What is wrong with Megan's skin?!

[Arlene]

Yes, I am going to ask for a culture. That's where they scrape a little skin off and look at it under the microscope right?

 

[lilspaz68]

Yes, I am going to ask for a culture. That's where they scrape a little skin off and look at it under the microscope right?

That sounds more like a skin scraping, its more that they take a little piece of skin out..trying to get affected tissue. They did this in 3 spots on Selene.

 

[Willow Bean]

... the more I look at it and think about it the more I think that it could be Sarcoptic Mange... http://www.lbah.com/sarcoptic_mange.htm ... but you said that Ivermectin didn't work? hmmm... Maybe it is fungal if the Ivermectin didn't work... but still... Hmmm... I'm really, really glad that you have a vet appointment! Soon we will be able to find out what if doing this Good luck to you and your little lady!!

 

[LA]

Good Luck Arlene, poor little beauty.

 

[jorats]

A skin biopsy is more involved than a skin scraping.

 

[Arlene]

We are back from the vet's with the diagnosis that Megan has a bacterial infection. She put her on Doxycycline. Dr. Guth found lice nits but no live bugs so we are treating her with Revolution just in case. The bacterial is probably a secondary one from the lice. Since she is older her immune system is a bit compromised and the lice may have caused an allergic reaction. She also wants me to soak her feet and tail in a solution of LymDyp. For her ears and nose, I am to put Neosporin on them. Hopefully, they will improve with the antibiotic and Revolution taking care of any bugs. She was very feisty at the vet's wiggling around and trying to squirm away. Especially due to her advanced age, Dr. Guth was just amused.

I'm going to keep a close eye on her and if I don't see improvement very soon I am to take her back and we will do a biopsy and then go from whatever results we get from that. I'm praying that all this helps her!

 

[jorats]

Please let us know how it goes!!

 

[Willow Bean]

Thank goodness it's something that you can medicate and it might go away!! I'd hate if it were soemthing more difficult! Please give your girl lots of cuddles and keep us updated on how everything goes!

 

[lilspaz68]

It could've been an auto-immune issue or anything. I really don't like skin issues in rats.

 

[Fidget]

Here's pictures of Savanna's skin problem that didn't clear up with mite treatment or with polysporin.. The vet said it was a bacterial thing too. It's different in that her owies were all in her fur tho, not on her bare parts.
But if the baytril & revolution doesn't clear Megan's owies up you might ask your vet about the Oribiotic ointment I mentioned. It worked great on Savanna, she did have a recurrence months later but it worked again.
I don't know how she got it, none of my other girls did - so at least it's not contagious if your girl has the same problem.

You can only really see the owies here because she had ointment on...

 

[chicky82]

i'm glad you were able to get it figured out and it's something you can treat poor girl i hope it clears up so it's one last thing that will make hair turn grey hugs to your girl :heart:

 

[Arlene]

Hopefully we figured it out. At least we have a "plan of action." She took her Doxycycline just fine and and putting the Revolution on her neck was no problem, but she was NOT happy about soaking her feet and tail. She was like a whirling dervish and I didn't need to use my animal communication skills to "hear" her swearing at me. She survived though and hopefully they will start to look better now. I'm relieved just being able to DO something for her!

 

[Godmother]

Thinking of you both, and hoping for the best! Poor sweetie, I can just imagine her trying to escape her foot bath!

 

[mamarat]

Aww the poor sweetie. I know how hard it is not knowing what to do. I hope this helps your girl. :tumkiss:

 

[LA]

Poor thing

 

[jennifervb]

Here is another picture of Megan. If you look hard, you can see the rash on her ears, hands and little nose.

Aren't you proud of me Shelagh! I finally figured it out! :bliss: :bliss: :bliss: :bliss:

What a beautiful little rat lady!!! Her coloring reminds me of nutmeg. :love4:

 

[jennifervb]

Hopefully we figured it out. At least we have a "plan of action." She took her Doxycycline just fine and and putting the Revolution on her neck was no problem, but she was NOT happy about soaking her feet and tail. She was like a whirling dervish and I didn't need to use my animal communication skills to "hear" her swearing at me. She survived though and hopefully they will start to look better now. I'm relieved just being able to DO something for her!

I'm sure you also took the liberty of telling her what is wrong and that what you are doing will help her... :love6:

 

[lilspaz68]

I have heard from Arlene, it seems that the doxy wasn't doing anything for the infectoin so she has been switched to chlorpalm, and the actual skin problem seems to be clearing up some

Arlene has another critter who is going through surgery today and may not make it so I figured she didn't have a lot of time to update.

 

[Godmother]

So if Chlorpalm is doing the job, then Lilspaz's suggestion of pyoderma would be accurate. Interesting to know.

Hope that little Megan continues to improve. :heart:

 

[lilspaz68]

So if Chlorpalm is doing the job, then Lilspaz's suggestion of pyoderma would be accurate. Interesting to know.

Hope that little Megan continues to improve. :heart:

No I don't think its Pyo, since she only started the chlorpalm for her infection last night. The skin issue is responding to the other treatment