Just so you all know, Nutmeg hasn't been "Nutmeg" lately. And today, she was the worst.
I'm very worried, and I don't have the money to go to the vet.
 

I'm afraid it might be more serious then it appears.

These are some, hence Some, of her symptoms that have me worried. Or are abnormal.
 
Tiredness
Porophyn (Eyes, nose, and body)
Oinking
Harsh noises (Like gasping for air but not getting it)
A tiny decrease in appitite.
Enlarged nipples (Have been for a while now)
Harsh breathing
Sneezing  (On Baytril for minor URI)
She doesn't look as "alive" she looks miserable
She just want to be with people now.
Head smells of garbage
and her hind end is weaker then usual
 

But she is still active, Bruxing Nutmeg...

I'm really worried. My vet isn't in untill Thursday. Don't say she's pregnant, she hasnt been near an intact male for a long time, or ever.

She has been on baytril, but it isnt helping. It's gone up to every 12 hours, rather then every 24 hours.

I'm So scared, She is most social, and most loving rat I own. Every likes Nutmeg as soon as they see her, She was my miracle rat.

Any ideas what it could be now?

 


And before you all ask... She was one year with me as June 25.  She has a history of illness and vet visits.
She's a Aguti Bareback, female. Not spayed. She lives with two other females rats, also not spayed.
She eats a seed mix, as do the others. Their cage is cleaned often, but recently i changed to towels for her URI.
I am not sure if she has blood in her urine as I havent seen her pee. Her stools are normal too.

 

Something to me sounds like it might be pnemonia, in which case she does need to see a vet (well she needs to see a vet regardless.)

I must strongly encourage you to change her diet, on seed mixes they get virtually no nutrition, her body has nothing to help it combat any illness that is consuming her body.
Pick up some Ensure (Grocery Store or Walmart etc), pick up some Nutrical (found in places like petsmart).
Offer her anything she will eat, and soak it with ensure, or offer her a tiny low lip bowl of Ensure. And put some Nutrical on her food as well.
Keep offering her the fresh fruits and veggies daily.
I would also recommend switching her onto a staple diet such as:
Regal Rat by Oxbow
Harlan Teklad Lab Blocks
or Suebee's Mix
What ever you can happen to get your hands on quickly, and whatever she will accept as food.
Also try picking up some dog food (You can often find small sample bags) as often I find rats like the dog food more then rat food. The dog food is only part of a complete diet for them however, and must be fed in conjunction with one or all of the above stated.

Encourage her to eat often, bring it to her mouth, smear a drop or two on her lips or her nose to get her to taste it (sometimes doing this over and over is the only way you can "force feed" a rat to get any food in them at all.)

Keep a close eye on her, make sure she never feels cold to you, or worsens in any way, as if she does it might be worth it to take her to your nearist vet, even if they are only a little experienced in rat health, they might be able to do SOMETHING.

I would also quarinteen her if possible (though it might be too late, as something could have spread). Though this is dependant on how you think she will fair in quarinteen, she might not care, but she might also get lonely and go further down hill.

Here is a list of dog foods you can look for. Check them out, research what you want to feed, make sure it's appropriate for Nutmeg, and good luck!

-----------------------------------------------------
+ Special Formula
* Preferred Diet


+*Barking Bison
(Alternate Meat Source, no wheat, soy and corn)
Protein (min) 22%
Fat (min) 8%
Fiber (max) 4

*Canidae Platinum
Protein (min) 18.5%
Fat (min) 8.5%
Fiber (max) 4%

*Innova Senior
Protein (min) 18%
Fat (min) 8%
Fiber (max) 5.5%

*California Natural Reduced Calorie Chicken
Protein (min) 18%
Fat (min) 8%
Fiber (max) 4.5%

*California Natural Reduced Calorie Lamb
Protein (min) 18%
Fat (min) 8%
Fiber (max) 6%

*HealthWise Weight Control
Protein (min) 20%
Fat (min) 7%
Fiber (max) 6%

Diamond Low-Fat
Protein (min) 16%
Fat (min) 8%
Fiber (max) 3%

*Evolve Reduced Calorie
Protein (min) 24%
Fat (min) 8%
Fiber (max) 6%

*Evolve Senior
Protein (min) 18%
Fat (min) 8%
Fiber (max) 5%

Excel Reduced Calorie
Protein (min) 18%
Fat (min) 7%
Fiber (max) 5%

+*Holistic Blend Lamb & Rice
(Alternate Meat Source, Hypo-Allergenic.)
Protein (min) 22%
Fat (min) 8%
Fiber (max) 5%

*Merrick Senior Medley
Protein (min) 20%
Fat (min) 9%
Fiber (max) 5%

*Natural Balance Reduced Calorie
Protein (min) 16.5
Fat (min) 6%
Fiber (max) 5%

+*Natural Balance Vegetarian
(Vegetarian Formula)
Protein (min) 18%
Fat (min) 8%
Fiber (max) 4%

Natural Life Lamaderm Low Fat
Protein (min) 22%
Fat (min) 7%
Fiber (max) 3.5%

Natural Life Lamaderm Senior
Protein (min) 18%
Fat (min) 7%
Fiber (max) 3.5%

Natural Life Senior
Protein (min) 18%
Fat (min) 8%
Fiber (max) 4%

+Natural life Vegetarian
(Vegetarian Formula)
Protein (min) 17.5%
Fat (min) 7.5%
Fiber (max) 4.5%

