Depression... No Cymbalta, But What Can Help?

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C

Cait

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2007
Messages
3,510
Location
Pasadena, CA
Bad pun on an anti-depression commercial. Hehm.

Anyway. Tip, my dear boy, is still extremely depressed from the loss of his brother, Andi. Thursday, I thought for sure I'd come home to find him gone... He won't eat, he won't do anything. He moves on occasion, but other than that... He's just barely hanging on. I've taken him to the vet so she'd give him subq's, which she did, Thursday and yesterday. He seems more bright and shiny today, but he's still thin and lethargic.

I do not believe this is the strep pneumonia. His breathing is fine, he has no symptoms... He's also been on antibiotics like the rest of them. While the others are fine, he is definitely feeling put out and down.

What I'd love to be able to do is to cuddle with him and keep him with me all day... But he doesn't even like me. He much prefers rats. And not even all rats, it seems, just Andi. He *was* my bully, actually scheduled for a neuter the same day the strep pneumonia took Preston from me... But obviously that was out. Now, he pays none of the other rats any attention whatsoever. Occasionally Seth Rogen will cuddle with him, but most of the time he's by himself.

So what can I do? Besides keeping him medicated and taking him to the vet to basically force him to stay hydrated, what is there? He has other rats. He refuses to be with me. What is there? He's totally given up! Do I just wait it out, or? It's been... since the 12th... so ten days. How long is normal for this?
 
Poor little Tip.
If he were mine, even if he hated me, I'd pull him out and do lots of one on one socializing. Can you give him Ensure? Most rats can't resist that stuff, it would help keep him hydrated and fed.
 
He won't take Ensure. I've offered it to them all ever since someone suggested it for the sick ones, and he just won't. He's like a freak of nature. I'm afraid if I force him, he'll breathe it in... If I squirt it from a syringe into the side of his mouth (against his cheek) a drop at a time, will that be easier and won't choke him? I'm so afraid of hurting him, and he already doesn't like me enough to let me medicate him without a fight. He's the only one!

He's with 3 "babies" right now... Romy, Laura, and Seth Rogen. All of them are in that age range. :/

I'll try keeping him with me anyway... But really I feel it just stresses him out more. He's not always been this bad, but he's never really enjoyed people for some reason.
 
It's really hard to tell what is best... if you feel he's super stressed with you, it's best to leave him then. How about soymilk? Most rats love that stuff. You could try adding a drop inside his cheek and see how he reacts to that.
 
I'm eating my words. He's keeping still in my hoodie right now, while I check email and chat on here. As long as I don't directly touch him, he just rests in there.

I'll give soy milk a try. I've even tried coconut milkshake, which usually, even he'll take from me willingly. (I know, healthy, but it's higher in fat, yeah? And it's something!) But nope. He won't have it.
 
It's so sad that he's not eating :( I'd be all over every single type of yummy food with him too, which I'm sure you've already tried. I know when Seagram didn't know/trust me that much and I had to try to medicate him he would refuse the best treats (and steal them from Wicket instead because he trusted Wicket). My boys go nuts for baby food, maybe heating it just a bit in the microwave will help too? I've had that suggested by a vet to make food smell more palatable so I'll use that on sick ratties too. I hope he comes around soon.
 
He's still hanging out, but he's just resting and watching. I fixed the rest of them some baby cereal and ensure mixed with sweet potatoe baby food (a common favorite) and he wouldn't take it from me. I put him in the cage so he could try there, as he feels more safe, but nope. Just went and curled up in a corner. So I took him back out.

It's frustrating. But my sister just got back from Wal Mart with the soy milk, and we'll give that a try. She got plain and chocolate.
 
Heck yeah he refuses. He's the only one who won't do anything like that.

I made him drink the soy milk. But it was only a ml... Then he started thrashing around for me to put him down. I think I'm going to start smearing the others with food and seeing if he'll groom it off of them. I'm sure I won't hear any complaints from them.
 
Could the meds be making him feel sick? We've had a few rats that couldn't take Baytril. They would become lethargic and stop eating, so we had to switch them to zithromax.
 
Aww, poor sweetie. Hard to say if he is sick, reacting to meds or just plain depressed. *fingers crossed* he perks up soon.
 
I was going to say too I've had a few rats getting sicker on Baytril. And Umpa became lethargic on carefresh. Sometimes rats can develop allergies. Good luck with your sweetie. :hugs:
 
I didn't know they could react to Baytril like that, but I guess like people they could have reactions, right?

Tomorrow I'll go ahead and ring the vet for just the zithro and see if that helps.

But he did eat something today! Pumpkin Blizzard from DQ. Figures the thing he will eat I can only get after a drive 20 minutes away. I don't blame him, those things are good.
 

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