Deno the rat! *intros done + more seizures. :(*

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I wrote when I'd just seen your last page, I just read thru all 7 and saw the videos. OMG, you & Deno found each other and you deserve lots of time together!!!
I've said the greatest gift a ratparent has is a good vet, and it's SO true. I sure feel for you between your worry and your difficulty in finding help that sets your heart at ease. Deno couldn't ask for a better mom, but it sounds as if your vet is not real knowledgeable? Í'm gonna suggest that you suggest a pituitary tumor to her if she doesn't suggest it. It does seem a real possibility with what you describe, and if she's agreeing try prednisone and see if it makes a difference.
My heart & hopes are so with you, you're so obviously a mom most deserving of your kids. Sure hope it's not a PT, but if the vet can't figure some more hopeful thing out & fix it maybe better to have an answer and a course of meds than not know what's wrong or what to do for his comfort. Wish I could transport you to the best rat vet in the world - or better still make Deno ok. Sadly all I can do is sincere hopes & prayers.
 
Fidget said:
I wrote when I'd just seen your last page, I just read thru all 7 and saw the videos. OMG, you & Deno found each other and you deserve lots of time together!!!
I've said the greatest gift a ratparent has is a good vet, and it's SO true. I sure feel for you between your worry and your difficulty in finding help that sets your heart at ease. Deno couldn't ask for a better mom, but it sounds as if your vet is not real knowledgeable? Í'm gonna suggest that you suggest a pituitary tumor to her if she doesn't suggest it. It does seem a real possibility with what you describe, and if she's agreeing try prednisone and see if it makes a difference.
My heart & hopes are so with you, you're so obviously a mom most deserving of your kids. Sure hope it's not a PT, but if the vet can't figure some more hopeful thing out & fix it maybe better to have an answer and a course of meds than not know what's wrong or what to do for his comfort. Wish I could transport you to the best rat vet in the world - or better still make Deno ok. Sadly all I can do is sincere hopes & prayers.
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Thanks so much Fidget. It feels good to hear that I'm a good mom in a time when I feel completely inadequate to even have pets at all because of monetary issues.

Also, I did tell her that I thought that it was a PT... It's basically the first thing I said when I walked in the door and I told her all the symptoms, while repeating to her that these were common PT symptoms.... but she decided that it could be due to kidney problems instead and wants to do blood work... which my answer is no because of the cost and how useless it is. I then asked her to just prescribe the meds just to see if Deno would get better with them (which would prove that PT is the problem) and she refused.

So now I'm stuck paying for another visit to another vet because some vets just wont admit to being wrong and clueless.

But again, thanks so much
 
I had a thought.. would your vet be open to a phone discussion with a vet who's experienced with rats? What if you were to call your vet and ask her kindly if she would discuss your rat's condition and diagnosis with an experienced rat vet, whose name and number you would give her. (Maybe Jorat's vet?) My vet tells me that vets do this kind of thing all the time here in the city.

If your vet is open to that idea, her phone call shouldn't cost you anything, and maybe the experienced rat vet would give your vet a better idea of what she's looking at...

Who knows? This might even lead to a free re-check exam or allowing you to try the drugs you requested for PT. That's what I'm hoping, anyway.

Oh .. and I echo Fidget's words. Clearly you are a great rat mom!
 
ChrisK said:
I had a thought.. would your vet be open to a phone discussion with a vet who's experienced with rats? What if you were to call your vet and ask her kindly if she would discuss your rat's condition and diagnosis with an experienced rat vet, whose name and number you would give her. (Maybe Jorat's vet?) My vet tells me that vets do this kind of thing all the time here in the city.

If your vet is open to that idea, her phone call shouldn't cost you anything, and maybe the experienced rat vet would give your vet a better idea of what she's looking at...

Who knows? This might even lead to a free re-check exam or allowing you to try the drugs you requested for PT. That's what I'm hoping, anyway.

Oh .. and I echo Fidget's words. Clearly you are a great rat mom!
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I'm not sure which vet would agree to speak to her about my rats' condition... I would need to call and talk to the rat vet before giving her a number. :/
I know Scott in Freddy is a good rat vet, but I have never actually met him (he neutered Charlie but I didn't get to meet him before).
Maybe SQ would be willing to talk to him for me seeing as she knows him pretty well? :stickpoke: :bow:

But yes, that is a good idea.
 
