Oreo's Inguinal Tumor- Open and Infected?

[Aida]

Thanks guys.

Isn't seeing improvement just wonderful? :ratwave:

A very sweet thing just happened:

Ever since I got home, Ratatouille(Oreo's sister) has been sniffing around the cage, trying to come out and get down to her Oreo. In fact, the very second I walked in my room, not only did Oreo instantly perk up, but so did Ratatouille.

A couple minutes ago I decided to let Ratatouille see her sister real quick, because both she and Matilda have been so stressed all day long, looking for Oreo and sniffing around, trying to figure out what is going on and begging to come out. So I took Ratatouille from the top of the critter nation, and put her into the divided bottom where Oreo is.

Ignoring the oxbow, watery oxbow, honey-sweetened cream of wheat, and even their most favorite of all treats that are all laying in the bottom of the CN, she ran straight for Oreo who was laying a bit in the back. And trust me she noticed these snacks, because she had to crawl over them.

In the sweetest, most gentle way I have ever seen any animal behave towards another animal, she sniffed around Oreo's head and Oreo sniffed at her right back, just very slowly and softly. She then stood up on her legs, and not even leaning on Oreo in the slightest, she sniffed around her plastic cone and peered over her back. She then ran completely around all the food and the box next to Oreo, to go behind her and just as gently sniff at her back, she didn't try to crawl over her or even touch her except for this soft, careful looking around.

After that she insisted on sniffing every corner of the cage(probably to make sure everything is OK!), before going back to her sister. At this point Oreo was falling asleep again, probably from the meds, and I called Ratatouille back and put her again in her half of the CN. She hasn't left the door since, and I just know that she wants to come out to see her sister again.

Now how can you tell me that animals don't have feelings or emotions? Or that they aren't aware or selflessly caring of one another?

 

[lilspaz68]

If she hasnt been drinking then there's nothing to pee out yet, but keep pushing the fluids..offer Ensure, offer homemade rehydration formula (10 oz warm water, 1 tsp sugar, 1/3 tsp salt. Mix well, refrigerate extra, warm up to feed).

Rats hate collars and restrictions and get very lethargic and depressed acting in them, but she has a incision she wants to pick and pull at (probably initially from pain). I would add in the metacam now. She's going to need a lot of pain control.

 

[Aida]

If she hasnt been drinking then there's nothing to pee out yet, but keep pushing the fluids..offer Ensure, offer homemade rehydration formula (10 oz warm water, 1 tsp sugar, 1/3 tsp salt. Mix well, refrigerate extra, warm up to feed).

Rats hate collars and restrictions and get very lethargic and depressed acting in them, but she has a incision she wants to pick and pull at (probably initially from pain). I would add in the metacam now. She's going to need a lot of pain control.

I'll make that up right away. She just ate about three kitchen teaspoons of very watery cream of wheat(I make it watery, and then I drip in more water from her water bottle), but wasn't really interested in just water from a spoon. I hope she will drink that rehydration solution, however, hopefully the sugar will entice her!

I know, I really hate forcing her to sit in this terrible collar.
I tried to let her out a few times, and the first thing she does is throw herself at the incision, so I have to put it back almost immediately. I gave her the buprenex last night around 8:45, again this morning at 4:45, and just now(around 8:30), I gave her the metacam. Her next dose for the buprenex is in 3 hours, so I hope the metacam will hold her off until then. Poor baby, the buprenex makes her just sleep, which is a good thing, but you can see it start to wear off a few hours before it's time for the second dose.

 

[temblabamomo]

Thanks guys.

Isn't seeing improvement just wonderful? :ratwave:

A very sweet thing just happened:

Ever since I got home, Ratatouille(Oreo's sister) has been sniffing around the cage, trying to come out and get down to her Oreo. In fact, the very second I walked in my room, not only did Oreo instantly perk up, but so did Ratatouille.

A couple minutes ago I decided to let Ratatouille see her sister real quick, because both she and Matilda have been so stressed all day long, looking for Oreo and sniffing around, trying to figure out what is going on and begging to come out. So I took Ratatouille from the top of the critter nation, and put her into the divided bottom where Oreo is.

