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Pet Forum / Mammals / Rats / December 2004Update on Jacques (Christmas emergency)
This post is a follow up to my "Help! Christmas Emergency!" post on Christmas. Luckily, my former vet back in Massachusetts was open on Sunday and was able to see Jacques. So off he went with us to Mass., with Pierre for company. The vet there was very good and she said right away she believed it was a tumor, not an abscess. She was sure whatever it was, it needed surgery. Jacques was in obvious pain and was able to get pain meds right away. So he and Pierre spent the night at the vet in preparation for the surgery this morning, while we continued on to our relative's house and got 23 inches of snow dumped on us on Cape Cod. So we made the trip back to the vet, a 4-hour drive in the snow, and she had taken x-rays of Jacques. The tumor was large and involved soft tissue AND bone. She showed me the x-ray and his little ankle bone had a bulge in it and looked terrible. She recommended leg amputation. I remembered what Joanne wrote to me about her Sven, and felt much better about giving the go-ahead to remove his leg. One hour after surgery they brought Jacques to see me. He was moving around incredibly well and alert. His entire right hind area was shaved and he has a BIG scar with hidden sutures. He is taking 2 pain meds (buprenorphine and metacam) and a cipro/doxycycline antibiotic. I feel like the worst part of it all is that he has to be separated from Pierre and Maggie for so long - at least a week. He is resting tonight but still alert enough to enjoy some dry rotini and cream cheese (with the meds). My biggest concern is keeping him warm. We spent the 6 hour drive home with the heat blasting. He's in a plastic cat carrier now, with a warm water bottle. I don't think the heating pad could penetrate the carrier, and I don't think I should put it inside. Entire cost of "abscess-turned-tumor" about $650. The surgery/drugs/exam/x-ray yesterday and today came to $520 and I had spent about $130 on two prior vet visits and antibiotics. It's alot but Jacques is finally going to be well!!! I can't imagine the pain he's been in. When I think about us trying to "aspirate" that tumor... ohhhhh. I honestly believe the more local (Vermont) vet is a good vet, but it scares me that she missed the diagnosis twice. Well, thank you all so much for your advice and help. Any 3-legged rattie stories or recommendations will be eagerly read. Meghan SNIP > Well, thank you all so much for your advice and help. Any > 3-legged rattie > stories or recommendations will be eagerly read. That's GREAT news! Good GOOBERS! $520usd's! I think I'd HAVE to make payments...not made of money you know.  SignatureKeith Schiffner Dum vivimus, vivamus <:(3 )3~ <:(3 )3~ <:(3 )~ <:(3 )~ http://community.webshots.com/user/sciffners Wow. Just wow. How's that saying go, about how we're never given more than we can handle? (to me it usually feels like at least a few percentage points above and beyond, though) Well, what you were able to handle, Meghan, is way more than many, many could, so it certainly is good that Jacques made it into your family for his sake in the long run. And best of luck with finding a better vet nearby soon (I'll be curious to hear if the Maine one works out okay). Oh, and I believe Mark Tomlinson had a rat that was born with only three legs, so he's probably got a few stories to tell. :) Major admiration here for all you've done, Meghan. Brava. SignatureMariette (wabewawa61-at-earthlink-dot-net) >This post is a follow up to my "Help! Christmas Emergency!" post on >Christmas. [quoted text clipped - 41 lines] > >Meghan > Wow. Just wow. How's that saying go, about how we're never > given more than we can handle? (to me it usually feels like at least [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Major admiration here for all you've done, Meghan. Brava. Thank you so much for the praise. It's funny, I just kept doing the next thing, what I had to do until Jacques was better. You don't realize how much you're going through until it's done and you go, "whoa". I am VERY, VERY grateful that we are able to afford the treatment, which is insanely high IMO. I will definitely be doing some overtime in the next few weeks to make up for it. My husband is convinced that I am "cosmically drawn" to every sick and suffering animal and has begged me not to get any more. I got my first rattie ever on August 11th of this year. In less than 5 months we have had: 1 rescue rattie who came with lice (Hailey) 1 outbreak of fur mites (all) 1 mammary tumor (Maggie) 1 spay (Maggie) 1 sudden rattie death due to pituitary tumor (Hailey) 1 myco/respiratory infection (Jacques) 1 abscess-turned-tumor-turned-amputation (Jacques) 7 vet visits across 3 different States I'm trying to convince my husband this is a fluke, but he's not buying it. I also didn't mention the 3 cats with feline herpes, one cat with an unexplained, untreatable wheezing, and a mouse who had a stroke a couple of months ago (she's