Patrick - rushed to the vets - he's gone :'(

[ryelle]

Hey all
My mother broke my internet last night, which is typical, because i really needed it.
Patrick had been fine all day and then around 7pm he started wheezing, sqeaking and rattling when he was breathing. It was totally sudden. My boyfriend finished work at 9pm so we just sat and watched, waiting to see if it would get worse and getting ready to run to an E-vet if it was needed.
He was 'fine' all night, even though you could still hear him wheezing in the next room all night. We have just got back from a vet visit and the vet has given me a whole pharmacy of things for him. Normally i only ever come away with Baytril when there is a rat involved, but today she gave us three things that i've never heard of;
once a day:
Corvental - 100MG capsules that i have to open up and give five of the small balls
Ronaxan - 20MG tablet - the vet cut it into 8th's to give 1/8 per day.
Bisolvon sachet (decongestant to help clear mucus) - 5g - 1 pinch per day with food.

I mixed it all up with some complan (ensure equivelant) and he had a syringe full then didn't want anymore. We are going to keep trying him with the meds until he takes it all. Hes back in his cage just laid flat out.

He has another appointment tomorrow afternoon to see if there is any improvement, and the vet said they will probably double the dose.

A video of when he started up yesterday (shot on my crappy cellphone and Mu kept climbing in the way lol):


He is definately worse today then yesterday, so fingers crossed he is a bit better tomorrow from the meds

 

[mamarat]

Poor baby, sending healing vibes.

 

[jorats]

Oh Patrick.
I've noticed that some rats get worse before getting better.
I've heard good things about Bisolvon. I don't think we have something similar here. I wish we did. A couple of years ago I had my vet look into it.

 

[Rachael]

Bisolven has either really helped mine, or not helped them at all, hope it helps your boy.

I think Ronaxan is basically Doxycyline. Fingers crossed.

 

[Rachael]

A couple of years ago I had my vet look into it.

Just curious what did your vet find / think about it?

 

[jiffystiffy]

"Normally i only ever come away with Baytril when there is a rat involved..."

I'm curious as to know what else your rat has been sick with. Every time I've taken a rat to the vet (usually for respiratory related reasons), I've always gotten the baytril doxy combo.

Keep in mind, I don't need to visit the vet THAT often so I'm just asking out of curiosity.

 

[jorats]

She said it's something that we should try if it was available here.

A couple of years ago I had my vet look into it.

Just curious what did your vet find / think about it?

 

[ryelle]

"Normally i only ever come away with Baytril when there is a rat involved..."

I'm curious as to know what else your rat has been sick with. Every time I've taken a rat to the vet (usually for respiratory related reasons), I've always gotten the baytril doxy combo.

Keep in mind, I don't need to visit the vet THAT often so I'm just asking out of curiosity.

Im talking over the six year period that i've had rats, patrick himself has never really been sick before (he had abscess issues after his neuter but thats really it). Its mostly been respiratory issues and abscess's. Times are slowly changing, but in the UK there isn't many studies done on medications for small animals. I had to sign a form before i was allowed to bring all these meds home yesterday because they arent certified for use with small animals, but my vets themselves have used them many times and found good results with respiratory infections in rats.

unfortunately, there isnt much change today. he's been sleeping a lot and is curled up in a blanket with his fur all puffed up. Hes just had some porridge oats for breakfast and gobbled them like he was hungry so im cooking some veg to make it soft for him to eat. We are back at the vets this afternoon at 5pm (its 10am now)

 

[Argent]

Aww poor thing...hope he perks up soon :heart:

 

[ryelle]

Just got back from the vet. Mu had to go with us because Patrick wouldn't settle in the box and was getting rather upset. He was fine when she was in the box and they just cuddled up together. He had a steroid injection and has been given some more tablets which he will begin tomorrow night ('Prednicare'). Back at the vets on monday afternoon.

