Betsie & Luke

[SQ]

Betsie (Liverpool girl) is having serious respiratory issues and has a lump on one side of her chin.
Vet gave her iso, had a good look, and did a needle biopsy .... abscess.
She was already on baytril + clavamox, and then baytril + zithro for the respir issues.
Anyway, now trying baytril + 1 of the cephalosporins (looks like novo lexin on the pill bottle).
Hope this helps

(She is also on lasix, pred, + benazapril)

Luke (Liverpool baby) has been receiving meds for respir problems for awhile ... despite meds changes his condition is rapidly deteriorating.
Hoping antibiotics start to soon make a diff. He is up to lasix 4 times/ day to try to control the fluid build until the meds deal with the cause.

 

[jorats]

I feel for you Holly, the rats in your area are cursed. It must be so hard for you to watch them go through this as well as knowing that all those meds are taxing on their system as well. :hugs:

 

[SQ]

Thanks Jorats.
It is very hard ..... :cry4:
The remaining 12 Liverpools (RIP Toofer Jane & little Paul) are approx 1.5 years old and 5 are presently having respir problems that will not improve.
It seems that tooth, jaw, liver, kidney, and possibly heart problems as well as possible stroke causing death are genetically tied to their family. :sad3:

I do have 4 younger ratties that are very healthy, and 6 incontinent oldies that are deteriorating, on meds and in need of extensive daily care including hand feeding (They want food, but have physical difficulty eating even soft foods independently).
Esther at 2 yrs, 5 months is ill and has been struggling with CHF and a seriously enlarged heart since the summer. Most days she seems to be one of the healthiest of the 10 ratties presently on meds. Given the seriousness of her condition and the impact on her quality of life, that isn't very good.
They are ill but not suffering.... so it is not yet time.

 

[Moon]

The Liverpool babies definitely did get the short end of the genetic stick

 

[SQ]

The Liverpool babies definitely did get the short end of the genetic stick

Yes, these poor little ratties are a good example of what backyard breeders do ... :sad3:

 

[lindsayfawn]

I hope they start feeling better soon. It's hard when there are so many sick at once. You're doin a great job!

 

[SQ]

Betsie had an emergency vet apt. this afternoon.
Betsie's face and under her chin are swollen, she couldn't open her mouth, couldn't eat though she did swallow her meds as I placed them on her lips drop by drop, and green pus came out of her bottom lip.
She has a vet apt tomorrow but I was afraid the swelling might cut off her airflow during the night since it has been growing rapidly since last night.
I started her on metacam last night because I was sure that she must be in pain even if she wasn't showing it.

Betsie was given an x-ray. Her vet removed a foreign object from her mouth that the skin had grown over.
He also drained a bit of pus out of her cheek. I was told that the abscess had burst into her mouth instead of on the outside of her face.
The skin has sloughed off the inside of her mouth. I was told this was because of the abscess bursting open in her mouth.
Betsie lost a great deal of blood from her mouth and a bit from her cheek.
Her face and the area under her chin are badly swollen. The area under her chin is very hard - feels like bone but it isn't according to the x-ray.
Betsie is on 3 antibiotics (baytril, novo ?, metrondazole) as well as lasix for the fluid build up in her lungs ... and I will need to given her sub-Q fluids as she is dehydrated.

Betsie has another vet apt tomorrow. I thought she would need to be pts when I took her in today .... I don't know what is going to happen tomorrow.
I am hoping the infection is not into the bone or gum ... but ...

Right now Betsie is resting in the open carrier with a snuggle safe for extra warmth ... while I eat and then clean her cage.

 

[Dahlas]

Oh no...poor little girl.

 

[Godmother]

It must be heartbreaking to have so many sick ones at once. All the best to Betsie, Luke, Esther and crew.

Hard to believe that Esther will be 2 1/2 years old tomorrow.

 

[mamarat]

Poor baby.

 

[jorats]

Oh man... a foreign object? That is so bizarre. If your vet cleaned out the area really well, the meds should do the trick. Do you mean novotrimel? That's a pretty good med for abscesses.

 

[SQ]

Oh man... a foreign object? That is so bizarre. If your vet cleaned out the area really well, the meds should do the trick. Do you mean novotrimel? That's a pretty good med for abscesses.

could be ... he said it was related to the penicillin family. I can't read the label on the pill bottle as it is typed over other print.

Yes, it is really bizarre ... just hope the infection isn't into the bone etc.

 

[SQ]

Luke (liverpool baby) has been having breathing problems for awhile.
I tried all different combos of antibiotics.
He was suposed to be x-rayed on Friday but the vet had several emergencies. His condition has been worsening since then.
I just returned from a vet apt where it was discovered that one of his lungs has collapsed.
Vet doesn`t know what caused it or what to do. I have a vet apt later today to have Luke pts.

 

[SQ]

My vet has heard back from other vets and the possibility of infection and treating infection to improve the quality of life has been mentioned.
The type of infection that has been mentioned is the same med resistant bacteria found in hospitals that the boy's were infected with at the time of their neuter last summer in Halifax.
At the time the literature I read mentioned this bacteria being found in the lungs of hospitalized people. I was relieved that it wasn't in my ratties lungs but confined to their neuter abscesses.
My vet will be getting a sample to look at and culture when I take Luke back in this evening.

Edit: Hoping for the best ... but I'm not sure what that would be ....

If it is an infection, we may give Luke a few days to see if antibiotics help his condition and improve his quality of life.
My vet has told me that many animals, including rats can have a good quality life with only one lung.
The x-ray earlier today showed that Luke's functioning lung looks healthy.

Edit: No infection, no bacteria, evidence of a sucessfully treated infection, no tumor, blood in Luke's chest.

 

[LA]

OH man Holly :hugs:

 

[Dahlas]

I am so sorry Holly...that is rough

 

[mamarat]

I'm hoping for the best, SQ. :hugs:

 

[Godmother]

So sorry that nothing more could be done for him. You must be very relieved that there was no superbug infection, but it's still very hard to lost Luke at such a young age.

 

[jorats]

It's certainly rough... all you can do is your best until it's time to let them go. :hugs:

 

[RatsForever]

I'm so very sorry SQ...this is such a difficult time with so many losses. :hugs: