Amy is not feeling good today (update)

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gramma2jaakk

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2009
Messages
265
Location
Kennesaw, GA
so I'm taking her to the vet. Her appointment is at 315pm.

Last night, while giving Sally and Josie their meds, all the girls were acting their normal selves, pushing for the treats dish. I make sure that no one but Sally and Josie get the treats that have meds in them. Amy came along with the others and was being normal.

This morning, I go to give the girls their breakfast, and give Sally and Josie their morning meds. Amy is sleeping in the hammock, and I really didn't think anything of it. She does that now and then, missing morning treat/breakfast. I'm not worried about her feeding, since they are free-fed HT blocks and the dish was half full.

But just now, as I was walking past the cage, I stopped to say hi to Cindy and Molly who were awake and putting their noses through the bars to get my attention. I saw Amy was now on the floor of the cage, not moving around but breathing. I could see she was kind of asleep, but not reacting to anything or any of the others in the cage. I scratched Molly and Cindy, left the room for a minute and came back to look at Amy again. Cindy was now laying under Amy's head like she wanted Amy to groom her but Amy wasn't doing any grooming. My heart sank into my stomach.

Since Amy really isn't fond of hands (rescue situation), I respect her and don't force my hands onto her. But this time, I was able to reach in, pet her and even pick her up. She opened her eyes, cuddled into my hands and closed her eyes again. My thoughts: Crap! Nowwhat is wrong with HER?!

Sally has a follow-up appointment tomorrow with the vet, but I really don't think Amy would make it that long. I called the vet, knowing they take walk-ins, but they said the wait would be 45 minutes anyway and they have an appointment open at 315 today, so got that time for Amy.

I know that some of the other rescues from Amy's group have already passed away. I'm hoping it isn't Amy's turn. She is breathing, but is puffed up. I've done rat-phone and can't hear any congestion. She bruxxes when I pick her up, but I know that can also be from pain.

I just want someone to wish me luck for her at the vets. I'm mentally preparing myself incase I don't get to come home with her. I am hoping we can get her on some meds. Whatever is wrong with her, it happened really quick.

Anita
 
Amy is now back from the vet visit. She did so well! No one got bitten, which I really wasn't worried about but the vet tech seemed to be a little bit.

Anyway, the vet said Amy's lungs and heart sound good, but gave her a shot of vitamin B and some subq fluids because Amy was a little dehydrated. She is also on .2mls of Enrofloxacin twice a day and .3mls ifMetronidazole once a day. I am to soak her food block in Pedialite to make a bit soupy and syringe feed her for the next 24 hours. That is to make sure she is eating.

I had noticed that Amy had left some poop in the transport cage (who's rat doesn't?) which looked like there was a little bit of mucus in it, so they also got a stool sample, and said she has some extra enzymes in her gut, which could be from eating too much fruit. I give them a mix of fruits and vegetables every evening so Amy could be grabbing all the fruit and not sharing! And I'm supposed to make sure to keep her warm and not disturb her too much. They are worried about her having too much stress from the vet visit.

The vet wants to see her back next week. AND I got overcharged on the vitamin B, so I have a credit there for when I take Sally back tomorrow.

Thanks, everyone, for keeping Amy in your thoughts! Even if she doesn't realize it, I appreciate all the well-wishes.

Anita
 
Sounds like you've got a great vet. Hopefully she's got some minor internal infection going on and the meds will get her back to perfect.
 
Well, Amy gave me a bad feeling earlier. I've been feeding her and giving her meds and fluids via syringe. When I would take her out of her hospital cage, I would make sure her limbs are still mobile, and when putting her back in the cage I would make sure to clean her tummy and private area and not put her back in the same spot, just in case it was wet.

Then this afternoon I was checking on her and giving her some fluids, and noticed she hadn't pooped since the vet visit yesterday. BUT she was alert, opening her eyes and lifting her head when I spoke to her. My heart sank. I called the vet and got an appointment for tomorrow, and let Neal know that this might be her last night here with us. I plan to sleep downstairs tonight, getting up hourly to give Amy fluids.

I have been sending emails to and getting emails from lilspaz about Amy, and she said something that makes sense to my dull head. "If she isn't eating solid foods, then she won't poop". Doesn't that makes sense? DUH!!

Then I went to check on Amy again, and she was sitting up grooming! She got tired quickly, crawled to the back of the cage and fell asleep again. Wow, does THAT make me feel better! She must be feeling well enough to WANT to groom.

So, thank you Shelagh! You have taken a huge load off my tired mind, and Amy looks like she is on the mend.
 
Joanne said:
How is Amy feeling today?
Click to expand...

Thanks for asking! She is feeling MUCH better tonight. After last night, I called the vet this morning and cancelled the appointment for today. I'm sure as the day went on that Amy was getting pretty tired of me coming in and picking her up to give meds, fluids, food, and check her to make sure she is moving around and not lying in wet spots. There was even one time she grabbed hold of the cage bars and wouldn't let go! She did NOT want me to take her out of the cage.

She has been crawling around in the hospital cage and even put her mouth up to the water bottle but didn't drink anything. She has been bruxxing when we talk to her, so I'm taking that as a good sign. And to REALLY make me feel better and know that she is on the mend, she was eating a tiny piece of cracker! I was handing out cracker corners tonight to all the girls, and opened Amy's cage to see if she would take one. She took it from me, and laid it on her blankets. She tries to hold it in her hands but can't for very long, but will put it on her blankets and nibble on it. HOORAY FOR AMY!!

We are going to move her hospital cage next to the big cage so all the girls can see her, then sometime early next week we will try to move her back into the big cage again. I was worried that as rambunctious as Molly and Cindy get, that Amy might get hurt if we left her in the big cage, or she might try climbing into a hammock and fall. She is still pretty weak, but seeing her crawling around her cage makes me happy. At least now she is mobile!
 

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