Perplexed-Possible Nasal Cavity Tumor? Update Pg3

[smilez_n_hugs]

Poor girl, fingers crossed for some good news tomorrow :hugs:

 

[Dazzle87]

Thank you. I'm not exactly hopefully since she's been on the newest antibiotics for five days with no improvement whatsoever, but at the very least if I find out what is up at least I can treat for it...

 

[Ratticus]

I'll be interested in knowing what it might be, as my Jackie had the same symptoms for months, multiple vet visits, multiple medicines, the vet shrugging and saying 'probably allergies' - she'd make wheezing/cooing noises as she slept, and sometimes louder, crackling, wet sounds that were always in the nasal passages. I'd been told possible polyps or some kind of growth - but no one seemed to know what it was, or that anything could be done about it.

I'll wish you the best of luck in finding out what your girl has and what treatment options are available - perhaps your vets will tell you more. Good luck with everything today! I know what it is to worry about our babies.

 

[Dazzle87]

Sorry about the late reply, I just started a new job so haven't been on forums as much and was hoping for better news. Her nasopharynx has polyps

She is on dexamethasone now. I asked if there were any other options she said there are anti-inflammatory nose drops but didn't sound enthusiastic about them (nor was I, I can't imagine trying to do that). If anyone has more info on them I'd be interested though.

Ratticus, it may be something else with your rat, perhaps the wrong combo or not the right strength of antibiotics, but it is worth a shot to get an x-ray. The vet said they're not as accurate as a CT scan or anything but they were able to tell with a fair amount of certainty for Dazzle. The treatment for it is steroids to reduce the swelling.

Oh and I forgot, the little growth is a cyst. Poor girlie with her cysts everywhere, they're less since the spay, but she still has some

 

[jorats]

What's her prognosis with the polyps?

 

[lilspaz68]

Poor little gal. Sadly the prognosis is not that wonderful...if you can keep the polyp tissue shrunken down (I had to add baytril to my dex for Fable) then they are fine, but as soon as it starts to grow, you have to decide when to pts. I am sorry Stacey. :sad3:

Fable started off with a little scab on her nose...it never healed.

and then I found the polyp in her ear...its not a surgical thing at all, as it has a long stem and it attaches deep deep inside the ear...you CAN debulk, but Fable was 32 months old and I decided against it.

It improved for a while then...

 

[Dazzle87]

Yes unfortunately I am faced with most likely having to eventually put Dazzle to sleep since they will grow :sad3: She's doing alright now, I'm already seeing improvement, but I will have to watch for QOL. I feel bad that she's got so much going on. With her not healing properly and those cysts I was kinda figuring she had something else going on messing with her immune system. Hopefully this is kept under control for quite a while.

Lilspaz, thank you, and Fable is adorable, she looks so sweet and mellow in those pictures.

 

[Dazzle87]

Okay, I have a question for you guys. I was given dexamethasone tablets. This was for a couple reasons, one of which was to be able to get them from a human pharmacy because my vet is an hour away so its a tid bit inconvenient to go there for refills. On the same vein, at the human pharmacy, she said I had to get tablets because the dexamethasone solution has alcohol (WTF?). So I'm crushing and making a solution every day like my vet instructed. I'm wondering though, if anyone knows how long it lasts, if I could do up a few days worth at a time because I"m having to get up an extra half hour earlier on days I work so I can do this... I'll do whatever I need for my baby, but figured I'd ask here since if it is possible I'm guessing the vet didn't know since she told me to do it fresh each time.

Oh and her breathing sounds much much better , those noises made me cringe because I knew how uncomfortable that must be.

 

[jorats]

I would think it's good for a week? It all depends on how stable it remains.
What are you mixing the tablets with? I'm asking my chemist son.
He says that if it's just mixed with water and sugar, it should keep a week in the fridge.

 

[Dazzle87]

I've been using strawberry syrup, its pretty much just corn syrup and flavoring. That is good to know though as paranoid as I am I'll keep a watch to make sure it's still working. Thanks.

 

[lilspaz68]

I've been using strawberry syrup, its pretty much just corn syrup and flavoring. That is good to know though as paranoid as I am I'll keep a watch to make sure it's still working. Thanks.

I don't see any issues with it at all...I use that myself to make up pill/solutions.

 

[Dazzle87]

Good to know that that is fine, I hadn't even thought about whether what I was mixing it with was okay to use.

Others have suggested to me doing IM, which I am considering since it is so hard to medicate her with this stuff-it must taste nasty I guess lol. The main thing holding me back is that this is for the rest of her life...I dunno, I got a lot to think about I guess. Either way, it is good that I have the option of mixing up more at a time, thanks for the advice.

 

[lilspaz68]

Good to know that that is fine, I hadn't even thought about whether what I was mixing it with was okay to use.

Others have suggested to me doing IM, which I am considering since it is so hard to medicate her with this stuff-it must taste nasty I guess lol. The main thing holding me back is that this is for the rest of her life...I dunno, I got a lot to think about I guess. Either way, it is good that I have the option of mixing up more at a time, thanks for the advice.

Intramuscularly? You would need injectable...plus we really only do sub-q on rats not IM.

 

[Dazzle87]

Oh sorry sub q then. They said injectable I thought that was what was meant.

 

[Dazzle87]

Well, they have finally begun to grow where I can see a slight unevenness in her face .

I don't know that it is as visible in the pictures, but it is her right side of her nose that is the swelling part. Her left eye is now getting very porphy too, I think it is odd it is the opposite side of her face though.

I don't think her sense of smell is as good anymore, when those little bowls are empty she keeps pushing her face around in it hoping to find more...

Oh, I remembered what I wanted to ask, my vet didn't seem to think she needed pain meds? She's on steroids so no metacam but others could be used.

 

[lilspaz68]

Well, they have finally begun to grow where I can see a slight unevenness in her face .

I don't know that it is as visible in the pictures, but it is her right side of her nose that is the swelling part. Her left eye is now getting very porphy too, I think it is odd it is the opposite side of her face though.

I don't think her sense of smell is as good anymore, when those little bowls are empty she keeps pushing her face around in it hoping to find more...

Oh, I remembered what I wanted to ask, my vet didn't seem to think she needed pain meds? She's on steroids so no metacam but others could be used.

Can you convince your vet to let you give pain meds and see if she improves from the relief? maybe tramadol?
I know my sinuses hurt when they are just dry...much less with polyps in there.

 

[Dazzle87]

Thanks, I didn't think that sounded right. I'll call the vet right now.

 

[jorats]

Poor little thing...

 

[Dazzle87]

Yeah she has the worst health I feel so bad . She also now has a new mammary cyst that looks like it is going to burst (you can see the white through the skin...). I'm doing what I can to keep her comfortable though.

I was given a prescription of tramadol I have to pick up but luckily I have some pills at home so I didn't have to drive out of my way and can go tomorrow (work is halfway to the vets so it is easier to pick it up after work).

 

[lilspaz68]

fingers crossed it helps your lady.