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Desert Arabian
11-18-2003, 11:31 PM
Arg, I am so sick and tired of having sick rats! Why is it that rats always get sick!?!?!? I have owned 12 rats in the past three years, not including the litters of babies some of my rats have had. Out of those 12, 7 of them have gotten seriously ill. Just now, I discovered a nickel size tumor in Chloe's arm pit. Violette also has a facial abscess that has ulcerated- she is going to the vet.

Peanut, Punkin, Nugget, and Sweet Pea all had respiratory problems. Nugget also had cancer in her mammary glands and in her uterus. Oreo also got a massive tennis ball sized tumor that grew so fast we could not help her, so she had to be put to sleep. Oscar and Fred have lice, I am sure the others have it too, but they have it the worst, now the h-e-double hockey sticks they got it is beyond me. Oscar also has some problem going on with his heart. His breathing is normal, he is eating and drinking, but his heart is beating oddly. I am looking all over the net trying to find information.

How we can take three rats to the vet at a time is beyond me, because all the vets around here cost two arms, two legs, and half of your torso. The vet visit charge itself is $37(x3), add another $80 or so for the x-rays, $20(x3) for the medication, and $80 for a needle biopsy for the tumor. That is $331.00 right there, and tack on another $100-$200 for the tooth removal or whatever is needed to help out Violette's facial tumor.

So far, Fred, Daisy, and Phoebe (along with Skittles-RIP) have never gotten ill. *Laura runs around house and knocks on all wooden objects!!!!*

:( My poor babies, I feel so bad for them, like I could have prevented it. Why do they always have to get sick!?!? :(

Thanks for reading my rant...I had to get it off my chest.

Here is a picture of Chloe's tumor:

Here is Vi's facial abscess: (looks very small in picture, size of baked bean)
Sorry they are fuzzy, my babies are little wiggly worms.

CathyBogart
11-19-2003, 12:23 AM
Alas, such is the unfortunate part of rat ownership. Ceaseless vet bills. Mine for my two total about $100/month right now, and I haven't had anything serious happen yet. :(

At least you're one of the people who gets their ratties taken care of. Poor little furbabies, I hope everyone's up to snuff soon!

wolf_Q
11-19-2003, 12:36 AM
So sorry to hear about everything! :( I wish there was some advice I could give you, but I know nothing of ratties.

wolfsoul
11-19-2003, 10:23 AM
Aggh, Frisco is sick too. :( I hate how rats always get sick.

Maybe yours have lice because their immunity is low. That's a theory that people have. I agree with it, because Frisco is sick right now and has lice, and Icarus isn't sick and doesn't have lice.

luckies4me
11-19-2003, 10:40 AM
Sorry to hear they are all sick. I would try to have the tumour removed first. If you clean the abscess out everyday and she is on antibiotics she will do just fine. At work there was a rat who had a huge facial abscess, about the size of a half dollar bill cent, and it cleared up just fine. :)

Desert Arabian
11-19-2003, 03:04 PM
Luckies, I think that is what I am going to do. It just boggles my mind that Chloe has a tumor. All the ratties I had that got tumors had babies, so this one really caught me off guard. I was expecting Violette to get one (since she had babies) not one of my does who didn't have any babies. :(

trayi52
11-19-2003, 11:06 PM
Well your lucky you have a Vet that will take care of your babies. The Vet in my town, won't doctor rats, snakes, birds and a lot of other different kinds of animals. Weird Huh? I thought Vets were supposed to take care of all our pets, but he don't want to even look at them. Hope everybody gets to feeling better soon.:)

popcornbird
11-20-2003, 01:42 AM
I know nothing about rats, but I'm sorry to hear your babies are ill. :( Its sad that rats get sick so much. :(


Originally posted by trayi52
Well your lucky you have a Vet that will take care of your babies. The Vet in my town, won't doctor rats, snakes, birds and a lot of other different kinds of animals. Weird Huh? I thought Vets were supposed to take care of all our pets, but he don't want to even look at them. Hope everybody gets to feeling better soon.:)

Not even birds?!? :eek: I don't know of any vet here who doesn't see birds........unless they are strictly for dogs or strictly for cats. I take my birds to an avian vet........who btw does see dogs and cats, but his major was in the avian field, so he's much better for birds than just any vet would be.

Twisterdog
11-20-2003, 02:10 AM
Weird. We had two rats, and they never got sick at all. Maybe I just got lucky.

CathyBogart
11-20-2003, 09:54 AM
Better knock wood Twisterdog! :D

luckies4me
11-20-2003, 11:38 AM
Originally posted by Twisterdog
Weird. We had two rats, and they never got sick at all. Maybe I just got lucky.

Yes you were VERY lucky! I can't tell you how many thousands, yes thousands of dollars I have spent in vet bills for my rats. :eek:

shais_mom
11-20-2003, 03:08 PM
I know nothing about Rats but do just want to wish you and your mom the best of luck!!!

Twisterdog
11-20-2003, 10:01 PM
Oh, I don't have them anymore. They were rescued rats, and I eventually found them a home. They are still healthy though.

tikeyas_mom
11-22-2003, 12:08 AM
I have spent about 100 + dollers on my rats so far VET wise, and they seem pritty healthy, I am lucky I have a vet near by that specializes in exotic animals *birds, reptiles, herps, rodents, ect.. ect...* the only bad thing about it, is that they are VERY Expensive!!!

Aspen and Misty
11-22-2003, 12:12 AM
My vet will give me a two for one dicount hee hee. If I brign in 2 she will only charge me for one, sometimes she doesn't charge me at all :D Crazy vet people :D

Good luck with your babies! I wish you the best of luck. Poor girls, give them a kiss for me.


Ash