CHF

[Debbie]

Our rats have always lost weight on Pred (wish it was that way when I had to take it myself ). It also speeds up your heart, so I can't help but wonder if it might be adding to a heart issue. (IMHO).

Have you tried Enalapril for her heart? We have 9 rats on Enalapril for heart issues that started with symptoms like your Debbie. Most of them are on Enalapril, lasix (I wonder if that's similar to the Digixon). I did have a girl who was on both the Enalapril and Atenolol, but they treat different heart issues separately.

I hope your little girl will be ok.

 

[SQ]

Thanks.
Jo, I know she eats from my finger because she has no choice (I am even more stuborn then a rattie). I also know she isn't eating enough because of her weight loss. But as you mentioned, I can't know for sure how much she does or doesn't eat in the cage.

Debbie is on benazepril (which is similar to Enalapril), as well as atenolol, digoxin, lasix (furosemide), clavamox, baytil and pred. Didn't know that pred effected the heart ... will gradually get her off it then.
Have had her on pred for about a month in case of inflamation, because her symptoms indicate there may be a nerological problem (slight pt like behav. at times) and to increase her appitite. It did help with her appitite.

 

[SQ]

Debbie is feeling better now that she is on digoxin :joy:
(Debbie's heart is too large as seen on her xray)
Hopefully she will now start to gain back a bit of weight

 

[Alicemcmallis]

Wow that's awesome! I hope she does start to gain soon.

 

[mamarat]

:joy: That's great. Hope she gains weight soon.

 

[lilspaz68]

Good news!!!

Will you be able to wean her off the other meds little by little now? Remove one , wait 3=-4 days, no effect, remove another? I have done that. Laila is on strictly enalapril for her heart now, nothing else, and maintaining very well

 

[SQ]

Well, if I can get her off the pred, the antibiotics will follow ...
And the lasix can be reduced if the build up of fluid in her lungs decreases.
But the other 3 heart meds are here to stay ... just hoping her improvement continues on this level of heart meds as I think they are pretty much at max dosages for her weight.

But Debbie now comes to the door with her sisters to greet me and she scurries around the play area and across the couch with her cage mates :joy: And she is even occassionally joining them at the food dish for baby cereal ... :thumbup: so she is getting more interested in food :wink2:

 

[Godmother]

It's so wonderful to know that Debbie is getting better on the digoxin. That's what happened to my Georgie; at first the benazepril was enough, but then she was in such bad shape I thought I would lose her one weekend. The addition of digoxin did the trick, although she still needs Lasix and atenolol.

My three old girls are on Pred for their hind end degeneration. They are all thin and more reluctant to eat than they used to be, but they got much better since starting Pred.

Yay for little Debbie!!! :heart:

 

[jorats]

:cheer: Go Debbie!!

 

[SQ]

Debbie (was 1 year in Aug) continues to do ok but her improvement isn't as good as I had hoped it would be.

Ruthie (1.5 years old) .... sister to Burrell (died in August, CHF), and daughter of Leah, has an enlarged heart and CHF. She is now on heart meds too .... she seems to be back to her old self now that she is on digoxin ... but her symptoms were not anywhere as bad as poor little Debbie's.