Ortiz's Breathing...he's gone

[jorats]

The thing with nebulizing with injectible Baytril, I don't find it effective when there's an existing problem. I would definitely continue with oral meds.
I nebulize my crew every 2.5 months regardless if they are sick or not.
It's sort of an experiment along with my vet keeping and eye on our results.
When all our rats were dying of pulmonary abscesses, I was desperate and wanted something that would prevent the start of the abscesses, so far, the nebulizing seems to be doing the job. It's a tedious job though and the rats get spooked each time. Also, it's not an exact study either without a control group. This is why I've decided my next crew will not be nebulized, to see if it actually did benefit the first crew.
I've done too many changes to be able to pinpoint the nebulizing as the reason for no more pulmonary abscesses. Changes like diet, exercise, adding central air to keep the temperature constant and also big cages.

 

[lilspaz68]

Ortiz is worse today.

I gave him his next dose of lasix, and he had a breathing fit. I am not sure if he aspirated any of the liquid or if he was just stressed. He calmed down quickly after putting him back in his cage.

I am feeding them baby cereal, Enervite, a bit of olive oil/veg oil, heavily mixed with water. I may end up with fat 'gouti booties but what can you do :roll:

I am going to get my last prescription of zithro filled tonight and start him on doxy/zithro and see if that helps my poor Wildman.

 

[Melissa]

I hope it does help! *sending healing vibes*

 

[mamarat]

Fred, one of my Wildthings, has been sick twice since I got him and both times a month of baytril and zithro "cured" him. He hasn't been sick since his neuter, though. Less stress?

 

[lilspaz68]

Fred, one of my Wildthings, has been sick twice since I got him and both times a month of baytril and zithro "cured" him. He hasn't been sick since his neuter, though. Less stress?

I honestly believe that neutering reduces their stress level and these little gouti's can take stress to a whole different dimension...hehe.

Was Fred sneezing and porphy?

 

[mamarat]

Yes and making monkey sounds.

 

[lilspaz68]

Yes and making monkey sounds.

Damn. No porph, no sneezing, no monkey sounds for Ortiz. I am watching him waste away with his breathing. :cry:

 

[ratamataz]

I hope his new medicine does the trick!
((hugs))

 

[mamarat]

I'm so sorry, Shelagh, I was hoping it was the same thing for your boy.

 

[lilspaz68]

I'm so sorry, Shelagh, I was hoping it was the same thing for your boy.

Hehehe of course it wouldn't be. :roll: But thank you mamarat.

 

[Fidget]

Poor little fella. Is he taking his meds in food or do you have to hold him to get them in? I hope doxy/zithro can help him, and everyone's good hopes too...

 

[lilspaz68]

Poor little fella. Is he taking his meds in food or do you have to hold him to get them in? I hope doxy/zithro can help him, and everyone's good hopes too...

I have to force medicate. he won't eat out of the cage and he won't eat in the cage if the others aren't there. He's pretty good about it except for the hind claws. These rats automatically dig in those hind claws and sink them in...much more than any domestic. I have bled just from that and its not a scratch, its embedded...hehe. Most just do claws, but there's a few who bend over your hand to bite or hard nip.

Expect all pics for the next while to include damaged hands. :lol:

 

[mamarat]

Did you try putting the meds in something yummy like pablum? I'm lucky, Fred just takes it out of the syringe and begs for more..

 

[lilspaz68]

Did you try putting the meds in something yummy like pablum? I'm lucky, Fred just takes it out of the syringe and begs for more..

He won't touch anything. He will lick things off my fingers but very delicately, like they all do. He's good about syringing it into his mouth as long as the HANDS restraining him do it quickly and smoothly.

 

[mamarat]

Did you try just calling him to the bars of the cage and just presenting the syringe? That's what I do, but it took Fred a little while to figure out not to eat the syringe too.

 

[lilspaz68]

Did you try just calling him to the bars of the cage and just presenting the syringe? That's what I do, but it took Fred a little while to figure out not to eat the syringe too.

He huddles in the back and doesn't approach, he is not a brave boy. The other rats would get the syringe first. I have to as quietly as possible pull him out. He's always on top of the double decker although today he is sitting on the 2nd shelf.

But thanks for offering suggestions. :thumbup:

 

[mamarat]

That's ok, I'm totally out of ideas. lol

 

[mamarat2]

As for licking it off the fingers, I will mix up a little bit of baby cereal and add their meds to it and then scoop it onto my finger for Spice to lick up. He stresses less this way and is more than willing to lick the finger clean.

 

[lilspaz68]

I am thinking its congenital maybe?

Well tonight I started with the .05 cc of doxy (had the .16 cc of Zithro to go), got that smidge into him and then he started gasping. This time I notice that some of his hind nails were blue near the foot, the soles of his hind feet and his mouth were blue. Cyanosis right?

I got a video of course, and if he makes it through the night I will have to call the vetto see if I can have him euthanized. If he can't then I will start calling dog/cat vets and cry a lot like I used to when I was a kid with my sick pet rat.

Warning, this is sad.


Ortiz is now back in his cage, being ignored by his cagemates and his breathing isn't as desperate, no more open mouth gasping, but I think he's letting go. :sad-p:

 

[jorats]

Oh god, Shelagh... I'm so sorry you are both going through this.