Being a rat parent is one of the hardest things I do...And Im a vet tech. I see sick and dying animal every day. It can be heartbreaking at times. But most have lived pretty full lives. Even those unlucky to have their pets lives cut short typically got many years of health first. I didnt realize how lucky I was with my first rats. Hope, my heart rat, was taken from me in a freak accident at only 7 months of age. I had her all of 3 months but shes the snuggliest rat I ever had. Her sister Aida though, lived to be a few weeks shy of her 3rd birthday. She never had any resp issues at all. EVER. And passed after waking from her tumor removal. Her adopted sister Blaze, also never had any issues with her. Till she was diagnosed with an inoperable cancerous tumor. She lived another great 2 weeks on pain meds and the moment they didnt cut it anymore I helped her across. Fate had a bit of wheezing when she left the lab at school to come live with me. And once more after a different stressful situation. But each time resolved within a week. Flurry on the other hand. I love her to death. But shes been sick since the day I adopted her. She had just finished a round of antibiotics and was deemed ready for adoption. Fate needed a buddy after loosing both her sisters and Flurry was the same age. (6 months) Within 2-3 days of coming home she was wheezing. The SPCA provided me with a months worth of antibiotics and that cleared her up...for a while. She was wheezing again in the fall. Another month of antibiotics. She was ok for all of a few weeks. Now shes at it again. AND she has a tumor. I want to have it removed and have her spayed, shes only 17 months. I think itd be worth it to have her spayed and cut her risk of getting another tumor down. Im so worried about her lungs though. I know sedatives can be changed to suit each patient but...her anesthetic risk is going to be higher. Every night I dream about her surgery. Every night her sneezing wakes me (not because its loud, and it lasts all of a minute, but I got mom ears and wake to my animals noises but nothing else.) My heart breaks every time I hear her cough or wheeze. She is such an incredible little girl but its been a constant battle with her health. Im emotionally and financially drained. I dont know if I can afford to keep having pet rats after these girls. But I dunno if I can NOT have them anymore...Feel like my house would be much too quiet and empty without them. The last vet I spoke with suggested we just remove the tumor, and forget the spay. Or at the very least theyll start with the tumor and if she seems very stable theyll continue with the spay. Im not sure what Ill do. After Aida I told myself Id always opt for surgery asap, instead of putting it off until they are too old to recover. But now Im sort of putting it off again. I want her resp issues under control again for sure before going into surgery. But I may even put it off until the tumor is really getting in her way. But then she might be wheezy again at that point. Why oh why are these wonderful little creatures so sickly and short lived! Cant take this anymore. :(
Posted on: Fri, 24 Jan 2014 14:22:24 +0000
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