# Max and Sam



## Timberlee Fields (Aug 2, 2013)

So, I was gonna hide it from you all until Sunday/Monday when I could bombard you with pictures, but I'll be picking up Max and Sam on Sunday! Max and Sam are both females and Max has a disability. She has balance issues and is completely deaf. Sam is a Himalayan (I was DYING to have a himi)!! And Max is a grey hoodie. They come with "6-7 months of bedding" (looks like care fresh) and "1-2 months of food" (a little scared to see what they're eating) as well as a wheel, their cage which is a rat manor, food dish, water dispenser and an exercise ball. All free! They're friendly and the person who is giving them away says its because her niece is pregnant and moving back with her mom and her mom said no rats. They were previously listed for $30 and I contacted them with questions but didn't figure I'd have the money. I was contacted yesterday that they are now free and she wanted to check with me before posting the new ad on craigslist! 

Now, they aren't litter trained. I have a box and I'll be using the carefresh but how do I go from the bottom being the potty area to we use this corner? 

Jon is mad that I found a way around his "I'm not buying you rats" thing lol but I'm so excited!! I get paid Thursday so ill order them some good food then.  I just had to share. 

Oh, and they came with the names. They don't know them but I'm not sure ill change them. 


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Oh my god! Ratties! I was wondering why you were talking about moving the rat cage when it was empty! Ah! I'm so excited. Of course, you MUST show us pictures.

Litter training...find out where they poop, then try to put the litter box near it. Put stray poops in the litter box. My rats taught themselves in day.

I wanted to give a bit of advice on the disability. My rescue rat was discovered to be blind and partially deaf. Make sure you do not change your scent overmuch or she will struggle to recognize you.


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## Timberlee Fields (Aug 2, 2013)

Deodorant is the only scenty thing I use so hopefully that's not an issue. Should I put down the fleece and just put carefresh in the litter box? I'm so excited. 


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

The bottom is a pan, right? For the first week or so while you are working on litter training it might be easier to keep that bare so you can clean up accidents easily and to impress upon them the litter box is the place to go.


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## Timberlee Fields (Aug 2, 2013)

They are used to the bare shelves as well. Should I leave these bare until they are trained?


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Probably not; wire shelves aren't that comfortable to walk on and can cause injury :/ What are you going to end up going with the second rat manor?


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## Timberlee Fields (Aug 2, 2013)

I'm going to put the cage from mine on the tray from theirs and re-assemble the extra for Rodger. He's so spoiled. 

I want to swap trays because I recently found out Jon cleaned the tray of mine with Clorox wipes and I'm scared that's what killed Bambi. /:


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Oh it could have that's not good for them. You should be able to do a 50/50 water/vinegar rinse and it be safe.


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## Timberlee Fields (Aug 2, 2013)

I don't want to take chances either way. I'll be using their tray unless it's in horrible condition. Mine doesn't bother Rodger in the least but he can also get out of it. And I feel like it may not have killed Bambi because if it was bothering her she would have Been in the top but idk. No chances. 


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## Timberlee Fields (Aug 2, 2013)

The scraps I have from making my cage liners from a blanket - some if them have the thread on the edge decoratively if you know what I mean. Is this safe to give them as nesting material or should I cut the thread out?


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

I think it should be fine. My rats get into string, fabric pieces, ribbon all the time. There was an incident where a silly rat had swallowed the string -- but if you've had a dog who has done the same, it is the same experience. She pooped out string and needed help to get all of it out (ewwwww). 
You get them tomorrow? So excited!


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## Timberlee Fields (Aug 2, 2013)

Yep, were meeting at 11:15 to pick them up! The 20 minute car ride will be killer. I don't want to open the box until were in a secure place especially with a deaf, balance-impaired rat. 

What can cause a balance issue? 


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

You can probably know more when you get her. It might be a health issue, so ask how long it has been going on and what started it. Even my sick, fat, blind rat loves balancing on things.

Balance issues are often:
-ear infections (or from having one)
-the result of a stroke
-if she has trouble with her paws, a pituitary tumor (but if she's had it a while this is unlikely).


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## Timberlee Fields (Aug 2, 2013)

Max is 1.5 years old and Sam is 11 months. 


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## Timberlee Fields (Aug 2, 2013)

"Around 5 months ago she got really sick from another rat and developed a fever, she was sick for about 4 days and had issues from then on."

"We took her to the vet and they first told us that they didn't know how to help her, and we brought her back after she started walking again and they said that the fever caused her brain damage"

"They never said what it was they thought she had, I think they were stupid honestly"

I'm not gonna expect too much more time with Max, tbh. 


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Sounds like she may have had an ear infection I guess. Are you going to get a third rat, or just hope for the best for the two of them?


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## Timberlee Fields (Aug 2, 2013)

I'm going to stick with them. If Max has something and Sam hasn't gotten it by some miracle, I don't want to risk infecting and losing a healthy rat. If Max passes, I will keep Sam alone (since I'm now at home again all day and don't leave for more than 2 hours every week other than chemo). If she gets too depressed I'll get her another rat, though. I just want to avoid bringing a healthy rat into this. 


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## Timberlee Fields (Aug 2, 2013)

Getting more health info. I'll continue posting that under my board in the health section. 


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## Timberlee Fields (Aug 2, 2013)

I was feeling up the girls today and it seems as though Max is developing a PT. Sam has a lump where a mammary tumor would occur that I am treating as an abscess currently. I don't foresee this ending well. 


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

. How do you know Max has a PT?


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## Timberlee Fields (Aug 2, 2013)

She has almost every symptom. /: I couldn't find anything else that would present this way. She's been acting odd for a few days now. 


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Oh no. 
Recommended treatment is geared for comfort and the reduction of clinical signs, and may include the following:

Cabergoline or bromocriptine, a dopamine receptor agonist, that inhibits prolactin secretion; thereby reducing circulating prolactin in the blood stream and reducing tumor size. Depending on when initiated in the disease process may extend life/quality time from 3- 6 months.
Since it has been shown that significant shrinkage of the tumor may take a number of weeks following the initiation of a dopamine receptor agonist; vets may wish to treat with a corticosteroid (e.g.,dexamethasone or prednisone or prednisolone) on a more extended reduction schedule to address brain swelling, until tumor reduction is significant enough to alleviate clinical signs. 
Note: a corticosteroid may also be given as a stand alone agent where end stage palliative comfort for the rat is required or desired.
In the event long-term corticosteroid (e.g. prednisone, prednisolone,or dexamethasone) therapy is instituted, given the commonality of chronic mycoplasma infections in the pet rat population, it is advised to consider including broad-spectrum antibiotics such as Baytril and doxycycline.For


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## Timberlee Fields (Aug 2, 2013)

So she has no shot at getting better?


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

PTs are fatal and irreversible. That's why I asked if you were sure


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## Timberlee Fields (Aug 2, 2013)

I may take her to be put down before she gets any worse. I can't afford surgery for Sam so hopefully it's a cyst. In the next week if it hasn't come to a head, in going to safely assume that's a tumor as well.. This is what I get for adopting older craigslist rats. 


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## Grawrisher (Sep 10, 2013)

If nothing else at least they got to live out the remainder of their lives with someone who could pay attention to them and who cared


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Tumors aren't death sentences. It can be lived with. 


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## Grawrisher (Sep 10, 2013)

For a while....if I remember right tumors are what eventually took fuzzy rat


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