ETA: the vet wants me to seperate him from the girls because they don't know if its contagious or not but i dont know about that

 

[jiffystiffy]

Im talking over the six year period that i've had rats, patrick himself has never really been sick before (he had abscess issues after his neuter but thats really it). Its mostly been respiratory issues and abscess's. Times are slowly changing, but in the UK there isn't many studies done on medications for small animals. I had to sign a form before i was allowed to bring all these meds home yesterday because they arent certified for use with small animals, but my vets themselves have used them many times and found good results with respiratory infections in rats.

unfortunately, there isnt much change today. he's been sleeping a lot and is curled up in a blanket with his fur all puffed up. Hes just had some porridge oats for breakfast and gobbled them like he was hungry so im cooking some veg to make it soft for him to eat. We are back at the vets this afternoon at 5pm (its 10am now)

Huh that's interesting. Very different from the US. Hope everything works out for you well. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[jorats]

No, don't separate him. He clearly needs his girls.
It sounds like he's getting some good meds. Keep him warm and hydrated.

 

[jiffystiffy]

I read a story about how there were two rats living together. And for a while, one of the rats were sick. The other rat would carry food up to the sick rat every day up until the sick rat died. After that, the other rat no longer moved their food up or anywhere. They just left it in the bowl.

Rather sad story but shows how well they will take care of their loved ones.

 

[ryelle]

I know Shelagh/lilspaz has had a few rats that have carried food up to sick rats so they didn't have to go far and they cared for them very well.
I haven't seperated them. Mu has some porphyrin around her nose this morning but Patrick hasn't had a drop so im just assuming its normal. She was having a hissy fit because my mother was brushing underneath their cage and i didn't fancy getting bit again so i just left her be. I think she will be fine though.
Patrick sounds tonnes better today he isn't wheezing all the time and only makes grunts and sneezes every now and again. He has more energy and seems more alive today so i think that injection yesterday did him a world of good. Getting him to take meds is rather tricky though. He only seems to have the patience to eat a bit and then refuses to eat more (it took me three hours yesterday for him to take all his meds, i had to keep trying every half hour) and trying to get three meds into him isn't easy - nevermind the fourth this afternoon. We got some banana's yesterday so ill have to mash two meds into banana and then the other two into the complan to give him some variety and try to keep him interested enough to eat it all.

I wish he had the appetite of Sid lol, could get any old meds into that old booger

 

[ryelle]

We saw another vet on Monday (18th) who said patrick was sounding better (he was a different vet that ive never seen before), and halved the dose of steroids.
We were back there today and saw my favourite vet. She said he is sounding a heck of a lot better because you could hear him wheezing when he was in the carry cage before, but wants to continue meds for another two to three weeks because it is only an occasional wheeze now not all the time. She's concerned that he has lost 40g in weight over 8 days :/ she could feel it as soon as she picked him up. its being monitored and shes concerned something else could be going on because his back legs are going too

 

[jorats]

It's some good news at least. Hopefully the meds will take care of anything else that could be going on with him.

 

[natalie11123]

its also good to give pedialite but not at the same time as the meds it blocks the absorption but they love it and it keeps em hydrated

 

[ryelle]

I've been in scotland since Monday morning. My mams been medicating patrick and feeding the rats. My brothers just called saying patrick wasn't doing well last night and they thought he was dead. My brothers been checking him all night and went home on his dinner break toohe said patrick isn't eating. I feel so helpless. I've called the vet and got an appointment for as soon as we get back. I have a feeling he will be majorly dehydrated and needs some fluids. Three hours from home and I can't stop shaking

 

[eagle]

Sorry to hear this, hopefully the vet will be able to make him better. :hugs:

 

[ryelle]

we rushed home, i ran in, called the rats and only two came running. I could see patrick laid in the corner so i pulled him out and he was limp. he had a really light heartbeat and started to wriggle when i had hold of him. We rushed up to the vets. The vet checked him over and said "it isn't good. we can either end it here or we can try him on fluids but i don't think its going to make any difference".
We decided to try the fluids. He's in an incubator and on Sub-Q fluids at the vets right now. If he doesn't make an improvement within an hour then he won't be coming home :sad3:

They said they will call between 6 and 7 (its 5pm now). I have a driving lesson in 15minutes which i can't cancel because i have my test tomorrow morning so im leaving my phone with my boyfriend.

I'll update when i get home at 7ish :sad3:

If he comes home, i'm setting up the spare cage in my bedroom