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Author Topic: She's gone now, nothing was enough, horrible, horrible experience with the vet  (Read 1240 times)
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« on: November 18, 2008, 08:28:11 PM »

Scrambles is having a lot of trouble.  I bought her in August of 07 at about a month or two old, so she would be 16-17 months old.

She has peed blood for 8 or so months now.  We have checked her urine and blood for anything strange and haven't found anything.  Her kidney levels are good and nothing shows up on an x-ray.  It gets better and worse.

Two weekends ago she had a bad relapse of blood, but pulled through it ok.  She started to have squeaky breathing, so I took her to the vet yesterday and she is now on baytril (5 mg/lbs).

Ever since she was young her left eye has bulged out more than her right eye.  It has never caused her problems in the past, so I never investigated it more.  Every single one of my rats has quirky health problems, genetics isn't something we get the good dice roll for up here in Alaska.  I noticed yesterday that the left eye was bulged out more than usual, but dismissed it to her being sick.  I just came home today and my boyfriend was freaking out.  He was standing in the rat room and heard Scrambles start screaming behind him.  She was writhing and scratching at her left eye for maybe five seconds.  There is a possibility that he brushed Scrambles while walking by, but he definitely did not do anything to cause her pain like this.  When he picked her up she seemed to do better.  This was 5-10 mins ago.  She is still in obvious discomfort from the eye, and it is still very bulged out, but not as bad as while she was screaming.

There are two SDA outbreaks currently in Alaska, but they are 350 and 500 miles away from me.  I have not brought in new rats for 8 months, and always leave at least three hours between home and the pet store.  No other rats are showing signs.  Her squeaky breathing has gone down with the last day and a half of baytril.

I don't have a vet to go to.  The e vet will see rats, but doesn't know a whole lot about them.  My good vet is out of town until January.  I have another vet who was seeing them, but has asked me to find another vet because she is not comfortable with them.  I have another vet I can go to if I want Baytril prescribed, but isn't able to do anything beyond that.  I have a vet an hour drive from here, but I don't know if they are any good (they say they can treat rats, but from experience that doesn't mean anything).  I have a HUGE semester project due tomorrow night that my passing a class hinges on.  I can go to the inexpedience vet who prescribes baytril if I know EXACTLY whats going on.

I need help.  Please, I can't loose this girl.  She's very, very special to me.  She was my second rat, and the whole reason I feel in love with rats.  She is my boogler, and my adventurer.  She can outsmart me when she decides to get her her way (which is always).  I have never met another animal anything like her.  Every day is something new and amazing with her.

Please

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« Reply #1 on: November 18, 2008, 08:44:56 PM »

I'm taking her into the e-vet.  There is a girl that has at least seen rats before.

She's lost 10-15 grams since last time I weighed her a month or two ago.

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« Reply #2 on: November 18, 2008, 09:03:58 PM »

Please let us know how it goes, I hope that she gets some treatment, or at least some pain meds.  Good luck with her, and everything turns out well.
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« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2008, 11:00:16 PM »

Thanks Claymore Smiley

I had her eye removed.  According to the vet my options were to try to suture her eye closed, and see if it would stay in itself, or remove it.  Since her eye has always bugged out a bit, it is likely that the surrounding muscles have always been a bit weak.  I didn't want to risk it happening to her again, and since both procedures would cost about the same, I had her remove it.

Scrambles is doing really well, and should recover ok Smiley

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« Reply #4 on: November 19, 2008, 01:48:52 AM »

Her eye is all swollen now.  Should I be concerned about anything like fluid buildup behind the eye?  The poor girl feels horrible Sad  At least I have lots a metacam for her.

Is there anything I need to think about?  For tonight she is in a super pet exotic with all shelves removed and a box.  She has towels and rags to snuggle with, and I've given her baby cereal, ensure, some food, and her baytril (she's sick too).  Tomorrow I hope to add a friend I know won't pick at her, but she seems miserable tonight.  I may add a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel, but that won't last long.

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« Reply #5 on: November 19, 2008, 08:49:47 AM »

So the eyeball has been removed, and the lids are sutured close right?
Is it swelling under the lid, as though the socket is filled with fluid or around the eye socket?
I suggest calling the vet and asking if there was anything they saw in surgery that could be a further issue(abscess or tumor).  It could just be the trauma from the surgery, or she might be reacting to the sutures.  In the meantime, continue to keep her as comfortable as possible and make sure she's hydrated by gently pinching the skin on her shoulders up into a tent--it should return quickly to normal if she's hydrated, but will stay tented if she's dehydrated. 

Since she's had a UTI possibly and a URI, it's likely she's been fighting some kind of systemic infection that affected her eye as well.  Did she get better on the Baytril previously?  I would also add doxycycline to the Baytril to increase antibiotic coverage.
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« Reply #6 on: November 19, 2008, 10:09:28 AM »

Oh poor Scrambles!  I've gotten so attached to her, through you, since you love her so much and talk about her so much.  I wish that I had some advice for you about that eye =/ at least know that I'm sending my love her way and yours.
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« Reply #7 on: November 19, 2008, 10:41:08 AM »

I am so sorry Scrambles has to go through all of this.

I know this is something completely different to an eye but when one of my rats had her first lump removed our vet warned us before hand to expect some swelling afterwards. He commented any intrusive surgery (which I am guessing would include an eye removal) normally results in swelling for the first few days. He did tell me why but at that time I was so worried about her to take it in. Just make sure she is comfortable and love on her which I am sure you are doing!
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« Reply #8 on: November 19, 2008, 02:06:39 PM »

She's only been on baytril for a day and a half now, and has slightly improved.  I'm adding doxy this morning (its so nice to to have a varied supply of antibiotics on hand).

