# I can't believe this happened... [RIP, JoJo]



## Kimmiekins (Apr 14, 2007)

Rattie Love Rescue was contacted by a rescue in Illinois. They had rats that had been adopted out by someone who turned out to be mentally unstable (sadly, all the adoption contracts and checks in the world don't always turn up some things ). This person ended up dumping 6 rats at a vet in Kentucky. These rats had been at this vet for a month, and the rescue had been charged $21 a day, $600 for the month.

Since we were not all that far away, we had no problems with driving to get this rats. As a rescue, we know that $600 is a LOT of money and would have no problems keeping the rats until transport back to IL could be worked out.

We drove the hour and a half, actually enjoyed it (back roads all the way!). Got there, got the rats, put them into the car...

I noticed one of the boys was in obvious respiratory distress. He was emaciated and probably dehydrated.

The others had some porphyrin and a sniffle or two, but seemed otherwise okay (since having clean cages, they are perfectly fine). But the cages were FILTHY and smelled so awful, it made our eyes water. They had food, but it was all tossed on the floor, the food bowls empty.

We were horrified! This wasn't a surrender we picked up from people who weren't caring for thir rats, this was rats that had been at a VETS office for a month! A vets office that charged more than some charge for dogs to be boarded!

We took them to one of our awesome quarantine homes, who cleaned the cages up, filled their tummies with really good food, and gave them loving. The very sick boy, obviously, was taken to our vet.

Our vet was shocked to learn he had been at a vet's office for a month! He is in severe respiratory distress, his lungs are filled with fluid, he is skin and bones, and he is near death's door.

He's now on baytril x2 a day, nebulizer treatments (I can't remember what we're putting in the nebulizer, I think it's another antibiotic, the paper is in the car), and bene-bac. We're also trying to get him/keep him very hydrated and he is eating some. But breathing is so hard for the little guy. 

It's touch and go at this point. Hopefully, we caught it in time.

It's just... not only did the vet's office neglect them (dirty cages), they also allowed what they'd told the rescue in the beginning was "a little sneezing, but he's fine" and it turned into this. A rat, sat in a vet's office, and went from sneezing to severe respiratory distress. No vet care given.

How does that happen?!?!

I won't give our the name of the clinic in public, but it is in Maysville, KY and will give it out via PM if anyone is in the area and concerned. I don't know if they don't normally see animals besides dogs and cats, or what, but there is NO excuse for this.

Please keep "Jojo" in your thoughts. I know he had another name, but our vet needs one and so we made one up on the spot. He's a fighter, but this fight started before we could help...


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

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The poor baby...

Apparently the vet didn't want to take care of the abandoned animals?


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## Kimmiekins (Apr 14, 2007)

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That's all I can figure, though they took the money!


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## Mana (Apr 22, 2007)

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That's horrible. I can't understand how any vet, or the people who work at that clinic, could let any animal go uncared for. There's no excuse to not even keep the cages clean! It sickens me that something like this could happen. When animals are neglected at a vet's office, there's something seriously wrong. And that $600 went straight into their pockets, minus maybe $20 for the food they didn't even bother to put in the food bowls. Maybe they charged for the inconvenience of having to smell uncleaned rat cages for a month. The worst thing is, there's probably nothing that can even be done. I hope that vet feels really good about what s/he did. Probably doesn't even care.

I hope poor Jojo will pull through


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## chrisstrikeagain (Apr 10, 2007)

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Pooor Jojo...he is in my thoughts. 

Some vets are sick n the head


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## Macabri (Oct 8, 2007)

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What in the **** were they really charging you for anyway? They should have been glad someone was coming to take the rats that they were obviously not taking any care of. In fact, they should be paying you.

That is so disgraceful and disgusting to me. I don't care if you're a rat doctor or not, you should have the common sense to try and keep any animal in your charge from suffering needlessly.


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## mamarat (Sep 21, 2007)

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Thanks to you, Jojo has a fighting chance now. Sending healing thoughts to the little guy.


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## Inesita (Feb 18, 2007)

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Ah, that's just wrong! Best of wishes to poor Jojo!


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## jorats (Sep 9, 2007)

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What in the world? Now even vets don't do right by rats. 
This is infuriating... I so hope someone in the area does something about it. Did you take pictures of the cages and such? 

I so hope Jojo makes it...


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## rat_ratscal (Sep 23, 2007)

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you could replace that vet no problem! doesnt sound like a vet to me, more like a.....net! (first word that popped into my head that was actually a word) good job for rescuing 6 rats! how many do you have now? you're keeping them all right? cuz if your not then they prolly wont make it.....


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## Kimmiekins (Apr 14, 2007)

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Read the post again.  They aren't our rescues, we are helping out with another rodent rescue. The vet wasn't ours, the old owner dumped them there. The original rescue of these rats will be getting them back when they are well enough to travel. Most rescues - including ours - will ALWAYS take their rats back at any time in their lives.

We've rescued more than these 6, LOL! Rattie Love Rescue has rehomed over 50 rats. Right now, there are 30ish rats here, with 5 on our waiting list. That's NOT including the 6, because they do NOT technically "belong" to our rescue. I assume at least the 5 healthy ones will be adopted out again, because if we kept all the rats that came into our rescues... We wouldn't be "in the business" for long!

Think I got that all straight.


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## rat_ratscal (Sep 23, 2007)

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thats what i said silly goose............


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## Kimmiekins (Apr 14, 2007)

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Just an update... There appears to be one, if not two of the girls pregnant. They did have what may have been mites, and one had self-inflicted (from scratching) wounds. One does have a slight head tilt as well.

