Cadillac PT: Improving on Pred, may be trying Bromocriptine

[Godmother]

I took my beautiful PEW Caddy to the vet last week because she was not her normal self -- looks puffy, is easily dominated by the other rats (she used to be the gentle Alpha queen). He found a small lump, but otherwise she seemed OK for a rat of 28 months. But she doesn't seem able to eat hard food. I make sure that there is water in dishes and mushed lab blocks in the cage. She is still eager for porridge and peas, and she ran around in the play area last night.

But....
She doesn't hold her kamut puff up to eat it; she puts it between her two paws on the floor. Her back legs don't seem weak, so I don't think it's HED. She can still climb.
She looks a little confused, and sometimes her wanderings seem aimless.
When I approach her to pick her up, she sometimes turns around as if she plans to nip me. (she has always been super-gentle)
Tonight when I took up some more lab blocks and rice, she stood with both front paws in the dish.

Before I saw the last behaviour, I wondered if she might be in pain. I had just started her on Metacam.

Now I'm thinking she might need Pred or a Dex injection. Luckily her appetite is still good, but I am very worried about my girlie. I would try Bromocriptine if we can get it in time.

 

[crumbilina]

I can't really help much. I have had 2 rattums with PT but they can begin so differently. I'm afraid for one of my others now too :-/ I hate knowing that something is wrong when they seem "off" but having no idea why they are off or whats wrong...

I hope she gets better! Sending all the best wishes I can find.
*fingers toes and paws crossed here*

PS: Does she have clubbed paws? Thats the second thing I look for after failing the cheerio test...

 

[lilspaz68]

She is older, and a type of dementia can set it in, maybe the late affects of a PT in the skull? Are her eyes half closed and dull? Even though she is resting the puff on the ground is she able to grasp evenly with both hands? At this point in the game, a steroid won't hurt

 

[Godmother]

She holds it between her paws on the ground. In the play area, though, I saw that her paws are sometimes clubbed. Not usually, though. She climbs in the cage and walks around with normally-extended toes.

 

[jorats]

Like Shelagh mentioned, they can get something like dementia. But... it does sound like PT.

 

[Godmother]

Looking even more like PT, or something similar, this evening. She eats ravenously, which is helpful now that she is on meds. I started her on Pred/Baytril to keep her going til her vet appt. She is much less mobile today, with a wide stance and a little weakness on the rhs. After giving her lots of time on her own to eat well, I put her in the playpen with the others. The cage quickly becomes a pigstye now that I am providing mushed lab blocks at all times. There is damp lab block dust all over the place, so I will have to give the cage a good clean before I go to bed.

Cadillac seems anxious but not quite "all there". I hope that Pred, and maybe Dex and Bromocriptine next week, might give her some more precious time with me. It all happened so fast, and she is my heart rat :heart: . The thought of losing her so soon after Cookie is pretty rough. I had been so lucky for so long with my rats' health.

 

[Dahlas]

I am so so sorry godmother......it is so hard to lose any of our kids.....but there are always ones that are wedged in our heart and makes the thought of losing them so hard. ((hugs )) I hope you get lots more time with her.....

 

[lilspaz68]

How is your little doll this morning?

 

[SQ]

:hugs:

 

[Godmother]

She is no better, but I was happy to find her snuggled between Caramel & Sammie this morning. Caddy's appetite is still good, and she took her meds and snack no problem. Seems only able to lick, not chew.

 

[mamarat]

Your poor baby.

 

[crumbilina]

Awwww

:hugs:

 

[Ollie]

Poor baby. I am so sorry. :hugs: :sad3:

 

[Godmother]

Cadillac is not eating as readily this morning. At first I felt hopeful that she was moving around more than yesterday, even making it up the ramp somehow. And she still grooms herself as best she can. But her front paws stand out straight a lot of the time. She circles, and she seems more confused. Last night she ate really well. She has been on Pred for almost two days, and I don't think it is helping. I have to be away from the house for nine hours tomorrow, and I don't know whether she will be able to find the food OK.

She has a vet appt on Tuesday after work, and I was planning to ask for Dex and Bromocriptine. Lilspaz and Ratty Momma, were your girls still able to eat well at the point where you started the experimental meds? I don't know whether to keep trying or to let her be pts before her life gets any more miserable. It is really hard to see her like this. She was climbing the bars of the cage a few days ago.

 

[lilspaz68]

Try it Godmother...if it doesn't work then you take her back in, but it could bring your girl back for a good long while. I am lucky and have dex on hand, did you get the prednisone into her at all?

 

[Godmother]

She took the Prednisone readily. This morning she is eating more slowly, but she got it all. I am worried that she could get dehydrated if she eats mainly when I am there to supervise. Anything very tasty gets stolen by the others, so I put her in a container by herelf for a while last night. She ate some mashed sweet potato, baby cereal, and rice, all mixed with Pediasure. Yesterday morning she took some boiled egg.

She is still really interested in Kamut puffs. She does her best to eat them even though she can't use her front paws.

I want to keep trying as long as she shows any interest in life. She is confused, but she still tries to get around and to eat. Maybe it's time I got some Dex to keep on hand, now that I have so many oldies.

 

[lilspaz68]

I would hold things for Issa and let her bite off pieces of it, like cooked carrots, cheerio bits, etc...its a lot of work initially but you just need to get her through to Tuesday. At this point I would be syringing in Ensure for fluids and food at the same time. Especially in the morning to get her through til I get home.

 

[victoria]

When I had Lizzie with PT (I didn't even realize the full scope of what was happening right away) she loved when I would give her banana or avocado chunks because she could eat away at them as they sat in front of her. It's not a balanced diet, and you're likely trying to stay away from sugars right now, but for a day it's not bad.

 

[Godmother]

She would probably love some banana, and last night she enjoyed sweet potato mush. I will also see whether she could manage some peas. I am happy with whatever she eats. I am pleased that she is well hydrated so far.

Love the idea of holding some food for her! She might go for some RyeVita crackers or, better yet, one of the goodies that my friend bakes for critters. And I will make the effort to get up early to make sure she gets enough liquid into her in the morning before work.

 

[Godmother]

Lilspaz, it worked really well holding food for her! She really went at the banana, and she did her best with my friend's critter biscuits and a piece of sweet potato. She is a bit more active tonight than she was earlier, she took her meds more easily than she did this morning, and she is somehow managing to groom herself.

Today I thought she'd had a stroke, when I found her sideways and struggling. Turned out she was grooming herself, using the nest box as support and managing to keep clean. I hope that I am not imagining this, but she seemed to be more able to wash her face tonight. She is still doing a lot of circling, though. When she sleeps, one or two of the others snuggle in with her.

I will get up early to make sure she has lots to eat before I leave for the day.