Scurry Free

[Engel]

I can't believe I'm writing this, yesterday afternoon I made the hard decision to help Inky and Splat over the rainbow bridge. While still happy and full of life, in their old age they'd both developed mammary growths that were growing rapidly. I noticed in the early hours of yesterday morning that there were specks of blood and that Inky was bleeding and expected the worse. Once examined by the vets it was either once of her tumors had ulcerated inside or there was another cause to her reproductive tract bleeding. Giving her advanced age and how quickly her lumps came up, I refused to put her through an operation. Her sister, Splat, also had fast growing mammary tumors which she'd succumb to in the next few months. I have let her go with her sister as I don't have any other rats at home nor am I getting anymore rats. I didn't want her last month(s) to be spent depressed and alone.

It's been an adventure and fun filled 2½ years for them. I know that I have done right by them, and given them a lovely life. This doesn't make it less difficult.

Play nicely over the bridge you two. Enjoy all the cheerios and bananas, you've deserved it.

 

[rp1993]

RIP Splat & Inkey Only you know what’s best for them and of course it’s not fair for them to suffer

 

[weepweeps]

Oh I’m so sorry you had to let them go. They will be together forever. They had a wonderful life with you. Take care.

 

[Pound Shilling & Pig]

I am so sorry you have lost your two lovely rattles. It is so sad how common these tumors are for them but they will have lived their best lives with you. Scamper free little ones

 

[rhymer]

So sorry to hear about your ratties.
We kept rats for several years, so I know the joy they bring. Letting them go together was a lovely thing to do and clearly shows how deeply you loved them.
Play free at the rainbow bridge Splat and Inky.xx

 

[h_and_piggies]

Sorry for your losses. You gave your girls a wonderful life full of love to the end. Sleep tight Inky and Splat x

 

[VickiA]

You’ve done the kindest thing for them both, and they’ve had smashing lives with you. Sleep tight, little ones.

 

[Bill & Ted]

So sorry you had to make that hard decision for Splat and Inky but it was was right one made from love, so sorry for you
Sleep tight little ones

 

[Merab]

So sorry for your loss.
You clearly loved Inky and Splat and made that difficult decision for them out of love.
Be gentle with yourself as you grieve

 

[Engel]

Thank you all for your kind words. I had a suspicion there time was coming, just a gut feeling. I took them to see a different vet only 3-4 weeks before to have them checked and potentially PTS then, but the vet insisted that they were healthy and that she wouldn't pts because there was nothing wrong with them, just a few masses which were of no concern. This is a completely different vet that I use normally (my normal one was fully booked) and one I doubt I'd use again. I've owned rats since 2014 and I've owned both males and females. I've dealt with seizures, URI, kidney failure, hind leg degeneration (which led this one rat to develop flat feet and mild bumblefoot but in the cases of HLD it's not that uncommon), haemorrhage, heart failure, pituitary tumours, behavioural issues, female reproductive tract issues and stroke. On top of this, I have experience with masses and female reproductive tract issues in hamsters and I was treated as if I knew nothing, just brushed it off. Still angry about it, will probably be for a while.

The vets I use normally are very good and I get on very well with them. I was going to go into vet science but physically impossible currently (its taken me 20 mins to type this out and you don't want to know what shapes my fingers have pulled ). The vets at the practice know this and often want to know what I think. I'm the sort of person who is really observant and will go in with a list of symptoms and everything I've tried before taking the animal to the vet. We work together to figure out a treatment/management plan. With the other vet there was no communication, didn't really listen. For example I said Ink had been growing across her abdomen area, weight hasn't gone up or down, I'm still giving the same amount of food, but her overall body condition has gone down (gone to feel bony all of a sudden) She is looking like she is pregnant but she's not been near any males. She felt her tum really quick and said, "she's just fat".

Sorry for having a moan but I think rodents in general don't get treated very well by vets. It's very hard to get one knowledgeable and I'm currently wondering if I should've got a second opinion sooner and, because I waited, did they suffer? I know this is part of the grieving process though.

 

[Merab]

You are right - these feelings are a normal part of grieving.
What if …… is part of the grief working out.
It is good to talk though, express the frustration, ask the what if questions.
These are healthy signs.

Keep talking here, it’s a safe place to vent and grieve.
Hugs