Our Boots is not well

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raindrop

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2007
Messages
787
Location
North Bay Ontario
I am not sure what is wrong with our Boots. For the past two days shehasn't been moving around much. When I go to pick her up she squeek at me as if it hurts to touch her. We are not sure how old she is but has to be at least two years. When I finally do pick her up a certain way that she doesn't squeek she cuddles. I have been feeding her pablum from a spoon and making sure she getss water and ensure from a syringe. There doesn't seem to be anything swollen or any tumors developing.

Ann
 
raindrop said:
I am not sure what is wrong with our Boots. For the past two days shehasn't been moving around much. When I go to pick her up she squeek at me as if it hurts to touch her. We are not sure how old she is but has to be at least two years. When I finally do pick her up a certain way that she doesn't squeek she cuddles. I have been feeding her pablum from a spoon and making sure she getss water and ensure from a syringe. There doesn't seem to be anything swollen or any tumors developing.

Ann
Click to expand...

How is her urine? Smelly, any blood in it? UTI's can be very painful...just one possibility.

Can you give her a feel over and find out where the tenderness is?
 
Also, sometimes rats will squeak out of protest and not from pain. But I'd say she's generally not feeling so good due to what? How long has she been like this? I had a rat who became this way, I brought him to the vet and he had an enlarged spleen probably caused by some type of infection. He would squeak when I touched him or tried to pick him up. But after 2 weeks on baytril, he was back to normal, even the vet was shocked to find the spleen back down to normal size.
 
We can rule out the urine problem. She peed on me last night and there was not blood and was not smelly. I will call the vet and see if I can get her in. I have Baytril at home. I could start giving it to her but I don't have a scale to weigh her. I know she is losing weight, She use to be a porky.

Ann
 
Something I have noticed tonight when I had Boots out that she seems to want to eat but can't chew. She has a hard time holding a cherrio but even if it is in her mouth that is as far as she goes with it. She is barely walking anywhere.
Something else I have notice is when we had the four from the other cage out with Boots they seemed to want to push her around like to say "Get up and get going" . Is this normal. It is a good thing they stay in the other cage. I gave her some baytril when I got home tonight. We have a appt. on Thursday.

Ann
 
:(
It sounds like a pituitary tumour. My Flea has the beginning of it too, but Dexamethasone seems to really be helping her have more mobility.
 
It does sound like a dreaded pt, but these kids prove us wrong more than right, so I hope Boots is just having a temporary off...

Is your vet really rat-savvy?
If I'd known then what I know now I'd have printed this for my vet, or at least written down the link if unable to print.
http://ratguide.com/health/neoplasia/pi ... _tumor.php
Even mine who I think is good as they come in my city missed the head-butting sign that she was doing. It was Jorats that diagnosed her after I came from the vet without answers actually...
 
Thank you fidget for the info. I found one thing in there that I noticed this morning. petting of the head and pushing upward. I will make sure I take this with me to the vet.

Ann
 
Fidget said:
It does sound like a dreaded pt, but these kids prove us wrong more than right, so I hope Boots is just having a temporary off...

Is your vet really rat-savvy?
If I'd known then what I know now I'd have printed this for my vet, or at least written down the link if unable to print.
http://ratguide.com/health/neoplasia/pi ... _tumor.php
Even mine who I think is good as they come in my city missed the head-butting sign that she was doing. It was Jorats that diagnosed her after I came from the vet without answers actually...
Click to expand...

Sadly a lot of the symptoms of PT are things we the owners notice at home that a vet may not see during an exam. The head bumping, the clubbing of the foot, the slight stagger to the right (is it always the right?) when eating or drinking at the waterbottle, the aimless head movements and they seem confused, the light limp feeling when you pick them up,etc. These are all things that tell the owner something's not right. :(
 
I just got a call from the vet . They had to cancel Boots appt. until monday at 10:15. Grr. I will continue to give her .1cc of Baytril once a day and feed her pablum and make sure she has water. Anything I can do.

Ann
 
raindrop said:
I just got a call from the vet . They had to cancel Boots appt. until monday at 10:15. Grr. I will continue to give her .1cc of Baytril once a day and feed her pablum and make sure she has water. Anything I can do.

Ann
Click to expand...

You will want to give it to her twice a day. .1 cc twice a day should be what she is getting. :)

I am sorry about the cancellation. Is your vet very rat saavy?
 
raindrop said:
I found one thing in there that I noticed this morning. petting of the head and pushing upward.
Click to expand...
Yes, that is what my Dona did, but I didn't know it was an indication of a problem, I had taken her in because she seemed listless. But if the vet was aware of it a signal she should have noticed it as she was doing it at the vets even.
If I'd had that info then I would have know to point it out to the vet..

I'm sorry your visit is postponed.Did you ask to be put on a call-list if there are any cancellations? I ask because if your vet feels it's warranted Prednisone was a temporary miracle for one of mine with a PT, and then there is the drug Jorats speaks of. The sooner the better if he's willing to give you something like that as PTs can progress so fast sometimes....

My best hopes for you & Boots that it is not a PT, and that she is well til she sees the vet and he is able to help her.
 
Hi Guys,
Well tomorrow is our vet appt. with Boots. I have been administrating .1cc of baytril twice a day and its seems to be helping up until today.
We noticed that she is walking in circles. I still am feeding her by syringe pablum and ensure. I have moved her to the bottom of the cage so she doesn't fall.
I have read the D. D. and Shelagh's case study on PT. I don't know what to think. I would like to try predisone and dexasmethosone. I hope it works fast as we are scheduled to go away this weekend and she will have to be eating on her own. Please advice.

Ann
 

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