However, the 5 were picked up from my foster's house by the rescue they came from originally, and are going back there. Sedtal Rodent Rescue, they are located in Scott AFB, IL. There's some cutie PEW ratties (1 boy, 3 girls) (and possibly babies) that will be needing homes soon, so if you're nearby, check them out. Tell Kadee RLR sent ya. 

Jojo is staying as a RLR rattie. He improved for a few days after we rushed him to our vet, but then declined again - and worse than ever. So now, we're trying a different antibiotic, more aggressive reps. treatments, and some other things. *crosses fingers* We're going to do what we can for him, as he's shown time and time again that HE isn't ready to give up, so neither are we. He had put some weight on, but lost it.  He is skin and bones, despite the fact that he is eating - and well. Our vet wants a re-check in a week, but if he is not improving in 3-4 days, we will take him back then. At that point, he'll probably need intensive, in-hospital treatment.

I hope to be able to say soon that Jojo is ready for his forever home. He's a major fighter, but this sickness has taken a huge tool on him. 

If you're curious, btw, legal action is being pursued against the Maysville vet.


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## paddy (Oct 22, 2007)

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Kimmiekins said:


> If you're curious, btw, legal action is being pursued against the Maysville vet.



That is good to hear. I cannot see how any real vet would allow such a terrible thing happen to an animal. Absolutely disgusting.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

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What a terrible story Kimmie, those poor rats and those horrible "vets" 

Poor Jojo is in my thoughts, fight little man!!!!!


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## glindella (Sep 9, 2007)

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This my be a stupid question but can rats get tapeworms or an equivalent?


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## Kimmiekins (Apr 14, 2007)

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That actually isn't a stupid question. The vet had thought of worms herself, yesterday. Apparently there's a lung worm rats can get. She looked it up and found that rats HAVE gotten these worms in Hawaii and Louisiana. Now, as these rats traveled around, the vet decided to go ahead and worm him, just in case, as worming won't hurt. I hadn't even thought of it, myself, so I'd say if you're on-par with the vet, it's not a stupid question!


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## glindella (Sep 9, 2007)

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Yay! I didn't ask a stupid question!! I was thinking about a zo lab I had. Make sure the worms are not transferable to humans, they are very hardy, we dissected preserved tapeworms to make slides and we had to wear gloves and wash like crazy, the worms are capable of spreading even after being preserved :-(


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## Kimmiekins (Apr 14, 2007)

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Not at all!  Thanks for the info, I will let my foster know, and we'll all be very careful! I've heard that about worms... Crazy things, they are. Nasty, too.


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## glindella (Sep 9, 2007)

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Proglittids! The creepy thing about tapeworms (ok one of the creepy things) is that all of their sections (excluding the scolex aka head) are for reproduction which they do asexually :-( they are very good at spreading... I used to remember the life cycles of a bunch of parasites but now I forgot, fun stuff... I love my college


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## Kimmiekins (Apr 14, 2007)

The other rescue, us, and our vet decided it was time to let Jojo play over the bridge. Weeks of extreme treatments did nothing to ease his suffering.

He fought the whole way. We stayed by his side, wishing him well..

I'm very angry right now. A vet's office caused this. A very sweet and loving rat was put to sleep because of the neglect of a VET'S OFFICE. I just can't get over it.

RIP, JoJo.


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## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

so sorry to hear this, I really had hopes the little fellow would pull through


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Aww Kimmie I am soo sorry to hear about Jojo.  LilBit and now Jojo...you've had some wonderful little souls make brief appearances in your life lately.

At least Jojo now knows that humans can be good and kind. :'(


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## Mana (Apr 22, 2007)

Oh no  Poor Jojo... I'm so sorry 

This is so horrible that something like this could happen... especially because of neglect from a vet


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## yashu (Sep 14, 2007)

I just went to a vet for the first time... and it was not for a rat but a mouse. I was almost embarrassed, but the vet was so understanding, so caring to the little guy, it occurred to me that someone that loves animals, as a vet well should, even a little tiny mouse should be given honorable treatment.

The vet charged you 600 dollars and you ended up with probably even larger bills to your own vet to try to repair the damage... plus the damage to the other rats... When I saw this vet care so lovingly for my mouse, even calling to check on her, I couldn't imagine someone just not caring to the point of knowingly doing harm... and trying to take your money.

I do not like involving the law, you guys know that, but I think there could be a case here, because the vet charged you for services, services obviously not rendered. I am sure that even for "holding", the animals are not to be neglected, otherwise, who the **** would sign that contract? Basically, I think you could probably be awarded the sum of the vet costs that you have had to try and cure the rat(s), and also have the 600 dollar bill nulled. You do need proof of this neglect, so I hope that you have kept copious records. It is sad to see an animal as emotionally rounded as a rat die like this, and it is just as sad that the reason may be a vet, someone that is supposed to do no harm, and to be trusted, but also to, at least, provide adequate services in this capitalist world. Now, be warned that you need to be very professional about this approach, you do not want to be counter sued for something like slander, because there is precedent relating to this and internet forums. I think you don't have to worry because you have not named the vet in question, but just keep being honorable. Honor is something that few people seem to have these days, obviously, an honorable vet would have not let this happen.

If I was a vet, even if it was inconvenient, the honorable thing to do would have been to give proper care.


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## Sparker (Jun 17, 2007)

I agree. 

Even if the doctor didn't notice, why didn't one of the techs step up? 

Rediculous.


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