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Rat Requiem
Sep. 24th, 2008 07:39 pmI'm surfacing after being knocked out by a migraine for two days, unusually long. It began Monday afternoon and I started feeling ok again this morning.
I can't say the same for Zach, though. He hasn't responded to any of the antibiotics tried on him, though he did briefly recover (for a week or a bit longer) on the last ones. Greg the vet gave him a cortico steroid shot and basically that's all they can do to pep a rat up. Zach's housemate Luka is a lot better; he's back to wandering the house. I was greeted by his face when I opened the bathroom door after taking a shower.
Zach, though, he's just running down. I've seen this in so many rats. The vets just shake their heads and say variations of, "Nothing more to be done." He's not congested any more and the vet yesterday said his heart was okay, that she thought he had not managed to recover from the long period of congestion and wheezing both my boys have been through. Rats are just too small for most of the usual tests you'd do in larger creatures or humans. You can't even test their blood.
I know what I'm seeing. I'm not asking for advice. I guess I just don't want to be the only one who knows what's happening. Zach is a good little rat and he had a bum start in life, dumped in a wheelie-bin at about 4 months of age. He's barely 16 months old now. Rats are incredibly rewarding and affectionate pets but losing them like this as often as one does, that's hard.
And the same day, this afternoon, I hosted three neighbouring chooks who came strolling into the yard. I was fairly sure who they belonged to and left him a note. He didn't get home till after 5pm, though, so the girls had a wonderful time exploring my yard for the rest of the afternoon. I was formally introduced to them after their dad came apologetically to fetch them. Angelina, Paris and Madonna. Three beautiful and friendly red hens. Must check around to see whether they left me any eggs...
They were the silver lining in the day, those hens. Also Luka's recovery. I just wish Zach could be better too.
I can't say the same for Zach, though. He hasn't responded to any of the antibiotics tried on him, though he did briefly recover (for a week or a bit longer) on the last ones. Greg the vet gave him a cortico steroid shot and basically that's all they can do to pep a rat up. Zach's housemate Luka is a lot better; he's back to wandering the house. I was greeted by his face when I opened the bathroom door after taking a shower.
Zach, though, he's just running down. I've seen this in so many rats. The vets just shake their heads and say variations of, "Nothing more to be done." He's not congested any more and the vet yesterday said his heart was okay, that she thought he had not managed to recover from the long period of congestion and wheezing both my boys have been through. Rats are just too small for most of the usual tests you'd do in larger creatures or humans. You can't even test their blood.
I know what I'm seeing. I'm not asking for advice. I guess I just don't want to be the only one who knows what's happening. Zach is a good little rat and he had a bum start in life, dumped in a wheelie-bin at about 4 months of age. He's barely 16 months old now. Rats are incredibly rewarding and affectionate pets but losing them like this as often as one does, that's hard.
And the same day, this afternoon, I hosted three neighbouring chooks who came strolling into the yard. I was fairly sure who they belonged to and left him a note. He didn't get home till after 5pm, though, so the girls had a wonderful time exploring my yard for the rest of the afternoon. I was formally introduced to them after their dad came apologetically to fetch them. Angelina, Paris and Madonna. Three beautiful and friendly red hens. Must check around to see whether they left me any eggs...
They were the silver lining in the day, those hens. Also Luka's recovery. I just wish Zach could be better too.