Help Please!I have to make a terrible choice!

[RoSni]

I feel terrible about this [sadly my most common emotion as of lately reguarding my rats. :emb: ] but two of my rats have come down with an issue that requires vet care at the same time, but I don't think I can afford both appointments right this second!

I wrote a post yesterday on Posie's issue, but nobody has responded yet despite this forum being pretty active. I suppose people are busy.

But I hope someone can read this.

Posie suddenly came down with some sort of back issue. His legs aren't useless, but he can barely use him and his tail drags, but not completely. He's only a a little over a year old- maybe two or three months over a year.
He goes to the washroom regularly, but can't seem to control it, and is eating and drinking normally with no signs of pain at all. I can prod him all over and he doesn't even flinch. Spends most of his time boggling and bruxing in my lap and licking me. If he didn't have the leg issues, you'd never be able to tell anything was wrong with him!

He still gets around, and doesn't seem too bothered by his predicament.

Well about the eating. I switched to Mazuri from a block with much higher protien, and quite frankly only Maddox likes it. I haven't seen Posie eat a block yet, but he's not losing weight and I'm feeding him other fruits and veggies, healthy cereals and a few snacks to keep his weight up. The blocks ARE being eaten.

The thing is, I think I feel a bit of a lump in his upper spine. [tumor, swelling?] He'd need an x ray, at the vets, and I'm sure that'll cost a pretty penny.


Now on the other hand Maddox is making a fair bit of noise, that seems to be coming from his nasal passages instead of his lungs. He's not even seven weeks yet- and I feel like his condition is actually more urgent than Posie's in a way. He went from the sneezes, to THIS. But he acts normal and is still super playful at least.


I don't know what to do! I don't think I can afford two vet bills + meds + an xray at the moment, and my vets won't make payment plans.

:sad3: I feel like a bad mom. But what do you think is more urgent?

 

[victoria]

If you're going to Dr. Munn, I believe a second exotic exam only costs $20 more, so it's better to take them both if you can. It may be HED or it may be something more serious, even if you can't afford an x-ray (if one is needed) at least you will have a better idea of what may be going on.

Can you borrow a cat carrier from someone you know so that you can take them to the vet? Carriers are often considered neutral ground but you never know if one rat will lash out so it's better to bring them separately. If all else fails, you can get a medium sized tote (a little bigger than shoe box sized) from the dollar store or Zeller's/Loblaws/Walmart, punch a few air holes, and put the little one in it to go to the vet.

 

[RoSni]

Only 20$?! As much as I'd like to hope the vet close to me would have the same prices, I doubt I'm going to get a better deal than that!

I don't think Posie would bother Maddox. I don't think I want to take the chance, though.

BUT, I remembered I'd be given a cat carrier, the "portable pet home carrier.. tent".. [or something- all these names are too long], and a superpet come along carrier. So.. would it be realistic to put the small carrier [with Maddox in it] in the large one, with Posie in it? Or is that a little rediculous?

Would the cat smell stress them out? Maddox has actually been around the cat all day since day one, and I have to say they've taken quite a liking to eachother. He grooms her fur, and she grooms his, but I'm digressing. Posie is terrified of her.


I've never heard of HED hitting a rat so young, but who knows? I'll hope it's that, but the the sudden onset throws me.

Here's hoping this all works out.

 

[victoria]

It's $20 for the second exam (I think, I haven't been there in almost 2 years because I moved), the first one is a lot more. (A lot of vets have some sort of discount for multiple pet exams.) It's still not a lot (relatively) to get the second pet seen and at least you can get an idea of what's going on.

I would not put one carrier inside the other, just carry them separately. A good cleaning should get rid of the cat smell.

 

[lilspaz68]

Dr Munn doesn't necessarily have to x-ray Posie, tell him about the lump and he can palpate it and examine it first. Maddox on the other hand has a URI, and NEEDS antibiotics, especially at his age.

Call the clinic and tell them you are jobless right now, but needed to know how much to bring in a 2nd rat for an exam. I think its $35 now, not 20?

 

[victoria]

Dr Munn doesn't necessarily have to x-ray Posie, tell him about the lump and he can palpate it and examine it first. Maddox on the other hand has a URI, and NEEDS antibiotics, especially at his age.

Call the clinic and tell them you are jobless right now, but needed to know how much to bring in a 2nd rat for an exam. I think its $35 now, not 20?

Oops! I'm sorry, I should have know it went up. It's still a lot cheaper than a separate exam.

 

[RoSni]

:giggle: Oh I know you only meant that as the price to bring an additional rat. I think I'd have a few more rats than I do now if I vet exam was only $20.

But $35 isn't much worse when compared to the initial fee. Beats paying $65-$75 for each.

And good point, lilspaz. I guess through just feeling it he can see the difference between a tumor/swelling/break../nothing.
I can't wait to get an answer as to what it is, or could be though. It's driving me nuts. I thought a break would completely stop the use of the break site, down. A sprain.. I don't see how it could happen. Tumor seems like it'd be more gradual, plus I think I'd have noticed, and HED at this age..?

In the meantime, while I'm setting up the appointment, is there anything I can do for Maddox? I hear about steaming them all the time, but if his lungs [well, nasal passages really] sound wet, wouldn't that make it worse?

Then I heard the, 'hold the rat infront of the freezer'.. I wouldn't do either until I actually find out if it's a good or bad idea. He's not in distress, and acting normally but if anything can ease his annoyance just for the time being?

 

[lilspaz68]

they said to call them and explain your financial situation. They need to know that when you book the appointment.

What's this about a freezer? :shock:

 

[jennifervb]

they said to call them and explain your financial situation. They need to know that when you book the appointment.

What's this about a freezer? :shock:

lol... sorry but your "freezer" statement followed by the :shock: really hit my funny bone. I think I have front brain degeneration. :laugh4:

 

[RoSni]

I will call ahead of time.

And I have to say, your reaction got me a little giggly, too!

"

If your rat has a respiratory illness, make your hands into a rat plate and be prepared for a dive (but don't cup him/her). Head over to your freezer and hold him in front of the open door. If the panicked breathing lessens, he's likely got a lot of fluid in his lungs so your next steps are to:


1. Place him in a cage in a cool room/area and give him a piece of dark chocolate.
2. Call your vet.
3. Come home with 3+ weeks worth of antibiotics and, if your vet agrees with your assessment (wet lungs), a steroid or diuretic to help do something about that fluid.
The freezer test may fail. If the gasping seems to get worse, head immediately to your bathroom, close the door, and turn on the hot water and shower. If the cold didn't help, the moisture should.

The thing that scares me is the "expose the rat to extreme cold. If it gets worse bolt in the opposite direction and expose them to extreme heat."

SO .. I stuck MY head in the freezer and inhaled deeply to see how it'd feel. I didn't find it particularly enjoyable.

 

[lilspaz68]

Ohhh please please tell me where you got this from? I need a belly laugh!!

 

[RoSni]

http://www.ratballs.com/RatTails/Tails098.html

They appear to keep some of their rats in 'giant' critter keepers, now that I look closer. I found this site when I first got Rowf and Snitter, my first two rats.

But I haven't looked into it too much.

 

[uglycupcake]

I will call ahead of time.

And I have to say, your reaction got me a little giggly, too!

"

If your rat has a respiratory illness, make your hands into a rat plate and be prepared for a dive (but don't cup him/her). Head over to your freezer and hold him in front of the open door. If the panicked breathing lessens, he's likely got a lot of fluid in his lungs so your next steps are to:


1. Place him in a cage in a cool room/area and give him a piece of dark chocolate.
2. Call your vet.
3. Come home with 3+ weeks worth of antibiotics and, if your vet agrees with your assessment (wet lungs), a steroid or diuretic to help do something about that fluid.
The freezer test may fail. If the gasping seems to get worse, head immediately to your bathroom, close the door, and turn on the hot water and shower. If the cold didn't help, the moisture should.

The thing that scares me is the "expose the rat to extreme cold. If it gets worse bolt in the opposite direction and expose them to extreme heat."

SO .. I stuck MY head in the freezer and inhaled deeply to see how it'd feel. I didn't find it particularly enjoyable.

Does anyone know how the freezer thing works, and if it would work on a severe situation? and if it's good enough to get a rat through an entire night, when its too late to call the vet, or would it only be a very temporary fix? My girl died of the fluid in lungs thing, and it got really, really bad with in a couple hours. I'm not sure if the freezer thing would have helped in that case?

 

[lilspaz68]

I think the freezer thing is meant to be a test to determine "wet lungs" from "dry lungs". You wouldn't want to steam wet lungs since it would add to the fluid content in the lungs and your rat could drown in her own fluids.

 

[RoSni]

That makes sense. Guess I'll just keep him comfortable for now.

 

[M0onkist]

Comfortable is the best thing to do - keep him in an area of the cleanest air possible (if you have an air filter etc). Clean bedding or a piece of fleece instead of Carefresh etc.

Sorry your two lovelies are not doing too well! Dr. Munn really is the best though - worth every single penny!

 

[Katzedecimal]

I think the freezer thing is meant to be a test to determine "wet lungs" from "dry lungs". You wouldn't want to steam wet lungs since it would add to the fluid content in the lungs and your rat could drown in her own fluids.

Oooooookay, I think I understand about the freezer thing. Very cold air is also very dry, it holds very little humidity (hence all the frost), but it wants to absorb moisture, which is why our skin gets so dry in winter. Reading the article, I think what the author is doing is using the dryness of the air from the freezer to test whether it absorbs moisture from the ratty's lungs, which would improve lung function if the ratty has wet lungs. The author doesn't specify how far away from the freezer to hold the ratty, though, so yeahhhhh it does kind of give the impression of 'put your ratty in the freezer' :emb: OTOH, if the ratty's lungs are abnormally dry, the dry freezer air would make them worse, which would point to a different cause and also suggest steam as a tide-you-through treatment.

 

[RoSni]

Katz, I never thought they were telling anyone to put the rat in the freezer! :laugh4: I hope nobody else reads it and thinks it's a good idea!

 

[Katzedecimal]

Katz, I never thought they were telling anyone to put the rat in the freezer! :laugh4: I hope nobody else reads it and thinks it's a good idea!

Lol, no no I didn't think you were thinking that, either! :lol: But I could definitely see how someone could get that out of it anic: