Sad Thanksgiving

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DawntheSnipe

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2013
Messages
153
Location
Southeastern VA
Good evening all,

We aren't feeling very thankful at our house today. We had to take our Katie to the emergency vet this morning for respiratory distress. Sadly, we ended up having her PTS.

Katie was around two years old, and had always been kinda squishy, but never had particularly poor health. She did have a mammary tumor that our vet recommended monitoring, but it wasn't very big. Monday night, I noticed her having a sneezing jag, and reflected that she'd been holing up during free-range time the past day or so, so I decided to keep a closer eye on her.

Tuesday morning, I had the whole mischief (4 girls) in my shirt or on my shoulders, when I heard one of them making that wheezing sound that's almost like a chicken clucking. It was Katie! I took her to the vet right away, and got amoxicillin for a respiratory infection. We gave her the first dose when we got her home and I left her in the cage during playtime so she could rest.

She didn't seem much improved yesterday morning, but she had only had one dose of antibiotic, so I gave her the next one. She was still very wheezy, so I also gave her a shot of albuterol, which quieted her breathing a little. When I got home in the evening, she was worse and was gasping for air. I gave her another dose of antibiotic and another shot of albuterol, hoping that the antibiotic was going to kick in and start clearing up her lungs. I also got her to eat a little yogurt (she refused some banana I offered). I started getting very worried.

This morning when I got up, she was still gasping and I couldn't get her to take any water or food. I gave her more albuterol, but it didn't help. Worried that she wouldn't make it another day without eating or drinking, we took her to the emergency vet.

The vet was kind and upfront about his inexperience with rats. He was concerned about Katie's tumor, as in other species, mammary tumors often metastasize and result in lung cancer. We had a chest x-ray done. Katie didn't have lung cancer, but she also didn't have pneumonia, which was what we thought. Her heart was enlarged and pressing her trachea shut against her spinal cord.

Rather than subjecting her to days of respiratory distress while we tried heart medications, we decided to let her go. It was probably the kindest thing we could do her, but I still feel like I let her down.

:(

Dawn
 
Hugs to you. If t was her heart causing problems you did the right thing. Those meds only help keep the heart strong it probably wouldnt change the enlarging she was having. You didnt fail her you loved her enough to help her on her final journey. She was loved in life and mourned in her death that is all they ask for.
 
Awww I'm so sorry. def agree with hope though. There aren't much meds can do for enlarging of the heart...
Just remember she's resting easy on the bridge now and not suffering. Eating all the yogies her heart could possibly desire
 
Thank you all for your kind words. We (the other three girls and I) are adjusting. It's still kind of a shock--Sunday, Monday morning even, Katie seemed fine.

I don't know if the girls are mourning her, but they were all crowded into the grass hut that must still have her smell yesterday. I think we all miss Katie.
 
I'm sorry you lost your sweet girl. It was good that you took an x-ray so you knew what the real problem was. I would have done the same thing and said goodbye.
If we are trying to find something to be thankful about, try and find comfort knowing she was with you for two wonderful years. She is at the Bridge now, looking down on you with love in her heart, waiting to greet you when it is finally your time.
 
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