Burrell

[SQ]

Burrell was 1 in April. He is Leah's boy, brother to Ruthie, Mark, Samuel, and Joseph.

Burrell has been losing weight since his neuter in Feb.
It had been very gradual but is rapidly becoming worse.
He is about half the size he was ... Burrell and his brothers were/are large boys made of solid muscle.

His heart races, breathing is noisy and requires effort.
Had him to a vet about 2 weeks ago and his antibiotics were changed.
Didn't help.
Put him on heart meds and it seemed to help a bit.
Have him on baytril, zithro, lasix, fortekor, lasix, atenonol.
He had a neuter abcess and after it went away, developed a lump in his groin area which can be felt but isn't visable.
He has been wimpering off and on since his surgey.

I think he is dying.
Have taken him to a few diff vets since the neuter ...
They don't seem to know any more than I do

Suggestions?

 

[lilspaz68]

Could he have an internal tumour causing the wasting and pain?
Try him on metacam for his discomfort, I think all the above meds are okay with it. I wonder if that lump is not a neuter abscess at all :sad-p:

 

[RatsForever]

Could he have an internal tumour causing the wasting and pain?
Try him on metacam for his discomfort, I think all the above meds are okay with it. I wonder if that lump is not a neuter abscess at all :sad-p:

An internal tumour also came to mind...poor little fellow. :sad3:

 

[SQ]

Forgot that he was on pred ... weaning him off so can put him on medicam ...

What about his heart racing very fast?

 

[Godmother]

Maybe do the weaning faster. Our vet says that you can just half the dose daily. I wonder if the fast heart rate could be stress/pain related? If he is active, then the racing heart doesn't sound like heart failure.

 

[jorats]

My mom had a rat go into full blown myco after a neuter op. Jamz never really recovered.
But the lump, that is a concern.
Rapid breathing can be a symptom of heart failure.
I wish I could help more. :sad3:

 

[KristyR]

Rapid heart rate could also be a sign of low fluid volume... especially if it's still high on the atenolol. If it's heart failure, he could still have fluid buildup in his heart and lungs and have a low fluid volume in his bloodstream.

Wish I had some idea about the lump, and what part it may be playing here.

 

[Godmother]

Maybe time to take him to Dr. Slaunwhite? An x-ray might help to show whether it's his heart, a tumour, or even both.

 

[lilspaz68]

How is Burrell today? :sad-p:

 

[SQ]

Took Burrell to a vet on Sat.
An xray shows a very enlarged heart.
Bad med instructions from vet so didn't follow them ...
(Told to decrease the heart meds I had put him on).
Found out that injectable lasix given orally isn't absorbed well in the stomach so oral is better.
Found out that it is much more economical to get oral lasix from the drug store with a perscription.

Burrell has been feeling very bad for awhile ... he hasn't wanted to go in his cage, just wanting to be held by me so little sleep on my part for a number of days.
Burrell has lost a lot of weight since Feb. - at 502 grams he is practically skin and bones ... he hasn't been willing to eat much for awhile ... and will only eat liquidly food licked off of my finger.

Spoke to Debbie D. on Tuesday and increased his heart meds. He is now doing better!!
He is also willing to eat more ... still only licking it off my finger ...

Another vet appointment today with a diff vet to get a perscription for digoxin as suggested by Debbie.

Hopefully Burrell will soon be feeling much better ....

 

[Dahlas]

Hope he is feeling better soon....poor boy.

 

[lilspaz68]

Heart meds need to be adjusted over the course of the illness. I have had to up Beni's meds to keep him at the same level..he is actually gaining a little weight now.

 

[jorats]

Keeping you both in my thoughts.

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

Poor Burell and poor you, Thank goodness you are such a great ratmom and never stopped trying.

My first thought on the rapid breathing and weight loss was an enlarged heart. This is exactley what happened to my little Sweet Pea, she was severly under weight, refused to eat drink, was panicky and her breathing was so irratice and rapid for the first 10 hours I had her. Took the next morning back to the Petsmart tp be seen by their vet they kept her for two weeks told me I could come and "adopt" her because they knew there was something more to it than an illness but did not want to spend the money on the vet. So I picked her up took her home and she instantly went down hill. I tried to rush her to the vet the very next morning but she passed away on the way there. Just an awful experience I only had her for a total of 20 hours but I bawled, I just felt awful.

Sorry for the thread hijack, just thought I would share my experience with the enlarged heart issue.

 

[mamarat]

Keeping your sweetie in my thoughts. Good luck at the vet.

 

[Moon]

Poor Burrell. Hopefully he is feeling a bit better.