My Little Matilda: It's PT NEW UPDATE pg. 8

[jorats]

Wow, that is amazing. Is she on meds?

 

[Aida]

Yup Jorats, she is on bromocriptine and prednisolone, the usual.

Dspch, that is a possibility. However, the eyes got those milky-white spots seperately, and they started out small from the center. Also, I don't think she is COMPLETELY blind... it is very hard to tell or gauge her eyesight. Still, I have heard that rats adapt very well to not being able to see, so I hope she will, too, if that happens.

 

[Aida]

I don't know if I jinxed it or something but Matilda had a horrible day yesterday.
She had those dang respiratory issues that just popped up RIGHT NOW OF COURSE, and she had issues with holding oxbow in her hands to eat, generally to eat it at all, and she had some problems walking at first(crossing of her back legs).

She's doing similarly today.
The walking problem gets better if she can just move around a bit....

 

[jorats]

Maybe you should try upping her pred dose maybe? Poor thing....

 

[Aida]

Maybe you should try upping her pred dose maybe? Poor thing....

I think the problem is that I accidentally, caught up with Oreo, forgot to go to the pharmacy and she missed a dose of bromo two days ago.
She is doing a tad better today.

Tomorrow I am volunteering so I will get new prednisolone(I'm pretty sure this one either has or is about to expire, the label is all wrong), and then I will get on my knees and beg for some baytril/doxy without an appointment.... :bow:
(She is having respiratory issues in her sleep)

 

[jorats]

Poor girl. If the vet gives you pred without issues, the vet should know that with pred, the rat needs to be on an abs. Maybe remind him that you think the pred might have compromised her lungs and you'd like her on Baytril and doxy as well.

 

[Aida]

Poor girl. If the vet gives you pred without issues, the vet should know that with pred, the rat needs to be on an abs. Maybe remind him that you think the pred might have compromised her lungs and you'd like her on Baytril and doxy as well.

I got baytril and doxy no problem, along with the pred refill.

We talked about that a loong time ago, when she first went on pred. She said that since we are still giving such a small dose, it shouldn't be an issue. However, I think that if Matilda doesn't improve in another day I'll want to increase the current dosage(0.04ml of 4mg/ml pred every day).

 

[jorats]

That's great! Keep us posted.

 

[Aida]

Matilda is doing better now.
Both with the PT symptoms, and with the URI. I don't hear her clicking or making noises at night anymore, and she is eating easier.

She is just IMPOSSIBLE to medicate, I swear. At least 60% of her meds she spits back out on me. Just drools it out, nothing works anymore.

 

[crumbilina]

Ive found with rats that I have had on bromo for a while, they tend to spit out any and all meds Its hard to medicate them without completely stressing them. Unfortunately I have no tips or tricks to offer. How far into her mouth are you putting the syringe?

 

[Aida]

Ive found with rats that I have had on bromo for a while, they tend to spit out any and all meds Its hard to medicate them without completely stressing them. Unfortunately I have no tips or tricks to offer. How far into her mouth are you putting the syringe?

Honestly? As far as I can without hurting her, and I try to hold her mouth closed afterwards for a bit. She can pick it up super easy, too, and if I try to mix it in anything delicious and offer it to her, she won't have any and then she won't trust me to eat anything I give her for two weeks.

 

[crumbilina]

Honestly? As far as I can without hurting her, and I try to hold her mouth closed afterwards for a bit. She can pick it up super easy, too, and if I try to mix it in anything delicious and offer it to her, she won't have any and then she won't trust me to eat anything I give her for two weeks.

ugh. Thats rough. Again, I wish I had some advice for you, but unfortunately, I don't. I've never found a way to get around it. I hate when they stop trusting you with other foods too so I never put meds into other things because of that.
On the other hand though, if she is doing well again, then she must be getting the meds she needs, so thats good!

 

[dspch911]

ugh. Thats rough. Again, I wish I had some advice for you, but unfortunately, I don't. I've never found a way to get around it. I hate when they stop trusting you with other foods too so I never put meds into other things because of that.
On the other hand though, if she is doing well again, then she must be getting the meds she needs, so thats good!

Right now we're putting it in baby food, baby cereal, ensure, coconut water and syringing it in. Sometimes it takes forever cause I have to go very slowly, but we try to mix up the flavors so its not the same every time.

 

[Godmother]

That is very difficult. I'll never forget my first Bromo rat, who never really trusted me again after three days of Bromo. I had to give up, but those three days made a big difference and kept her going for a couple of months.

