Pet Forum / Mammals / Rats / January 2006

In October, I adopted 4 girls from my OSPCA.
Two of them developed a severe infection in their genital area. Kate had
it worse than her sister Bébé. I brought both girls to my vet to see
what if anything could be done. At the time, we didn't know if it was an
infection (abscess) or tumor. She told me she could try to remove it
surgically but that this would be a very tricky operation and a very low
chance of success. I chose not to go through with it. I brought both
girls home and kept them on meds until such time I would recognize their
discomfort and had them put to sleep. It finally happened with Kate.
Kate is... was such a wonderfully outgoing little girl. She was one of
the first one out of the cage and the last to go in. She loved to
explore everywhere. The further she got, the happier she was. Last
Wednesday, she didn't come out at all. I knew something was wrong. I
watched her a bit and poor Kate wouldn't move. Her eyes were glazed over
and when she did move, she only did so to pick/tear at her tumor. It was
so hard to bring her in to be put to sleep.
My vet did a post mortem only to reveal a serious infection (abscess)
which reached all the way inside her pelvis. This means that the surgery
would have not made a difference in lengthening he life span. But at
least it gave me hope for her sister Bébé.
Bébé's abscess is way smaller and I've already got her on a gram
positive med (Zithromax) because now my vet is thinking either a staph
or strepp infection. Also, I've been given Betadine to flush out her
abscess and her vaginal orifice because that's where the source of the
infection seems to be.
I'm so hoping this will totally cure Bébé and that would mean that Kate
died to save her sister...
I will miss that beautiful Kate.

Joanne
Owned by 15 rats