[xxpinkfunxx]

I know Shoki had it....he got it from the baby....(see Quarentine is a MUST post)...
few questions...

He was not seen by a vet...i cannot afford it....if i get sick i cant afford to see a dr either....
question....i know its like pneumonia....BUT if and when the baby is ready to be with the boys...and shows no symptoms.....will he get them sick again?

I know they have it...and they carry it...and sometimes have flare ups that can lead to infections...BUT....can the symptoms subside...and they still be sick and have some other kind of issue that will hurt them....Shoki looks fine...hes up and about which he hadnt been for the better part of a week....could there be any kind of underlying problem that he still may have....he looks better but am i gonna find him paws up tomorrow morning?

AND...shoki was and has been with the 2 other boys he has been with almost his whole life...now they are sneezing....no staining...no nothing just a few more sneezes then usual....they eat drink clean run play respond to me when i call them.... if i keep them on vitamins and the garlic and a warm clean cage will they be ok?

is there anything else i can do for them as for home remedies?

i am poor....but rich with love for these guys....

 

[Darksong17]

I know Shoki had it....he got it from the baby....(see Quarentine is a MUST post)...
few questions...

He was not seen by a vet...i cannot afford it....if i get sick i cant afford to see a dr either....
question....i know its like pneumonia....BUT if and when the baby is ready to be with the boys...and shows no symptoms.....will he get them sick again?

I know they have it...and they carry it...and sometimes have flare ups that can lead to infections...BUT....can the symptoms subside...and they still be sick and have some other kind of issue that will hurt them....Shoki looks fine...hes up and about which he hadnt been for the better part of a week....could there be any kind of underlying problem that he still may have....he looks better but am i gonna find him paws up tomorrow morning?

AND...shoki was and has been with the 2 other boys he has been with almost his whole life...now they are sneezing....no staining...no nothing just a few more sneezes then usual....they eat drink clean run play respond to me when i call them.... if i keep them on vitamins and the garlic and a warm clean cage will they be ok?

is there anything else i can do for them as for home remedies?

i am poor....but rich with love for these guys....

You are right that all or almost all rats carry mycoplasma pulmonis as it is passed from mother to kittens in utero, through birthing, or through other direct contact. It's a slow progressing disease that usually starts out in the upper respiratory tract (nose etc) and doesn't immediately show symptoms despite doing longterm damage. As the rat ages the disease progresses and does more damage as well as moving into the lower respiratory tract (lungs) and at that point it can also cause pneumonia. Stress, secondary infections, and bad environmental conditions (unclean cages, pine and cedar bedding etc) can cause more irritation and can cause "flare ups" where the disease increases in numbers and progresses faster so that the rats immune system is overwhelmed.

The biggest problem can be the opportunistic secondary infections that sneak in there. Antibiotics are needed to knock out any secondary infections (which can sometimes be more deadly and faster acting than the myco itself) and get the myco back in check for a while. Usually a mixture of baytril and doxycycline (though neither of these drugs should be used in rats under four months old or nursing or pregnant mothers) works best on mycoplasma pulmonis. It can never be cured but it can be kept in check.

I have plenty of good reading on the disease on this page of my website: http://www.petinfopackets.com/rats/rathealth.html#illnesses


I have to say though that I do not feel it is very responsible to have pets that you cannot care for and I'm concerned about this.

 

[ration1802]

I have to say though that I do not feel it is very responsible to have pets that you cannot care for and I'm concerned about this.

In my opinion I don't think that not being able to afford vet bills constitutes as not being able to care for them.

Yes, being able to take them to the vet is a necessity for rats, but it doesn't mean that xxpinkfunxx's rats have a diminished quality of life in the daily by-and-by.

Not being argumentative, just had to say that

 

[xxpinkfunxx]

ill def argue that....i love my pets....i have no mental or physical handicap that keeps me from caring for them i only have a lack of income at the moment which a lot of people do at some point in their lives. I appreciate the info in regards to my question, but i do not nor will i ever appreciate anyone telling me of all ppl that im an irresponsible pet owner especially with these guys...

Im deeply saddened and offended that someone( yes even in an online forum) would ever question my ability to care for my pets....

theres a lot of things in my life i can look back on and not agree with(as do most people)....but caring for animals is not and will never be something i am uncapable of.

Thank you and good day....

I SAID GOOD DAY!

 

[Darksong17]

ill def argue that....i love my pets....i have no mental or physical handicap that keeps me from caring for them i only have a lack of income at the moment which a lot of people do at some point in their lives. I appreciate the info in regards to my question, but i do not nor will i ever appreciate anyone telling me of all ppl that im an irresponsible pet owner especially with these guys...

Im deeply saddened and offended that someone( yes even in an online forum) would ever question my ability to care for my pets....

theres a lot of things in my life i can look back on and not agree with(as do most people)....but caring for animals is not and will never be something i am uncapable of.

Thank you and good day....

I SAID GOOD DAY!

