[yonksgirl]

Cinco my female rat is all the sudden looking huge!!!! Like she is preggers but she can not be since I have had her since May and she has never been around a male since I have had her. The rest of my rats look fine her belly is not rock hard........Please let me know what I should do!

Berks Looked at her too and says she is huge!

Pics below!!!!!

 

[yonksgirl]

 

[ledzepgirl16]

Oh wow! She truly does look pregnant! But if she can't be, (and I don't think immaculate conception occurs in rats :wink: ) is it possibly a growth? How long ago did you notice it? Are ya able to take her to a vet right now?

 

[lilspaz68]

How old is she? Any discharge from her vagina? Any funny smell down there at all? How fast did she "blow up" like that? Is she acting any differently, sick or in pain or just plain quieter?

You need to gently palpate her for masses deep inside. If you don't feel strange lumpies (compare her to how one of your normal healthy girls feel), see if the belly is firm or squishy.

You may be dealing with a fat girl, masses inside her abdomen or a possible pyometra (infection in the uterus). You only have one option with a pyo, and thats a spay. Their uterus literally fills up with pus.

 

[yonksgirl]

Headed to the vet now!

 

[lilspaz68]

Oh good!!!

 

[jellybeanqueen]

let us know what it is..fingers crossed!

 

[yonksgirl]

Well the vet did an x-ray and saw fluid......I do not know what to do....he said he would have to opp to see what is happening.....that would start at $100, he may have to put her down right there on the table. WHat it comes down to is I need to make her comfy and when she seems uncomfy then I will need to put her down. The tears have not stopped since Igot home! I can no t imagine her not being in the cage and creating all kinds of fun/ chewing apart all the toys!
I am so upset by this...she is only 7months old.
Has anyone ever have this happen? If so what did you do?

 

[Poppyseed]

I'm a little confused.

Fluid in her uterus? Is he going to do a spay for her if that's the case? Is it a mass? What do you mean about putting her down on the table, are you talking about anesthesia or does he think surgery would kill her?

Sorry about your girl ):

 

[Berks]

lilspaz, she got big rather quickly, shes only about 8 months old and just seems more lathargic. Her belly felt hard to me but she did poop and piddle while we were at the vets. Does the x ray rule out the pyo?


The vet didnt say fluid in the uterus. He said her whole belly/abdomen was filled with fluid therefore on an x-ray you cant see anything. Then he said another option would be an ultrasound. He thinks its a tumor, but can not tell where/if it is attatched to anything major. I cant remember if he said he would be able to tell or not with the ultrasound or only if surgery happened. The good thing is right now she is not in pain but said fluid would continue and she would have respiratory distress.

 

[yonksgirl]

The fluid in in her abdomin, he said she has a tumor that is filling her abdomin cavity with fluid...he does not think he can remove it. He said that if he did opp. then if he found out the tumor would kill her anyway he would put her down on the table and not make her go threw the pain of post surgery.
Berks went with, she will post about it too......I hate to say it, but it was all a blur. She is my first girl to have anything wrong with her.

 

[yonksgirl]

I can not sleep thinking about this! I keep thinking that maybe I should see another vet.......I am so frustrated, I spent $80 tonight and feel like I know no more then I did before (except we know for sure she is not preggers)

He did talk about meds I could put her on later to keep her comfy. Should I start them now? My mind is racing! My hubby just got a job after 6months of unemployment from when his company shut down. Needless to say we can not be shelling out any extra money,but I need to do what is right for Cinco.

If only a miracle would happen and suddenly she would be fine!

 

[A1APassion]

sometimes the best thing we can do for our babies is to let them go

I know this is difficult but you are already going on & on about what it will mean to you if she is not there... you really need to think about her in this scenario. What kind of pain & discomfort she may be going through. Animals don't reveal illness & pain because in nature this would mean sudden death.

You will need to get your human emotions under control & then face the reality that you may need to let your baby go.

If you get right down to the nitty gritty... you state your finances are not so good right now. Think about all the other ratties out there that need love & affection. The money that you spend now that may not change the inevitable. Rather it could go a very long way toward saving the life of a perfectly happy & animated creature doomed to a dismal future without the love & affection you have to offer.

Please understand, This is not replacing one that is ill but rather creating a legacy in her memory.

Losing a pet is never an easy thing & sudden illness doesn't offer us the chance to mentally prepare ourselves. All I am saying is don't allow the human emotions you are going through now rule your decisions. You really need to calm down & look at the big picture & then make the choices that must be made.

I gave this info to another member not long ago & they seemed to appreciate it. I draw from my geeky library & reflect upon this one quote: "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few... or the one." You have other family members that would suffer from choices that are made in a futile attempt to change what is happening. You have potential family members out there that could truly benefit from the love & devotion you have to offer.

I wish you the best.

(I'm not without compassion in my words, I speak to you as someone who has had to make decisions such as this numerous times in my years of having pets in my care.)

 

[lilspaz68]

If she doesn't seem in pain right now (and you can test this with a diagnostic dosing of pain meds...did your vet mention metacam?). Then you can continue on the way you are, enjoy each day to its fullest, and just prepare yourself. These rats can really surprise us. For example I will put up a shocking picture here of a rat I am doing the exact same thing with.

This is my 30 month feisty (read "bites in cage") rescue Bella. Her subordinate sister and she got into a scuffle and sadly Bella's eye was scratched and actually ruptured. This was quite a while ago now (1.5 months?). The eye is dead, but with pain meds for inflammation and discomfort she is a happy little girl. She runs and plays and snatches food (and fingers if they are in her cage). My vet and I are on a treatment of keeping the eye moist 3 times a day with ointment and watching for inevitable infection. Keep them comfortable and be very very aware of any changes of behaviour that could indicate pain.

I often will try a day or 2 of metacam to see if their behaviour changes meaning they were in discomfort and then they will be on it palliatively (long term until they pass).

Forget the medical symptoms, HOW is your girl acting?

 

[yonksgirl]

Thank you A1APassion you are right.....

lilspaz ~ I do not think that the vet named any meds,he did say staroids(sp?). She is def not herself, she is usally the one running, chewing and tring to pull me in the cage when I get near it. She just layed with me for about 3 hours last night, at most I get an hour of cuddle time with her before she decides that shirt diving would be way more fun.

 

[lilspaz68]

See if you can get metacam, its a good pain med to have on hand, and it also has some of the anti-inflammatory effects of a steroid.