Ignoring the oxbow, watery oxbow, honey-sweetened cream of wheat, and even their most favorite of all treats that are all laying in the bottom of the CN, she ran straight for Oreo who was laying a bit in the back. And trust me she noticed these snacks, because she had to crawl over them.

In the sweetest, most gentle way I have ever seen any animal behave towards another animal, she sniffed around Oreo's head and Oreo sniffed at her right back, just very slowly and softly. She then stood up on her legs, and not even leaning on Oreo in the slightest, she sniffed around her plastic cone and peered over her back. She then ran completely around all the food and the box next to Oreo, to go behind her and just as gently sniff at her back, she didn't try to crawl over her or even touch her except for this soft, careful looking around.

After that she insisted on sniffing every corner of the cage(probably to make sure everything is OK!), before going back to her sister. At this point Oreo was falling asleep again, probably from the meds, and I called Ratatouille back and put her again in her half of the CN. She hasn't left the door since, and I just know that she wants to come out to see her sister again.

Now how can you tell me that animals don't have feelings or emotions? Or that they aren't aware or selflessly caring of one another?

So sweet <3 Rats may not express their feelings as clearly as people, but they certainly do have them and empathy/sympathy exists in plenty.

Similarly, when my boy Quinn had his eye removed, he had to be separated from his cagemate Obie. He was eating well and I had filled his cage with all sorts of mushy tasty yummy treats. His hospital cage was placed next to Obie's, and Obie would gnaw the cage bars frantically until Quinn came out of his igloo to say hello. I finally let Obie visit his pal, and he ignored all the tasty things and went straight to his buddy to make sure he was okay (and Obie was the greediest, most food-loving rat I've ever known).

Sending your little one lots and lots of healing vibes.

 

[dspch911]

Try the Clark sock, but make it long enough to put her back feet into it too if that is an option with her incision. It might last for a little while so you can take the cone off.. Hope she's feeling better soon...
http://www.ratshackforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29651

 

[Aida]

Try the Clark sock, but make it long enough to put her back feet into it too if that is an option with her incision. It might last for a little while so you can take the cone off.. Hope she's feeling better soon...
http://www.ratshackforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29651

Dpsch, I don't think that will work.
The incision is in her groin area, and she is doing everything to try and get there. I think she would just chew through that or rip through it, as adorable as it looks. I was thinking something like this(pictured at bottom):
http://ratfanclub.org/surgery.html

But I feel like putting that on her, and keeping her in it, will be just as stressful.

 

[lilspaz68]

She'll get use to the wretched collar, more than a wrap I would think. What a sweet story. I would let her see her sisters/friends more if you can. let them out on the bed together...normalcy will make her feel better than anything else

 

[dspch911]

Your probably right, I thought the incision was abdominal..... Poor baby

 

[mamarat]

My rat ate through that wrap and actually almost chewed up his skin.

 

[dspch911]

My rat ate through that wrap and actually almost chewed up his skin.

Let me clarify, I thought she had an abdominal incision and I only meant while being supervised so maybe she would have an easier time eating. I didn't not mean to remove the collar completely...

 

[jorats]

Stopping a rat from getting at their incision is very frustrating. Some things work for some rats.
I'm sure the wrap works for some. It's pretty much all trial and error.
That is such a sweet story about the sisters...clearly sentient beings.

 

[Aida]

Let me clarify, I thought she had an abdominal incision and I only meant while being supervised so maybe she would have an easier time eating. I didn't not mean to remove the collar completely...

That would be good for keeping the wound out of bedding and such, once she stops chewing! If only it was higher up, though. She could poo or pee if I tried to make it low enough where her incision is.

Also, even supervised, I take the collar off for a minute and she just instantly starts gnawing at it. I can barely yank her away, and she is a tiny rat! :/

I will let them play a bit more together, though she doesn't really respond much. She mostly just sits there and the other girls sniff at her.

Should I help her out in terms of grooming some how? Letting her out of the collar is out of the question, she doesn't groom herself just goes for the incision.
Should I wipe her a bit with a wet tissue, especially her belly(I think she wee'd a bit), and her face? She has a lot of porphyrin around her nose and the fur around her eyes is wet.

