[Camelle]

The vet said he has to have a syringe full of baytrill (cherry flavored! C every day. He doesn't have to have it all at once I just have to make sure that by the end of every day he has had a syringe full. The carnivore care stuff is powder that is supposed to help him put on weight since he's lost so much. It's says on the packet to mix with water but since he wouldn't drink water before I imagine I'm going to have a hard time with that approach. I asked if I could mix it up with the kibble mush he's been eating and he said I could do that or put the water/carnivore mix in a syringe and give it to him that way but my mom and I both tried to force feed him water through a syringe this morning and he didn't seem like he was swallowing what little we actually managed to get into his mouth so I'm worried that will become a problem too. The vet gave him 2 weeks and he's due back in on the 8th of november to see how he's doing and I guess we'll discuss his options from there so keep us in your thoughts and prayers please we'll need them! Like I said before it's all up to Loki now whether he lives or dies; whether he begins to drink water and eat on his own or not. I don't want to make him suffer on in a life he doesn't want to live anymore but I also don't want to give up on him and not give him a fighting chance to get better and live on. I don't want to put him down before his time but if he's ready to go then he'll let me know. If it is his time though and he's decided to go then I'm going to need a new rat because I can't leave Thor alone with no one so just in case; anyone know of any breeders in NC? No offense to my pet store rats cause I love them to death but if I'm gonna start this all over again I wanna start it right. But like I said keep Loki and I in your thoughts and prayers please we'll need it and any advice is gladly welcome!
Oh! And he said it was definitely a respiratory thing!

 

[PawsandClaws]

You can try purchasing Ensure from the grocery store and some baby cereal. Both of those come in many different appetizing flavors and are used to put weight back on sickly and elderly rats. I don't know much about the the care powder that you were given by the vet but right now you should be giving the rat anything he will eat to get him to put the weight back on. Foods with high water content are good since it will keep him hydrated if he isn't drinking much. Good foods for this are melons, apples, grapes, strawberries. You can do a skin pinch test once in a while to see if he is staying hydrated (which I cannot stress the importance of enough). To do this lightly pinch the skin between his shoulder blades, if they ping back straight away then that nisngood news. If you cannot afford ensure I would mush up some lab blocks/his regular food with some syrup and baby cereal or anything he finds equally appetizing and feed that to him whenever he will take it. Good luck with his recovery.

 

[Lesti]

I'm hoping he gets better! I'm going through the same thing with Stitch right now How old is Loki?

 

[Camelle]

Thank you so much fir the food suggestions! I tried mixing it with water tiday like you're supposed to and he is actually consuming more of it than with mixing it with mushy food. I will keep those in mind though. Yes I am very aware of how dire it is for him to stay hydrated which is one of the reasons I tried mixing the powder with water to start with.

 

[Camelle]

I'm hoping he gets better! I'm going through the same thing with Stitch right now How old is Loki?

I'm sorry to hear that but it's also kinda nice to not be the only one going through this. It's kinda like I'm not alone in my struggle. I'm not sure how old Loki is exactly. I bought him from petsmart but february 2 2015 will be the two year anniversary of the day I bought him and he was at least a young adult when I got him so he's a bit of an older rat i guess. I don't see hi that way but everyone else seems to.

 

[Lesti]

Yes, it is kind of nice. I bought Stitch at pet smart in November 2011. He was probably 3-4 months so right now he is about three years. He has gained a bit of weight now (feeding him baby food, powdered rice cereal, ensure, honey, pedialyte and almond milk) and will be put on his antibiotics soon so I'm hoping he improves and if/when he does I can look at his mouth and see what's hurting him. Then we can hopefully get him back on solids. His abscess under his mouth has reopened though, so I'm not too sure where we'll go from here.

 

[Camelle]

Yeah I got some soy milk and a few frosted cheerios in Loki today along with his baytril and his water+carnivore care powder. He seems to be doing better though! I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much because I know how quickly animals can go from on the mend to dying but he keeps climbing out and up on to my shoulder when I feed him and he has spent most of the day on my bed sleeping on my pillows but he did try to crawl off once! So I think he's getting there for only being day number 2 I think he's doing well. And he feels a bit warmer and slightly less skinny so fingers crossed!

 

[PawsandClaws]

Sounds like progress which is great. Hope he feels better soon and makes a full recovery.

 

[Camelle]

You and me both. I've already spent several hours crying because I know this is the beginning of the end and I don't want it to be. My anxiety is off the scale. I'm so worried and scared and sad

 

[PawsandClaws]

Think you just need to try and relax. I know it is difficult just saying that but as someone with a lot of anxiety myself, I also know it does not help in any way. As long as you are doing your best for your animals, there isn't a whole lot more that you can do. Worrying will not help when it is out of your control. Sending good vibes.

 

[Lesti]

It's great that your Loki is getting better. I've decided to put Stitch to sleep because he is older and seems like he is suffering. Even if he were to pull out of this I think that he'd eventually relapse back into it again. I think it's time for him to go...

 

[Camelle]

The good vibes are very much appreciated!! I have really high anxiety and hypertension. I am an extremely anxious person and I always worry especially about the things that are out of my control I can't help it.It's in my nature unfortunately. I know there's nothing I can do if it's his time to go then it is but that doesn't make it hurt any less or make it any easier to bare though. He's my first rat that I've ever owned so it's very hard for me to accept. These almost 2 year have flown by like nothing! When we were at the vet everyone kept saying how much of an old guy he was and I just kept thinking'old? Loki's not old! I've only had him for around 2 years!' I keep forgetting he was a bit older than Thor when I got him (a few months we think) I still can't see him as an old man. When I look at him I truly do see only my baby boy whose poor eyes have clouded over and turned a slight purplish color. To me he still looks young.