# Waiting for the Inevtable



## Serinidia (Jan 16, 2014)

Tyrion got spooked after escaping my room and jumped from the balconey onto the hardwood floor. He's probably not going to make it, I have worked with enough dying animals to be able to tell, and I am unsure of what to do.... He is siezing and making odd noises whenever he breathes. The vet is about an hour away and I do not know if he will make the drive over there. What do I do?


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## abratforarat (Jan 12, 2014)

I'm so sorry! I don't know much about that but I'm going to research it. I hope he'll make it!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## anawelch (Sep 25, 2013)

Ruptured lung perhaps? Rats are so small I doubt theres anything the vet could besides euthanize. If you can't get to the vet just try and make him as comfortable as possible and let him pass. Make sure he can't move around too much and hes in a safe, comfortable place. Being a prey animal he's going to want to find a safe place to hide from predators while hes weak. I'm sorry you had to experience this and I hope the poor baby isn't in pain.


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## BlackBirdSeesYou (Nov 4, 2012)

I'm so sorry. I cannot even imagine going through that.  Poor baby, I know he's probably in pain now, but hopefully it'll pass soon.


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## Serinidia (Jan 16, 2014)

I am going to post a video on YouTube. He is doing slightly better but not by much. I will link it in a new thread.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

First of all, I'm very sorry for your accident, I just logged on so I'm about 5 hours behind... Is Tyrion still with us? And if so get him as warm as you can... (Under 80 degrees) to minimize shock. And keep him as relaxed as you can. Is he bleeding out the nose or mouth? Is he moving? 

If you can, offer him a little bit of water to keep him hydrated. I've had rats survive cataclysmic trauma worse than falls, but it's tricky... In my experience many rats that make it through the first 10 minutes survive if cared for properly. 

Rats usually die almost instantly from their injuries or they recover amazingly quickly, it's like there is a tipping point. Too far gone and there's nothing to do, not hurt bad enough and your care doesn't make much difference, but when you are right on the balance point keeping your rat resting, warm and hydrated and being there with him makes all of the difference.

It's OK to be pessimistic, but don't give up until it's over.


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## Serinidia (Jan 16, 2014)

Tyrion is still hanging in there. The seizures have stopped but they did last for a good 20 minutes. I tried wrapping him in a blanket in his cage but he freaked out. He is currently curled up next to me with a blanket I threw in the dryer just long enough to keep him warm. He still can't move very well at all. Video is still uploading, my cell phone takes forever to upload videos on YouTube.


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## Serinidia (Jan 16, 2014)

And no blood.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

No blood is good... as is no seizures... just keep him warm hydrated and relaxed. Rats heel amazingly fast but they have to stay alive long enough... I've seen young rats start trying to explore before their blood is even dry... which is of course a very bad idea... 

Remember rats are programmed to act "strong" when they are really weak to discourage predators. So no matter how energetic Tyrion tries to be, don't encourage him to strain himself. Gentle snuggling is the limit of his activities for the next week or two if he makes it through the night.


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## Ratbag (Nov 30, 2013)

Really sorry to read this. Praying that Tyrion pulls through.


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## Serinidia (Jan 16, 2014)

I am happy to announce that he made it through the night. I spent the majority of the night with him before nodding off at about 3 in the morning. His breathing is slightly better but his attempts at moving are still alarming. He will not eat so I am considering getting him to drink baby formula. Do you think that is a good idea?


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## BlackBirdSeesYou (Nov 4, 2012)

Wow, I can honestly say I did not think he'd make it. It's amazing what animals can pull through. Anyway, hoping he'll continue to get better. Maybe try some baby food, too? Anything mushy he can lick out of a spoon would probably work.


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## Serinidia (Jan 16, 2014)

Video from last night. Breathing is slightly better movement has not improved at all.


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## Serinidia (Jan 16, 2014)

For some reason it didn't work.

http://youtu.be/jSLEpBc7s1w


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## BlackBirdSeesYou (Nov 4, 2012)

Gosh, that is so heartbreaking to watch. I'm no expert, but I was thinking the same thing about brain damage, too. Found this: http://ratguide.com/meds/analgesics/acetaminophen.php Maybe it'll help?


