There Must Be an Angel

Watching over this little rat. Once again, Noel has an angel watching over her. She keeps declining, and I took her in once again today, knowing I was going to say goodbye to her. She has lost almost all muscle control, but darned if she doesn't have a will to live. She will eat ravenously and drink water when I hand feed her.

So, Dr. C has fallen completely in love with her and does not want to give up on her. She's got her last "shot" literally today. He gave her a steroid shot, because he does not think that it's an infection, but rather something nuerological. If she does not show improvement by Thursday, we'll put her down. If she does improve, we'll get her on 10 days of oral steroids.

Her eyes are bright, and she's very alert, she just has no control over her body, but she's fighting. I am so in love with her little spirit.

Thankfully, I'm off all day tomorrow to baby her, keep foods in her, and watch over her.

Keep her in your thoughts and prayers!

Hope she hangs in there, robin!

good luck!

I'm so sorry that she's deteriorated so far, and I hope she responds well to the steriods. C'mon Noel!!!

I hope she gets over it! Keep us updated!

Well she's Noel and she's got her Christmas Angel pulling for her. :) I hope she can come through this hon and I'm sending all my hopes and prayers for this little rat.

Got my fingers crossed for this girl Robin. Any reaction to yesterdays steroid shot?

Hard to say. Some progression, yes - in that now she's back to severe head tilt that causes her to do flips, but she's got better use of her front paws. I'm VERY cautiously optimistic.

Awwww Robin. Here's hugs and lots of good thoughts coming your way. Please let us know how she progresses. :hug:


Now I need to go find some kleenex. *** Blubber blubber ****

Well.... it's Thursday.... I've got my fingers crossed for a good update.

sending healing loving vibes to you and your little rattie.

My appointment is for 7:15 this evening. I don't have a lot of hope for her, I've not seen a lot of improvement. Unless Dr. C has something else up his sleeve, I think it's time to say goodbye to Ms. Noel.


I'll update when I get back. Thank you for your continued concern for this sweet angel!

Good Luck with her!!

Well, we're back - yes WE are back!


Dr. C has fallen completely head over heels in love with Noel, and he desperately wants her to come out of this. He spent the last two days on the internet with rat "specialists" trying to figure out what's going on with her. They suggested blood work ups and an MRI - he told them that they were out of their mind if he's going to ask me to spend $1200 on tests for a $10 rat, and basically said - what would you expect to see with the bloodwork and MRI and how would you treat it.

So, she's back on the doxycycline, the meclizine and now she's also on trimeth/sulfa suspension, which is a brain barrier antibiotic (something like that, it will cross the brain barrier that the doxycyline and the baytril wouldn't).

Every "expert" told him that they have not seen head tilt without some sort of RI preceeding it, so we're trying this antibiotic that will cross the brain barrier. He's not sure, but he thinks she may also be blind, because she didn't react to his hands waving in her face.

If this works, she may very well be left with some head tilt, but at least will be mobile again.

He basically said "I don't want to give up on her yet - if you are willing to continue to force feed her and make her take water, I really want to give her one more shot". The whole time he's snuggling her, kissing on her and baby talking to her. I said "you really love this rat, don't you" and he looked sort of embarassed when he admitted that he did.

I told him - "my main concern is that I don't want her to suffer". He agreed, and said that he plans to continue to research on her until Tuesday, but feels if there's still no improvement, he will concede that we've tried everything that we can for her.

She's certainly never going to be a breeder, and that's fine with me.

One encouraging thing though - gave her the medicine not more than 30 minutes ago, and she is drinking water on her own right now, which she has not done in the last three days, and she's nibbling on food. I'm not real optimistic, but I'm hopeful.

I came out of the exam room, and the front office staff knew that I planned to have her put to sleep - saw me not crying and gave me a questioning look and I said "I need to make an appointment for Dr. C to see Noel next Tuesday". They cheered! Everyone has fallen in love with her!

