# saying bye to Bear...



## centennial (Aug 28, 2012)

The boyfriend and I brought Bear to the vet two days ago and the prognosis wasn't good. Our choices were either to spend lots of money on lots of diagnostics that even in the best case scenario would probably just buy him a bit more time, or to let him go now and not risk any more suffering or discomfort. We chose the latter, and I miss him even more than I thought I could  He was the sweetest, weirdest, funniest little lovebug I've ever met. 

Here's his history: 
I got him at around 3 months of age in late July. A few weeks later, he started having seizures--really violent, thrashing ones. He would rip nails out accidentally and hurt himself. We started him on phenobarbital which took a while to work but then he didn't have any seizures for a few weeks. However, they started up again. Thrashing as well as less violent ones where he would convulse but not fly around the cage/room. We raised his dose, and again they went away for a while, but in the last three weeks or so he has started convulsing more. The vet wasn't comfortable raising his dose anymore, so we weren't sure what to do. 

Meanwhile, he has also been developing some breathing problems. We tried baytril, baytril+doxy, and azithromycin with no luck. The vet kind of gave up and said that possibly he was inhaling saliva during seizures or just has a chronic breathing problem. 

Additionally, since the seizures started he has been a little...strange. I had suspected some brain damage or other neuro problems, either from the seizures or maybe from the meds or something. He was slower and dumber than my other rats, but that just made him a better snuggle-buddy. He loved nothing more than to just snuggle in my arms or on my chest or in my hood while I watched a movie or crocheted. He also liked to give kisses and groom my lips, eyes, ears, etc. 

We brought him to a different (better) vet a few days ago who did a much more thorough exam. She said his pupils were VERY constricted, so he likely hasn't been able to see much for a while. Also, his reflexes (when she poked near his eyes) were much slower than usual, so he probably had some brain damage. She thought that maybe the seizures could be caused by liver problems (inflammation or shunts or something, I didn't get the details). That would have taken an xray and blood work to diagnose. The blood work is apparently hard to do while they're conscious so they usually put them under anesthesia to do it, and both of us were worried that he wouldn't come out of that. We could have tried taking the blood while conscious but I knew that he would hate that 

We decided that even if we did all that fancy work and diagnosed his problems, his lungs and brain were already so damaged that he probably would still be uncomfortable and we didn't want to see him suffer. We decided to put him to sleep. He went very quickly. In some ways it was relieving to see his chest stop heaving and fighting to breathe... 

I miss him so much  Playing with my other rats just reminds me of him and it hurts like ****. He's the sweetest, weirdest little guy ever. RIP Bear (aka Bug, aka Boo, aka Stinker, aka Pooper, aka whatever else came to mind). 9 months was too short for this little bugger


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## pipsqueak (Sep 5, 2011)

I am very sorry for your loss.
He was such a cutie, and looks so fluffy.


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## centennial (Aug 28, 2012)

He was quite a fluffy little beast. His fur was the best--sometimes it just stuck straight out at all different angles like it didn't have a grain at all!


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## OutOfHowMany (Dec 24, 2012)

Wow, he was super precious looking. I'm so sorry for your loss; I know your baby knew he was loved


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## CapnKennedy (Sep 30, 2012)

:c he was precious..you did the right thing. Poor little guy...r.i.p.


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## PurpleGirl (Oct 12, 2012)

You did the right thing for him, what a handsome chap he was! Sorry for your loss. x


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## Poodlepalooza (Aug 9, 2012)

So sorry for your loss! He was a lucky rat to have a human who loved him so much & was unselfish when it mattered most.


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## centennial (Aug 28, 2012)

Thanks guys <3


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## RomyRose (Dec 1, 2012)

I shouldn't read these kinds of things when I am emotional! I hope you are okay, this made me cry so I can only imagine how you are feeling! It's hard to lose a best friend, it's not fair when they are prematurely taken.

It sounds like you did the best for Bear, he would have been a very happy rattie, an lucky to have such An amazing owner and friend.


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## centennial (Aug 28, 2012)

I'm pulling through--been having mini-breakdowns a few times a day but holding together in general. It's kind of funny actually; I've had a few deaths of friends and family in my life but I must say that losing Bear has been the hardest, even though he's just a little ratty. He really was my baby!!

I really do think he was pretty happy with me even while he was uncomfortable near the end. Even after a big seizure he would sit with me and boggle till I thought his eyes were gonna pop out!


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## Ratty859 (Dec 15, 2012)

I'm sorry about your loss, but it sounds like he had the best possible person for him. Thank you for being such a good person to him, in sure he really loved you guys.


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