Louie/Project Turtle/BD Bash/One Melon Woman

Update on Louie:

Meloxicam - Check - Anti-inflammatory and pain medication
Cephalexin - Check - Antibiotic (3x day)
Chlorhexidine - Check - Solution to clean his wound
Saline Solution - Check - Rinse his wound
Raw Honey - Check - Put on wound

As you all know, back in March Louie was treated for a fungus that was causing him to lose his quills. He went to the OSU Vet Teaching Clinic/Hospital (Best place ever!) and they treated him. The skin scrapings they did were all inconclusive, but the medicine they gave him seemed to be working and he actually started growing a few quills back!!

Louie has since began to lose more quills and has real flaky sloughing skin. I took him back to the OSU vet on Monday and they did a series of tests on him:

Skin Scrapings (We had done these previously in March)
Skin Biopsies
Blood Work

Poor Louie had quite a day yesterday. They took 3 skin scrapings and 4 biopsies. They put him under to get all of these samples and the blood work.

Here is what I know so far:

Blood Work - Everything came back normal. They said his kidneys and liver all seem to be functioning fine at this point and all the other things they tested that I can't remember all were in the normal range. This is GOOD NEWS!!!

Skin Biopsies - I will know these results towards the end of the week. However they did say that when they biopsied his skin (think - kind of a cookie cutter type of thing) that it did not come normally. This is bad/good news. The good news is that they are optimistic they will find out what is going on... the bad news is it is probably not just a fungus.

While examining him under anesthesia the discovered a wound under his right armpit. It looks like a scratch or sore that is unable to heal because his skin just keeps sloughing off. They tried to sample that area as well, but when they did the cookie cutter motion on the sore it sloughed off a lot more skin.

While the diagnosis is still open; they suspect it could be pemphigus (definition below), a tumor, fungal infection or a deep pyoderma skin infection (definition below).

- Pemphigus - is a rare group of blistering autoimmune diseases that affect the skin and mucous membranes.[

- Deep Pyoderma Skin Infection - means any skin disease that is pyogenic. Causes may be infectious, such as Staphylococcal infections^[1], or possibly autoimmune, such as pyoderma gangrenosum.

Thanks Wiki

So now it is just a waiting game. I will be treating him with all of their recommendations and will wait to hear the results of the skin biopsies. The vet said as hedgehogs get older these kinds of things happen. :(

I am so sad for my Louie. I cried the entire way home from Stillwater. I hate that he could possibly be in pain. I just love that little guy!

So keep him (and me) in your prayers.

Project Turtle Update:

Braxton has been saved!! He is turtle number two of : The Ultimate Recovery of Turtle's Lives Experiment!! Braxton is the biggest turtle yet (Leave me alone.... I know he is just number 2). He was thinking about crossing the road and had just started when I spotted the big guy. Thank goodness because a big ole tractor was coming down the road and they have some HUGE wheels!!

Below: Braxton finally relaxed a bit and came out of his shell.

Below: Braxton next to the official turtle moving stick.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRISTEN!

This past weekend was my friend Kristen's birthday. They always have a huge bash out at her Dad's house in Perkins. It is a BLAST!! Below is a group picture. Happy Birthday Kristin!!

One Watermelon Woman - NO MORE!!

When I first started this watermelon project I said "I just want ONE watermelon to give to my Grandpa Jack! There for awhile I thought I was the One Melon Woman! I had 1 watermelonm, 1 canteloupe, and 1 pumpkin growing. I thought that was all I was going to get too! Well as you can see below, that is no longer the case. I AM SO EXCITED!!

Until Next Time: Save a Turtle!
Ju