Debbie D - Screenshots from RFC site

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lilspaz68

lilspaz68

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2007
Messages
24,427
Location
Toronto, Canada, Earth
Wow, just wow.

As a friend of mine posted...I couldn't say it any better.

"Because I realize that many, many people who are new to rats use Debbie "The Rat Lady" Ducammon's books and advice to care for their rats, I feel the need to warn people that Debbie's advice is NOT sound in most cases. In addition to recommending a diet with excessive amounts of protein, she advises putting antibiotics in a rat's water bottle (which should NEVER EVER be done,) buying meds online, NOT giving a rat pain relief, NOT going to the vet even with a serious injury like a broken leg, and performing HOME SURGERIES without ANY anesthesia. Anything Debbie D says should be taken with a mountain of salt or avoided altogether."

The back history of this post, was a woman "rescued" a rat from a feeder breeder who was in bad shape. Was asking if she should take him to the vet...























 
and the unhappy conclusion...



Maybe the rat would've died anyways, BUT he may have died more comfortably with pain meds on board, OR maybe he went into shock and his body shut down from pain? The advice was VERY bad, yes you can heal from breaks at home, BUT as for diagnosing online, she just pulled up her rote answer and didn't ask for pics or videos that would give her a proper picture. Owners freaking out, or even people who may not recognize things, you just cannot trust their word ONLY, you need to see these things for yourself. The rat had too much going on and should've been on pain meds and then seen a vet ASAP.
 
Is there any way to report her?
Maybe start a petition?

This woman is, of a lack of a better word, crazy. How can you ever do a surgery on a rat with out anesthesia, plus doing it your self!
 
That's just unbelievable... I mean, the whole thing is mental. Absolutely insane. Always thought she was dead on, too! Poor little rat shouldn't have had to go through that. I'm truly disgusted. There must be a way to stop her.
 
Wow. it's hard to believe this. just. wow. I'm in shock.

We did an interview with her a few months ago. at the time I disagreed with a few things but bit my liip because she's the expert. now I wish I'd piped up.

Is she telling us a rat wtih a broken leg will tolerate being restrained for a delicate surgery with no anesthesia or pain meds???
 
They are demons just like she is. They do not care about a rats well being. They follow her because her ways prevent vet bills. It is sad but I have removed myself from her completely there was a time I could only say debbie dumb@$! and I am past that with her. I despise that woman she is horrible for the rat community and there is no reason for anyone to follow her ways
 
I was reading about this on facebook earlier today, its so scary. I find it so hard to believe that any animal has no pain receptors... If that was the case, when I accidentally close the cage door on my rats tail he wouldnt notice... but that isnt the case at all, I have accidentally done this once, and did I ever get an earful! (I am sure we all had similar things happen, where a rat protests something based on discomfort)
This is very scary to read about, as she was known was THE rat lady. I think something should be done, and at least spreading the word. I think we are all in shock about this.
 
THIS is why I tell people to question where they get their medical advice from. It's true (and a tragedy) that not enough vets are rat savvy, no doubt. It takes work to find a vet that is rat savvy or that will work with you to learn and it costs money. It's a travesty vets aren't better trained to treat exotics in vet school but unless there's a demand for it (and it's growing, thankfully), no one is going to push for change or make the effort to learn. When such a large number of rat owners opt to skip the vet though, there's no incentive for anyone to go out and learn how to treat rats and nothing will ever change. There are MANY vets that treat cats and dogs and are just plain terrible also, it's just that cats and dogs tend to be more resilient than exotics.

Once upon a time, doctors didn't prescribe pain meds or use anesthesia for circumcisions because they believed that babies weren't aware enough to feel pain...times change, science evolves. Debbie D is not capable of accepting she's anything less than perfect and there may be a better way of doing things. She's still living in 1972, when you would be laughed at for bringing a rat to the vet... there's no need for DIY when it comes to medical care for our rats. There's nothing wrong with being involved and informed in your rat's care but what she does should be illegal, if it isn't already.
 
Debbie D seems like a mad scientist. Someone who ultimately set out to do good and educate the world on how great rats are, but then she began getting a following, and after being known as "the rat lady" and having so many people blindly praise her, she got too set in her ways and her ego got too large, and now she's only doing harm.
 
WOW!! The really sad thing is new rat owners will turn to her for help and get misinformation. They will not know any better and not question her since everyone on her group admires her practices. Poor babies. I would like to break her leg and tell her to just walk around on it with no pain meds that she will be fine and heal soon :redhot:
 
Anything that isn't cat or dog is considered exotic when it comes to vet care. Rabbits are very common companion animals and it's also very hard to find knowledgeable vets.
 
She's right in part about broken legs not always needing vet care - everyone knows you can't cast a rat's leg or they'll just chew the cast off. I've actually had a rat vet tell me the same thing: broken leg = impossible to use a cast = heals best on pain meds + reduced movement.

But no pain meds? Sometimes my younger rambunctious boys get sprains and their hurt leg swells up and they limp around for a few days, but they're ALWAYS on metacam; I'd never consider not giving it. Even with the metacam, they hold their leg up close and don't put weight on the injured leg until it's better.
 
YorkieLove said:
WOW!! The really sad thing is new rat owners will turn to her for help and get misinformation. They will not know any better and not question her since everyone on her group admires her practices. Poor babies. I would like to break her leg and tell her to just walk around on it with no pain meds that she will be fine and heal soon :redhot:
Click to expand...


breaking her leg is just one of manythings I'd like to do to her :redhot:
 

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