New meds killed my poor Bob. :(

[Panda Phil]

 Aww damnit. I got home from the vet an hour ago with  a new antibiotic for my poor wheezing and conjested rattie Bob. The doctor wasn't in, but he'd  left a note with the nurses/assisants<?> to mix up a bottle of Cefadroxil liquid, with instructions to give him .50cc's twice a day.

 As soon as I got home I dropped his first dose into a spoon on top of a little mixed vegetable baby food. He loves it, and it's the only way I can get him to take meds. He bounded out of his cage and started lapping it up hungrily. Suddenly he started gasping, just like he has been after eatign the past couple of weeks, and suddenly started panicking and struggling to get away. I held onto him and he just went limp in my hands, twitched once or twice, and was gone.    

 I guess if there's anything good to be said about this, it's that he went very quickly.

 At this point I don't know what to think. Did the meds poison my boy? Or was it an allergic reaction? It just happened so suddenly, I'm still shaking.

 Poor little Bob was one of my first, as well my sweetest, and favorite rattie. He's also the first one to get sick and die on me, so I'm not takingit very well.  He was only a year old. I just don't know what to do with myself now. I've been trying so hard for the past three weeks to help him recover, but nothing really seemed to work. And now this happens. I've been told that I shouldn't chew out the doc when he gets around to returning my call. I'll be nice, I always am. But i'd like to hear some kind of explaination. Does he actually know what he's doing when it comes to rats? Or, just guessing and perscribing generic meds?

 At the very least I'd like to get my $30 back for the crappy meds.

 Pics of my poor boy.

 

[Yavannasgrandmom]

I'm SO sorry.  I have no idea of meds could do this, but I have had rats die at the end of respiratory illness, and often the deaths involved violent twitching (far more common death than a gentle one, unfortunately).

So it's possible it was just his time.

The picture is precious... I'm so so sorry for your loss.

[Noe]

I'm so very sorry for your loss. The death of our babies is always difficult, but so much more so when it's unexpected.

I know it can be difficult to think of a necropsy, but in cases of sudden, unexplained death it could be helpful to have your vet perform one to determine what happened; it may help you to get through this better if you understand why he died.

[Panda Phil]

I'm so very sorry for your loss. The death of our babies is always difficult, but so much more so when it's unexpected.

I know it can be difficult to think of a necropsy, but in cases of sudden, unexplained death it could be helpful to have your vet perform one to determine what happened; it may help you to get through this better if you understand why he died.

 I guess that might be a good idea. But to be honest, I'm having a very difficult time deciding if I even trust that vet after what happened.

[liza]

Oh dear, I totally understand your feelings. A similar incident happened to my love Vino and I. In the 25th hour after the steroid shot (that he most probably got into the wrong spot of his body, if it was the right medication after all) Vino miserably died. The only consolation that might help you: your baby didn't suffer for too long. Vino had the same kind of death, but it took him about 25 hours. I had no idea what was happening, I had trusted the vet and her staff so much, but it was their fault. Vino was recovering and if it hadn't been for them, he would still be with me. I firmly believe this. Yes, I fully blame the vet and the staff for Vino's passing. The vet knows all this. You have to let your vet now. I was blaming myself, I I only hadn't allowed the staff to touch my baby, if I only had asked for the vet to give him the shot, If I only had...
Please don't do that. You did all you could possibly do, the meds might have been the wrong ones or the dosage was too high or he had an allergic reaction. It is not your fault. Please remember this. I never brought Vino's body back to the vet. I burried him in our backyard where he rests in peace. I didn't want him to go through this even though  it is just a body. I didn't want him to have to go back there, other people touching his beautiful fur, cutting him up. I prefered not to. Just because his death was so horrible.
Let me give you a big hug and I wish you find peace. Don't blame yourself.
Love, Liza

[Fianna Pup]

Oh, my god. I have the same meds and the same dosage, and have been givingt it to my babies for a week now.. With no problems, thank god. But I'm so, so sorry. I'd sue the v- I know, American reaction, but the bottle says Cats and Dogs only *just noticed* ...Or not sue, but have an autopsy of sorts done, just to make sure. I know the money means aboslutely nothing after an event like this, but the vet should be notified.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

[Kathleen]

I am so sorry about your loss. One of my ratties died unexpectedly just yesterday, so I know how hard it is. Bob looks like such a sweetie in those pictures! It sounds like he was healthy for most of his life, and I know he got great care from you; I'm sure he appreciated the time he had very much.

If you're worried that your vet is incompetent, maybe you could ask a rat specialist or two what they would have done in your situation, or maybe you could email Debbie D. I don't have firsthand experience with cefadroxil, but half a cc is a pretty big dose. Was it cefa-drops? If not, do you know the concentration of the drug? Debbie suggests .2cc per pound of rat for cefa-drops twice per day. I hope you get to the bottom of this, and I'm very sorry about your loss.