Thank you everyone for your well wishes for this little rat. I know I've been touched by her little spirit, no matter what ultimately happens, and I have to feel that there's a reason that she came into MY life, and was not adopted by someone else that probably would not invest so much time and money into her.

Big prayers for little Miss Noel. That's a heck of a vet you have there Robin!

ahhhhh what great news. i'm sending reiki loving light her way!

Hang in there Noel!!! And Robin too! :) Give that little rattie roo a get-well hug for me. :hug:

K~

See, I knew those steroids would help :) Ratties are strong, and if she's trying this hard to stay, maybe she's your heart-rat. My one girl, Lloyd, fought for months with cancer, even after having three major surgeries. She was my soul-rat and hopefully she can find her way back one day.

It's hard to describe, but I see a few of them, the special ones, out of the corner of my eye every so often :)

They're very special creatures, and each time they go, they take a very large chunk of your heart with them.

Robin I'm so impressed with all the care and 'second' chances you've given this girl. You truly have a heart of gold. :hug:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

See, I knew those steroids would help :) Ratties are strong, and if she's trying this hard to stay, maybe she's your heart-rat. My one girl, Lloyd, fought for months with cancer, even after having three major surgeries. She was my soul-rat and hopefully she can find her way back one day.

It's hard to describe, but I see a few of them, the special ones, out of the corner of my eye every so often :)

They're very special creatures, and each time they go, they take a very large chunk of your heart with them.

---

Becky,

I'm not sure that the steroids DID help though. She's got no real control of her body - she has such a severe tilt to the left that her body "flips" over, somersaulting to the side if you will. She finally stops flipping and lays immobile on her side, but I place a lot of food by her head and she eats it, she's eating now, and she can lift her head enough to drink water, but that's about it.

Holly stays with her and grooms her and loves on her, and I think it's important for her to have that rat contact.

It's really heartbreaking to watch, but I take her out each evening and offer her some Gerber's meat sticks which she nibbles on, and then just love on her and she bruxes and boggles, and then I put her back in her spot and Holly takes over the loving on her for me.

I hope that over the next few days I'll see her sitting upright, but honestly, if this doesn't work, the quality of life she has isn't much, just laying there.

She IS most definitely my heart rat though, and I have to choose what's ultimately best for her in the end. I'm willing to give her a shot, because she's not in any discomfort that I can tell, but I won't let her live for two years like this.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tigerlily

Robin I'm so impressed with all the care and 'second' chances you've given this girl. You truly have a heart of gold. :hug:

---

Thank you Christie - I honestly think that any one of the people here posting would do exactly the same thing! We have a wonderful caring group of folks here!

Oh Robin I'm thrilled for you and thrilled for Noel! You need to tell her she's got her very own fanclub.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rabernet

Thank you Christie - I honestly think that any one of the people here posting would do exactly the same thing! We have a wonderful caring group of folks here!

---

I really wish that were the case, but I don't think so. I think you are going above and beyond, and you ROCK!!

Well - I think we may have found a medication that is finally working for Ms. Noel (aka Weak Neck as Karl refers to her).


I am very pleased to update that this morning, Noel is UPRIGHT and nibbling on food and drinking water! She is still weak, she can't sit upright for long, but she's moving around the enclosure now! She still has the tilt head, but I am definitely seeing improvements.

I am still being very cautious in my optimism, but I have more hope than I've had in a few weeks!

Keep the positive thoughts and prayers coming for her!

Very good news! :carrot: :carrot: :carrot:

Wow that is a major improvement Robin! Sending lots of good vibes down Georgia way for her recovery. :)

Thank you for the kind words and healing thoughts - I'm sure that it's a combination of the meds and all the people pulling for her!

Lovely news Rab!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rabernet

Thank you for the kind words and healing thoughts - I'm sure that it's a combination of the meds and all the people pulling for her!

---

You are doing a fantastic job, Robin! :rockon: