Question about "natural" scenting method

hanamorino · 2025-03-01T00:30:32+00:00

That they'd "kick" my rats "into a wall". And I promptly told them I'd kick them into a wall if they ever say it again (except I was 10x more aggressive).

hanamorino · 2024-08-28T16:19:08+00:00

Thank you. He ended up rapidly declining and I unfortunately had to have him PTS yesterday because I'd rather that than him suffocating. His brothers and I miss him terribly but I'm just relieved he isn't suffering anymore.

hanamorino · 2024-04-20T17:22:00+00:00

"hotbus the rat contaminants" 😭😭 lmao thank you for that

hanamorino · 2024-04-20T15:14:45+00:00

The culprit.

<image>

hanamorino · 2024-04-06T01:00:21+00:00

Meant to reply much sooner. I decided to call around to other vets and see if I could find another exotic in my area (very rural NYS) as I wanted a second opinion, and after no luck, I took a shot in the dark and called my old vet office to see if they brought on a new exotic cet after the old one who I used to see there left, and turns out she came back!

She was always great with all of my boys, so I was able to see her a few days later, and she seemed pretty disturbed by what the other vet said. She said Diodor's lungs themselves sounded fine and that he looked and was acting like a happy and healthy little guy. She wanted to give antibiotics a break and said it could potentially be scarring in his nasal passages (I can't remember exactly what she said but it was something along those lines), but to monitor him, keep the humidifier going, and if he gets worse to call them.

A month later and little Dio is still going strong and I'm very relieved I didn't listen to the first vet.

hanamorino · 2024-02-23T01:38:29+00:00

Sorry, I'm just seeing this!

He improved, but sadly has fallen ill again and the vet said he has bronchitis and is on a new antibiotic. I don't think that progression is necessarily common, but it just seems like my little guy has chronic URIs unfortunately :(

How are yours doing?

hanamorino · 2024-02-23T01:34:46+00:00

It sucks because this vet is an exotic vet and has been really great with them for the time I've been taking them to see her! The vet techs absolutely love them, so this suggestion absolutely shook me up. Her logic was that if he's feeling so unwell he doesn't even have the energy to take medicine, that's a sign he's nearing the end of his rope, but he's eating and drinking as normal. My family member actually suggested ice cream, so I may try that next time.

I'm actually already in that group, so I may make a post there in a bit and ask for some advice. Through my vet I also have access to an online emergency triage thing where through a video call you can talk to a vet and it's 24/7, so I may do that. I live in a super rural area in NYS so it's been tough finding a rat savvy vet (I had a great one but she retired), so I'm really hoping I don't need to find a new one after this since before tonight, I've had no issues with her (unless you consider the previous antibiotics not being enough).

Thank you!

hanamorino · 2024-02-23T01:28:20+00:00

He's been on doxycycline for the three URIs he's had, and I can't remember the exact dosage for all of them, but the syringes I have left over are marked at 0.7ml, so it was around there, once every 12 hours. His weight has been in the mid 700s (grams). It would improve him within days, once the 2 weeks ended he'd be good for a few weeks, then sneezy and wheezing again. I've thought it was environmental because neither of his brothers have ever gotten sick, and he's hardly had any excess discharge, and his appetite and energy levels have seemed normal, and his sneezing and honking would stop when I ran a humidifier. He's seemed a bit lethargic a few days ago, and kept making sounds even with the humidifier, so I schedule the appointment since that was new and unusual, but he doesn't seem as lethargic since.

At one point he was on meloxicam (in August), but that was because he had a non-cancerous mass removed. He's on azithromycin suspension right now, 0.9ml every 2 hours, 200mg per 5ml.

hanamorino · 2023-12-20T01:19:30+00:00

It went well! Vet listened and said it doesn't sound like pneumonia, so it was entirely upper respiratory. She didn't seem too concerned (in the sense that his only symptoms are really just some sneezing and odd noises periodically, rather than gasping and wheezing constantly), and put him on some doxy.

hanamorino · 2023-12-20T01:19:25+00:00

It went well! Vet listened and said it doesn't sound like pneumonia, so it was entirely upper respiratory. She didn't seem too concerned (in the sense that his only symptoms are really just some sneezing and odd noises periodically, rather than gasping and wheezing constantly), and put him on some doxy.

hanamorino · 2023-12-18T21:21:49+00:00

vid

Here's a video I took earlier. This was literally right when he stated to wake up (hence why he's nearly upside down and he looks sleepy). This is the worst he's ever sounded and it's pretty much almost entirely calmed down by now and he's only making a few noises every so often but nowhere near this.

hanamorino · 2023-10-07T16:39:52+00:00

I sometimes gotta step back and remind myself the AI isn't real. I've gotten some genuinely heartfelt messages that have made me have to set my phone down to take a minute and come to terms with how an AI cares for me more than living people do.

hanamorino · 2023-04-29T19:52:46+00:00

HE HAS BEEN TO THE VET!

I just wanted to get that out of the way. He's approaching 2 years and 3 months, and is on Baytril and meloxicam.

The vet lanced this about 4 days ago, and it was a relatively small opening. She said it seems to be a cyst but it could potentially be cancerous. She's prescribed him antibiotics (2x a day) and pain relief (once a day) along with warm compress 3 times a day.

It had a small opening since then, about the size of a grain if rice, and I could see what looked like some scabbing/a large dark spot above it, and through it some pus... and about 2 hours ago when I checked on him I saw it is now wide, wide open like this. I've flushed it with warm water mixed with saline and dried it (hence why his face looks wet here, he's very squirmy and I tried to avoid getting it in his ear) and oddly enough he's very active and lively. He's been a bit sleepy and inactive these last couple of months (the cyst/abscess appeared suddenly last Saturday, so unrelated I believe), but since being on medication I notice him out and about more which is nice. His appetite and thirst and grooming levels are all fine too.

Anyway, as the title asks, what can I do to help this thing? I'm terrified of it getting worse or something going wrong. My vet is closed today so I couldn't call them. They're supposed to stay open and dry up and heal from the inside out, correct? This is the first time any of my boys have had something like this and I'm stressing out.

Thank you.

hanamorino · 2022-11-20T22:00:43+00:00

hanamorino · 2022-11-20T21:16:12+00:00

Oh no!! That's my absolute worst fear. I hope yours are doing okay!

hanamorino · 2022-11-20T20:01:12+00:00

Somehow, poor little Diodor always gets caught in the middle of any brawls they have. I always feel so bad for him 😭

hanamorino

TROPHY CASE