She's still a bit puffy this morning, but no more than I would expect from any invasive surgery.  She seems miserable, I brought her into the bathroom for my shower this morning, hoping the moist air would help.  When she is asleep she doesn't squeak as she breaths, but when she is awake she sounds horrible.  She kept me up a lot of the night (kept her next to my bed).  I put her onto the bottom half of the FN this morning and am thinking about adding one of the boys tonight, so she has someone to snuggle with.  I'm fairly certain they would leave her sutures alone, but I know a lot of my girls wouldn't.  The other 8 are just going to have to deal with being trapped in half of a FN.  Its clean, they'll be ok.

Does anyone else have experience with a one eyed rat?

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« Reply #9 on: November 19, 2008, 02:58:32 PM »

I'm glad to hear she's doing a little better.  I would imagine with the swelling it will affect her upper airways a bit. 

I had a naked rat(Little Pink Thing) develop a tear in the vessel feeding the retina such that her eyeball filled with blood.  She had the removal and suturing of the eyelids without issues.  It healed fine, and she had no problems after.   I don't know how well she saw prior, but she did become slightly more cautious if she was running around in a new area--just long enough to memorize the layout I guess Smiley

Healing thoughts for Scramble Heart
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« Reply #10 on: November 19, 2008, 03:37:16 PM »

Morgans' eye ruptured a few months back and we had it removed.  After the first surgery to remove the eye, the incision got infected and they went in to take the sutures out and left most of the wound open to drain and heal.

Unfortunately the second time around to clean the incision out when they put her under, she developed pneumonia.  Had she not developed the pneumonia she would have been fine, but we think her immune system was having issues at that point and the anestithia aggravated it.  She was euthanized.

She too was also on baytril which once the incision was clean was helping in that area.

Hope Scrambles heals quickly!
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« Reply #11 on: November 19, 2008, 04:02:13 PM »

I'm really scared about her being sick on top of all of this.  I wouldn't be so over concerned if I knew she was healthy before.  She seems absolutely miserable, wanting to do anything but be stuck where she is now.  At least I can split the FN in half so she has a familiar cage.

Does anyone know just how much material they remove with they eye?

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« Reply #12 on: November 19, 2008, 10:23:18 PM »

I hope she gets better soon, please keep us updated.
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« Reply #13 on: November 19, 2008, 10:26:43 PM »

She's spent all day in her hammock, feeling horrible.  And sick.  I feel so sorry for her Sad

She has a lot of crusties on one side of the incision, i don't know if I should clean them off, but i figured I'd leave it for at least a day or two.

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« Reply #14 on: November 19, 2008, 10:36:08 PM »

Maybe just take a warm damp washcloth and very gently wipe off crusties.  Sometimes it does take a couple days for them to really get on the mend.  Is she eating or drinking on her own?  Dehydration often contributes to the miserablness, and it can happen very quickly, if they're not feeling well.  You might want to take her back in to the vet for subcutaneous fluids.
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« Reply #15 on: November 19, 2008, 10:44:18 PM »

I'm giving her ensure by the syringe every couple of hours, along with baby food and baby cereal to make sure she eats.  She is very hydrated according to the pinch test.  She seems to be moving around a bit more after tonights metacam, I wish I could give it to her more often.

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« Reply #16 on: November 20, 2008, 12:03:01 PM »

She's really not doing good.  She's lethargic, loosing bladder control, has blood coming out of her left ear and it just sitting here.  She doesn't do that.  I keep calling the vet office, but their always busy.  I'm thinking of just taking her there, I feel like I'm loosing her.

I'm so scared.

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« Reply #17 on: November 20, 2008, 12:56:54 PM »

Go to the vets with her.  They may fit her in once they see how she is in person.
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« Reply #18 on: November 20, 2008, 01:06:22 PM »

They are at the vet right now =/ hopefully we'll all get some good news on Scrambles soon..
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« Reply #19 on: November 20, 2008, 01:40:08 PM »

Scrambles is continuing to rapidly heading downhill.  I have canceled all appointments today and am staying with her.  I have one class I really need to go to (three hours) but I think I will take her with me.

At the vet she got a new antibiotic for the infection in her eye socket, Trimeth Sulfa.  She is bleeding out of her ear, and we don't know of any reason other than a possible tumor.

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« Reply #20 on: November 20, 2008, 02:59:36 PM »

I will be praying and sending healing vibes to Scrambles!!
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« Reply #21 on: November 20, 2008, 03:24:03 PM »

I think I'm loosing her.  She can no longer support her front feet, and eating consists of shoving her face into the pile of food and chewing whatever ends up in her mouth.

I don't know what to do.  This is the rat that started it all, and she's still the only one of my 11 that I feel this way about.  I can't loose her.

I don't know when I should say goodbye,  I don't want to put her to sleep if she has any chance, but I don't want to force her to stay alive out of my own selfishness.

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« Reply #22 on: November 20, 2008, 04:01:33 PM »

Its ultimately your choice and decision to help her, as in humane euthanasia by the vet.  Sadly sometimes this is the last true gift we can give them.

Hugs for both of you.
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« Reply #23 on: November 20, 2008, 04:06:59 PM »

I'm so sorry sweetie D:
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« Reply #24 on: November 20, 2008, 04:16:39 PM »

I got on as soon as I could, I had to get off the computer.
Is she in any obvious pain? If she is... leaving, you want to make her as comfortable as possible. When Penny was in pain from a foot injury, I gave her some childrens' ibuprofen and she calmed down quite a bit.
Also, how old is she? If she is nearing the end of her life span, I know it is hard, but you might have to let her leave if her condition worsens... Blue Dumbo Big Eyes Poor Scrambles!!! I am praying and sending good vibes for her Sad
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