# I think Charley has a URI



## Alastrina (Sep 18, 2009)

I'll have to keep this short, and I am sorry for any typos, I just wanted to keep everyone posted.

For the past 36 hours or so I've noticed a thin clear fluid coming from Charley's nose, and he's been licking it much more than normal. I can't tell if he's 'sneezing' or not, but since I've never heard a sick hedgie's breathing, I'm assuming the worst and hoping for the best.

I have an appointment for him tomorrow afternoon with the vet. I have one that same day in the AM for myself, as I've taken quite the turn for the worse; I think I've been bed/couch bound for 4 days out of 6? >_< It's a mess.

I am going to charge my tablet PC so maybe I can look through the URI topics later on before my apt, but it would be extremely helpful for me if anyone who has dealt with a URI to post here with the medications they've received, their dosages, schedules, or as much as you know. I'm going to take this information to the vet with me since he was able to use my information on Revolution to help Charley with his mites he'll likely be able to use anything I give him this time to help Charley with this suspected URI.

Time for me to go lay down, not feeling well at all, and if today's like yesterday I'm going to be spending a good bit of it being unconscious. :roll: Thank you all in advance for any info you can share with me!

~Katie


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## rivoli256 (Mar 1, 2009)

no info...just big hugs & a big "NOT ALLOWED!"

please keep us posted.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

For a mild or beginning of a URI, Clavamox works well and is usually well tolerated and does not cause too much, usually no, stomach upset. Most hedgehogs do not mind the taste. Dosage totally depends on how it's mixed.

I'm sorry you are still sick. I had the bug about a month ago and it was not fun. Spent 4 days totally bedridden because that's all I had the strength for. 

I hope both of you feel better soon.


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

I hope both you & Charley feel better & stop getting sick!


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## Bee (Feb 7, 2011)

i wish i had something usefull to tell you about charley  ,

i just wanted to say that i hope you and charley feel better soon sending hugs your way !


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## shetland (Sep 2, 2008)

Concerned for both you and baby Charley.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

<Gulp>
I don't know who to feel worse for: you or him.
Poor l'il guy but poor l'il hedgiemama, too. 
Sending good vibes...


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## Alastrina (Sep 18, 2009)

I forgot to mention in my initial post that poos have declined a bit in volume, and are much less dense...if that makes sense to anyone. Think sponge; looks big till you apply pressure (like to pick it up) then it goes flat >_< Color is still good, a medium brown which jives with the colors of his food and his baby food treat lately has been apples, tan color there.

He's acting huffy, but I've been worried that he's been too placid at times... he's quite the grumpus, so whenever he's all sweet and snuggly I wonder if he's been possessed :roll:

I've honestly worried if I've somehow infected him with my crud. I've been washing everything more frequently since I've been sick, his linens, my linens, his cage/wheel/etc, myself, my hands/arms....>_< Just me being paranoid I hope.

His nose hasn't been as wet today, actually it feels a bit dry now, like a dog or cat's nose does when they're not feeling well (I think that's how it goes). He let me touch it with my nose, I can't touch his face with my fingers but he doesn't seems to mind my nose...odd hedgepig.

Thank you Nancy for the Clavamox tip!


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## Alastrina (Sep 18, 2009)

Back from the vet!

The doctor said Charley has a mild URI, he called it a little cold. I have Clavamox twice daily for the next 8 days, and I got the 15ml bottle so the vet said as long as it was kept refrigerated it would keep for a while.

He also said keep up the Bene-Bac as it was just as good for him by keeping his digestive tract healthy and working. Cautioned to watch for any diarrhea as it's a possible side effect so I'll keep my eyes peeled.

Funniest part of the whole trip was when I woke Charley up to put him in his crate I let him run around a bit and he left a poop on the blanket, so I bagged it just in case the vet would ask for a sample. My husband was grossed out and even asked me about it when I came out of the vet's office, asked if I still had the bag. :lol: 

So little man is doing very well, the vet was happy to see his skin looking good and new quills growing in. 

