Purple Fingers -- New Question need answer ASAP

[sausage4ever]

My Eli's digits have developed a purplish tinge to them and I was wondering what this could be a sign of he will be going to the vet in two weeks but I was wondering if this is dire? I wouls also like people's opinions on the best time to euthanize. I was doing some reading on the subject and thought my mind was made up not to put Eli down then I took him out of his cage this eve. He still eats, drinks and moves but when he does move it's from his hammock to go potty, to eat, drink or to collapse for a few minutes. He has a chronic ear infection which make him really itchy and sore, meaning cleaning his ear ends with him screraming every time. I was petting him mafterward to relax him and realized that it may not be only his ears that are bothering him, but also his skin seems real itchy in some spot so cuddlng doesn't goes as well as before. He's sprouting another tumour right next to his next one and his back end is sore along with it failing. What worries me is his mental health, I feel depressed almost everytime I interact with him, I love that he's almost three but I don't like to see him like this and I am not sure if he is truly happy with himself. ANy suggestion would be great.

 

[mamarat]

In my rats when they start turning blue they are usually very close to the end and pass not too long after. I'm sorry. :hugs:

 

[lilspaz68]

Sounds like he's not getting enough oxygen in his blood to his extremities...
If you think he's uncomfortable have you thought of trying to manage his pain for now?

 

[sausage4ever]

My vet said we could use steriods but he (the vet) is extremely reluctant to use steriods on him due to the side-effects. I will talk to the vet again and see what is the best thing for him. This issue with the pain is I don't know where it's coming from becuase there's nothing visible or on his skin but instead it's a deep itch...Are there drugs for that?

 

[lilspaz68]

Pain is pain, makes you feel rotten, take away the pain, and you can be surprised at the results.

 

[Alicemcmallis]

I would be concerned about a heart condition as well, blue or purplish extremities can be a sign of that.

What side effects is he concerned about with the steroids? Long term use would be a concern, but honestly at this point you're probably not concerned about long term side effects.

Steroids can help improve appetite, slow the progression of certain tumours, help with pain management. It would also help with itching as it's an anti-inflammatory. I've used it in emergency cases of severe mites for immediate relief. For me, there's no reason not to use steroids as a palliative care option unless the animal is already having kidney issues.

 

[sausage4ever]

Thanks I'm going to e-mail my vet and see what he says about this.

 

[sausage4ever]

Do rats grey in the muzzle when they get old??? If not I think I have a serious problem...

 

[jorats]

Some do and some don't. I've had a few that did. My Bennie was one that did, it was incredibly noticeable.

 

[sausage4ever]

Okay thank you, I couldn't find anything online about it and was wondering if it could be that dreaded blue tinge in my boys lips. I'm wearing blue and he's a black rats (with red tinge that also appeared in his muzzle...I am assuming to have both grey and red fur appear is normal) so I can't really tell if it's grey or not but it's been there for a while so I hope we're safe.