And I have had a few that were a real struggle to medicate. Every once in a while I find a tiny bit of red on the wall that was a bit of medication flung by a reluctant ratty.

Best of luck. If she'll keep,taking the Pred it might be all you can ask for at this point. I read somewhere that PT can affect their sense of smell.

 

[Aida]

That is very difficult. I'll never forget my first Bromo rat, who never really trusted me again after three days of Bromo. I had to give up, but those three days made a big difference and kept her going for a couple of months.

And I have had a few that were a real struggle to medicate. Every once in a while I find a tiny bit of red on the wall that was a bit of medication flung by a reluctant ratty.

Best of luck. If she'll keep,taking the Pred it might be all you can ask for at this point. I read somewhere that PT can affect their sense of smell.

I read somewhere that bromocriptine should be given with food because it can cause stomach issues, and that is why rats will greatly avoid it, because it makes them feel a bit sick-- and obviously in the rat world, that means "I ate something poisonous and I must always avoid it at all costs forever".

She's been taking it for 6months, I've been cramming it down her throat along with pred and when I mix up the tablets, I use the tiniest amount of water possible so that it is maybe 0.1ml a day. So she takes that, it's just when I have to give her meds in larger amounts(like the baytril and doxy currently), that the craziness starts.

 

[dspch911]

I read somewhere that bromocriptine should be given with food because it can cause stomach issues, and that is why rats will greatly avoid it, because it makes them feel a bit sick-- and obviously in the rat world, that means "I ate something poisonous and I must always avoid it at all costs forever".

She's been taking it for 6months, I've been cramming it down her throat along with pred and when I mix up the tablets, I use the tiniest amount of water possible so that it is maybe 0.1ml a day. So she takes that, it's just when I have to give her meds in larger amounts(like the baytril and doxy currently), that the craziness starts.

While reading all this and going through it I really do wonder are we doing it for them or for ourselves. I'm beginning to feel the best thing is to let them go since its a no win situation anyway. I understand a few weeks or months is a long time to them, but what quality time is it? My boy hasn't had much of a life for almost two weeks now. :disbelief:

 

[Aida]

While reading all this and going through it I really do wonder are we doing it for them or for ourselves. I'm beginning to feel the best thing is to let them go since its a no win situation anyway. I understand a few weeks or months is a long time to them, but what quality time is it? My boy hasn't had much of a life for almost two weeks now. :disbelief:

That may be so, but it is absolutely unfair to them, and to us to not give it the best shot, even if we have to just TRY for a few weeks.

Read back on my thread, it has been OVER 6 MONTHS, and my Matilda is as bouncy and as happy as ever. Sure, she has some PT symptoms, but they are mild on a bad day, and she is still a happy rat, I am 100% sure of that-- I can show you in videos and in pictures. I was devastated when I found this out, because I knew what kind of fate to expect, but look at what turned out. We owe it to everyone to TRY. Animals have an even bigger will to live than people, I believe, and i do not believe that if they could communicate, they would say "Pull the plug, this is extremely painful.", escpecially if they could understand that there is hope.

Do your migraines make you want to die? I mean honestly, truthfully, end your life forever? Put your faith and your hopes into your Kona baby while there are still options or paths to take, and when you are sure you have exhausted every resource and you are sure there is nothing else to try, and he is still in pain, only then help him cross the bridge. Do it any sooner, and you will be cheating yourself, your boy, and you might feel guilty for years to come because you will wonder "Well, what if we tried that dex? what if we tried that cabergoline? what if I waited two more days for a response?".

 

[dspch911]

He gets his dexy shot on Monday and yes many of my migraines have had me wanting to shot my head off especially when they last for days and weeks! Kona is a limp noodle that unfortunately has no real quality of life.

 

[Aida]

Hey guys. Matilda has gotten worse. She has gone downhill in the course of the week or so. I want to be optimistic and say that it might be old age. She is 3 years old this month, and she has been slowing down in a way that seems painless....

What does a PT death look like?

 

[jorats]

It depends on the type of PT. Almost all my PT sufferers died peacefully at home with me. But a couple of them, it was quite obvious they were in pain. So if you see zoning out, panicking, not eating but wanting too. Some PT rats don't want to eat and I don't force them either but there's a difference in not wanting to eat and wanting but not able too.
I'm so sorry your girl has this but what a wonderful age! A full life for her!