Munster wont eat/drink after surgery - He's gone <3

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That should be fine...if you see the pocket of fluid getting sucked into the body quickly he's very dehydrated, if it sits for awhile then he should be fine.

How is he acting?
 
I didn't notice much yesterday for the fluid bubble, I thought it was gone quite quickly. Today I noticed a small bubble form, so I'll check to see if it's all gone already. He still seems very weak, when you pick him up there just isn't much fight in him, but he's always seemed very mellow and laid back as well since I've seen him so I'm not sure how much of that now was "old age" or something more, like being dehydrated.

He was more active at my mothers though so he's certainly weaker than he was. He is mainly just sleeping in his carrier, but around 2am last night I began being able to get some foods into him. Little bits, a few licks of water or yogurt, a small piece of avocado. This morning, he ate more than the other feedings... a small piece of banana, some avocado, a spoonful of yogurt, watered down yogurt off my finger and watered down blocks off my finger - about 4 finger tips of watered down lab blocks. While he was grooming himself more and could walk a bit better over the fleece when left alone, there wasn't much fight when I pulled him out or when I sub-q'd him, even though he squeaked with pain and should have fought. So, I'm not sure really where he stands, I just know he's eating some which he would not do last night.

I'll work on getting a video if I can.
 
Good luck violet. I looked at your thread last night, but had to leave so never replied-- I wish I had. I'm happy your little boy has shown improvement.
 
Still working on getting a video, but Munster just ate a lot for me. I made him a plate of watery rye oats with vegan yogurt, green mush and homemade Kale/fruit/veggie juice. Put the plate down and he probably at at least a Tbsp or two, very, very eagerly. Then he laid back down.

That's the most I've seen him eat so far and I'll keep offering him more. I will try to get a video I just didn't want to yank him out of his carrier yet again, and I'm still not sure the lighting in my room today will even show up well.

Does anyone happen to know how long in advance you can collect a urine sample for rats. If I collect it today, will it not be suitable for testing tomorrow morning?
 
Hey may have had a bad reaction to the anesthetic...not tolerated it as well due to his age. They don't eat or drink during the stressful day in the clinic and if they are having issues after they can get a bit dehydra5ed and their urine will be more concentrated. Let him rest, let him take fluids orally then check his urine tomorrow morning...it might be back to normal in the morning.
 
He was dehydrated some when he got to the vet the day of the surgery. His gums were pink, but a pinch test didn't go back very fast. He had constant access to food/water and no trouble navigating the cage at my mother's house, so I wasn't sure why he would have been a bit dehydrated. I was told they were going to give him some sub-q fluids that day. His urine seemed concentrated a bit before his surgery so I'm suspecting that the issue was present before the surgery. I only saw him twice before surgery, so I just thought he was an older smellier rat. The morning of the surgery I saw some yellower pee and mentioned it to the vet, and saw the same pee on my bed when he came home. Very yellow, and very strong smelling. I'm not sure that he ever had non yellow, non smelly pee since we've gotten him now that I talked to my mother about it. When I got him home from surgery and saw the yellow pee, I checked the dirty bedding I had taken from my mothers cage and it had yellow stains where he had peed as well.

He seemed pretty good after the surgery and the next day and even Saturday morning. I would have thought the bad reaction to the anesthetic would have shown earlier.

He ate quite a bit more for me, but now he seems like he has a lot of wet sneezes and still looks rough. He is still trying to clean himself but his balance isn't great and he is tiring/out of breath very easily when doing so. He just ate another spoonful of watered down yogurt and some more oatmeal/mushed lab blocks/green mush, so he's still trying. I've been covering him with fleecy things and making sure he is enclosed with no drafts because I'm worried about pneumonia with the new wet sneezes. I turned the heat up some for him and changed his bedding, and will do so again in an hour when he gets more fluid.

I tried to get a video, but he just stays in his carrier. I only had one of him cleaning himself, and you couldn't really see much more than a blob moving up and down a bit. I'll keep trying.
 
I always feel that eating is the best sign for gauging how an animal feels. To hear that he chowed down this afternoon is great news! I hope he continues to improve. Not too much longer to see the vet.
 
That's good to hear. I know I *should* be more reassured that he is eating some, especially since last night that was all I wanted to see him do, but I just can't help but be worried that he isn't seeming a bit better. I suppose if he can just make it until the vet appointment then I will know he is in the best hands possible from that point on. Merle (who's appointment he is taking) is sounding horrid as well, just very, very congested breathing despite being on Clavamox and trying baytril before... so I'm hoping the vet can squeeze Merle into this appointment as well like we intended.
 
It's good your baby is feeling a bit better. Just take a deep breath, eat a pound of chocolate( Maybe he'll like some too. ;3 ), and let us know how it goes tomorrow/how he continues doing through the night. There's been nothing but improvement and that is very good.
 
More improvement. I just finished giving him 5cc's of fluid, and put him on the bed to video him and he found some of the many food items I placed there and ate *a lot*. He ate a whole small piece of banana, two small pieces of avocado, a spoonful of mushy lab blocks, and ate like he was famished (you can see in the video).

