Ducky - Last night - Palliative Help Needed

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Oh beautiful, and darling Ducky who reminds me so much of my Eddy I am nearly in tears...

I would let her go very soon. I wonder if it would be worth trying dex or a higher dose of Metacam but when I give dex to my PA girls I don't ever see any remarkable difference, or even one worth keeping them around for. I am so. sorry. I really am. I have two more girls with this after losing Eddy a little over a month ago to it, and god, it's heartbreaking. Ducky is clearly very, very loved and I know you will make the best decision for her.
If it provides any hope, Eddy declined in December and I raised her pain meds and it helped her through the rough patches that she made it comfortable until April..but then again, it seems like Ducky has already been through the ups and downs and now has more downs than ups whereas Eddy just started having the downs.
I hope this is of even some help and again, I am so sorry. :cuddle:
 
I see a fat little old lady with chronic resp issues. She is weaker in her hind end normal, but she's doing what needs to be done to the best of her ability, eg. grooming. Her eyes are bright, shes waddling around...she doesn't do a lot anymore so doesn't need the calrories, maybe her sense of taste has diminished as well.

For me I would neb her once a day with hypertonic saline (if you have a neb) to help the congestion, and I would weigh her every 2-3 days, to see if she's losing drastic amounts of weight. If/when the URI gets worse, then I would let her go...sweet feisty Duckduck. :heart:
 
I'm far from an expert on old ratties, but she looked pretty darn good for her age and resp issues til the very end of the video. I've noticed older pets in general eat less because they don't move around as much.
 
I don't have a nebulizer unfortunately.

She's been a little more active the past couple of days, which is such a relief to my heart I can't even begin to describe it - currently I'm hearing great ripping sounds as she remodels her new kleenex box. I'm still giving her the theo and metacam (have to get refills on Tuesday), but I'm hesitating on the antibiotics, as she struggles so hard against taking them it causes her more distress than if she just lived without them. I'm sort of leaning towards your view of it, Joanne, in terms of making her comfy but not treating it with the aggression I would if she was really young or had a ton of fight left in her. I think there's enough fight to keep her where she is for now, but like you said too, Shelagh, if she goes downhill I'll definitely... well.

I think I've made my piece with the concept of taking her in. Words from one veterinarian in an article struck me: "Better a minute too early than a second too late." I don't think we're at that minute though. I'm taking all the time I can get with my girlie while she's still happy.

Odd thing though - I *think* she's barbering the bottom of her back legs...
[img=center:qog4az1k]http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g455/Patricia_Kierans/IMG_0753_zpsb7caacb6.jpg[/img:qog4az1k]

[img=center:qog4az1k]http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g455/Patricia_Kierans/IMG_0752_zpsf27f67b5.jpg[/img:qog4az1k]

And the death glare for all the indignities suffered...

[img=center:qog4az1k]http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g455/Patricia_Kierans/IMG_0754_zpsf0337112.jpg[/img:qog4az1k]
 
It was kind of funny in that I gave her a quick'n dirty cleaning (she STANK), and didn't notice until after. Took her in to my Mom going "I *swear* her leg shouldn't be that bare and look like a nekkid chicken wing!"

She is always the Ducky-Duck-Duck I love so much, even if she gives me nervous breakdowns with her sicklinesss, only to start (metaphorically) bouncing around again.

What do you think in terms of stopping the abs, Shelagh (or anyone else). I have no intention of withholding any treatment that would truly benefit her and change her situation, but since she was on the high dosage and still got worse, and giving them to her makes her breathing sou d WAY worse for all the fighting and drooling she does...

Oh and since I don't have a nebulizer, would a humidifier do the same job? There's a Hepa filter running not far from her and there's an option of also having it humidify.
 
Well, it sucks. She's had such a good run, but I think tonight is her last night.

She had a good last 10 days since I've been at my grandmother's - my sister had charge of medicating, and she did an outstanding job. I did as you'd posited, Joanne, and I took her off the doxy and baytril because it wasn't doing her any good and it was causing her a lot of distress taking them twice a day. My Dad had her out every night running around on his leather sofa (!!!, well, over a blanket but still!) and was feeding her little bits of swiss cheese while she was running around. They were so great to her, giving her every care that I would have given her.

She was looking okay actually last night, but today it's just been... yeah. One of those days where you *know*. She was pretty flat today, not moving too too much, but I got back from walking Lovell tonight to see her with her head plastered vertically against the side of the cage, and when I picked her up she was starting to do the gasping.

And... like out of NOWHERE, I've found a twin-peanut-sized tumor near one of her hind legs. She's got a lot of fresh porph around her eyes, and it's all gummy and icky. And her eyes are... her eyes say it. I really think she was waiting. She was lively while I was away, maybe she was just hanging on.

So I'm gonna go down to the vet's soooo early tomorrow morning and be there first thing.

In the meantime, do you guys have any advice on metacam? I want her to be as comfy as possible. I gave her 0.13 cc of metacam (her normal dose is 0.1cc, I can get the concentration in a minute). Should I be going higher? It's not as if her liver's in question or anything, I just want her to be comfy while I love her as much as possible.
 
I'm so sorry you are at this stage. I have found many rats to have a burst of energy and good quality of time right before crashing.
With the metacam, I'd give the smallest dose first and add more if I think she's still in discomfort.
Hugs to you and Ducky.
 
Thanks Jo and Temblamomo. I'll do that with the metacam. She's lying very quietly on my lap, her eyes half open, concentrating mostly on breathing.

She's the end of an era for me. What a venerable old lady (at least for me) - 34 months tomorrow.
 
I'm so sorry for you and little Ducky, but I'm sure she's getting the best if lovins tonight. Hugs from all of us here.
 
Yeah, my Dad spoils her rotten whenever I'm out of town - and, of course, spoils her rotten when I *am* here, lol

She's sort of trying to nibble a little bit of cheese I gave her, but she's not making a lot of headway, and keeps losing interest - that, and her eyes are simply... dull, if that makes any sense.

We'll see if she's there in the morning, my sweet little angel, and if not, Dr. Munn will help to give her wings.
 

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