[Gpdd] HEALTH - Kimba, update part 1

[juliejohnson12 at bigpond.com]

Dear friends,
 
Kimba is still with me.      Last night I had nearly 6 hours sleep, in one go!! 
 
On Thursday 4th July, I thought he was dying.   He was very sick looking in the eyes, had no energy to move and did not desire to be fed.   He was very weak.  I had been bringing him into my bedroom at night so I could keep constant watch and keep syringe feeding as tend to his needs as required.  I put him back in Snowdrop's old cage in the daytime with the other boys, although I do put the other boys into larger cages during the day to give a bit more exercise.   I can't let them have floor time any more, it is much too cold, and I do not want to risk their health to draughts or expose them to dust or cause any further lung cancer in them.
 
I fed Kimba at 4am on 4th July, again at 8am, and 12.50pm.   He didn't take a lot of food before refusing any more.  Then when I put him back in his cage he sat huddled in the corner, coat fluffed, looking like a very sick piggy.   Something made me pick him up, and he cried.   I wondered if he had wind, so got some gripe water into him, and I held him for 3 hours non-stop, whilst I sat on the lounge crying because I was positive he was dying.   He was a dead weight against me.   Occasionally he would lift his weak little head and look for mummy, and I'd comfort him by talking and loving him and holding my hand to his nose to smell my scent.   
 
After wearing myself out from crying, I was just sitting there, when Kimba moved and made a little cry.   I picked him up and discovered he was sitting on a lot of poos which were clumping and obviously were hurting him.   I helped release them, and he was so much better.  Perhaps the grip water had eased any pain.   Then Kimba started to eat his poos.  And I had to keep finding him more of his poos as they came out so he could eat.   I gave him a poo from Treacle, and though Kimba kept smelling it and knowing it wasn't his, he ate it.   
 
I thought, I'm not giving in.   And then I thought I'm giving straight critical care, no added mash, much more water with hydralyte and probiotics.    I gave him his antibiotics, and then that was the end of the course of them and I decided not to get any more.    I decided to make changes over how I had been treating him.
 
The rest is coming in 2nd part to this posting.
 
Julie xx