Dolci is gone :(

[lilspaz68]

Mattie's doing better...much more bright-eyed, sleek-coated, and more active/agile. She's still tilted but its not a lot. I am still using the dex and baytril, but I think I will stop the dex soon. The bumbles are a bit better I think...hard to tell with the Blu-kote covering it up :roll:

 

[jorats]

She's such a pretty girl! Someone mentioned padding the cage, I've noticed this had helped tremendously with ours too.

 

[lilspaz68]

Very true about the padding. Get all bumblefooted rats off of aspen, and hard beddings. The 2 areas Mattie hangs out are the top which has the placemat and the bottom which is fleece...so I am hoping this helps her bumbles in the end as well.

 

[Lise]

Do you think warm salt water soaks may help at all to draw out the infection?

I have never dealt with bumbles myself, but I know tons of people swear by sea salt soaks for infections.

 

[Tara]

I've had awesome luck with Blu Kote! Although never with rats, I used it on the horses whenever they got cut or scraped or the occasional abscess. Very effective... but messy. My white pony Tramp had chronic wounds on the back of his front hooves due to overreaching with his hind legs when he trotted and clipping himself, so his feet were often that blueberry color. And it usually didn't come off his white fur for weeks. :roll:

 

[lilspaz68]

Sad update. Mattie had another stroke today. I have been very sick and only found her at 4:30 (*guilt*) this afternoon.

I gave her an injection of dexamethasone and gentocin in ringer's lactate to see if we can bring her back.

I am also posting videos for anyone curious

 

[jorats]

Oh god, that's so heartbreaking. :sad3:

 

[mamarat]

That's so sad.

 

[LA]

OH No....

 

[lilspaz68]

I have her on my lap and she is slowly leaving us. She is doing the gasp *click* that is a dreaded sign, her heart is racing and feels irregular, and I am telling her to let go. She is quiet, her eyes closed, with the occasional stretch out but I don't think she's suffering. She has gone away already. Sigh.

Her beloved cagemate was taken from her and often older very bonded rats will only live for a short while afterwards, and then they will give up if there's any adversity. My poor sweet Mattie. :cry:

 

[LA]

(((Shelagh))) so sorry. Poor Mattie.

 

[mamarat]

I'm so sorry, Shelagh. :cry:

 

[mamarat2]

Aww Shelagh, I'm sorry.

 

[Godmother]

I'm so sorry. She was a lovely girl. She must have missed her companion very much.

She sure had so many strikes against her.

Hugs to you.

 

[lilspaz68]

She is still with us this morning. She didn't like being in the bottom of the carrier I use for the most part, since she kept dragging herself out. So I rolled on my side and tucked her up against me where I kept her warm and occasionally stroked her. It wasn't a restful night for either of us but we dozed. She had a few sessions of the horrid gasping attacks last evening but have had none during the night or so far this morning. She won't drink on her own (tried the rehydration fluid formula), so I gave her almost 6 cc's of sub-q fluids, along with an upped dose of dexamethasone and gent.

 

[LA]

Poor Sweeties both of you

 

[Melissa]

I'm sorry, she is quite the trooper.

*hugs*

 

[lilspaz68]

I just checked on her. She is on the coffeetable/chest I have while the Coffee Rats are out. She IS a trooper....she is trying to headsleep. :shock:

What a wonderful, confusing little girl. :heart:

 

[Melissa]

Awww

 

[Godmother]

she is amazing! Wish I could be there to give her a kiss and a pat.