Fiana -- pretty much every medication used for pet rats is "for dogs and cats only". Pet rats aren't very common, so meds aren't made specifically for them. Off label uses of drugs, both veterinary and human, are legal.

[stodda29]

Poor Bob...I'm sorry he had to go so abruptly.

I wonder, though, if it was the drug or not.  If he'd just started lapping at it mixed in with something else, would he really have had time to absorb it?  Maybe if he had a violently allergic reaction to it (which can happen, but also can't be predicted), but it could have simply been that it was his time and it happened to come with his new medicine.

At least he was licking up something tasty to the last...

Definitely let the vet know, and consider a necropsy, though I know it's hard to think about at such an emotional time.  Best wishes to you and to the rest of your ratlings...

[aussierats]

I am so very sorry for your loss, but remember you did all you could and gave Bob a very happy life.

[pigsandrats]

I'm so sorry about Bob. From the pictures I can see that he was adorable. Such a sweet little face.  

A few years ago a vet killed my guinea pig. Overdosed him on antibiotics...... And I know it was that because two other vets told me. To this day I get choked up when I think of it.  



((hugs)) to you

[Spiralgirl]

Losing Bob that quickly sounds like an allergic reaction.  Had you given him Cefa before?  The other issue might be that the assistant didn't mix the med properly and he overdosed...though I'm not sure if an overdose of an antibiotic would produce an anaphlatic reaction.

Any animal can become allergic to something at anytime.  Just recently I had to rush my cat to the vet's after he had an allergic reaction to a vaccination.  Something that he had had previously.  
 

[groomfest]

Poor Bob...I'm sorry he had to go so abruptly.

I wonder, though, if it was the drug or not.  If he'd just started lapping at it mixed in with something else, would he really have had time to absorb it?  

Those are my thoughts exactly. I think it's very possibly a coincidence that he had this fit at the time he was eating. When my mom's rat Crescent was sick, if she got too excited about anything, even in a happy way, she would have a gasping attack.

What a sweet, cuddly face he had. I love how he's licking your finger in the second picture. I can see how he truly won your heart, and I'm also sad that he had to pass on at an early age, for whatever reason. But you can be comforted knowing he led a good life in your care, and you did the best you could for him.

[Panda Phil]

Losing Bob that quickly sounds like an allergic reaction.  Had you given him Cefa before?  The other issue might be that the assistant didn't mix the med properly and he overdosed...though I'm not sure if an overdose of an antibiotic would produce an anaphlatic reaction.

 

 No, this was the first time I'd given it to him.  For the past three weeks he'd been getting .10cc of Tetracyclin every eight hours but it didn't seem to help. I definately want to talk to the vet soon. Unfortunately he's away on 'family business' and had been giving his diagnosis to the nurses over the phone.  

 I know the $30 isn'tt hat big a deal. I'd much rather know whether or not I should trust him should one of my other boys get sick, or require surgery.

 As for the necrososy that some have suggested, it would probably be a good idea, but there's not much I can do with the doctor away, and I couldn't bear the thought of just keeping him in a box in the fridge over the weekend so I went ahead and buried him in the back near our two kitties who've passed on over the years.
 
 I know. Thinking with my heart instead of my head as usual.  

[conundrum]

I think that the same thing happened to me.    I am going to switch to a different vet - I should have paid attention to the red flags sooner.  

I'm sorry for your loss.  It's terrible having them go unexpected like that.

[Adventure Rats]

((((HUGS)))) I'm so sorry.

Play in Peace sweet Bob

[quellykin1]

I'm so sorry. Rio has been going through the gasping thing, too. I know how helpless you feel that you can't help them or comfort them. What an adorable boy. So sorry.

[lindsay-poo]

It almost sounds as though maybe he choked on the meds and because he was weak he was unable to get it out of his throat.

I agree with those who said that the meds wouldn't have had time to absorb. Maybe you should have an autopsy done before you chew out your vet or get too upset.

There's also always a chance that he was a lot sicker than you thought and by coincidence he went just as you gave it to him.

I hope you figure out what happened.

I'm sorry about your loss. It's never easy, but at least if you find out what happened you might be a little more at peace with it.

[Noe]

I can understand the mistrust - I'd be feeling it too - but at the very least you need to discuss this with your vet, especially if you trusted them up until this point. It may very well not even be their fault, and if it is it's probably a tragic mistake they'll want to learn from.

[AfterGlow]

I am so SOOOO sorry to hear that your little guy died. He looked JUST like my sweet little angel Bella. Oh god... It just broke my heart looking at those pictures of him. I'm sitting here crying as I type this.
All I can think about is Bella and how much I love her.
My heart goes out to you.
((((hugs))))
~Lisa