 

[dspch911]

She'd probably like some scratches and some light wiping. Its there is urine on her I would wipe it so it doesn't get in the incision... Your poor baby... hope she feels better soon.:flowers4U:

 

[Aida]

I'll wipe her down in a minute and maybe cuddle her on my bed, I hope she won't be too stressed out. Maybe I'll let the other girls out at the same time, and if they want to come up on the bed, they'll do that.

I just made her some brown rice, oxbow, some soft-cooked carrots, and a dash of cream of wheat. Mixed it all together and boiled until soft but watery. She isn't interested in just licking up liquids, and I don't have any ensure or boost on hand. She will, however, eat some watery cream of wheat every few minutes, I mix it with the hydration solution I made(thanks lilspaz!). She won't take much water or hydration solution without the cream of wheat, sadly, and she won't touch the watery oxbow.

Is there anything else I can give her?
What about some fruits and veggies? I don't want to upset her tummy.

Also, no pee yet as far as I can see. She is on a fleece blanket that is light colored, so if she had blood or something in her urine, I could see that- but I can't see any normal-colored urine because it just get soaked up. In other words, she is either peeing OK or not peeing. I put in lots of cardboard boxes for her to hang out in, so hopefully she will go in there or on my bed in a minute(Wow! I never thought I would be HOPING for a rat to pee in my bed...).

 

[dspch911]

Have you tried letting her lick the food/water off your finger? At the end that is the only way Popper would eat maybe it will work for your girl. Is the fleece wet where she is laying? How about pedialyte? Jar baby food the meat one only? Maybe she wants some harder food - hard boiled egg, scrambled eggs, chunk of cheese? Cucumber, watermelon, cantelope - veggies/fruit that contain water? Its so frustrating when all you want them to do is eat ... just a bite !

Maybe she needs some cheering on Go team Oreo :cheering:oop::cheer: :cheering: oop: :cheer: (they don't have one for pee!)

 

[Aida]

LOL dspch!!!
It worked! She peed ALL over me!!!
And it was a lot, too. Enough for me to get a bunch on my hand and make sure it is OK! <3

As for food, she is eating. She eats the watery cream of wheat, she ate the concoction of oxbow,wheat,rice,and carrots, and she just ate a treat. The poor thing keeps forgetting about the cone, I give her something and instead of taking bites she tries to take it and then grab it.
So now we worked out this system where I tear off tiny chunks and she eats it that way, small enough for her to just chew and swallow.

I wiped down her face a bit, but she wouldn't let me wipe down her legs/belly, where there is lots of pee. Luckily it doesn't look like there is any around the incision, and I got some off.

 

[dspch911]

See, she just needed some cheering on!

 

[Aida]

I'm currently cooking up another meal for Oreo-baby.

She is eating a bit almost every time I offer food to her. She eats, but very little at a time. She quickly gets tired or sick of it and just turns away, the poor thing.
She is still pretty lethargic and upset, and I'm pretty sure that a lot of it has to do with this dang cone, now.

On Saturday she will be done with the strong pain meds, and will be just on metacam, and by then I hope she won't need them anymore. Would I be able to take that cone off, then?
I cannot imagine her being in this thing for a whole two weeks(when her stitches are due out), I can barely stand the thought of one more full day with it. I'm also hoping that she could go back to being with Matilda and Ratatouille then, at least during the day.

 

[Aida]

Oreo is out on my bed again. I washed her belly some more, but still didn't get it all because she was squirmy.

I took off the cone, and she instantly went to messing with her groin, however she did so in a way that I could see exactly what she was doing(she leaned against the box). For a while it looked hopeful, because she was just grooming her leg and ignoring the incision. However, a second after I snapped this picture, she went to pulling at her stitches. Literally grabbed one with her teeth, and tried to yank it out. I don't think she got anything, but it was scary!

I took the picture to show you guys the incision. It looks a bit graphic(you can see the wee still on her fur, and she is sitting in that awkward way). I don't think it looks that bad in reality, flash and a crazy, finally-out-of-the-cone rat make everything look worse! You can see that there is no swelling or redness, and that is great.

 

[lilspaz68]

Rats hate stitches, and they will all be out by Day 5 is my guess lol. This is why my vet uses glue for almost everything and we have little issues with pulling on the incision.