This is why it is so important to save up an emergency vet fund when you do have the money. So that in difficult times you can continue to properly care for your animals should they fall ill. Vet care is a very important part of pet care in general and I stick by the mantra "If you can't afford the vet, you can't afford the pet."

That aside, best of luck with getting your furkids better.

 

[xxpinkfunxx]

He is better, with no thanks to any vet.

 

[Night]

I agree fully with Darksong.

Unfortunately, if you cannot afford veterinary care for your animals, you shouldn't have them.

Rats need, in essence, very little. But, the things they DO need are again, necessities.

-Proper food
-Proper housing/environment/bedding/toys
-Supervised out-time
-Cagemate(s)
-Vet care

If you're not able to provide one or more of those things, unfortunately you're not caring for the animal properly.

Vet care isn't a luxury - it's a necessity.

 

[xxpinkfunxx]

apparently no one reads anything else ive posted...i know my rats are well taken care of...and trying to prove that to ppl on a forum is not something i really care about.

 

[glindella]

We have read it, and unfortunately for you we have not changed our minds. Vet care is important, there are things your rats need that you alone can not provide. We are not trying to be mean, just telling you what we think.

 

[simbakitten]

i have to say that it doesnt matter if you can or cant afford a vet, most people wouldnt take ther "disposible" pet to a vet, people hre are just like...complete pet lovers. and im sure just coz she cant afford vet bills doesnt mean that she takes and worse care of them than some other people here

 

[glindella]

i have to say that it doesnt matter if you can or cant afford a vet, most people wouldnt take ther "disposible" pet to a vet, people hre are just like...complete pet lovers. and im sure just coz she cant afford vet bills doesnt mean that she takes and worse care of them than some other people here

Would you have a child you couldn't take to the doctor? Quite an extreme comparison I know, but like a child a pet is completely dependent on you.

Vet care is part of pet care period

 

[Sparker]

I don't think it is extreme.

Pets are optional. You choose to have them.

I have never been able to understand how you can choose to bring an animal into your family and then deny it medical care.

It is cruel and inexcusable.

 

[ration1802]

I just want to say that when pets are bought into your family, there may not have been any financial situation to worry about.

Glindella, you're quite right, if you can't afford medical care for a child, then you shouldn't have children until you are financially stable. However, does that mean that should the situation arise when you suddenly are unable to afford a doctors bill, and you already have the child, you should give up the child because you can't care for it on that occasion? No.

Sparker, you say that medical care is being denied?

Have none of you read the numerous posts made by xxpinkfunxx about how she had made the effort to treat her rat using home remedies and how these have been successful? I cannot fathom how this can be seen as denying her rats of anything! I would say the complete opposite and say that it shows a patience and a determination that many rat owners (as simbakitten rightly said) would never show!

Of course being able to afford a vet is a very important thing, but how many of us have come across those times when there isn't a huge amount in your account and you can't help but think 'I really can't afford this'. How many of us have had to run to parents/friends for money so we can go get a case of the sniffles fixed? If the situation is really bad, we all make the effort to do what we can for our rats! The same goes for any animal we care for. Even kids!

The point is, xxpinkfunxx HAS done everything she can given her CURRENT situation. Her rat HAS recovered and I'm sure that had Shoki not shown signs of recovery then the situation may have been re-evaluated.

I can't fault her on her care for her rat, and I'm sorry that you guys think otherwise

 

[Sparker]

Home remedies are not the same thing as medical care.

I wasn't singling pinkfun out, it was a general statement. However, illness=doctor.

 

[ration1802]

If home remedies don't work, then of course medical care should be sought. But, medical care is expensive. None of us can argue with that.

But if the end result is the same, regardless of who is treating the rat, what fault can be found?

And I have noticed that the conversation has been directed completely away from the original post.

 

[Sparker]

If the pet has not seen the doctor, how do we know he is better? By looking? Does pinkfun know what to look for?

These things need diagnostics and proper treatment and should be evaluated by a medical professional.

There are some things that may be appropriately treated by home remedies, but I don't think that the lungs are one of those. They are delicate and necessary.

 

[Darksong17]

I just want to say that when pets are bought into your family, there may not have been any financial situation to worry about.

And this is why you always save up an emergency vet fund when you do have the finances. For times like this. I do recommend you re-home animals if you cannot provide proper veterinary care for them. Not touching on the children thing but with pets? Yes. If you truly love and care about the animals in your care you will do what is best for them not what is a comfort to you.

 

[Sparker]

Yes.

 

[xxpinkfunxx]

And I have noticed that the conversation has been directed completely away from the original post.

It really has, I just wanted some extra first hand info...from anyone who has rats and hes gone thru this not just websites stating symptoms , instead it turned into an attack on me and my situation...( do not make the decision to DENY my pets care...and in my own defence stated that im in a bad money situation AS OF RIGHT NOW...not forever)...as if i didnt feel bad enough about not having a a loaded bank account and thinking i was about to lose my best friend....

 

[xxpinkfunxx]

If the pet has not seen the doctor, how do we know he is better? By looking? Does pinkfun know what to look for?

Hence why i started this thread in the first place.