Patrick! Woo!
Patrick is doing much better. :)
He's still not running on his wheel or as active as he was for the first few days he was home, but he is showing me all sorts of new, fun little behaviors. His ears are perking back up and he seems far more willing to socialize. Last night he began exploring my hand almost as if it were the first time again - he sniffed, then stretched up to sniff more and taste my fingers when I raised it slightly out of his reach. He's half-climbing into my hand when I offer it. Last night he ate his yogurt with gusto and this morning he seemed content to drink out of the eyedropper... well, half of the contents, anyway. I made him take the rest. :) When I tap the bars on his carrier cage (where I put him when I clean his enclosure in the morning) and call his name he pokes his head out of the exit and sniffs. He likes to rearrange his toilet paper tubes and enjoys dragging his chew sticks into his igloo.
He ate nearly two Forti-Diet pellets yesterday! :D
I am still going to do the water/pedialyte treatment until there is absolutely no soft poo for about two days. Someone suggested putting the pedialyte in his bottle - what ratio should I do? The mix I've been giving him has been 50/50.
We started the yogurt treatment on Tue eve and, since then, his poo has gone from a combination of firm pellets and near liquid to a fairly consistent... erm, soft-serve sort of poo. I'm thinking about discontinuing the yogurt tonight. Thoughts?
I have been tearing apart his nests every day, as they are usually fouled with soft poo and I cannot see how leaving it there for him would be healthy. Today I almost left it, but there was still a bit too much poo in the igloo for my liking. I'm hoping that I'll be able to leave his nest for him tomorrow.
It really looks like the little guy is going to make it, and I'm so relieved. I'm even going to go out and buy Patrick's Christmas presents tomorrow. Really, I have you all to thank - I'm beginning to evolve from a (fairly) well-informed PetCo employee to a hamster nerd. This pleases me.
More pictures later, I promise. :)
He's still not running on his wheel or as active as he was for the first few days he was home, but he is showing me all sorts of new, fun little behaviors. His ears are perking back up and he seems far more willing to socialize. Last night he began exploring my hand almost as if it were the first time again - he sniffed, then stretched up to sniff more and taste my fingers when I raised it slightly out of his reach. He's half-climbing into my hand when I offer it. Last night he ate his yogurt with gusto and this morning he seemed content to drink out of the eyedropper... well, half of the contents, anyway. I made him take the rest. :) When I tap the bars on his carrier cage (where I put him when I clean his enclosure in the morning) and call his name he pokes his head out of the exit and sniffs. He likes to rearrange his toilet paper tubes and enjoys dragging his chew sticks into his igloo.
He ate nearly two Forti-Diet pellets yesterday! :D
I am still going to do the water/pedialyte treatment until there is absolutely no soft poo for about two days. Someone suggested putting the pedialyte in his bottle - what ratio should I do? The mix I've been giving him has been 50/50.
We started the yogurt treatment on Tue eve and, since then, his poo has gone from a combination of firm pellets and near liquid to a fairly consistent... erm, soft-serve sort of poo. I'm thinking about discontinuing the yogurt tonight. Thoughts?
I have been tearing apart his nests every day, as they are usually fouled with soft poo and I cannot see how leaving it there for him would be healthy. Today I almost left it, but there was still a bit too much poo in the igloo for my liking. I'm hoping that I'll be able to leave his nest for him tomorrow.
It really looks like the little guy is going to make it, and I'm so relieved. I'm even going to go out and buy Patrick's Christmas presents tomorrow. Really, I have you all to thank - I'm beginning to evolve from a (fairly) well-informed PetCo employee to a hamster nerd. This pleases me.
More pictures later, I promise. :)