Caramae
New Member
My female rat is 3y2m old. She has been very healthy and she and her brother are so very loved. Recently she had an episode (choking), which prompted her vet to think she could have a PT so we started her on Cabergoline. It has been very difficult to get her to take that medicine and I’m afraid she could have possibly aspirated on it as she started having a bad respiratory problem. Inconveniently her vet is away on vacation so their office refilled Minocycline and chlorophemical for her. I quickly started her on those right away but she was rapidly deteriorating. Gasping, drooling, absolutely heartbreaking. I got her in the next day to a new vet who sees rats and we decided on a steroid injection and a baytril injection as well as some fluids and then the following day back to the antibiotics I already have her on. He felt if we didn’t get good improvement over next 24 hours she should be PTS. She has not been drinking nor eating but did drink water this morning. Last night she again had trouble breathing and sounds very mucousy. I have not nebulized her and forgot to speak to vet about that option. It’s early in the am so I’m not yet exactly sure how she’s doing besides the water drinking I just heard. It will crush me to put her down but she was suffering the last two nights. Does anyone have any thoughts on how likely she is to recover, what else I should be doing, and when to let go? My little Zinnia is a fighter and she and her brother have been together since birth and are so completely bonded, this is just heartbreaking. I love them so much but also must accept that they are getting older. Any help would be so very appreciated. These are my first rats.
