Itchy Rats UPDATE 7/31: Back from the Vet

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Can i ask how his tail is?

It looks a lot like Sid's tail, except his was/is just at the butt of the tail, and i was just wondering if you've managed to get it look any better some way.
 
Printed everything off for the vet in the morning, and I'll go put in a low-ceilinged box now, that's a good idea. They've got a pants leg that I keep down on the floor of the cage like a "snuggle sack" type thing that he's been curled up in the better part of the last day. Ripper seems to be taking good care of him -- he's a compulsive lab block stasher anyway (he ALWAYS takes ALL of the blocks out of the food dish and puts them in a different pile) but he made Sweeney his own pile closer to the snuggle sack, haha. I'll count that as a win?

ryelle said:
Can i ask how his tail is?

It looks a lot like Sid's tail, except his was/is just at the butt of the tail, and i was just wondering if you've managed to get it look any better some way.
Click to expand...

Tail hasn't gotten any worse, but certainly hasn't gotten any better. It's always been a little scabby but not like it is now. Oddly, he's a tail-groomer too, which seems odd considering how messy it is -- but he does grab his tail and lick/chew at it. don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
 
Hmm i know what you mean about the lick/chew thing. I purposely let Sid rest and position himself in my hand so that he can reach round and 'groom' his tail. I always feel guilty though because i never know if it is doing him any better or any worse letting him do it.
Sid has been having skin issues for ages, but i've found his tail is taking SO long to get any better.

YAY for block-stashing ratties who purposely move the stash so their sick cage mates can still eat :D :D
 
Well, we went to the vet this morning. So far I really like Dr. Cook, she was very good with the boys and seemed pretty competent. It's going to be a HUGE relief to have a vet who knows what they're doing for once.

The verdict is definitely lice. She let me look at a few of Ripper's hairs under the microscope and let me tell you, that louse looked HUGE and nasty on the slide. *shudder* They're getting a sulfur-lime dip at the vet's right now, is that OK? Sweeney is also getting a steroid shot and antibiotics, she's giving him his first round while he's in there and keeping an eye on him then I'll pick them up when I get off work at lunchtime.

Hopefully we did everything right! I'm so nervous about vets after everything that happened with the old vet...I'm not going to be able to concentrate until my boys are beack home.

EDIT: Still spazzing. I get off work in about a half hour then I can go pick up the boys. I'm REALLY hoping the treatment isn't that expensive, I only have $150 in my bank account >.< I'll offer to pay off the rest with slave labor or something if they can't take payments.
 
Apparently they do a diluted kitten dose of a sulfur/lime mix and dip the rats in it, then let it air dry (while keeping them from grooming, obviously). I have heard about it (I googled as soon as I got home) and the interwebs consensus seems to be that it's a viable option especially if you want to avoid pesticides. The boys were very indignant about the whole thing but seem to be feeling better, no more itchies.

The only thing that sucks about this process is we have to go back in two weeks to do it again because it only kills the adults, not the eggs. Poor guys :(

Sweeney's looking a ton better though. He gets baytril twice a day for two weeks and he's taking it like a champ. He's already looking a ton better...still head-tilty, but not falling over as bad and much perkier.
 
I'm pretty sure you should get the next dose done in 10 days, not 14... they will lay eggs again by that time.
Good to hear that your little guy is already doing better.
 
I'm going to call and ask for clarification on when the follow-up should be....They're still a bit itchy but don't seem as bad. And still smell sulfur-tastic. On the bright side, I'm a total freak and actually LIKE the smell of sulfur ;)

Sweeney's being such a trooper about his meds. He comes running up the cage bars now when it's meds time. Head is still lolling about and he still falls over a lot, though...hopefully the baytril kicks in soon! The vet said sometimes they have to be euthanized because they *never* recover their balance.... :( Hopefully that won't happen here.
 
If he's already feeling better I really doubt that you have to worry about not getting the infection under control. When they have an inner ear infection, they feel sick and dizzy, but once the meds fight and kill the infection, they may be left with a tilt but they learn to compensate. It sounds like an injection of dexamethasone (injectable steroid) was given, you can often see the relief in hours when going this route :)
 
he is perked up a LOT. He kind of alligator-rolls a little when he's trying to get his feet under him, though, and is sleeping a lot...but I can't blame him. Ripper's doing a great job of keeping him warm & delivering blocks right to him, haha.

I suspicion if Sweeney could vomit he'd be puking his guts out. Looking at him reminds me of certain nights in my college years and a few end-of-semester parties ;)
 

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