Birney RIP 01/21/2014 to 10/15/2015

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dspch911

dspch911

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2012
Messages
7,963
Location
Chicago, IL
I've noticed our nakie boy Birney is yellow compared to his four brothers. Its concerned me over the past few weeks. Right now he has a nasty abdominal abscess that finally popped yesterday. I think I've been trying to convince myself that its buck grease - and it still possibly could be. However, I am concerned its his liver. I cannot really find anything on liver disease/failure. I know if I take him to the vet that is going to entail sedation, blood draw, and lab costs. I have no problem taking him, but that's about $300 before diagnosis. I don't want to spend that to be told it's his liver (which I already suspect) and there is nothing that can be done. So, is there any medications for the liver? Anything that we can do?
 
Hm. Sorry if this is a dumb question, but have you tried a bath?
Does he have any other symptoms? I imagine he'd be acting abnormal with liver or kidney problems - drinking more, losing weight, lethargy?
It would help to lower his protein and salt intake, if you happen to have been giving him snacks that are high in those? (With you I doubt it?)
 
I've been soaking his abscess, but as. for actually taking dawn to him - no, but I've thought about it. I think he's lost some weight but too sure - he's a wrinkly nakie! I am a fanatic on watching salt/sodium intake and protein too since one of our first biya had kidney disease
 
I figured as much with you and the diet. [emoji14]
Maybe try a good wipe down?
It looks like ACE inhibitors may actually help with kidney failure, I was reading a page about it with a study that had good results using enalapril. Lemme go get the link, the page has a lot of interesting info.
 
See pictures below for some reasons it posted twice. Going to try and get more tomorrow in better lighting. Hubby refused to give me the camera so I could take the pictures.
 
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This is before his dawn bath, he is on the left and his brother Sneezer is on the right.


And after the bath, I don't see much of a difference. He is now on the right.
 
I have heard of using urine dip sticks but I am not sure how to use them personally. If you are on Facebook, you might want to join Real Rat Lovers Want to Know for this issue.
 
lilspaz68 said:
I have heard of using urine dip sticks but I am not sure how to use them personally. If you are on Facebook, you might want to join Real Rat Lovers Want to Know for this issue.
Click to expand...
LOL, yea, I got kicked off that site! They don't like confrontation when they give out wrong information and their called on it...
 
I can sure see the color difference between the 2 of them. Have you had them long? Has he always been different or has his color changed recently?
 
Fidget said:
I can sure see the color difference between the 2 of them. Have you had them long? Has he always been different or has his color changed recently?
Click to expand...
We've had them over a year, probably about 15 months. I have to look for sure, but they are around 20 months give or take a couple months. No he hasn't always been that color. I cannot tell you exactly when I noticed the color change maybe a month or so, maybe not that long. Scroll down this thread and you'll see a pic of him from 2/2015.
http://www.ratshackforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=32149
 
I wish I knew what to suggest but I don't. The yellow suggests a liver issue but you already know that (my son had it for a day when he was born). If it was my kid I'd try giving Ensure & a good quality all-in-1 rat food & pray, to see if maybe they needed more of something than most kids do. I don't expect that will fix it but it's worth a try cause honestly, not everyone can afford that testing (I can't). I hope someone more knowledgable can help you & your baby.
 
He looks jaundiced. Could be a liver issue. I once had a furry girl, Prue become yellow like that, on her skin, not her fur. My vet didn't make much of it at the time, but we were concerned about something else. I need to go back through my journals to jog my memory.
 
Vet looked over pictures and he goes in tomorrow. She said the pictures are good enough for her although she'd like to do blood work. She will start him on meds and supplements. Said liver diaease is treatable and reversable. So we'll see tomorrow.
 
Birney had laser on his huge abscess to help iy heal and has been put on DMG and some dandiloin stuff for his liver. Cause might be from the ring worm meds he was on.
 
Yes, we believe he will be just fine. He can no longer have metacam though since its bad for the liver. We have to remember that.
 

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