doing great). I think I'm living in Meghan's Ark. Meghan >> Wow. Just wow. How's that saying go, about how we're never >> given more than we can handle? (to me it usually feels like at least [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > >Meghan Meghan said: 'It's funny, I just kept doing the next thing, what I had to do until Jacques was better. You don't realize how much you're going through until it's done and you go, "whoa".' Exactly. Couldn't have said it better myself. So maybe these animals in extreme need are sent your way, indeed, since you can handle it better than the vast majority of folks could (and so perhaps it really isn't a fluke). Hard row to hoe, but hopefully the rewards are greater too after having done such a great job by them. SignatureMariette (wabewawa61-at-earthlink-dot-net) > Thank you so much for the praise. It's funny, I just kept doing the next > thing, what I had to do until Jacques was better. You don't realize how [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > > Meghan If only there were more people in the world like you, Meghan! How you've meticulously looked after your rats and kept going when faced with all and sundry is absolutely brilliant. And all the miles you've had to travel and money you've spent... How lucky that your ratties, and indeed your other animals, were 'sent' to you to be cared for so well. Hurrah for Meghan :o) Well wishes to little Jacques, I'm sure he'll do just fine with three legs, it's amazing how quickly they adapt. Here's hoping that the new year brings you better luck and good health to your little ones. Tracey just out of curiosity, did you send the tumor out to find out what it was? i'm glad you had a good vet to take care of your poor guy. sounds like you made the right decision with the leg amputation. he's a very very lucky boy to have a mom as good as you! best wishes for a speedy recovery. i bet he does just fine. btw, for heat we use socks filled with dry rice and heated in the microwave, then wrapped in a towel. unless you have big chewers, then this wouldn't work so well, but i've not had a rat chew through yet. -- petey was a pit bull http://shattering.org x-no-archive: yes in headers The vet thought it was either one of two types of bone sarcomas. It is being analyzed and I should hear back in one week as to what it actually was. I am very curious... will post results too. Good thing is she took an x-ray of his whole body and his lungs looked clear, so hopefully we escaped any spreading. Jacques stayed very warm last night. All the ratties got to move into our bedroom and we had the heat cranked up in there. He was alert this morning and looking great, and really got into the lowfat-yogurt chaser after his meds. Meghan > just out of curiosity, did you send the tumor out to find out what it > was? [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > http://shattering.org > x-no-archive: yes in headers Meghan, You have gone through so much since getting your gang of rats. I just want to commend you on your persistance and care. You really did the right thing. I hope in the future you start to get some better luck, because if anyone deserves it, you do. Have a great New Years and keep us updated. Kelly > This post is a follow up to my "Help! Christmas Emergency!" post on > Christmas. [quoted text clipped - 51 lines] > > Meghan > This post is a follow up to my "Help! Christmas Emergency!" post on > Christmas. [quoted text clipped - 51 lines] > > Meghan I'd swear you have a colony of 10 rats or more with all those troubles that has haunted your ratties. But Meghan, they went to the right person didn't they? Lucky ratties they are!!! At least Jacques escaped multiple tumor removals and went straight the leg amputation. Which in my opinion is much better. For my mom and Sven, after three tumor removals, one leg amputation and multiple emergency vet visit due to swelling and lots of antibiotics later, the cost: $1500 CAD. That's one huge investment. lol But Sven is worth it. You'll want to invest in a good little brush or tooth brush cause your sweetie won't be able to scratch that side and he'll need your as his scratcher. It will break your hear when you see him trying to scratch himself with his phantom leg. Rats are such brave souls... SignatureJoanne Mom to 10 rats http://community.webshots.com/user/joanneb70 Always read your posts with such a big respect for you Meghan and how much you have done for your babies. (Jacques is SO gorgeous, that picture of him in that pink towel is so heart warming!) Big clap and pat on the back for you! Wishing Jacques a speedy recover and quick adaption :o) SignatureTarn ............... Pluto, Ulysses, Jerry,Smokie, Barney, Yoda & Yogi <:3_)~~~ At Rainbow Bridge: Buttons, Patch, Cookie, Fudge, Apollo, Zeus,Ben, Neptune & Morpheus <:3_)~~~ http://community.webshots.com/user/tarn75 > This post is a follow up to my "Help! Christmas Emergency!" post on > Christmas. [quoted text clipped - 51 lines] > > Meghan |
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