Flower, gasping. AGAIN!

[Melissa's ZOO]

When I got home I checked on everyone and they were all fine. Few hours later I let everyone out for playtime and got on the treadmill for 30 min. Then I hear this noise, so I go to investigate and it is that distinct gasping sound. My heart sunk. :sad3: I looked and looked for who it was and it is my Flower in the corner of the cage gasping, stressed and full of air. I quickly grabbed anic: her set up the nebulizer I just got for Willow (which is not curing her) loaded it with double the dose since she is twice the size of willow, stuck her in the cube I got for NYDaisy for Christmas, it has only one hole and it is in their travel crate so closed in but breathable and started the nebulizer. After about 15 minutes she finally stopped gasping and was actually nibbling on a dog biscuit. I made her stay in there for another 5 minutes and then let her out. This all happened at 8:30 and 2 hours later she seems fine. I hear no URI, no congestion, did the rat phone and nothing. :wallbang:

I got some infant Gas-X to relieve the built up air and it worked. I also bought a Primatene Mist inhaler just in case for an instant relief while I set the nebulizer up.

I am terrified that Flower will go into resp distress again and I won't be around. I also fear that whatever it is that Willow has is going to move through everyone.

My amoxi/doxy combo seems to be helping Willow so I will continue using it with her. I will use the nebuilzer Amikacin and dex on Flower since it seems to have helped her. I will use the Clavamox on everyone else for prevention. IS THIS A GOOD IDEA? :stickpoke:

I am so scared that one of them will crash and I won't be around. Plus after Flower's $400 surgery and Willow's vetting of $400 I am broke, beyond broke (thank goodness for overdraft). I am hoping something will change. My birth day is May 8th so i will tell everyone to give me cash as I need to get Ivy's tumor removed it is getting HUGE.

 

[SQ]

:hugs:

Wondering if Flower had something stuck in her throat ... if she was fine and then it happened, it seems very fast for a respiratory infection. Gas-x is good if she is bloated with air ....

You might want to keep a close eye on them all ... do "rat phone" frequently to listen to see if anyone sounds congested ... if they do then they needs meds ...

For rats that are not sick, you may just want to give them echinacea for a week to help their immune systems.
... unless you think you have something serious like SDA, in which case you would want to treat everyone aggressively with antibiotics.

................ sorry ... not much help am I ....

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

I hope you are right. And it was so sudden and she has not shown any signs of illness not even a sneeze. The way she was gasping and sucking air through her throat and nose I just assumed it was resp distress. Flower will be my first rat to make it to 3 years and I want to her to be here even longer thats why I chose to have her spayed and the tumors removed at her age.

I have been rat phoneing everyone at least three times a day. Mimzy's nose sounds stopped up and Dolly is more sneezy. The good thing about Willow's is it is all in her head and not in her chest yet.

I just don't know where they would have gotten the illness from. I have not gotten any new rats since Dolly last year and I stay away from petstores with live animals sales, except for yesterday.

I will get some echinacea in the morning and start everyone of it.

Do you think my new turtle could cause them problems. The turtle cage is right next to their cage but it is an all wood enclsoure with mesh on top. I highly doubt they coudl get soemthing from Henny but it makes me wonder. i will have to do some research on it.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[mercurydust]

Turtles carry salmanela-probably not spelled right...but I don't think that it would affect the ratties. Hope they feel better. :heart:

 

[Fidget]

I can't imagine the agony of everyone being sick and not knowing why! Hopes & prayers I'll give, they never hurt and sometimes they do help (I think there's a heavenly postman that never screws up on the recipient)
I sure hope Flower will be ok. With the others could it be that it's the time of year when new things are growing and in the air and causing allergies or reactions? Have you put bowls of water around to counteract the dryness? And not everyone agrees but I swear by a dark chocolate chip if a kid has a periodic respiratory problem that is not in the chest. If you made previous posts that make this redundant, sorry. Gsh, Melissa's ZOO, I hope everything will be ok soon with all the kids and you're the only one left with any trauma from it.

