unicron9
New Member
Hey guys. I'm new here and I'll put up an introduction post in the appropriate place later with pics of my little buddies, but right now I have a situation. I came here to see if anyone has ever seen this issue before and can tell me anything.
I've had pet rats before and right now we have 3 boys, all over a year and a half old.
One of them, Frenzy, had an episode a couple of weeks ago where in the middle of the night we heard sneezing and found his head covered in his own blood which he was frantically trying to clean up and more dripped from his nose. He was blowing blood bubbles, breathing poorly, and there was blood everywhere like a rat massacre happened. I'm not talking about porphyrin either. I know the difference. This was blood. He was active and lively so I wasn't sure if he just cut his nose or something, and over the next couple of hours it stopped and his room mates Rattrap and Rumble-butt not only cleaned him up fully, but formed a bed under him so he could sleep great till the next day. That next day he seemed 100% better.
Last night I found him in even worse shape. Blood all over the cage, in their litter box, on the walls around the cage, on the desk near it, all over his head, and this time the other 2 weren't even trying to help. Rattrap was lying on the bottom in the litter where no rat ever lays, looking super depressed, while Rumble-B paced back and forth on the top shelf freaking out. Frenzy ended up giving up trying to work on the blood running from his nose and just flopped over on his side until he passed out, barely taking short sharp breaths. I was sure that was it for him... But nope.
He's generally fine again today, at least considering his condition last night, and we had a heck of a clean up job to do, but he does still seem a bit weak and sad. His pals got him cleaned up again too. I'm pretty sure he won't make it through the next attack though.
I know "Take him to the vet!" but here's the thing... And yeah, I know it will sound insensitive to some folks but this is how I'm thinking. These guys are probably 3/4th through their lives, and they were rescues from a place that sells them as feeders. I know I have done these guys right and given them a home with lots of love, but if I am going to have pet rats, I can't allow a little dude that cost one dollar and will likely not live that much longer to cost my family a few hundred dollars, potentially for nothing. He very well may not be savable, and the only vet that sees rats anywhere near me is a long drive away. I called them and they said just to see him would be $65, then lots more gets piled on for any shots, x-rays, whatever. I can't do it.
I'm wondering if anyone else has seen this happen to a pet rat, and found out what is is. If he's going to suffer for a while, I might drop the money to take him and have him put to sleep. If it's something that someone knows about that is often fixed with just a cheap shot from the doc, I might do that. I don't want to go in for what is most likely a ton of money for possibly extending his life a few months at best though.
Pics attached of the blood on the desk, picture frame, and printer, and of Frenzy now.
I've had pet rats before and right now we have 3 boys, all over a year and a half old.
One of them, Frenzy, had an episode a couple of weeks ago where in the middle of the night we heard sneezing and found his head covered in his own blood which he was frantically trying to clean up and more dripped from his nose. He was blowing blood bubbles, breathing poorly, and there was blood everywhere like a rat massacre happened. I'm not talking about porphyrin either. I know the difference. This was blood. He was active and lively so I wasn't sure if he just cut his nose or something, and over the next couple of hours it stopped and his room mates Rattrap and Rumble-butt not only cleaned him up fully, but formed a bed under him so he could sleep great till the next day. That next day he seemed 100% better.
Last night I found him in even worse shape. Blood all over the cage, in their litter box, on the walls around the cage, on the desk near it, all over his head, and this time the other 2 weren't even trying to help. Rattrap was lying on the bottom in the litter where no rat ever lays, looking super depressed, while Rumble-B paced back and forth on the top shelf freaking out. Frenzy ended up giving up trying to work on the blood running from his nose and just flopped over on his side until he passed out, barely taking short sharp breaths. I was sure that was it for him... But nope.
He's generally fine again today, at least considering his condition last night, and we had a heck of a clean up job to do, but he does still seem a bit weak and sad. His pals got him cleaned up again too. I'm pretty sure he won't make it through the next attack though.
I know "Take him to the vet!" but here's the thing... And yeah, I know it will sound insensitive to some folks but this is how I'm thinking. These guys are probably 3/4th through their lives, and they were rescues from a place that sells them as feeders. I know I have done these guys right and given them a home with lots of love, but if I am going to have pet rats, I can't allow a little dude that cost one dollar and will likely not live that much longer to cost my family a few hundred dollars, potentially for nothing. He very well may not be savable, and the only vet that sees rats anywhere near me is a long drive away. I called them and they said just to see him would be $65, then lots more gets piled on for any shots, x-rays, whatever. I can't do it.
I'm wondering if anyone else has seen this happen to a pet rat, and found out what is is. If he's going to suffer for a while, I might drop the money to take him and have him put to sleep. If it's something that someone knows about that is often fixed with just a cheap shot from the doc, I might do that. I don't want to go in for what is most likely a ton of money for possibly extending his life a few months at best though.
Pics attached of the blood on the desk, picture frame, and printer, and of Frenzy now.