Wth... Bad Breathing; Necropsy Results

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C

Cait

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2007
Messages
3,510
Location
Pasadena, CA
Okay so last night before I go to bed I hear this clicking. Click click click. It's coming from the rats' cage. Guess who's clicking? Preston. Gasping and clicking! I notice Izzie is breathing harder than he should be, as is Rubin, so I gather all three of them and I run the shower and sink on hot water for as long as it would run hot (not long enough for my taste!) I gave them some Benedryl and offered dark chocolate which Izzie took, Preston wouldn't even attempt a bite, he was too busy gasping, and Rubin just doesn't like it. Preston is the worst of all three. He was cold and very, very still, although responsive. If that makes sense.

Frankly I thought Preston was going to die, so he slept in bed with me while the other two went back into the cage. Both are active and going about their business, just breathing really hard. But Preston made it through the night, and I made a vet's appointment for today after work (which I got out of early) and they couldn't fit me in until 3:20. So I'm waiting. But after I came home, Preston is still the same: alive (thank god) and responsive, but with that awful gasping and clicking, as well as a poryphin ring around his right eye. So I'm waiting.

What the crap is the gasping? Is he choking? Does he have pnemonia? He literally CLICKS with every intake of breath. They've had myco flair ups before, but NOTHING like this, not at all! All three are going to the vet, not just Preston.

I'm mostly afraid he's dehydrated... His sides sink in when he breathes and I know he hasn't stopped the gasping long enough to drink or eat anything. And here I am having to wait another hour and a half!

I'm about to put the shower on again and sit with him, but I wanted to write here in case any one had any ideas...

Pnemonia?? Or just a bad myco flair up? I'm trying to make his as comfortable as I can, but not much seems to help.
 
It sure sounds like pneumonia or pulmonary abscesses. Try and get Baytril and Zithromax, gotta hit it hard.
Poor boys, give them kisses for me.
 
Pulmonary?? *cries*

Omg... As soon as my dad gets home with that check book we're going. I'm not waiting any longer than I have to, appointment be damned.
 
Oh no poor guys. Sounds like severe respiratory infection with the gasping and clicking. Do you have an inhaler handy, you could put him is a shoe box and puff it a couple of times in there with him kind of like an oxygen tank. Other than that just keep him warm and hopefully the vet will get him some oxygen and sq injections for hydration. He probably needs a couple of abs and a steroid to help with any lung inflammation. Sounds like Pnemonia to me! No matter what it is the treatment would probably be the same.
 
I have a nebuliser and an inhaler; Tanner is asthmatic. I just puff it near his face in some sort of box? I have a bin, would that work?
 
Only if it will not stress him out anymore, put him in the bin a few puffs and shut the lid if you can other wise puff near his head just not in his face. I would give it a try it may help him to breath a little easier. I did this with Clover when she was very ill and seemed to work for a little while long enough for me to get food and water down her.
 
It didn't matter for Preston. As soon as we got into the car, he went. I don't really want to talk about that right now, my heart is breaking. And I had to deal with the dumbass vet and his insenstive crap on top of that.

Izzie and Rubin on the other hand both got sub q's of fluid, an injected dose of Baytril, and a combination of zithromax and some sort of antibiotic in the mail.

I had to basically scream to get him to listen to me at all! He kept telling me it was upper respritory... Oh really, then why are they breathing like that?? Then he had some nerve to down talk to me like I didn't know what myco was. DUH I know what that is and this is NOT a myco flair up! So basically I had to bully what drugs I DID get from him! Douche! And he was all "Well we have to get at it quick" and then was like "So we'll get it shipped to you sometime this week". Wow, really? A week is your "quick"??! So we're overnighting the drugs here. Which the people can't seem to find that prescription, considering they are in ARIZONA I don't find that hard to believe. I'm waiting on a call back. And it better get shipped TODAY.

He had the audacity to be like "Well I doubt they're going to live through it but we can try". Hello, one dead rat and I'm telling you the others are having the same symptoms and that's all you have for me? How about stop being an ass and give me meds, do your friggin' job and give a damn! I always have this problem with this idiot! I'm *this* close to hurting somebody!

I'm running two humidifiers in the room and praying the Baytril will hold until the other meds get here.
 
OH CAIT, I am so sorry about Preston. I am in tears just thinking about it. If I were you I would have climbed over the exam table and beat the meds out of him. What meds exactley do you have to have mailed to you? I have doxy, erythro and amoxi on hand if you need me to overnight something to you. Just let me know and I will be glad to send it. Your poors guys I will keep them in my thoughts that they pull through.

I cannot beleive he said he doubts they make it, that is just cold. Even when Rose was obviously dying my vet said we can try surgery and that anything is worth trying and not to give up. You need a new vet!
 
He's gone. He died in my hoodie pocket... I didn't know until we got there that he was gone... If I wasn't an idiot and thought he'd be okay to wait he might still be here! But no, I got off early just to sit around for the appointment time. I should have just went as soon as I got home! He didn't deserve to go like that, so young... I love him too much to just let him go. I haven't allowed myself to think about it for more than 2 seconds at a time. I don't want to, not yet.

I'm not sure what the other one was but it was zithro and something that started with an A... A compound at any rate. Thankfully the pharmacy got back to me not long after I posted and I had them overnight it; so with our mail it should be here right around the time they were dosed with Baytril today. The people said this was a common thing they sent to rats with resp. infections... It's horrible how these reps who didn't even KNOW me or my rats showed more concern and compassion than that stupid vet! They were like "What's Izzie and Rubin's favorite flavors?" and I was like "Do what?" They meant for the compound... And they didn't charge me extra to flavor it OR overnight ship it, which is amazing.

It will work. It can't not... I'll die if it doesn't. :(
 
:hugs: I am hugging you tight Cait....I am so very sorry about Preston....don't blame yourself please. You are a great rat mommy.....things like this happen to us all....and we all wish we had done so many things differently....it doesn't do any good...You did the best you could.

I hope everyone else is okay....I will be praying hard...
 
Oh god Cait, I'm so sorry... first your loss and then having to deal with a vet that is not rat savvy. I sure hope this works for the other two. It's never too late!!
 
I know I'm kind of a lurker around here... Mostly just because I don't own a rat but I adore them and love to know more...

So when I saw this post, my heart broke a little. The fact that you had to deal with a vet that was obviously a jerk... And that the pharmacy people were more compassionate... That made my eyes water.

My heart goes out to you, and all I can say is that you did do everything you could. You made Preston a very happy furbaby... And before you beat yourself up over it, you have to remember that going in the extra hour or 2 early wouldn't have gotten medication that poor Preston would have needed any time sooner... So just remember that you did your best, you're an excellent rat mommy, and everyone here is sending their best wishes out to you.

From your friendly neighbourhood lurker
 
Rubin is gone too. I don't know what we ever did to deserve this... I can't think right now. I thought I couldn't cry any more tears... But it's all I've done since I've been home.

I was with him, holding him. He was so upset... He just couldn't breathe, and he tried, but he couldn't... I basically watched him suffocate. My poor old man... I'm so sorry.
 
Oh Cait i'm so so so sorry! Please don't blame yourself - its so hard to tell, these little guys disguise it so well and it hits them hard really quickly. You did the best you could and they know that. :hugs:

Do they have any other symptoms? You don't think it could be something more serious like SDA or Sendai do you?


Preston play hard and Rubin rest easy :heart:
 

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