gasping rat no rat vet tonight

[mamarat2]

OK got home from work and found Blue girl gasping and wheezing. By gasping i mean the open mouthed breathing. Off and on open mouthed but no heavy side breathing otherwise.

Immediately gave her doxy and some pred, steamed her in the bathroom, and gave her some albuterol inhaler (mine). My vet is closed, the local non rat vet said no they are closing, the other rat vet i go to a half hour away referred me to a non working emergency vet number. Hell tonight. The other er vet in the area that sees rats is an hour drive on a normal day and Beckam is playing in a soccer game in the area tonight so that drive will be beyond hell if we make it there in three hours.

 

[mamarat2]

And so I am looking for anything else I can do for Blue from those experienced with this. This is the first time she has ever showed resp symptoms. She has had mammary tumors removed in the past that were benign and her sister passed a while back from cancer...cancer=why i gave her pred in case there is a tumor in the lungs we do not know about and as an asthmatic they give me that when i am really bad.

 

[LA]

Aw hugs!!! to you and Blue girl..... good luck

 

[jorats]

Oh jeez... You've done all that I can think of already.
I hope she can get passed this.

 

[mamarat2]

Kinda what I figured. I put her back in her cage, she seems to be calming down and she seemed as if she wanted back in with them. Hopefully the meds will start kicking in.

 

[Moon]

What terrible timing.

Hopefully she feels better.

 

[SQ]

humidifier?
lasix ? if you have some and think she has fluid in her lungs ... tho iffy if she is dehydrated.
I'm not a vet so just guessing ... never used an inhaler so don't know if there would be any kind of a reaction ...

Hope she starts to feel better.

 

[Fidget]

I can't think of anything you haven't tried, but I can send prayers, and I am.

 

[lilspaz68]

When I talked to Jen on IM last night it seemed Blue was doing much better and was chasing another rat at the time.

The mini heart attacks they put us through!!! :wallbang: I think she said she's going to keep her on meds.

 

[mamarat2]

Thanks all! Yes I hadp her out for playtime last night with the rest of her cage and she was off chasing Chai, then this morning she was all about attacking me; all normal rat behavior for Blue as she is the cage guard!!

I did get her out this morning and had her on the bed watching her, played rat telephone and I do hear some congestion at this point. Got abs and the pred back into her this morning again, am going to put a call into my vet and will be keeping her on the abs otherwise.

Lasix unfortunately is not something I keep on hand because it seems to expire before I ever use it, and I am not too familiar as to when it should be given. Threq the vaporizer out when we moved, going to buy a new one this weekend!

 

[RatsForever]

How is your little baby today?

My vet recommended putting a rat in the bathroom with steam shower running (don't out the rat in the shower!) - the steam helps with breathing. I tried it with my rats and it does work.

 

[lilspaz68]

How is your little baby today?

My vet recommended putting a rat in the bathroom with steam shower running (don't out the rat in the shower!) - the steam helps with breathing. I tried it with my rats and it does work.

Mamarat2 did the steaming last night. She actually updated her condition in the post above yours Linda.

 

[mamarat2]

Still waiting (patiently) for the vet to give me a call back about the meds and if I need to change dosages in this case.

 

[jennifervb]

How is Blue Girl Mamarat??????

 

[mamarat2]

Blue's doing pretty well, vet never called me back so bleh. I have been keeping an eye on her over the weekend and still giving her her meds. Weaning her off the pred at this point. I gave her a quick feel over yesterday, as she has had one lump removed a few months back and it has since regrown; she also has other tiny lumps in the vicinity of the main lump along with another one that started that I can now feel on her neck by her throat. Her sis Biscuit was pts a few months back due to intestinal tumors (cancer) so it seems it runs in the family. The tumor along her throat feels different, like the way Biscuits' malignant ones felt. So I'll be taking her in for a check up with the vet hopefully this week, along with maybe an xray to check her lungs for tumors.

Doing good for now though. I bought them some new play toys yesterday and she was sitting in the cloth fish I got (smaller version of octoplay) batting at the cat ball and bell inside having fun!!

 

[Melissa]

Poor little girl, you are both going through so much. I glad she had fun with her new toy. It sounds so cute.

 

[jennifervb]

Blue's doing pretty well, vet never called me back so bleh. I have been keeping an eye on her over the weekend and still giving her her meds. Weaning her off the pred at this point. I gave her a quick feel over yesterday, as she has had one lump removed a few months back and it has since regrown; she also has other tiny lumps in the vicinity of the main lump along with another one that started that I can now feel on her neck by her throat. Her sis Biscuit was pts a few months back due to intestinal tumors (cancer) so it seems it runs in the family. The tumor along her throat feels different, like the way Biscuits' malignant ones felt. So I'll be taking her in for a check up with the vet hopefully this week, along with maybe an xray to check her lungs for tumors.

Doing good for now though. I bought them some new play toys yesterday and she was sitting in the cloth fish I got (smaller version of octoplay) batting at the cat ball and bell inside having fun!!

Hang tight sweetie. Your little lady seems to be coping well and, with a little luck, the vet will be able to help.

Hugs,

 

[mamarat]

Aww your poor little sweetie. Looks like you're doing the best you can.
BTW I love your avatar.

 

[lilspaz68]

Those throat lumps scare me. Is it just a swollen lymph gland or is it a mass? I wonder if that is what caused her breathing attack? Thats what happened with Sebastian towards the end.

Poor Blue, and poor you.

 

[mamarat2]

Those throat lumps scare me. Is it just a swollen lymph gland or is it a mass? I wonder if that is what caused her breathing attack? Thats what happened with Sebastian towards the end.

Poor Blue, and poor you.

mass, feels like salivary gland looks like it to from location....