I'm sorry about your boy. It's so hard to see them like this. :hugs:
I do have to put in my two cents about using Steroids with a heart issue though. Not a good combo at all. Steroids can really speed up the heart and also raise their blood pressure (I know from personal human experience too). This of course can be really hard on a rattie that is already compromised, and can also weaken their immune system for fighting off infection. Although is humans, steroids can boost your appetite and cause weight gain (again, I have experience with that too :cry3: ), I've only seen the opposite in rats. I don't know why and my vet was baffled too...but every rat I've ever had on steroids, lost weight and wouldn't eat as much.
Our Stella has had heart issues since she was 4 months old. At 26 months now, she's nearing the end, but not without one heck of a long fight. She's been on Baytril, lasix, enalapril and nebulizer treatments almost her entire life. She did well up until the last month. She's now dropping weight fast, and we can't get her to eat much of anything, that's not just soft and mushy (A/D, babyfood, babyrice cereal and Ensure make a nice soupy mix that Stella loves) and takes little effort to eat.
We feared that Stella was going to leave us last week, and thought we ran out of options. But my vet suggested we try Zithromax. We had not used it at all in my 9 years with rats (no one ever got to that point)...but we tried it on Stella. I'm not saying it's helped her rally and she's doing cartwheels....but I can say I don't think she's going to leave us this week. :*) She has started to eat a little more, and isn't as "noisey" as she's been. I think the Zithro is helping though.
The Zithro is a hail mary pass for us...and I hope it keeps Stella feeling ok for a while longer.
Sorry for my own story, but hoping it might offer some helpful info.
