My Luck Just Keeps Getting Better. WTF?
 

It's been two days since I had to put my rat Gucci to sleep. I woke up this morning to find my other male, Monte, breathing heavily with a red discharge (called porphorin (sp?), an indication of high stress) pouring out of his nose.
In all likelihood it's pneumonia, brought on by a disease called mycoplasma that all domestic rats are born with. While they're young, their immune systems keep the disease at bay, but once they start to age and their immune system becomes weaker, they are prone to succumbing to it.
Once pneumonia sets in, there isn't usually much hope of recovery. On his last physical exam, the doctor discovered a mass growing in his abdomen. (I opted against surgery because rats and anesthesia do not mix well.) There is also a possibility that the mass has grown to the point of impeding lung function. Either way there is a distinct possibility that Monte may have to be euthanized. I've taken the day off in order to get him in to see the doctor.
Why oh why did I have to fall in love with a species that has such a short life expectancy and is prone to so many ailments???

Miss Vicky,

Sorry for the loss of your beloved Gucci and I feel badly for Monte ~ hoping tomorrow will be a better day for you and Monte.

{{{vicky}}}

Sorry Vicky.
:hugs:

So sorry about your rats. :distress:

Last year I lost two of my parrots. One in February, and the other in May. It was awful. I totally understand. Loss is the price we pay for loving anything. You'll feel better. I am sure of it.

:wavey:

I'm sorry Monte isn't doing well, he probably misses his friend too and that stressed him out. Did they get along? My thoughts and prayers are with you!

Monte doesn't get along with anyone or anything (Including me. The only way I can handle him is by throwing a towel over him so that he bites the cloth instead of my skin). He's actually the most ill-tempered pet I've ever had, but I love him anyway.

I balked at putting him to sleep just yet. He's such a fiesty little **** that I felt I had to give it a chance, even though it's probably a losing battle. The tumor in his abdomen has definitely spread, but more so toward the back end of his body. He also has a bladder infection. The doctor couldn't get a good listen to his lungs because of his aggression and didn't want to stress him out with really firm restraint.

We're trying a course of two antibiotics - doxycycline and baytril. We're going to give him a week, if no improvement is noted by then, decisions will have to be made.

Poor Monte, and poor Miss Vicky.... I hope he turns around and starts to get better.

Carol

An Update:
 

Well it's been just over a week since Monte's vet visit and after a course of two antibiotics, he's taken a turn for the worse.

I'm going to take him in this morning and have him euthanized. This will be the third rat death in as many months and will leave me with only one pet rat, a fairly young female named Stella.

I don't know if I'll get any more. I get too attached and their lives are too short. I'm just not sure my heart can take anymore of this. :distress:

I'm sorry to hear all this, from one rodent lover to another. I've had mice as pets over the last few years, and pretty much at 2 years on the nose they start to head downhill quickly. You sure do get attached to these tiny little creatures--although some much more than others. I have a black and white mouse now called Rebecca, and when she dies I know it will be wrenching, she is the most darling, affectionate, curious little thing.

But anyway I'm thinking of you. Good luck with Stella, I've had great luck w/ females and found them to be very good natured; maybe you can get her another female companion. Monte was lucky to have lived his life with such a loving owner!


-Lis

I've had mice in the past too. I had a pair of females named Cricket and Claudia and pair of males named Cort and Tristan. I loved them dearly but stopped keeping mice because of their short lifespans and because of the bad smell. (No matter how much I cleaned the smell was awful, particularly with the males.)

With rats males tend to be more affectionate and loving (Monte was a rare exception) whereas females tend to be very high strung. I had no intentions of getting anymore rats when I adopted Stella, but a friend of mine couldn't keep her anymore so I took her in. It's always a bit dicey trying to introduce an adult rat who is used to living alone to a new companion. They can get VERY territorial and aggressive. Stella is only my second female out of seventeen rats so I've never had the opportunity to observe her behavior when interacting with other rats. But we shall see.