---

I'm thinking about stepping up the frequency of the Bene-Bac (I'm giving 1/8tsp every other night) to the same amount once a day during the anti-biotics run, and then keeping it that way if it works for him. 

Thoughts on this and what time of day to feed it are appreciated. 

Since I have the Clavamox 2x daily, I was going to give it in the morning when I get him up to check on him, and again at night when I wake him up for play time. I know I've seen in topics here where probiotics and anti-biotics were being used at the same time, to feed them as far apart as possible; so if I'm giving Clavamox at my breakfast and dinner times, should I rouse Charley during the afternoon in between doses to take his Bene-Bac? Or would he be OK to have it in the evening/night as usual? I don't want to alter the effectiveness of either by giving them at the incorrect times...

Got a half-dozen different kinds of syringes and little pipette looking droppers to try, and I got them for free! ^_^ My whole bill was lower this time, means they like me  I've seen alot of German businesses give discounts for repeat customers, nice to be on the receiving end! Means more goodies for me and the family.


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## susanaproenca (Aug 14, 2010)

Glad Charley is on the mend!  

Giving BeneBac too close with the antibiotic will cause the antibiotic to kill most of the beneficial bacteria in the BeneBac. So you will want to wake him up in the afternoon to offer it to him.


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## rivoli256 (Mar 1, 2009)

susana has got it right...Charley will be quite happy to get a midnight (for him) snack...who isn't! the further between the 2 doses you can give it, the better for him. meaning, more of the beneficial bacteria in the Bene-Bac survive. i used to give my mid-day probiotc dose around 1 pm. the antibiotics were usually given at 7-8 am & then 8 pm. if that is of any help.

snorgles to Charley!!!!!!


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## Alastrina (Sep 18, 2009)

SCORE!

Charley ate his Clavamox mixed in with some sweet potato baby food! Dunno if he'll do it again, but yay for a good first experience with oral meds! 

He took about 15 minutes to eat it all, I sniffed it, didn't smell bad or good to me, but like the vet said, they have different tastes than we do, except maybe when it comes to meats.  

He's gone back to bed for now and is resting. When he went back to his cage he took a great big drink at his water dish... Of course this is good, since lack of water is very bad... is additional water consumption normal for anti-biotic patients? I want to make sure and give him access to a bigger dish if he needs it, right now he has a crock that holds a half a cup of water easy, and it gets changed twice a day and refilled. I don't think he can hold that much, but he's surprised me before


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## Alastrina (Sep 18, 2009)

I think things are going to work out great ^_^

I got up about 6 hours after his first dose of Clavamox, and decided to see if he would be interested in some Bene-Bac laced baby food. Boy was he ever! He ate the tsp of food up and licked the bowl clean. I'm so proud of my little hedgie man. And now it's about time for his next dose of Clavamox. Cross your fingers and hope he's willing to nibble this one up too!

Sometimes my insomnia has it's uses.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

Alastrina said:


> Sometimes my insomnia has it's uses.


 :lol: I can relate...Snarf and I have had some of our best conversations at 3:30am! (I'm not a morning person either, so it's mostly just staring and snorting.)


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## Alastrina (Sep 18, 2009)

Hehe, we're the same. ^_^

Charley was much more articulate and active than I was since for him, it was prime time.

This second dose of Clavamox he wanted nothing to do with when I prepped it in the spoon with some baby food. So I got the syringe, pulled his dose up, and gave it to him that way. Little booger lapped it up straight out of the end of the syringe and after a bribe of a few mealies, kept it down just fine.

Hedgies, gotta love 'em


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## fracturedcircle (May 31, 2010)

how's Charley doing?


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## Alastrina (Sep 18, 2009)

He's doing really well with his meds, and with the alternating Clavamox and Beneback laced baby food treats he seems to really be getting some pep in his step.

Pretty much abandoned the mixing the meds up with some baby food idea, after that first time he would have none of it, and he only half-heartedly fights the syringe.

