Hilda: maybe a had a stroke? Pred still working! photo Oct12

[Godmother]

Hilda was two in late June, and she looked so young for her age. She is slim and had always been very active. Mid-August was the first time she had ever had any respiratory problems, so she's been on antibiotics. But she was looking as lively as ever, until a couple of days ago.

She started getting a little puffy. Last night, when she was getting her meds, her right back foot was partly out of the cage and she didn't seem all that aware of it. So I thought HED. This morning she was the same.

This afternoon, after work, she dropped the Cheerio I gave her. She was unable to figure out how to eat food from a dish, even when I held it under her nose. She was unsteady on her feet, and tended to circle. She even had trouble taking soft food from my fingers. SQ fed her by syringe, and she was able to swallow once the food was inside her mouth.

Curiously, she can still groom herself. But she looks awful. She is lying on the floor of the cage. We got some Prednisone down her, and I hope it helps, but I am not optimistic.

This was so fast. I am in shock. By the time I can get her to a vet I am afraid that it will be too late.

 

[lilspaz68]

I will pray the pred does its magic and gives you Hilda for a little longer. You are doing all you can for her right now. :heart:

 

[Godmother]

This is amazing... it must be the Pred. I went up to see her again, scared of finding her dead. She had managed to crawl into a cube. I gave meds to the others, then went to get her, when I saw her coming out of the cube.

She ate her meds all by herself! She is walking a little better. I took two of the cagemates down to the playpen and, when I came back upstairs, she was in the upper level of the cage. :shock:

Can Pred really work that fast? She had it only four hours ago.

If so, could I dare give her any extra tonight?

 

[lilspaz68]

It was given to her at 4 pm? Good! Probably the combination of fluids and food and the pred making her feel a little better. Did you give her a minimal dose or a high-end dose? If not the high-end, give her a little more.

 

[Godmother]

I wasn't aware that there is a range of Pred doses. I gave her a dose based on 1ml/lb bid of Prednisolone 1mg/ml

If I could give her more, I sure would! She is walking around in the playpen with the others, really come back from the dead. And she was not dehydrated at 5-ish when we gave her the Pred.

 

[lilspaz68]

0.25 mg/lb to 1 mg/lb , PO , SID (once a day) 4. May be given in divided dose q12hr.

Yeah you're at the upper range right now.

 

[Dahlas]

Oh godmother......I hope the pred works.....I am praying.

 

[Godmother]

Thanks. I was checking up in Debbie Ducommun's booklet as you were posting. So hard to know that I can't do more, but the effect is already amazing. She still circles when she walks, but not as tightly.

She;ll get her next dose tomorrow morning about 0700 before I go to work.

I'm glad of the prod to check DD's booklet. I now know that she needs the max dose for the rest of her life. Maybe I'll be able to get her in for a Dex injection this week?

 

[Godmother]

0.25 mg/lb to 1 mg/lb , PO , SID (once a day) 4. May be given in divided dose q12hr.

Yeah you're at the upper range right now.

Lilspaz, was the "4" after "SID(once a day)" a typo? Debbie D's book says that the dose can be given as often as BID. I hope that will be OK.

ETA: more good news. I gave Hilda a little piece of soft bread, and she is able to hold it in her paws & eat it.

 

[smilez_n_hugs]

:joy: :joy:

 

[lilspaz68]

0.25 mg/lb to 1 mg/lb , PO , SID (once a day) 4. May be given in divided dose q12hr.

Yeah you're at the upper range right now.

Lilspaz, was the "4" after "SID(once a day)" a typo? Debbie D's book says that the dose can be given as often as BID. I hope that will be OK.

ETA: more good news. I gave Hilda a little piece of soft bread, and she is able to hold it in her paws & eat it.

sorry the 4 is a link to the reference...BID is twice a day, every 12 hours

and YAY!! :joy:

 

[mamarat]

Wow that is good news. :joy:

 

[SQ]

I'd continue to give her pred., 1 mg/Ib twice a day (as per the rat health care book) ... unless you are going to see about dex.

Glad that she is doing better.

 

[Godmother]

You should have seen her eat the little pieces of watermelon and banana. Wow, I could not believe it.

 

[jorats]

When you catch it early, there's a better chance the pred helps.
That's wonderful news fro Hilda!

 

[Godmother]

I hope that the Pred continues to work its magic. This morning she was walking around and able to eat her meds unaided. I saw her eat some of the mushed lab blocks. She had lost her puffiness, also.

Hilda will never go back to her old self, but at least i will have her a while longer.

 

[Tarah]

It's so good to hear she's doing better, Godmother.

 

[lilspaz68]

I love morning reports like this...kisses to your girl!! :happydance:

 

[mamarat]

:joy: That is so great.

 

[Godmother]

Just got home from work, and she is still holding her own. I woke them all up, poor sweeties, and Hilda was at the back of one of the domes where she had been snuggled up with Ronnie & Clara. She was able to walk a circle in both directions (a nice change from last night), she ate a bit of mushed lab block for me, and she was on the top level of the cage.

I can't get her in to see the vet very easily this week, probably because of the upcoming long weekend, so I will just keep doing the standard things and hoping she keeps doing OK.

I wonder how long she'll be able to keep going. If I am lucky I'll be able to give her a very belated birthday party this weekend.