# Sparkie poorly now



## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

Ok so got home from the vets and noticed Sparkie very quiet..So I have monitored Symptoms.as the day has gone on . very quiet.. slightly disorientated, breathing quick..he is constantly dozing. slight rasp occasionally heard... Also he has had Porphyrin come out of one of his eyes but haven't noticed it come out of his nose.. I have cleaned this..Just lay on shelf.. 

When I went too pick the dogs up picked up more Baytril.. Didn't want to take him as he isn't as relaxed with strangers and being moved about as Jason.. So explained symptoms and they gave me another dosage for Sparkie.. (they didn't want to due to laws about certain meds but I begged her I told them I had 7 Rats till this morn in two set ups..

Got back from the vets Gave him Baytril and then syringe fed him soup baby porridge and fluids.... Jason didn't have a breathing problem..
Im real worried everyone is gonna get it.. I have removed all other rodents out of one of the bedrooms.. and popped him in a small cage.. with the light out.. he is dozing.. 

Is there anything else I can do.. I dunno why but Im doubting every thing im doing.. I just can't get my head round this.. I keep there beds clean there shelves are constantly wiped and dried off..There food bowls and water cleaned.. i do a full cage wash out bars included, each bar.. 

I have Rhoddi sat on his own in his cage and I think he is still waiting for Jason.. My heads well up my bum.. I have one dog crated with a lampshade on his head another in the kitchen and one in my bedroom as two were neutered today..

I don't want to loose another Rat and I have a horrible feeling I have no control over this.. But seriously Sparkie's illness looks nothing like Jason..


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## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

momentofmadness said:


> Ok so got home from the vets and noticed Sparkie very quiet..So I have monitored Symptoms.as the day has gone on . very quiet.. slightly disorientated, breathing quick..he is constantly dozing. slight rasp occasionally heard... Just lay on shelf..
> 
> When I went too pick the dogs up picked up more Baytril.. Didn't want to take him as he isn't as relaxed with strangers and being moved about as Jason.. So explained symptoms and they gave me another dosage for Sparkie.. (they didn't want to due to laws about certain meds but I begged her I told them I had 7 Rats till this morn in two set ups..
> 
> ...


And thankyou for all the message for Jason.. RIP little man..


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## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

Also they are on paper bedding I shred it myself.. and have been doing with them for good few months..

I change and clean this every couple of days.


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## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

Well i have given him a second dose of Baytril.. Changed his bed to torn tissue.. and given him a large house filled with tissue to keep warm.. He hasn't a prob with Walking.. Ive popped him into a bin cage.. as thought it may be a bit warmer for him cause his body felt a bit cool..


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

i9m so sorry hun, im not sure what happened to jason, must have missed that thread 
i cant really offer any advice other then what you are doing, but i didnt want to read and run 

it might be worth scrubbing the cages out with vikron though, just encase


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## Acid (Aug 8, 2011)

do you think he might have a respiratory infection? those are meant to be really common and they produce that red gloopy stuff from their eyes/noses with each of those illnesses :/

i dont know much about rat illnesses only hamsters but i looked on the net and only found things about pnuemonia, mycoplasma flair ups and upper respiratory infections
i dont think itd be a mycoplasma flair up even though almost all rats have it from birth or pnuemonia if his cage is clean and warm like you said in the first post 
http://www.80stoysale.com/ratsickness.html 
http://www.nfrs.org/respdisease.html
not much help sorry but hope he gets better x


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

Hi sorry to hear about sparkie. I was going to say respiratory infection!
Is he side sucking what I mean by that does he look like he's breathing in hard at the sides? That's usually a sign of a resp infection.
As well as the phorphryin around nose and eyes.
I've got 1 rattie that side sucks as he breaths and makes pidgeon noises so he's on Baytril twice a day 0.2ml though I've not split him from the others.he's been on his own the last yr until I got him and he's now loving his 3 new brothers.
Keep us informed xx


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## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

things are looking up.. I wasn't expecting him to be up and about this morn but he is back to his happy self.. so I gave him more anti bi's this morn and porridge and he wa fighting with me when I was trying to get the syringe off him to fill it up..

Fingers crossed peeps.. His symptoms weren't the same as Jason so I have no clue what was go on.. his breathing seems fine today so shall keep up with the meds and making sure he is getting the fluids he needs.. Just bought some vits and shall intro them into their food today.. Everyone else looks fine Rhoddi is a bit down..  so hopefully today I shall try and start intro's with him.. he is fine with everyone out of the cage.. Just not in his cage.. so I will start today and then hopefully by the end of the week he shall have new cage mates.. Or rather ones he knows anyways..

