# Toki isn't well. I don't know what to do.



## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

So after taking Toki to the vet last week, she's been on medication - one for Myco, one an anti-inflammatory. She was still making noises with breathing, but not as often, so I figured it was working.

This morning, my wife was up early for work, but came in to wake me up and say toki was not herself. I went in, and sure enough, she's really lethargic. Her breathing seems better and she still took her meds, but she's really slow and sleepy today. I'm meant to be at work today, but one of the benefits of working at a pet shop that actually gives a **** is that my manager completely understands that I may be late/not turn up, as our pets come before anything else. 

I've got a vet appointment at 10.50, and its with a vet that she's seen before (and whom I trust) but I really don't know what's going to happen and can't shake the fear that he may say she's fought these problems long enough. My wife is at work, and I don't know how I could break it to her if the worst does happen, (she almost had a breakdown when our fish died a week and a half ago) and don't know if I have it in me to be party to another of my pets dying. 

Daisy and Poppy are snuggled up either side of Toki, they know somethings up. I don't really know why I've made this thread, I guess for people to suggest slightly pointless words of encouragement, or maybe because I talk about her a lot on here and guess that you guys might want to know. 

I'll keep this thread updated, whether its empty or whatever. 

I hope I'm wrong. I hope she just needs some new medication.

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## Sugapot (Mar 3, 2013)

Aww Toki - Sending you positive healthy vibes!

You are doing everything you can. Hopefully the vet can help - worth a try! Only an hour to wait for the appointment.

All the best


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## Kris (Apr 6, 2013)

I hope Toki'll be alright. Hope everything works out for the best after the vet visit.


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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

Thanks.

Slightly positive news: I heard some rustling, and noticed she was awake. I called her, and she came out of the nest and climbed the bars. I think she might have some fight still in her. 

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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

In the cab to the vet. She seems more awake now.



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## Ratzilla (Aug 15, 2012)

I hope your little furbaby gets better soon man. Don't give up hope just yet, rats are pretty strong little creatures.


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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

Hey all,

Thanks for the support. To say today was hard would be an understatement; had to take her to the vet, then straight off to work, where I was worrying about her every time I went near the rats there.

Home now, and... I think she's ok? Still a lot slower than normal, but she's had some of her medicine (she hates the syrup it's in...) and some malt paste to keep her energy up. She's currently sleeping in her hammock, curled up with Poppy. I'm calling the vet again tomorrow to ask for some advice on the whole syrup taste thing - usually with meds, I just mix them with yoghurt - but the taste of banana in this syrup is just not for her.

Fingers crossed.


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## Sugapot (Mar 3, 2013)

Hope it's going better with Toki. 


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## WinonaGun42 (Feb 2, 2013)

Hope Toki is feeling better. 

I'm going through a URI now with my girls and the vet gave me the banana tasting stuff too. One girl didn't mind it but the other didn't like it. I'm mixing the dose with a bit of honey and warm black tea for now. The girls drink every drop and try to take the syringe I'm feeding them with, back into the cage.


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## Ratzilla (Aug 15, 2012)

Any update on little Toki?


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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

Nothing really to report at the moment. Getting her to take her medicine is a struggle; she consented to take some when I mixed it with Nutella, but since then will only take about half. She also has decided she doesn't like the ferret mutlivitamin paste which I was giving her to try and keep her energy up. She's slow and sluggish, but will come up to say hello when you sit by the cage.

She's currently cuddled up with Daisy, who isn't trying to groom her or anything; just sleeping next to her. I'll be taking her in to the vet on Weds, when we may need to do an xray, although I don't really know if it will help much.


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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

After a few days of debate, we've decided to move Toki to a seperate cage for a while. It was a hard decision, but even though she spent most of her time snuggling with Daisy, the other cage is just too high and big for her to struggle around at the moment. Also, we can monitor what *she* is eating and drinking, rather than guessing what she had in the big cage.