Activity has been a bit low, but I can understand. He still wheeled tonight, ate some kibbles, and drank a ton of water.

Poos are a little smaller than normal, but well formed. They're a dark brown with a green tint, but no hint of sliminess or diarrhea. And pee, little piddles everywhere, he's got a bigger bladder than I do, dunno where he keeps it though! ^_^


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## Alastrina (Sep 18, 2009)

After this afternoon's dose of clavamox and refilling his bowls before putting him back to bed, I got a little worried at the levels in his bowls. It lools like he's not eating as much as usual. 

Tonight I woke charley up an hour before time for his meds and handfed him some kibble before he got the dose for Tonight.

Activity is down a bit, poops are green but well formed.


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## shetland (Sep 2, 2008)

I hope little Charley is well soon. He has been through so much lately and so has his Mommy.


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## Alastrina (Sep 18, 2009)

After I posted last night things were looking up for Charley. He was really sweet and active before bed and then again this afternoon. There was even evidence of wheeling on his feet and wheel this morning, and he ate like a little piggy.

I'm still feeling like I've been run over by a large steamroller, and am going to go snooze for a bit before it's time for his meds for tonight. ^_^


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

Is it wrong to be relieved when a hedgiemama feels worse than her hedgie? :?


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## Alastrina (Sep 18, 2009)

Nah ^_^

I'm bigger and more resilient, I'd rather me be sick than him.


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## Alastrina (Sep 18, 2009)

Yay for Charley!

I think he's really getting his spunk back. Good appetite, really active this morning, plenty of poops >_> I think he saved some for me.

He's been eating mealies, his regular kibble mix, and some Royal Canin Kitten before he gets his doses of Clavamox, and it's been helping him keep his appetite up.

Now if only I could get my hands on some of that energy! :lol:


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## shetland (Sep 2, 2008)

I must really be in love with Charley! I glowed when I read he was feeling so good!I can't get enough stories about him. I can't get enough pictures of him. I worry about him. It must be love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Alastrina (Sep 18, 2009)

I'm head over heels myself. I have three special men in my life, and one of them is a hedgehog ^_^

I sit on the bed watching him climb all over, smiling like it'll split my face. Today my husband was sleeping in and Charley was waddling all over him, up and down over his legs, it made me laugh. Then he will sit down, lean over my hand, and munch a few kibbles.  

He's so spoiled rotten, but how could I do anything else?


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

So good to hear he's feeling better!


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## Alastrina (Sep 18, 2009)

I feel like I've made a huge and important discovery...

...Charley is much more amenable to taking his meds if he gets a tsp total of 2 parts meat baby food to one part fruit/veg baby food! Some fed before to have food on the tummy, and the rest fed after to help wash down the taste ^_^

I bought a pack of tiny bowls at a department store in town last night, thinking they'd be perfect for Charley... and they're great! They remind me of little bowls for salt that get put out at the table sometimes to take a pinch out of during dinner.

Looks like they hold a tablespoon of whatever I'd want to put in them, which is just right for baby food, and there's plenty to use for whatever reason (6 in the pack).

Yay!

---

This morning Charley got an all-over bath, a nail trimming, and his Clavamox, all in the space of an hour. The poor dear! He was snuggled up in his hedgie stocking from Nikki for the last little bit, and I think this helped as it is his comfort object since it came home.  

His breathing sounds great, he's much more active, and I haven't noticed any excessive licking or sneezing since he's started his meds. Food intake is good, water too, and output is juuuust fine, though poops are greenish from the meds. He seems fine in all other respects so I've not let the color worry me too much.

My only concern is an unrelated-to-the-URI red bump where it looks like a new quill is coming in on his visor. It got a dab of Polysporin on it this morning, and I'll give it another peek tonight at play time. Just looks like a pimple, and the quill looks like it's still coming in OK, so I'm going to watch it.

Time for me to get back to my homework now, didn't get anything done last week! Feeling much better since I tripled my water intake...dehydration, who knew? :?


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