Thanks peeps..


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## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

Back at the vets this arvo.. i thought yesterday he was feeling better.. well apparently he was till i got him out of his new home and popped him back with his mates,... he immediately went to the bottom of the cage with his fast breathing again.. So I popped him back in his new home and he settled and went sleep..

He is drinking.. He kept waking me on his water bottle.. ching ching..

He feels a bit chilly so I have him sat here with me in my nightgown.. he is all chilled out.. and warming up..


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## Guest (Aug 18, 2011)

Aww bless him, I hope the vets go well for you hun.


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

Awww no am sorry to hear of all the trouble yo have been having. Hope he fully recovers soon!!


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## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

RIP Sparkie.:crying:

Run free be quick go catch up with Jase..xxx

smilies hardly seem appropriate...........


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## Guest (Aug 18, 2011)

Oh no, I'm so sorry hun, sending loads of hugs your way -HUGS-

RIP Sparkie, scamper free at the bridge little one xxx


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## LostGirl (Jan 16, 2009)

Oh no top sparkie  

Hugs xx


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

Blumin eck what happened?
Was it respiratory problems?
Did he have pneumonia?


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## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

Just so you all know.. we believe he didn't have a breathing problem but was quite stressed more than likely with pain..

If you know animals and how there systems work you will know that when an animal is experiencing pain quite often they breath quite shallow and fast.. We believe this is what Sparkie was doing.. 

Something I had missed as I was concerned about his breathing was the change in his shape.. he had gone from a nicely shaped rat to a rat that looked pregnant.. After some careful poking and prodding the vet showed me where she could feel a large mass that shouldn't have been there... 

It was agreed he has some sort of tumour in his abdomen and it was quite large, .. I had the option to take him home with meds but he wouldn't last long..
Personally, and people may think I am wrong.. but I don't agree with prolonging there life for myself.. I believe that we should not allow any animal to suffer for a slim chance they may get a few good weeks.
Sparkie had a great life here and I have loved having him.. I couldn't sit by and watch him deteriorate over the next week or so.. I believe the fact he was having probs with his breathing was him showing me the way he new how that he was already in great pain..

The vet reassured me I was doing the right by Sparkie as he had, had a good year with me and it is very unfortunate for this to happen, and that I had Jase put to sleep at the beginning of the week.. She also said that the two were unrelated and that its just one of those unfortunate things in life we have no control of...

RIP Sparkie and Jase.. To great little Rats gone to join all the others over at the bridge.. xxx


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

You definatley made the right choice. If u had of given him meds like u said it would only benefit u and not sparkie and u have to think if the animal at the end of the day.
We did that with our very 1st rat he had heart problems and we kept him going on 3 lots of meds in the end we had to put him out of his misery he'd gone from a healthy weighty rat to a skelenton.a small frail little man.
Which we regretted.
Sorry for your loss of two beauties x


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## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

You know I have been doubting myself all day.. did I rush into it.. But in my heart of hearts I know it isn't right to make animals suffer for your own benefit..
My mates been round this eve,.. she said also I did the right by Sparkie and Jase... They were loveable little men.. 


When the vet asked me about his tummy was it always that shape, I knew before she said out.. 

I know animals and I know their behaviour..

I know our pony was given ventipulmin cause a vet said it had a severe breathing problem and didn't believe me when I said the prob is the feet.. Another vet confirmed the pony needed pain relief for severe lammy.. and with that the breathing prob vanished.

Rhoddi is very quiet without Jase.. But I have let him say hello to everyone now he is on his own on the floor.. and he kicked off.. with each one, one by one.. he isn't feeling very sociable..
I think he will stay on his own.. his cage is next to theirs so he does have company but can't reach them..
And I have had him out loads.. he sat on my shoulder why I cooked tea.. he loves spag bol.. His nose was going as I was stirring it.. I just hope he stays ok with out his bessie mate..


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## Mousewoman (Aug 4, 2011)

im sorry. . . .x


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

Could u get him neutered? Then after couple of weeks to let his hormones settle down he could be put in with your other boys? Neutering is ment to be very successful I know tdm on here had one of hers done same reasons as roddi is displaying.


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## Jarhead (Jul 11, 2011)

You did all you could for sparkie. You gaive him a good live and didnt let him suffer. Run free sparkie


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