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## Serinidia (Jan 16, 2014)

Thank you BlackBird!


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## abratforarat (Jan 12, 2014)

I researched it but it didn't come up with anything useful. But I'm not going to give up. Is he still ok? I don't think I can bear him dyeing, he sounds so sweet. That video is so sad.:'(


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## Serinidia (Jan 16, 2014)

Just gave Tyrion a mini bath because I got back from Church earlier to find that his belly was literally yellow from pee. Also, this might gross you guys out but when I was washing his manly parts I noticed a thick almost... hmmm... it was more solid than a liquid but would still break when wiped? (If that makes any sense)... yellow goop coming out of his penis. Needless to say it was very odd.


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## BlackBirdSeesYou (Nov 4, 2012)

Could've been a penis plug. I'm not sure what exactly it is, but that might've been it. I think a lot of older rats can get those because they can't wash down there. Since he's not able to groom himself, you'll probably need to do it for him.


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## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

From what it looks like he might have hit his head when he fell since his lower half is not paralyzed and he has no broken bones. If he did hit his head then there might have been some bruising to the brain which can cause his movements and breathing to act like it does in the video. I had a friend once who owned a mouse that escaped from the cage and fell from the dresser were the cage was placed on once. The mouse hit his head as well and acted a lot like your ratty in the video. Unfortunalety he passed away two hours after the fall.


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## Serinidia (Jan 16, 2014)

The good news is that Tyri has made it past the first 24 hours mark which improves his chances of recovering. I am really nervous about the vet tomorrow. I'm hoping she doesn't find something to complicate his condition. The earliest I could set the time was 4:30 in the afternoon.


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## BlackBirdSeesYou (Nov 4, 2012)

Good luck. I'll be praying for him.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

When you get a catastrophic injury like a bad fall or crushing incident usually within a minute your rat is dead or it's recovering. Within 10 minutes and your rat can move under it's own power, you are about 80% sure of which way things are going and by the next morning your better than 90% through the crisis. Rats pretty much need to eat every day so by day two it should be eating easily digestible foods like oatmeal. Once you are past drinking, eating, peeing and pooping your rat is pretty much home free. 

You see rats are designed to survive injuries, their bones are flexible and they heal like nothing else on earth. From my experience if the trauma is too catastrophic rats go into shock and just shut off, it's like throwing a light switch and a kindness of sorts.

So rat trauma medicine is basically keeping your rat from going into shock and shutting down. You keep him warm and hydrated and resting and let nature take it's course and your rat will recover on it's own. And honestly, it's amazing how much trauma a rat can recover from given it's small size.

When a rat spooks it momentarily loses it's better judgment and disaster is only a fraction of a second away. It happens so fast and so unpredictably there really is no way to stop it, it's kind of like a slow motion nightmare... 
So don't blame yourself for whatever happened, when you are working with a spookable rat they will always find that split second you lose focus between heartbeats to get themselves into trouble. There's practically nothing you can do to keep them 100% safe. 

Overall, it sounds like you've pretty much made it over the hump and the odds are in your favor. 

Best luck and keep up the good work.


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## Lovinmyratties (Jan 5, 2014)

I'm so sorry about your sweet tyrion :'( He's absolutely adorable and your love for him is very clear. I'll be praying for his recovery. Please keep us posted. 


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

I cried while watching your video. I'm praying for his recovery. He looks like such a sweet baby.
And when he is recovered I'll make a Bran joke. 
He looks so much like my little Arya too and it's so scary because Arya is always falling off of things she has climbed.

I do really hope the movement thing won't be permanent

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## Andyurgay (Jun 10, 2013)

I'm not a vet or even learning vet tech, but it almost looks like his pelvic bones might be the reason he is wobbling and having issues with his back legs. The head bobbing makes me think neurological or spinal issues but if you don't feel broken bones and he can eat and drink as well as move his back feet, I wonder if the sounds he is making are pain sounds. His back feet being splayed out like that but still moving make me think he just injured the bones in his pelvis or the tendons while trying to correct and land on his feet. Usually back feet hit first and take the brunt of the impact. I'd ask the vet for an xray of his pelvic bones just to rule that out. His wiggling and bobbing might be his way of moving about without putting his back legs into too much use if they hurt. Which could be caused by pelvic bone problems and not a brain problem at all. I've known horses who bob their heads while jogging or did weird things with their back legs, neck and back while moving to alleviate pain in their hind end. My cat who was hit by a car also had some strange head and leg movements related to a broken pelvic bone. My mom has been a human nurse for over 20 years and in cases like falls and other weird problems, I would never discount a pelvic bone problem. I'd get that checked out, with X rays. If he is still around, he has a good chance, he will just need the right help. good luck! Such a sweet looking boy