 

[jorats]

This sounds exactly like what I went through with Jorge. I firmly believe he had something stuck in his throat because to this day, he's never done it again and has been perfectly healthy thus far.

It's really quite frightening when something unexpected happens. The nebulizer was a good and quick thinking.

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

Fidget, thank you for the well wishes. I hope you are right and it is just allergies and everyone just needs to adjust. I have a humidifier that I use in their room, I will try turning it up a little. I have heard of using dark chocolate in a pinch, but I cannot keep myself or the hubby away from the yummy goodness of dark chocolate. :thumbup: I will gladly take on all the trauma in the world as long as my babies do not have to suffer. :hugs:

Jo, I think you and SQ are right and she was just choking, she is absolutley fine today and all of the air is gone from her tummy. It just scared me so much the only thing I could think was to nebulizer her with all I had. I guess it worked in helping her clear her air way. I was so paniced and shaking trying to get all the meds into the cup to get it on I poked myself with one of the needles. :cheeky: I HATE needles and under any other circumstance probably would have passed out from it but all I could think about was Flower and that paniked look on her face.

Willow's congestion seems to be getting better. This is day three of the amoxi/doxy combo I am giving her. Sometimes I think I know better than the vet and should just do what I know to do to treat sure would ahve saved me a lot of $$. But that is the responsibility of pet ownership. Sacrafic is worth the unconditional love they give back in return. :heart:

 

[jorats]

This is good news for both girls.

 

[Moon]

I hope they continue to feel better!! And what a scare for you and Flower.

 

[SQ]

Good news!

 

[dreamwarrior]

glade things are better now!

 

[mamarat]

Good to hear the girls are doing better now.

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

Thank you everyone. Flower is still fins and Willow continues to get better. Once she is completely rid of URi she will go in for her tumor removal, if the vet says it is worth a try. But from the locations and the vet not being to optimistic I think that Jorats is right at it maybe a Zymbals gland tumor. If that si the case I will not do the surgery and just make her happy for as long as she is with me. I will get a picture of the tumor and post it tomorrow.

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

So, Saturday night I let everyone out for playtime and Flower is gasping again this time I caught in time so there was no major bloating. This attack is 1 week after the first attack. So i put her in her box and used the Primatene Mist inhaler and after a few minutes in there she is good as new.

What do you think this is? A myco flare-up? I have not been treating her with any meds but I am beginning to think I need to. Any advice.

I have discovered my vet is no help other than for surgery and emergency things. After $400.00 I used my own combo of meds (Amoxi/Doxy) and have cured Willow's URI when nothing he gave me helped.

I have Amikacin, Clavamox, Amoxicillian, Doxycycline, Dex, Erythro, and Baytril which of these should I try on her, if any?

 

[jorats]

You don't see any other symptoms? loss of energy, loss of appetite, change in poops, more porphyrin, laboured breathing, breathing too fast, coastal breathing, sneezes?

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

No, nothing! That is why I am so confused. She seems happier than ever since she got spayed and all those tumors removed. Other than her HED she is perfectly fine and still makes here way around during outtime.

 

[lilspaz68]

Can you gently feel her throat? See if there's a lump in there?

Sebbie used to havev on/off gasping attacks and I eventually found a lump in his throat (mass) but it was a lot later.

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

Can you gently feel her throat? See if there's a lump in there?

Sebbie used to havev on/off gasping attacks and I eventually found a lump in his throat (mass) but it was a lot later.

I have felt around and I do not feel anything. But if it is her throat then you are right and I will not find it until later. I hope that is not what it is, but it sounds like that might be what it is.

My poor old lady. I will just keep feeling around and doing the inhaler when she has attacks until I feel something or the inhaler no longer relieves her gasping. Ugh, I just hate the wait and see scenario. I just hope she does not have an attack when I am not there. :sad3:

 

[jorats]

Hopefully it won't be too often. I wonder if it's possible that her throat tightens up which causes the gasping and then it clears again... Poor old girl. :sad3: