Lethargic, poofy, cool; what's wrong with Blossom? -gone

The Rat Shack Forum

Help Support The Rat Shack Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
So, I can't decide if I'm making the right decision here. Tomorrow afternoon I'm going home (parent's house where I grew up) for my birthday which I share with my gramma (25 and 93, respectively, on Sunday YAY!), because I just don't know how many more birthdays with gramma I'm gonna get. But I'm like two hours away with no car and taking public transportation. So I was planning on leaving them here with someone coming to check in on them and let them out to play a bit and so on.

But now with Blossom being sick, my friend will have to med her, which it looks like Blossom is gonna be stubborn about. And I feel bad leaving them cause if something were to happen, friend might not be there right away or know what to look for or do. I certainly wouldn't blame her if Blossom did take a turn for the worse, but if I were there, I would know and could act on it. But taking them with me would mean hiding them in a duffle bag, then about 2-2.5 hours of train from SF to San Jose, stay in the car during the hockey game (birthday present from Dad), and then another hour and half drive home. Doesn't sound at all like a good option, even if they were perfectly healthy.

I'm feeling overwhelmed and guilty and I think leaving them here is the better of two evils, but I just don't know and I feel terrible about it. :cry4:
 
Is it just going to be for the day? I wouldn't be too overly worried leaving them with your friend if so. However, if you feel Blossom isn't improving fast enough with the meds, you can ask your vet if they are able to do "medical boarding" for your kids when your gone.

I'm right across the bay and would love to help, but I too am carless ...
 
rhapsody said:
Is it just going to be for the day? I wouldn't be too overly worried leaving them with your friend if so. However, if you feel Blossom isn't improving fast enough with the meds, you can ask your vet if they are able to do "medical boarding" for your kids when your gone.

I'm right across the bay and would love to help, but I too am carless ...

Aww, thanks rhapsody! We'll have to get together sometime! Unfortunately, no it's not just for the day, I'll be home Thurs night through Monday. I didn't even think of boarding, but I'm almost afraid to ask the price. A check up is $65 and paid another 30 for meds... it was the same last time we went too. It's not a bad idea though. I'll call and ask, it would be good to know anyway.
 
If you are financially OK with it, tell your friend to take her to vet if things get worse and put you on speakerphone at the visit. Other than that, don't worry too much. :]
 
What you could try is to have your friend over now before you leave to show her how to medicate her, and then get your friend to medicate her herself with your supervision. Most meds you can combine with some food, just not the dairy. Getting them to take their meds from a spoon filled with yummy stuff is certainly easier than trying to force a syringe in a rat's mouth!
Then she could call you if she is worried about them.
BUT, there is something to be said about boarding them at the vet's - especially because someone will be there all day, and you can be assured they will get their meds.
I guess if it were me, I would go the vet option just for peace of mind. You'd never forgive yourself if she turned for the worse while you're away. At least if she were at the vet's you know that full care is right there.
I would not bring them with me - it sounds like a long trip, and stress is very hard on rats. I think it would do more harm than good.
Anyway, good luck with whatever you decide! And Happy Birthday!
 
Joanne said:
What you could try is to have your friend over now before you leave to show her how to medicate her, and then get your friend to medicate her herself with your supervision. Most meds you can combine with some food, just not the dairy. Getting them to take their meds from a spoon filled with yummy stuff is certainly easier than trying to force a syringe in a rat's mouth!
Then she could call you if she is worried about them.

Thanks Joanne, that's exactly what I did. We went over everything. Tried the spoonfull of yummy trick but it didn't fly at all, but I showed her how to syringe and she practiced. I left her lots of notes and told her to call anytime, even if they so much as look at her funny. She'll also be staying at my place when not at work or school, so she should be able to keep a pretty good eye on them. If worse comes to worse, I'll have her take her to the vet and board her for only a few nights, vs the five it would have been. I know that there's nothing I can do, taking them with me really isn't an option. Either she'll get better or she won't but I just wish she wasn't so sick right when I'm leaving. I'm sure in a day or two she'll perk up once those meds get in her system and things will turn around. I just hope she's ok when I get back, you know? I know I've done everything I can, short of cancelling my trip or calling in the President, but I still have a case of the Bad Mommy guilt.
 
:emb: Joanne came up with such a great solution! It takes a little practice, but your friend should get the hang of it quickly. So nice of her to be staying at your place when she isn't needed elsewhere! And at least you have the backup of vet boarding in case it doesn't work out. (Was it really expensive? Mine once quoted a price of $80 per night.)

Hope you have a great birthday! We should totally get together sometime - there's several Bay Area rat folks besides us like TheRatQueen.
 
Just got the word that Miss Blossom has left us for the Rainbow Bridge. Play hard little one, I wish I could have done more for you.
 
Oh, OceanEyes, I am so sorry...For your loss and that you couldn't be there with her.
I hope Miss Berry will rally & live life for the 2 of them.
It's worrisome that they were so young and both sick. Where did you get them? Did they come from a place where their lungs were compomised from their first breath? Do you know where the rest of the litter is? Can you check up on that?
Love & be loved. I hope & expect Miss Blossom experienced that.
 
OceanEyes117 said:
Just got the word that Miss Blossom has left us for the Rainbow Bridge. Play hard little one, I wish I could have done more for you.

:tearful:

OMG....this is a shock to read! Did she say what happened? Did little Blossom go into respiratory distress?

I'm so sorry OceanEyes. It really hurts when babies don't make it. :sad3:
 
Thank you all. Blossom went downhill so fast, basically in 24/36 hrs she went from fine to decidedly not fine. I wish I could have been with her, but at least she had Berry. They came to a local shelter where my sister worked as an oops litter from a pet store rat that was unexpectedly pregnant. I will try to reach out to them and hopefully they can let other adopters know. I know I did practically everything I could, and I don't know if me being there would have had a different outcome. When I left for work on Thursday I just knew I didn't want to leave her, hoping she would hold on long enough for the meds to kick in.

We had so much fun in the short time we were together and I gave her all the love I could, but we had so much more fun ahead of us. I told her last night that she has some friends at the Bridge and they will give her all my love. Berry has been doing great since she finished her meds, her symptoms were always mild and I can't wait to get back to her and find her some new friends to share her CN with. Blossom got all the love and joy I could give her in her short time, learning what yogurt drops were, getting scritches till she bruxxed and massages till she fell asleep in my lap. She got sleep in hammocks with her sister and play under blankets and a new nest ball with fluff and baby cereal with ensure and yogurt, and peas! So many peas and corn. She would even eat the skins, if I left them on the blanket to dry over night and turn into little chips she would gobble the next day. She got all the love I could give her in that time, we were just supposed to have lots more. Play hard Blossom. We'll miss you.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top