We've had luck with this isolation method at work before, and so I've got my fingers crossed. Daisy and Poppy miss her already though 

Toki in her cage:









Daisy and Poppy wondering where she is  :









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## Opheliona (Apr 6, 2013)

Aw, poor baby, hope she gets better soon


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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

This morning I tried and failed again at getting her to take her medicine. Yet I got a message from my wife half an hour ago saying she'd managed to force feed her 

This has genuinely made my day. I don't have it in me to force feed her, especially as now she's taken to hiding up my sleeve near my armpit whenever she's scared (I.e. at the vets) but I know that she needs her medicine.

Force feeding was the last resort though - she's rejected tea, yoghurt, malt paste, nutella, and smoothie as well as the base meds. Hopefully she can start to mend a little.

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## Sugapot (Mar 3, 2013)

Glad she got the medicine in her finally... i know how she feels -lol. I cant handle nasty tasting medicine either. 
Do you think she is doing better - since the first day you posted?


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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

She has ups and downs, so its hard to say. My first reaction this morning was really positive, she was awake and ready to say hello - then she climbed on the roof to come out 

After that she slowed again, and refused her meds. She's not making the rasping noise much anymore, but appears a little more awake than previously. Now she's getting her meds, hopefully shell improve a little  

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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

Toki is making progress 

As usual, I got up this morning with a sense of dread - I've been having a horrible feeling that she may have deteriorated over night- but she seems a lot better today. She's finally started to mess up her cage, upending her food bowl, chewing the ends off the box we gave her as a hide, and following me around as I made my morning cup of tea 

I had her out briefly, and her fur is less fluffed up, and she actually moves around, rather than sitting in the crook of my arm feeling sorry for herself 

I kind of wish that the vet appt was tomorrow, just so she'd get another day of rest and meds, as it's obviously working, but ho hum 

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## Opheliona (Apr 6, 2013)

Aw glad to hear she's doing better!


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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

Toki in her hide  (up until now she just sat in the corner looking sorry for herself): 









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## Sugapot (Mar 3, 2013)

So glad she is doing beter. She is such a cutie  


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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

Even better news: 

I left Katie (my wife) to give Toki her meds, as she's gotten quite good at it recently. When I came back, she said that she had no luck force feeding, but instead Toki actually licked all the medicine directly off her finger  This is the first time she's done so, and also I had her out for a bit, and she climbed up on my shoulder for the first time in about a week 

She couldn't get down though, so I had to help her - she's regained her desire to do stuff, but not quite the energy to pull it off


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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

Update time.

Toki... Well, she's nether better nor worse, really. We've had her actually taking the Septrin for the past week or so, and she hasn't really improved. She is eating, but not much - it looks to me that she's struggling with it, and I'm starting to wonder if its something to do with her esophagus rather than lungs. She is still breathing hard, and today started making the gurgling noise again.

This afternoon she's going back to the vet, and will most likely have an X-ray to identify what exactly the problem is. I won't be taking her as I have work, so my wife will be instead.

Its expensive, and I personally do fear that it won't really help, but then again it'd be nice to get a more exact diagnosis. 

If I said I wasn't worried about the anesthetic, I'd be lying. Fingers crossed I don't get a teary phone call around 5pm  

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## bbrats (Jan 21, 2013)

I hope all goes well with Toki at the vet! I'm sure the anesthetic will be fine too  Just look at it this way. The xray is going to be able to see what is wrong with her so you can fix it and get her back on the way to being her old self again! Wishing Toki all the best, and as always keep us updated on how it goes.


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## Sugapot (Mar 3, 2013)

Get Well Toki!!


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## PurpleGirl (Oct 12, 2012)

Best of luck to Toki from my household!


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

She looks like my girlfriend's girl Hazel. I had some Septrin before and it didn't help at all; I don't think it's very good on rats. Best wishes for the vet visit.


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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

Well, Toki is still with us 

Weird results from the X-ray though. Her lungs are fine... But her heart isn't. Its enlarged, and pushing against her windpipe :/ she's on some new meds now, so fingers crossed 

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## Eden10 (Aug 11, 2012)

Best wishes for your baby...I know how you feel, have been worried sick over my fur baby, Lucifer & still am actually!


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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

Thanks  just got home, and my wife has been cuddling her for the past 3 hours. She's still very sleepy, VERY thirsty, and also the hungriest she's been in a while.

Her back legs are still floppy though  took her hammock out as she was struggling with it. 

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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

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## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

Oh that poor girl she looks miserable. Did the vet say the likelihood that the meds will help?


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## socal_sarah (Mar 5, 2013)

Hope Toki's meds start kicking in ASAP so she'll start feeling better. Did your vet say that an enlarged heart is unusual for a rat? A cardiomyopathy of some sort?


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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

To be honest, I wasn't there - so I didn't speak to the vet myself. Essentially what she's got is heart disease, and hopefully the 28 day (!) Course of meds will help soothe it a little. There is no cure, but if we can get it managed properly, she should be happy and active for many months more 

This morning she's still dozing inside her box. Personally I'm quite glad she had the sedation now, as she hasn't slept in a while, and this should give her a rest. She is eating and drinking now though 

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## Sugapot (Mar 3, 2013)

At least you know what it is now. I feel so sorry for her in the last pic - not a happy girl :-(


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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

I know, she looks miserable  she kept falling asleep, waking up, trying to eat everything (including fingers and litter), then falling asleep again :/

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## PurpleGirl (Oct 12, 2012)

How is Toki doing now?


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## Raturday (May 26, 2012)

Poor thing. I hope she improves.


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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

I guess the only way to describe her at the moment is slow. She seems reasonably alert, will come to the bars when you walk by, and has made a bit of a nest. She'll eat and drink, but everything seems to be going at half speed. It takes her a while to eat anything, and also to walk across the cage. I'm still not entirely sure her back legs are working 

She's got another vet appt this afternoon, just so he can see how she's doing. 

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## Sugapot (Mar 3, 2013)

Aw she has just been in wars hey! Really hope she makes more of an improvement after the vet visit. 


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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

Me too 

If I'm brutally honest, I fear that she's making her way toward the rainbow bridge  she's just struggling so much when she tries to play, and spends most of her time sleeping and breathing hard. 

I don't want to entertain the idea of euthanasia, but it can't be fun for her at the moment, and if she's still struggling one her meds are done, I may have to start considering what's the kindest option. Its just so sad watching videos of how she used to be compared to her now 

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## Moonferret (Apr 13, 2013)

Poor thing, she sounds very special to you, I hope she improves.


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## Hephaestion (Jan 27, 2013)

This is all very sad. I wish you the best at your next vet visit.

On another note, people can say that those of us who participate on rat forums, talk endlessly about rats, sometimes prefer heading home to free range instead of Friday after work beers, etc are weirdo obsessive crazys but the sheer willingness to spend every spare penny and then some on vet visits for our animals tells me that we are a compassionate and dedicated bunch and this thread is a testament to that.


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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

Toki left this world at approx. 5.30pm. We decided it was just too hard for her, and the likelihood was that she was developing a tumor as well.

I'll put up a thread in the other forum when I feel a bit more composed. Thank you to all who wished her well; she tried **** hard to get better, but it wasn't enough.

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## PurpleGirl (Oct 12, 2012)

Oh no, I'm sorry to hear that she's gone, poor Toki. You did the best thing for her and she made a valiant effort, bless her. Take care.


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## ratchet (Sep 27, 2012)

i am sorry for your loss. you did everything you could, and it is very clear she was loved. xo best regards.


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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

I'd like to add that the vet didn't charge me for the consultation, and also said to pay whenever I'm ready with the actual euthanasia. I believe him when he said that Toki was one of his favourite patients, and that he was sad about the end result.


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## Sugapot (Mar 3, 2013)

So sorry to hear about your lost  my heart feels for you. what a nice and understanding vet you have. She was a great ratty. 


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## Moonferret (Apr 13, 2013)

sorry to hear she didn't make it but it sounds like you gave her a wonderful life and the best care you could offer, she was a lucky rat indeed.


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

So sorry for your loss, your vet sounds really caring and you're lucky to have one like him/her. I'm glad Toki lived a fulfilling life.


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