Lise
Well-Known Member
So, it looks like I have learned the hard way why you should always quarantine. I am posting to remind others, even if you think your area is safe from disease... even if you think the rat looks perfectly healthy... please please quarantine in a completely separate airspace for 3 weeks. Learn from my mistakes!
I have never heard of any rat virus being in Manitoba before. And I do not know if this is what I am dealing with now. After work today the vet and I spent 1/2 hour going through textbooks, and apparently some strains of the bacteria S. pneumoniae can also cause acute respiratory failure and death. At first I just thought I was dealing with respiratory problems like I dealt with before, but this has become so so much worse.
I had generally healthy rats before. Then I adopted a young rat from the Humane Society. I was supposed to get a rat from a breeder to be her companion, but that fell through. She is so young, I thought she needed a friend her own age! Since my other youngest rats are 1 year old. So, I caved and got a rat from the local pet store. I even asked the origination of this rat, and it was from the terrible mass mill feeder breeder in my province. But she was adorable, and seemed healthy and perky and a total sweetheart. So she came home with me to be Bella's new friend. We named her Pixie.
Approximately 1 week later, Pixie became ill. Very ill. Respiratory problem in her lungs (pneumonia). I took her to the vet right away to get antibiotics.
2 days after that, I came home to find one of my big lovely boys stretched out not moving, sides heaving, eyes totally dull. I was afraid he was going to die in front of me, and I rushed him into my work to be PTS. He wasn't a young rat, at least a few months over 2 years old. I thought old age had finally just taken him away from me.
That was until the next day, when I came home to find his brother Seagram exactly the same way. Actually even worse, because Guinness at least ate a farewell Yogie very slowly and painfully.... Siggy wouldn't even touch a Yogie. I rushed him in to be PTS as well. This is when I started to realize more may be going on here.
Yesterday, Cleopatra was not moving and sides heaving. Now, I realize the nightmare that is happening. She is only 1 year old!! And this all started after that new little rat Pixie came into my house, and then fell ill. This morning I got baytril & doxycycline to start ALL of my remaining rats on. Cleopatra looks terrible, she is open mouth breathing *gasping* and has lost 30+ grams of weight, but I am praying that she can hold on until the meds kick in. Please, please Cleo hold on.
Today every single one of my rats (3 others) is porphyrin, and sneezing, and beginning to wheeze. I am having nightmares that I am going to lose them all. And all because I was tempted by the cute little perky rat at the pet store. And my poor Tevy who is 30 months old and tumor ridden, but enjoying her life... I am sickened to think I may have shortened it.
The one glitter of hope is that Pixie has been on antibiotics since the 31st now, and she has responded well and is ironically now the "healthiest" of the rats. So I can pray that the others respond the same.
I am trying to find out if there is somewhere in Canada or even close by in the USA that we can send out a blood sample to test for a virus. And if another rat dies the Dr. at work has recommended that we send it out for a post mortem which I agree with. I wasn't thinking clearly or I would have done that with one of the boys.
So no matter what this is, a virus, a strain of bacteria, or some nasty Mycoplasma... You can't imagine the guilt I am feeling, and trust me you never want to experience this. I thought I would never have a problem, especially where I live! With hardly any pet rats. I was so wrong.
Please remember to quarantine, or realize that you are risking all of your rats.
I have never heard of any rat virus being in Manitoba before. And I do not know if this is what I am dealing with now. After work today the vet and I spent 1/2 hour going through textbooks, and apparently some strains of the bacteria S. pneumoniae can also cause acute respiratory failure and death. At first I just thought I was dealing with respiratory problems like I dealt with before, but this has become so so much worse.
I had generally healthy rats before. Then I adopted a young rat from the Humane Society. I was supposed to get a rat from a breeder to be her companion, but that fell through. She is so young, I thought she needed a friend her own age! Since my other youngest rats are 1 year old. So, I caved and got a rat from the local pet store. I even asked the origination of this rat, and it was from the terrible mass mill feeder breeder in my province. But she was adorable, and seemed healthy and perky and a total sweetheart. So she came home with me to be Bella's new friend. We named her Pixie.
Approximately 1 week later, Pixie became ill. Very ill. Respiratory problem in her lungs (pneumonia). I took her to the vet right away to get antibiotics.
2 days after that, I came home to find one of my big lovely boys stretched out not moving, sides heaving, eyes totally dull. I was afraid he was going to die in front of me, and I rushed him into my work to be PTS. He wasn't a young rat, at least a few months over 2 years old. I thought old age had finally just taken him away from me.
That was until the next day, when I came home to find his brother Seagram exactly the same way. Actually even worse, because Guinness at least ate a farewell Yogie very slowly and painfully.... Siggy wouldn't even touch a Yogie. I rushed him in to be PTS as well. This is when I started to realize more may be going on here.
Yesterday, Cleopatra was not moving and sides heaving. Now, I realize the nightmare that is happening. She is only 1 year old!! And this all started after that new little rat Pixie came into my house, and then fell ill. This morning I got baytril & doxycycline to start ALL of my remaining rats on. Cleopatra looks terrible, she is open mouth breathing *gasping* and has lost 30+ grams of weight, but I am praying that she can hold on until the meds kick in. Please, please Cleo hold on.
Today every single one of my rats (3 others) is porphyrin, and sneezing, and beginning to wheeze. I am having nightmares that I am going to lose them all. And all because I was tempted by the cute little perky rat at the pet store. And my poor Tevy who is 30 months old and tumor ridden, but enjoying her life... I am sickened to think I may have shortened it.
The one glitter of hope is that Pixie has been on antibiotics since the 31st now, and she has responded well and is ironically now the "healthiest" of the rats. So I can pray that the others respond the same.
I am trying to find out if there is somewhere in Canada or even close by in the USA that we can send out a blood sample to test for a virus. And if another rat dies the Dr. at work has recommended that we send it out for a post mortem which I agree with. I wasn't thinking clearly or I would have done that with one of the boys.
So no matter what this is, a virus, a strain of bacteria, or some nasty Mycoplasma... You can't imagine the guilt I am feeling, and trust me you never want to experience this. I thought I would never have a problem, especially where I live! With hardly any pet rats. I was so wrong.
Please remember to quarantine, or realize that you are risking all of your rats.
