unexpectedly on Friday evening, no signs I just found her lying on the floor of the cage. I know given the background her and that one of her litter mates has also died it shouldn’t come as a great surprise but it never seems fair when an animal dies so young. Grace is missing her friend already and seems very down in the dumps, poor love so I’ll be trying to introduce her to my other 3 girls later on today - wish me luck!
Also I think I’m nearing the time I have to make a difficult decision with my beloved Charlie. He’s had rough patches several times now and remarkably has always bounced back but at nearly 2 1/2 yrs old I think its unlikely this time and sadly he’s deteriorating by the day now. Its all a bit doom and gloom here today.
Posted: News
7
May
2007
I came home Saturday evening with not two but four spiny meeces. As well as Grace and the originally named little girl I’ve called Baby I’m now also mummy to two of the most adorable spiny boys, Hoggle (because it sounds a bit like hobble!) who has half of one of his back feet missing and Old Bear who’s a big old scruffy, soppy lump of a mouse. I had planned on taking them after my foster boys had been homed but Sarah (see www.sprogpages.co.uk) had brought them with her when I met up with her and having seen them I figured what the hey, the more the merrier! 
Posted: News
5
May
2007
Well its been a busy week here but not all that much to report mouse-wise. Benji’s skin is looking much better and he is definitely much happier to be back with his friends bless him. The girls are all fine although Hazel is starting to show her age now so I’ll be keeping a close eye on her. Amelia the spiny finally seems to have recovered from loosing Heidi and bonded with the other two, she really had me worried for a while! The foster boys are having to live separate for a bit as the lilac one decided to start taking chunks out of the other one despite having lived with him his whole life. A bit of fighting was to be expected given the new territory but unfortunately blood was shed so wounds need to heal before I can try them together again. Oh and I very nearly had some fosters of a very different kind when a friend asked if I’d be able to look after a pair of chipmunks for a few days! As it turned out they found a home closer to where they already are though so it wasn’t necessary.
Today’s news though is that I’m taking two more spiny mice from the recent huge rescue case. They’re two very special little girls, one is a little runty one who hasn’t been too healthy and the other has no back legs! Her wonderful foster Mum said the way she gets about despite her disability is just amazing so what else could I call her but Grace! The other one hasn’t a name yet but no doubt it won’t take me long once I’ve picked them up this evening. 
Posted: News
