Things took a scary (and expensive) turn this weekend.
Riley got her stitches out Saturday afternoon and was doing well afterwards, running around and being her spunky self. Then in the early evening I woke up to a strange noise and found her gasping for breath, her mouth wide and chest seizing. I know that respiratory problems aren't uncommon for rats, but in the moment it's terrifying.
I rushed her to a vet ER, and upon having the triage tech see her breathing and listen to her heart (which always sounds horrible!), she is immediately taken back, skipping ahead of several dogs and cats who were there before us. She's put on oxygen, which quickly improves her breathing and taken to the ICU. At the time the vets I talk to think she's in severe heart failure leading to fluid in her lungs and that she's dying. Her chest x-ray is inconclusive. Respiratory infection is the new guess.
The next day the vet in charge of the ICU tells me that when she spies on Riley from a distance she appears to be healthy, but everytime she tries to touch her Riley has the beginnings of a cardiac/respiratory episode. Rat panic attacks maybe? She's taken off oxygen and I'm allowed to hold her and after an hour of bruxing, cuddling and no problems is finally discharged Sunday afternoon with antibiotics and no answers.
When I'm signing out the receptionist tells me that they only see a few rats a year and that she's never actually seen a rat discharged before, as usually by the time one is brought they are so far they don't make it.
My exotics vet thinks that Riley might have gotten aspiration pneumonia from the baby food she was eating, but we're not really sure what happened. I'm leaning towards thinking that a lot of it could have been a big overreaction to her heart arrhythmia from me and the ER vets. Maybe with her heart acting the way it is, she's just going to have occasional episodes.
Today Riley has been seemingly healthy, happy and active. Her usual spunky and sassy self. She is quite oblivious that anything was ever wrong. It's frustrating not knowing what is going on, but am so thankful that this also had a happy ending. At least for now.
Riley got her stitches out Saturday afternoon and was doing well afterwards, running around and being her spunky self. Then in the early evening I woke up to a strange noise and found her gasping for breath, her mouth wide and chest seizing. I know that respiratory problems aren't uncommon for rats, but in the moment it's terrifying.
I rushed her to a vet ER, and upon having the triage tech see her breathing and listen to her heart (which always sounds horrible!), she is immediately taken back, skipping ahead of several dogs and cats who were there before us. She's put on oxygen, which quickly improves her breathing and taken to the ICU. At the time the vets I talk to think she's in severe heart failure leading to fluid in her lungs and that she's dying. Her chest x-ray is inconclusive. Respiratory infection is the new guess.
The next day the vet in charge of the ICU tells me that when she spies on Riley from a distance she appears to be healthy, but everytime she tries to touch her Riley has the beginnings of a cardiac/respiratory episode. Rat panic attacks maybe? She's taken off oxygen and I'm allowed to hold her and after an hour of bruxing, cuddling and no problems is finally discharged Sunday afternoon with antibiotics and no answers.
When I'm signing out the receptionist tells me that they only see a few rats a year and that she's never actually seen a rat discharged before, as usually by the time one is brought they are so far they don't make it.
My exotics vet thinks that Riley might have gotten aspiration pneumonia from the baby food she was eating, but we're not really sure what happened. I'm leaning towards thinking that a lot of it could have been a big overreaction to her heart arrhythmia from me and the ER vets. Maybe with her heart acting the way it is, she's just going to have occasional episodes.
Today Riley has been seemingly healthy, happy and active. Her usual spunky and sassy self. She is quite oblivious that anything was ever wrong. It's frustrating not knowing what is going on, but am so thankful that this also had a happy ending. At least for now.