I just posted videos in case you notice something I am overlooking. You can also see the major incision that he has from the surgery. It looks worse to me in the videos, and still appears to be intact despite him now doing some gnawing at the stitches. You can also see all the yellow spots on the bed (I did just clean it a few days ago, I know it looks dirty but those are how bright his pee spots have been and also lots of food I've been placing on the bed for him). In the shorter video, you can actually see him pee before he turns and see the yellow tinge to it somewhat.

I think you can make out his wobbliness in the walking, but anything else I am overlooking, please let me know:

(be sure to expand these to full size):

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=570265009689565&set=vb.100001182124493&type=2&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=570266619689404&set=vb.100001182124493&type=3&theater
 
Munster is still hanging in there, but I have yet to see or hear him drink water on his own yet which worries me. He was still eating when I went to bed a few hours ago, but not as much now. I had hoped he would come out of his carrier for a bit last night, but he just wants to be in it. I had tried to skip his last sub-q since he was eating quite a bit around 11pm, but now I'm wondering if he still needs them. Just 7 more hours until the vet visit.
 
Hmmm the first video didn't load for me but the 2nd one did. I see what you mean by the walking especially when he loses balance behind. I also saw a clubbed paw when he was turning...both are potential neurological signs. He should be fine til the vet appointment and it seems waaay too early for PT to show up post-op.
 
Thanks Shelagh. He is still hanging in there but doesn't look any better much better than the videos. I didn't give him his 11pm sub-q, as I hoped that perhaps what he was eating might be helping him hydrate. But I haven't honestly seen or heard him drink from the bottle even once yet, and he's still very wobbly. When I woke up at 3am, he didn't seem as eager to eat. I was going to sub-q him again, but when I got him out there his skin didn't seem to bounce back so slowly, so I was torn. I didn't really want to put him through it again, and I thought it might help the vet to see how he held being off the sub-q's I was giving him (he will have been off them for about 18 hours at that point, his last one was at about 3:30pm yesterday). I thought it might be better to know that while I was at the vet, rather than bring him back home and then find out he wouldn't hold on his own. I did get a pee sample and hopefully one more closer to his appointment though, so hopefully it will be fast to see if he has a UTI going on as well.
 
hmmm. both videos work for me, but I do have to hit play for them to start. One was not marked public, which I fixed, but since you are on my facebook they both should have worked.

I noticed he also has a sore at the base of his tail now, which can be seen in the video. I'm guessing from either the fall or from laying in pee. I've been changing his bedding every few hours, but I'm sure he's still peeing and sitting in it at times right now.
 
lilspaz68 said:
Hmmm the first video didn't load for me but the 2nd one did. I see what you mean by the walking especially when he loses balance behind. I also saw a clubbed paw when he was turning...both are potential neurological signs. He should be fine til the vet appointment and it seems waaay too early for PT to show up post-op.
Click to expand...


Shelagh, you can see a clubbed paw at the start of the first video, then he turns around and comes across some food and stops to eat it. He holds it on the ground but has no trouble otherwise. he looks better in the first video. to me anyway

Can that be from dehydration? when cats are dehydrated, they have a hard time extending their limbs, they kinda curl up into a ball.

Melissa, I hope the vet will be able to help him :hugs:
 
Just back from the vet. Both Merle and Munster were able to be seen. The vet leans more towards this being a hard surgery for his age and dehydration. He doesn't see neurological signs, he says his movements seem very even just weak and wobbly. He thinks the sub-q fluids are pulling him through and wants to resume them for 5 days. UTI testing showed no infection for Munster so we're just going to keep nursing him. I gave him 10cc's of fluid today and he actually ate some corn and vegan nugget from my hand after.

Merle, however, still has blood in his urine. Second x-rays show his bladder being larger and still something right in front of his bladder. He says it could be a tough infection so we added another antibiotic, otherwise it might be a tumor or something else, neither one of which would be something that usually has a good outcome with treatment.

Both of my boys are still both hanging in there which is what counts, and seeing Munster eating more and grooming more is a huge relief. Feeling much more promising than just days ago. I feel like my boy might still have a fighting chance, when two days ago I was absolutely certain I was going to lose him in my arms.
 
so glad that he's improving, even if it's just baby steps.

sorry about Merle, sure hope it's just a tough infection, boy never thought I'd say that :roll: but it beats the alternative

:hugs:
 
Good news for Munster! What a scare this was for both of you, I'm glad he seems to be recovering now!

Good luck with Merle... I really hope the abs will do the trick. Enough emotional rollercoaster rides for mamma Violet, right?

Sending healing vibes to both your boys!
 
Thanks guys. I just keep telling him to hang in there if he can. I want him to get to know Merle and Minca and experience life with "friends". It's good to see him looking a bit better today. I have to be grateful to Nibs for this one, as I never, ever, ever would have attempted to give shots if it wasn't for her. And to Shelagh for talking me into buying the correct tubing for sub-q when I had to give Nibs dex injections... just in case. :heart:
 

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