Grumpy - RIP 8/13/14

Grumpy had his x-ray today - they results can only be described as devastating.

Like his brother Snickers (RIP), he too has an enlarged heart, but his whole heart is enlarged which is displacing his trachea. He has one lung where one of the lobes is consolidated or collapsed - either way it is getting no oxygen to it. He has nodules around the heart and lungs with the largest being at the base of his trachea where the bronchi branches off into his lungs. These nodules are probably cancerous although another option could be fungal, but he's been on antibiotics for quite some time. He is most likely headed toward one kind or another of a nasty pneumonia.

He also has what looks like a human finger bone sticking out the top of his rib cage - possibly a dislodged rib. They are going to try and email me the x-rays and if I get them I will try and put them up here.

That being said, he will be taken off the antibiotics and put on some holistic formulas. These worked for Popper's chest mass. There really is nothing that can be done. We will NOT force medications into him as we have chosen NOT to go down that road again. Grumpy is no longer a cooperative medication taking rat. As long as he is eating, drinking, and playing we will let him be, but as soon as that changes we will let him go be with his brother. This is a heart breaking choice, but he cannot be cured and I will not prolong his suffering. ale:

I think that you know what's best and if you are both tired of the struggle, it's time. I'm sorry you are losing him.

Oh no. That poor boy. Those kids certainly didn't have the luck if the draw with their genes, did they?

I know you will keep him happy and spoiled until it's his time to go. Hopefully, he has a lot of time left with you.

What holistic things will you be trying?

Sheldon said:

I think that you know what's best and if you are both tired of the struggle, it's time. I'm sorry you are losing him.

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Its not that we're tired of the "struggle" its that we're tired of upsetting our boys that don't want medication when we know its not going to help them anyway. Its not fair to them, we want them to have a happy life not a tortured one. He will be very spoiled and loved until he gets compromised and since he has been getting worse I don't think he has that much longer with us.

temblabamomo said:

Oh no. That poor boy. Those kids certainly didn't have the luck if the draw with their genes, did they?

I know you will keep him happy and spoiled until it's his time to go. Hopefully, he has a lot of time left with you.

What holistic things will you be trying?

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He came from a bad hoarder situation. He will continue with OL Immune and we will add Dispel Status in the blood and HH Hawthorne

Oh my. Im so very sorry that he has this problem. I totally understand the desire to not make him upset with the meds. I hope the holistic stuff goes well.
I guess I just missed you at Ness, too.
Be sure to give him lots of love and send him some kisses from me and the girls!

Velo said:

Oh my. Im so very sorry that he has this problem. I totally understand the desire to not make him upset with the meds. I hope the holistic stuff goes well.
I guess I just missed you at Ness, too.
Be sure to give him lots of love and send him some kisses from me and the girls!

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You called in the med request while I was there.

I am so sorry .....you certainly have been almost non-stop with your babies:sad-p:.
But they all have known what it is like to be loved - thanks to you:love4:

I'm so very sorry this is happening. :cries:

2Rats said:

I am so sorry .....you certainly have been almost non-stop with your babies:sad-p:.
But they all have known what it is like to be loved - thanks to you:love4:

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jorats said:

I'm so very sorry this is happening. :cries:

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Right now other than the raspy breathing noises he makes he has no other symptoms. He actually gained weight since his last appointment. He eats, drinks, and plays.

Aww I'm glad that hes doing well and happy. That means the most. C:

I respect your decision to stop trying to force-medicate him. It really is all about quality of life. I'm glad he will be a happy, spoiled boy until he's ready to go.
:hugs:

When I was at the vet yesterday with dayne who I was holding in my hands at the counter. THe woman next to me started talking and I explained that I rescue and we were helping dayne across the bridge today. She asked me who I rescued for and I told her myself. She was the woman who took all the hoarder rats from that guy in michigan that included these guys!. She said she still has 4 that are very unsocial and I told her I have like 6 of them left and so far most have bad hearts so keep and eye on them. It is was crazy that chance just happened to put us next to each other at the vets office!

hopefloats said:

When I was at the vet yesterday with dayne who I was holding in my hands at the counter. THe woman next to me started talking and I explained that I rescue and we were helping dayne across the bridge today. She asked me who I rescued for and I told her myself. She was the woman who took all the hoarder rats from that guy in michigan that included these guys!. She said she still has 4 that are very unsocial and I told her I have like 6 of them left and so far most have bad hearts so keep and eye on them. It is was crazy that chance just happened to put us next to each other at the vets office!

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What were the odds of that happening? Grumpy still acts normal and he has made welping sounds since I got him from you. He would do it for less than a minute maybe once every couple months. So far he has the worst diagnosis of the bunch, but he is still so full of life that I'm not putting him down just because he has crappy insides, but I'm letting him be and nature will take its course. I'm not stressing him with medication I have to force into him when nothing is going to change the outcome. Hopefully he will pass peacefully like Snickers did. :bow:

Grumpy is still doing fine, but we have put him on Enalapril .08 once a day. Don't know if it will help, but I don't think it will hurt. It was done with vets approval first.

These two naked boys here seem to be doing ok on enalapril and lasix for now. I just started them about a week ago but they seem to be breathing a little easier. Poor guys It sucks that they have such horrible genes.

Sadly it seems Grumpy is leaving us. He is lethargic and just laying there making the horrible noises he has been making lately. He took a turn for the worse yesterday. I pray he goes quickly... :disbelief:

I am sorry. Hoping and praying maybe he's just having a bad spell and will perk up soon. If not, hope he passes peacefully. ((((Hugs)))))

Hugs to you. Did you try lasix to free his lungs up a bit?

Sorry to hear about Grumpy. I hope he is peaceful.

hopefloats said:

Hugs to you. Did you try lasix to free his lungs up a bit?

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No we never had lasix for him. We have both spend hours holding him tonight and he has moments of perkiness and he ate a bunch a yogies .... he is sneezing so I wonder is something else is bothering him, but yet he always sneezed when he had these spells. He hates taking meds, but lately he will take the heart meds (banana flavored) He seems comfy...