I'm so sorry for your loss.
Thistle Von Rattington 8/19/13- 4/7/15
Several months ago I found a pea sized mammary tumor on Thistle. I was advised to watch and monitor it, which I did. When it grew larger I took her back in to see about removing it; but the position it was in made it impossible. So we were advised again, this time to keep her comfortable.
I started looking for things that would slow its growth and got a recipe from a fellow member. It hindered it a bit but the tumor still grew (but my other four are doing EXCELLENT on it). I put her on Metacam, gave her special foods to bulk her up when she lost weight, and spent as much time with her as I could.
But then after a few meltdowns due to stress from school I packed the mischief up and drove back to my home state to visit family, and I still reside here for now.
She and the others made the trip without any issues. But I was nervous because our vet is in MI and we're in NC. I knew that I would have to find a vet down here that knew their stuff about rats.
About three weeks in she started going downhill fast. Then last monday she told me it was time. I found a vet and made the appointment for next day. I stayed up with her that night. and boy it was a long night. She couldn't sit up or stand, couldn't hold food by herself, couldn't groom.The only thing she ate willingly and with my help was watermelon. She deteriorated from there and by the time we had made it to the vet she was slipping in and out of consciousness. She bruxed and boggled at me one last time in the vets office, then slipped into unconsciousness.
The tech took her after that. her euthanasia, gas to have her sleep and then a heart stick, was ten dollars.
Goodbye my little bottle chewer, my little mischievous dumbo eared princess. I know you're with your mama and papa now and that's about the only thing that gives me comfort. Your twin, Ruby, is depressed. She lays around mourning you. I'm hoping the three babies I adopted after your passing will give her new life, new strength. They will not replace you; nothing can. But they needed me and I couldn't turn them away. I miss you. I'll glance at the cage and my heart just shatters all over again.
Wait for me my lovely; we'll reunite again across the bridge
I started looking for things that would slow its growth and got a recipe from a fellow member. It hindered it a bit but the tumor still grew (but my other four are doing EXCELLENT on it). I put her on Metacam, gave her special foods to bulk her up when she lost weight, and spent as much time with her as I could.
But then after a few meltdowns due to stress from school I packed the mischief up and drove back to my home state to visit family, and I still reside here for now.
She and the others made the trip without any issues. But I was nervous because our vet is in MI and we're in NC. I knew that I would have to find a vet down here that knew their stuff about rats.
About three weeks in she started going downhill fast. Then last monday she told me it was time. I found a vet and made the appointment for next day. I stayed up with her that night. and boy it was a long night. She couldn't sit up or stand, couldn't hold food by herself, couldn't groom.The only thing she ate willingly and with my help was watermelon. She deteriorated from there and by the time we had made it to the vet she was slipping in and out of consciousness. She bruxed and boggled at me one last time in the vets office, then slipped into unconsciousness.
The tech took her after that. her euthanasia, gas to have her sleep and then a heart stick, was ten dollars.
Goodbye my little bottle chewer, my little mischievous dumbo eared princess. I know you're with your mama and papa now and that's about the only thing that gives me comfort. Your twin, Ruby, is depressed. She lays around mourning you. I'm hoping the three babies I adopted after your passing will give her new life, new strength. They will not replace you; nothing can. But they needed me and I couldn't turn them away. I miss you. I'll glance at the cage and my heart just shatters all over again.
Wait for me my lovely; we'll reunite again across the bridge
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I am so, so sorry for your loss. 
Sending my hugs.
Sending my hugs.
Thanks guys. The decision this time to help her cross wasn't as difficult as it was with Lilly, her mother. People say that our pets can't talk but that's not true at all; you need only to learn how to listen. And Thistle told me that it was time. I couldn't get her cremated due to the cost of a private cremation, so she's bundled in a soft blanket (she loved blankets) and rests in an airtight container that I've made her casket in the deep freezer. When me and the girls make the drive back to MI she'll be with us on ice so I can lay her to rest beside her mama and two siblings. I miss her though. I miss not seeing her peeking her nose out of her favorite hide. Ruby misses her something awful too; I'm hoping the new three babies will cheer her back up and give her something to live for again.
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
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