Roger - update: 5/31

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KristyR

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2007
Messages
889
Location
Oklahoma City, OK
Roger has me worried. Really worried. When I fed them before work, Roger didn't run to me for attention. And I couldn't get him to eat. His breathing was...off. He sounded a little wheezy, but I had to put him up to my ear to hear it. I couldn't even get him to lick anything off my finger. He just didn't look right.

I had to come to work, but I wish I was home with him. We'll be going to the vet first thing in the morning. I just hope the morning is not too late.

I can't lose Roger. Not now. He's my heart rat. Please, Roger, hang on till morning.
 
Thanks. I don't know what's going on. They've all been so healthy, and then in this last week everything has gone downhill.

I keep trying to think if I've done something wrong. What has changed? What is different? Can't come up with anything.
 
Can't remember straight... are you going through mites?
If it's severe enough, it can really weaken a rat.
Once you get him cleared up and on meds, he should be happier and hungrier. :)
 
Yes, Jo, we are dealing with mites right now. And Roger does seem to be the most affected by them. He is the only one with more than one or two scabs.

A visit to the vet was already in the plans for the morning because of the mites, and him being the scabbiest. His breathing and not eating just really panicked me this evening, since he's my heart, and especially after Simon's unexpected death with no apparent warning.

It's times like this that I really feel like a rat newbie. I've learned alot in the past year, but I didn't know enough to recognize symptoms of mites for nearly two weeks. :sad3:
 
I know what you mean, same here, sometimes it's staring us in the face and we just don't get it.
Two weeks is not bad with mites, if it were months, then infection can get into the blood stream.
 
Well, Roger's still with me, no worse (thank God) than he was last night. No better either, but not worse is more than I was hoping for.

Still no interest in food or water, or even Ensure. But he just climbed onto my shoulder and started bruxing. He is showing at least a little interest in his surroundings. He's not wheezing at the moment, but breathing is definitely labored.

And the dogs are interested in him. Don't know if that truly means anything, but they have never shown any interest in any dying rat that I've ever been holding.

Vet opens in 15 minutes. I'm less than five minutes away from there.
 
We are back from the vet.

He says this is a fairly sever upper respiratory infection, and that he has seen dozens of rats in the past two weeks or so with it. He gave Roger a prednisone injection and a Baytril injection, and we'll start oral Baytril tomorrow - I actually started it last night. He also gave him 10cc sub q lactated ringer's because Roger was a little dehydrated. He gave me a ton of Baytril and said to go ahead and start any of them that are showing respiratory symptoms. I told him that I had already started four with what I had from the last time, and he said good. He asked me how those I have already started are responding to it, and when I told him they were all responding very well, he decided to hold off on starting doxy for a few days. If Roger doesn't show significant improvement by the end of the week, he wants me to start doxy then.

The prednisone should help stimulate Roger's appetite, but if he's not eating and drinking well by tomorrow, I'm supposed to syringe feed and water him.

As far as the mites, he wants to get the respiratory stuff well under control before he gave them Ivermectin. He said that I can bathe anyone who is super itchy with a kitten flea shampoo to get them some relief.

I also asked him his opinion on the wheel issue... I'll post about that in that thread.
 
Roger ate a couple of bites of boiled sweet potato and a couple of bites of banana. He licked some water from my finger. Yay Roger! I saved him a small piece of each that I'm going to mush up for him for later and give him a little bit of Ensure. Right now, I'm pretty happy with the few bites and the water.
 
Late last night, Roger ate several bites of mashed up sweet potato, and a little bit of ensure. He was very active, tormenting Larry and the PEW's. A little odd, since he's usually very docile.

This morning, he's not eating. He fought his Baytril, but I got it down him. He wouldn't even take an M&M or any ensure. His breathing is much better than it was yesterday, though.

I am super frustrated and kind of feel like I am fighting a losing battle at the moment. Not just with Roger, but will them all.
 
I think you need to really be aggressive with meds, get some doxy and zirthromax. I'm thinking you have something more serious going on.
 
I sure hope Roger starts to respond well to the new meds. It is so scary when they don't bounce back. I wonder if he is having any pain from the Baytril injection. Debbie D warns about that in her Health Care booklet. My Tia once had a Baytril injection -- she shrieked-- but she did not have any bad aftereffects. Evidently some rats can suffer pain/itching at the injection site.

Kisses and scritches to him.
 
Roger gave a pretty darn good squeak with the Baytril injection, but didn't flinch at the pred or Lactated Ringer's.

When I cleaned cages a few hours ago, he didn't want to come out to play, and he still wouldn't eat. But just now when I went in to check on the boys, he ate a little cantaloupe, a little carrot, and he drank some Ensure. He came to the cage door to see me, and sniffed and licked my hand.

I think the dex was definitely the right move for him. Now hopefully we can get moving the right way with his respiratory issues.
 

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