helping an old lady - *never mind*

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wonderrodent

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2007
Messages
563
Location
Sanford, NC, USA
Well, Lafawnda has just celebrated her 2 1/2 birthday and she is definitely slowing down. First of all she has hind-leg degeneration and I found a lump a week ago. A few weeks ago she weighed 630g and I put her on a diet. She is now 411g. She still looks big but when I touch her she feels emeciated! So I think the weight loss has more to do with her getting old. Also, I think Rapunzel takes the lab blocks away from her at night so she doesn't have anything to eat over night. Since she can't climb anywhere, she can't get to the food. Twice a day I feed her soft food on a spoon in my lap so she has her peace. She still seems excited when I come in with food but she doesn't eat much at eats very slowly. It looks like she licks and licks but doesn't actually lick up much. She isn't interested in her beloved treats either.
She seems so restless and indecisive. Like she doesn't know what she wants.
I have never dealt with PT or CHF but by watching her it doesn't seem like she has symptoms of either one.

I attached a short video for you guys to see her behavior. As I said she looks so restless. I sometimes pick up her hip/feet and we play wheel barrel. This way she can walk around quicker and choose where to go. I also pick her up and show her the different levels of the cage so she can decide which one she wants to hang out. I don't know if she is just frustrated because she can't go wherever she wants to anymore or if there is more going on. I hope she is not unhappy or in pain.
I guess I just would like to know if this is all normal and just part of aging or if there is anything more serious that you see and I don't.

Also, I wipe her head and paws daily because she has porphyrin (never around her eyes and she probably wipes it off her nose immedately so you can't really see it around her nose either). I can see something black in her poopoo-area so I am wondering if this is poo stuck inside of her (I think that she can still poo, though) and it's just because she can't groom herself down there anymore.
What do you use for cleaning a rat? Right now I am only using warm water and a soft cloth.
Any help would be appreciated. I feel so sorry for her and I want to make her last months, weeks as pleasant as possible.
Thanks!

 
i've dealt with PTs and heart conditions (one known while alive, others figured out after the fact...) but i have not yet been lucky enough to have an old old rat that needed special care just because they are old. i have read up on it though.

it sounds like she needs to be moved to a single level cage with very low hanging hammocks and soft tunnels that touch the floor. if you are using a litter tray you'll need something with a low lip that she can crawl into when she needs it. but like any older and slowly deteriorating animal, you'll want to remind them of all the things they can do instead of what they can't. if they focus on the negative, on what they lost, they can get depressed. as an oldie she'll also need extra nutrients to keep her going. give her her normal food, but some baby cereal and ensure 2-3 times a day is commonly recommended (which you seem to be doing anyway). i have found when using ensure that some flavors a perferred by some rats over others. for instance, tween hated strawberry (she'd spill the dish and everything) but loved hazelnut and was fond of chocolate. rosie refused to eat any other flavor other then chocolate. stewart will eat strawberry but will eat chocolate better. bribery doesn't care what flavor you have so long as he gets a good sook before you offer him the food and then again half way through. try switching it up to find a favorite.

as for cleaning, a warm damp facecloth should be just fine. i don't know what the black gunk down there would be. the poryphrin could just be stress, it could be an illness or it could just be the morning crusties that she can't clean off as well as she used to.

do you have any other old rats or some lazy younger ones that would be a good nursemaid and keep her company?

this is what i was able read up on. someone with personal experience will hopefully be even more helpful.
 
Sounds to me like she's just getting old. And, even if she does have something on top of the general aging, she'd probably be in similar shape. But that's just my guess.

It also sounds like she should be in a nursing cage of sorts, clearly she's having trouble with her current homestead. But that is a hard step to take and a hard decision to make.

As for cleaning them up, sounds like you're on the right track, but I also like unscented baby wipes.
 
I know its hard. I nursed Fergie the last few weeks of his life and it was difficult to say the least. I know he had a stroke of some sort and likely a PT. His hind end was going and it made life difficult for him in the big cage. I moved him and Wembles to a single level cage the last week he was alive. It seemed to make him happier. I was feeding and making sure he got liquids several times a day.

I know how hard it is to watch them slowly deteriorate, its heartbreaking to say the least.

I wish you all the best with Fawndy, she is such a lovely girl :heart: :heart:
 
less her, she is so pretty, you are doing so good with her, she reminds me of the old folks in the resthome they can't understand why they can't walk or itch their ear, or what ever, lots of love, helps them I just wrap mine i a nice soft cloth & hold them on my lap while I am resting, massaging their backs side & faces helps that urge to itch or groom! Bless you for helping her! :heart:
 
wonderrodent said:
Thank you guys for your reply.

Unfortunately, she just passed away at 10:14pm in my arms, wrapped in a blanket :tearful:
Click to expand...

I'm so sorry Astrid. I know how painful it is to lose a beloved pet. :tearful:

What a blessing that she died in your arms.... there is no greater gift for a rat than to pass in the care of a beloved ratmom. :rose:

You earned the right to be there when she went into the light and I have no doubt that her little cloud is full of her memories of you. :love6:
 

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