I also want to say that if your rat does have PT, it's pretty much the natural decline and the end of a beautiful life. There is nothing wrong in making your rat as comfortable as possible and choosing to do nothing to prevent or slow the process. Lots of love, cuddles and good food for you and your rat.
 
jorats said:
I also want to say that if your rat does have PT, it's pretty much the natural decline and the end of a beautiful life. There is nothing wrong in making your rat as comfortable as possible and choosing to do nothing to prevent or slow the process. Lots of love, cuddles and good food for you and your rat.
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I agree too. I admit I didn't medicate my rats when they had a PT, but that was mainly out of ignorance. But it is an option, as sometimes even the most agressive medications don't really make much of a difference.

As far as your vet consulting with a more experienced vet: it all depends on her ego. Some vets have no problem admitting they don't know everything and will seek the answer out. Other vets won't admit they don't know everything and will carry on however they see fit, sometimes to the detriment of their patient.
(This applies to everyone in any position...)

Good luck with what ever you choose to do - you are his mom, and have his best interests at heart.
 
I have decided to let it go for now...
I spent some time with Deno.. and although he may have a pituiary tumor, he isn't in pain and can definitely live a happy life without the horrible side effects of the medication.

So for now, until it gets bad, I will keep him off meds and just try to make him as comfortable as possible... but of course, if his case was to go downhill quickly, then I would fight with the said vet to give me the meds he needs at any cost to make his passing as peaceful as I can. I will also get him euthanized once he has no quality of life left...

I know some of you might judge me, but please, keep it to yourself..
I'm just trying to do what's best for him while still being able to pay my rent...
 
mia9_28 said:
I have decided to let it go for now...
I spent some time with Deno.. and although he may have a pituiary tumor, he isn't in pain and can definitely live a happy life without the horrible side effects of the medication.

So for now, until it gets bad, I will keep him off meds and just try to make him as comfortable as possible... but of course, if his case was to go downhill quickly, then I would fight with the said vet to give me the meds he needs at any cost to make his passing as peaceful as I can. I will also get him euthanized once he has no quality of life left...

I know some of you might judge me, but please, keep it to yourself..
I'm just trying to do what's best for him while still being able to pay my rent...
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No judgement here. You are clearly a good rattie mom, and your Deno has a good life with you.
 
No judgement here either. You clearly care a lot about your rats and will make thr right choices for you and them :) I hope Deno stays happy and comfortable for quite a while longer. He's a very sweet boy.
 
Oh hon, it's such a sad thing that you should have to consider what any stranger thinks about you when you are just suffering the worst times with your baby, isn't it?.
It's SO hard when you have a sick kid, you're already questioning every decision you make and everything you do for them, last thing you need is to be worried about others judging you....
I hope you feel people have been with you from the start here tho, there are really good people here, and it sure looks official that you & Deno are family here now and have a lot of support & love..
My love & prayers to your kid, and hugs to you.
 
Fidget said:
Oh hon, it's such a sad thing that you should have to consider what any stranger thinks about you when you are just suffering the worst times with your baby, isn't it?.
It's SO hard when you have a sick kid, you're already questioning every decision you make and everything you do for them, last thing you need is to be worried about others judging you....
I hope you feel people have been with you from the start here tho, there are really good people here, and it sure looks official that you & Deno are family here now and have a lot of support & love..
My love & prayers to your kid, and hugs to you.
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I LOVE the Shack.. I have learned so much from this forum (and the people in it) and I don't know what I would do without it now... but it's undeniable that there is some tension and some judgement at times.. and I would hate to get on the bad side of some people on here. lol

I would like to think that I'm family here but most people on here don't even know who I am. ;P
 
OceanEyes117 said:
How are you and Deno doing? Sending you love and scritches.
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I brought my rats along for my vacation to my parents' and Deno had a couple of seizures, probably from the new environment.
Also, he now gets pretty skittish when I pick him up and panics as if I'm going to attack him... probably from Charlie attacking him... but they don't fight that often.. :/
Oh, and I witnessed Charlie attacking him and Deno had a seizure in the midst of it.. it was so sad. I had to hold Charlie down and shove him in a hammock as Deno calmed down. I usually don't interrupt unless there's blood.

Although he is currently in the highest hammock in the cage, which is unusual for him... so I suppose he's learned how to climb better?
 
mia9_28 said:
Although he is currently in the highest hammock in the cage, which is unusual for him... so I suppose he's learned how to climb better?
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Perhaps. I would make sure there are lots of safety shelves/hammocks to break his fall in case he has a seizure while he's up there.
 
Joanne said:
mia9_28 said:
Although he is currently in the highest hammock in the cage, which is unusual for him... so I suppose he's learned how to climb better?
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Perhaps. I would make sure there are lots of safety shelves/hammocks to break his fall in case he has a seizure while he's up there.
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There is. :thumbup:
 

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