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## Serinidia (Jan 16, 2014)

AndyUrGay-That would be a huge relief if it isn't brain damage. I don't care about the costs of whatever treatment he needs, I just want him to be happy. He's been curled up in a ball for most of the night, only moving every so often to stretch. He's refusing any type of food at the moment and it takes a bit of time to convince him to drink.

Voltage- My Arya is a black berkshire  

Lovinmyratties- Thank you! And I will be sure to keep everyone updated on his status.

RatDaddy- Thank you for keeping me optimistic! 

BlackBirdSeesYou- Thank you so much for all of your help!


And as a whole, I just wanted to let each and everyone of you know how much your support means to me and I really really appreciate it!


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

I'm late to this, I apologize but hope I can contribute meaningfully. 
Don't administer any pain meds such as children's Tylenol. They have this side effect concerning bleeding and clotting and if there is a brain issue you want everything functioning normally. If you do, use a very small dose (.2ml max) to manage pain. You also unfortunately don't want him to feel fine because he may injure himself trying to act fine since the pain receptors in his body aren't warning him to be careful an still. 

Based on the wee bit I know concerning humans, I think we can rule out skeletal muscular issues, because all four limbs and his tail had movement but impaired function. Since he made it through the night and is seeking the main things needed to survive, I think we can assume that any neuro problem is minor to a point. That is, I don't think that what is affecting him is necessarily fatal given the time lapse, but it may not be reversible. I would think that steroids may be able to help, but hopefully your vet can make that call. 

As to the sounds, I think what you are seeing is essentially trauma. Being disoriented (even blind), stress and panicking, chattering, all seems consistent with that. Even seizures to a point, but again that may be more importantly linked to any nerve or structural damage to the brain. 


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## Lovinmyratties (Jan 5, 2014)

How is tyrion doing?


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## Serinidia (Jan 16, 2014)

As of 12:15 pm his condition has started to deteriorate. His eyes no longer look shiny as they should and he keeps them at half mast. He is refusing any type of food and it is taking a bunch of convincing to get him to drink. Arya and Sansa have been bringing him bits of food as well as grooming him. Arya is almost always next to him.


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## BlackBirdSeesYou (Nov 4, 2012)

Aww, that's so sweet, how compassionate your other rats are, taking care of him. This really sucks to hear, though.


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## abratforarat (Jan 12, 2014)

I'm glad he's folding up and good luck at the vet. *Hugs*


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## Serinidia (Jan 16, 2014)

Getting Xrays. Tyrion has declined since the last post.


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## Serinidia (Jan 16, 2014)

Vet recommends euthanasia.

She said that it would be more merciful then dragging out his suffering in the hope of a statistically speaking low chance of recovery and retaining a good life.


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## Serinidia (Jan 16, 2014)

*Tyrion is staying in an incubator over night so that I can make the decision tonight. I really want to be selfish and see if the head trauma will heal with time. But at the same time I don't want him to suffer.


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Did she prescribe anything while he's in there?


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## Serinidia (Jan 16, 2014)

Fluids and a low dose of Flunixin Meglumine. Tyrion also has a sprained front leg.


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## abratforarat (Jan 12, 2014)

I'm sorry for the typo. I meant holding up. I'm sorry about the sprained leg.:'(


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## Stephanee (Jan 12, 2014)

That's a really hard decision to make and I'm so sorry you're going through this . What ever decision you make will be the right one, and it'll be out of love that's all that matters and I'm sure your baby knows that. Never stop believing in miracles!


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

I've had rats go both ways... Those I've lost, died within seconds of serious injuries those that made it though the night usually made it... But those were otherwise healthy young rats...

That's just my experience, perhaps not quite advise.


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