+Nature's Recipe Allergy Vegetarian
(Vegetarian, Protein Sensitive)
Protein (min) 18%
Fat (min) 8%
Fiber (max) 4.4%

+Nature's Recipe Easy-to-Digest Lamb & Rice
(Single Meat Protein)
Protein (min) 18%
Fat (min) 8%
Fiber (max) 4.4%

*Newman's Own Organics Senior
Protein (min) 18%
Fat (min) 8%
Fiber (max) 5.5%

Nutro Max Weight Control
Protein (min) 16%
Fat (min) 8%
Fiber (max) 4%

Nutro Natural Choice Lite
Protein (min) 14%
Fat (min) 6%
Fiber (max) 6.5%

*Nutro Natural Choice Ultra Weight Management
Protein (min) 16%
Fat (min) 8%
Fiber (max) 4%

Pet Promise Healthy Weight & Aging
Protein (min) 26%
Fat (min) 8%
Fiber (max) 5%

+*PetGuard Next to Nature "Organic Vegetarian"
(Vegetarian Formula
Protein (min) 16%
Fat (min) 9%
Fiber (max) 7%

Pro Pac Low Fat
Protein (min) 14%
Fat (min) 6%
Fiber (max) 5%

Precise Light
Protein (min) 18%
Fat (min) 8%
Fiber (max) 8%

*Premium Edge "Healthy Weight" Weight Control
Protein (min) 25%
Fat (min) 8%
Fiber (max) 3%

Professional Low-Fat
Protein (min) 16%
Fat (min) 8%
Fiber (max) 3%

Sensible Choice Reduced Calorie Chicken & Rice
Protein (min) 21%
Fat (min) 9%
Fiber (max) 7%

Sensible Choice Reduced Calorie Lamb & Rice
Protein (min) 18%
Fat (min) 5%
Fiber (max) 4%

+*Solid Gold Holistique Blendz Basis-Plus
(Alternate Meat Source, Single Meat Protein)
Protein (min) 18%
Fat (min) 6%
Fiber (max) 4%

+*Solid Gold Hund-N-Flocken
(Alternate Meat Source, Single Meat Protein)
Protein (min) 22%
Fat (min) 8%
Fiber (max) 5%

*Solid Gold WolfKing
Protein (min) 22%
Fat (min) 9%
Fiber (max) 4%

+VeRUS Less Active/Senior Lamb & Oats
(Alternate Meat Source, Single Meat Protein)
Protein (min) 17%
Fat (min) 8%
Fiber (max) 3.5%

+*Wysong Vegan
(Vegan Diet)
Protein (min) 22%
Fat (min) 9%
Fiber (max) 5%

*Wellness Lite
Protein (min) 17%
Fat (min) 6%
Fiber (max) 8%

*Wellness Senior
Protein (min) 17%
Fat (min) 8%
Fiber (max) 5%

The suebee's mix should specifically say how much of the Nutro you should be feeding, though I believe she switched that to Innova dog food now, to help make the proper amounts for the whole mix.

If you go with something besides suebee's feed more of the rat food, and less of the dog food. Generally 3/4 rat food 1/4 dog food. It's a real give or take situation depending on your rat, and what foods they are fed over all.

It's generally not a good idea to bathe a sick animal as they can catch a chill and make things worse.

Warm or not, sick animals don't need to be subjected to baths.  I highly recommend adding a second antibiotic to the baytril, such as amoxy or clavamox.  It sounds like she's pretty bad off.  I'd push for a vet appt for TODAY.

good luck.

Poor little rattie, I hope she gets better quick. Be sure to keep her away from drafts. Even in the summer there are drafts people don't think about...like the air conditioner draft.  Try to keep her tempurature regulated, with no drastic changes.  Sounds like she needs the Doxy too...quick. 

Yes you should write down everything you want to mention to the vet, that way you don't forget anything that could be important.

If she enjoy's being held by you, one of the best ways to keep her warm is to hold her next to your tummy and pet her, or cover her up in a towel/blanket and pet her. The warmth of another body is way safer and sometimes more efficient when an animal is ill, then a heater.

....im back from the vet.
Nutmeg isnt doing good, in fact she isnt doing bad, shes doing horrible.
She isnt getting oxygen, her tongue was blue.
She was given Doxy.
But the vet found something out that I did not see.
I did a full check last week, all was good.
But a lump has grown under her armpit in the last week 

We cant do surgery, as her breathing is too bad. If the lump grows any more, and her breathing doesnt improve.
I'm going to help her to the rainbow bridge. She's only a year and a bit.

 
Wish her well.
Wish her to fight.
Wish her to win.
The lump is under the skin, and slightly moveable. Not an abcess, a lump. Soft to the touch.
We are going to check her tongue tomorrow. To see if it's any better.
We have to give her 5 mg of doxy, once a day.

Im crying as I write. Nutmeg has fought her entire life and cannot fight it anymore. It has hit her like a rock.

Send lots of  and  to my baby. She needs it.

I'm so sorry to hear about poor Nutmeg.  Give her lots of extra love and hopefully everything will work out for the best.

Thanks you guys.
Earlier, she curled up on my lap and slept for a few minutes. She breathed deep and slow. She just sat with me after. I moved over to  the other couch for am inute she ran to me, so i sat and she just sat with me.
She is resting right now.
Her lump is noticable now, it looks uncomfy.
I'm doing all i can for my baby.
hopefully she'll pull through and fight throught this misfortune.

She gives you all licks , brixes, and boggles for caring so much. 

Do you have any nutrical?