# Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) 08/11 :'(



## lilspaz68

Faith was with a "friend" of a friend. She saw this wee girl and put out a cry for help! Can someone take in a little rat who needs medical attention? Hmmm...old? 29 months colour? PEW :heart: , ailing? Yes! Well that meant she was the perfect rat for me sight unseen. 

Faith has what I am positive is pyoderma which I have already been through before with Selene. Only differences are that Selene was a healthy adult, and as soon as it showed up I attacked with treatment. Faith has had this for months. uppy_dog_eyes: She's in agony right now, and I have given her a huge dose of metacam. My friend picked her up on Friday night and started her on baytril, and children's Motrin. I will continue the baytril and substitute in big doses of metacam, then see Dr. Munn on Thursday.  She's tiny at 224 grams, malnourished, but sweet even in her pain, and has these amazing expressive eyes. 

Pyoderma
http://ratguide.com/health/integumentary_skin/pyoderma.php
Selene's case history on ratguide
http://ratguide.com/health/figures/pyoderma_figure_4.php

Faith

































Another friend gently scritching her...she loved it 









Poor Faith had to learn that when she was sitting or lying still she could be normal but when she moved, she would arch her back up so the painful skin wouldn't pull.  It's heartbreaking to see, especially when she shudders or shakes her back. :'(









Such a brave little girl :heart:


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## Corpseflower

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics)*

I can't believe someone could see that and not do anything about it.  Poor girl!


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## ration1802

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics)*

She has the eyes of Lily .. which can only be a good thing! Deturmined eyes is what them is 

I wouldn't worry too much about the time frame, Ritchie had his for months while we tried to figure out what it was and the moment the abs and baths started the change was immediate.

I'll keep all my fingers and toes crossed that she feels better soon! Mucho positive vibes coming your way from me and my crew


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## Jest

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics)*

What a poor girl :-[ I can't believe people let her get to that point. She's absolutely adorable though!!


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## adoraluna

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics)*

She's a doll baby. I just wanna give her kisses....

Lots of good healing juju heading your way from me and mine!


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## ratastic

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics)*

She looks pretty to me. Is she getting better, is the treatment working?


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## lilspaz68

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics)*



Ratastic said:


> She looks pretty to me. Is she getting better, is the treatment working?


Does this answer you? I see her every day so its harder for me to see the improvements.

I think the pyo on her back is a little less angry...if I am right then the baytril is starting to fight the infection (she's had 4 days worth of baytril now)









And the lump on the jaw looks to be external like an abscess or something. Its rough and LA remembers a scab on it when it developed. I think she just may have caused herself an abscess from hooking herself with a claw while frantically scratching. I sent these pics on to Dr Munn this morning as well. Her jaw and teeth seem aligned which I was honestly worried about. Wheee!!!









I fell asleep on the couch when Duds was running, meaning to get him in an hour and then take Faith out. *DOH* Woke up at 11:30 am...found Duds in the bedroom (how he gets his bulk over the barricade?!) and put him away. Faith was actually climbing on the sides of her cage so I took her out and put her on the couch, and ended up passing out til 4 am there. More *DOH* At 4:15 I was taking pics of her, and then again this morning 

She really runs around and explores between snoozes in her Home Soft Home









I'm coming!









She says Thank You ;D 









I am waiting for her morning dose of metacam to kick in then I am going to use globbed on fuciderm on q-tips and try to dab her back. She may not thank me after that! :


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## Iron Gypsy

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) 07/15 AM*

She's very sweet - she looks like a fighter!
I do hope she gets better...
I've never dealt with any health problems before... I assume it would simply be a matter of following directions?

Heh. :3 I'd love her, but I don't have any more room and I don't really feel comfortable taking on such a thing.
I would be so afraid to fail. .___. she is looking a little better, though, from the pictures.

Good luck!​


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## lilspaz68

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) 07/15 AM*



Iron Gypsy said:


> She's very sweet - she looks like a fighter!
> I do hope she gets better...
> I've never dealt with any health problems before... I assume it would simply be a matter of following directions?
> 
> Heh. :3 I'd love her, but I don't have any more room and I don't really feel comfortable taking on such a thing.
> I would be so afraid to fail. .___. she is looking a little better, though, from the pictures.
> 
> Good luck!​


I have dealt with a LOT of different health issues, and you mostly have to be very aware of what is normal for that particular rat to discover if they are ill etc.

I wish it was just following instructions...rats haven't read _that_ manual unfortunately.

Diagnosis - URI (upper respiratory infection)
Instruction - give them 2 types of oral meds twice a day.

Rat's reaction, - I am going to refuse every food item you mix those nasty meds in...or if you attempt to syringe it in my mouth, I will hold it there and let it run out, then once you let me down I will run around wiping my mouth on your nice clean bed/couch LOL


As for taking her...have you heard the phrase "From my cold dead hands... LOLOLOLOL

BUT I will give her a kiss for you ;D


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## Iron Gypsy

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) 07/15 AM*

I am loathe to give medication to dogs and cats, much less a tiny, squealing, wriggling little mouth. 

Sounds like *you're* a trooper too. lol


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## lilspaz68

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) 07/15 AM*

You learn how to handle the wrigglers, but even some of those defeat me. Faith is hard to medicate because to gently restrain her you might touch her sores, and I feel wretched causing her any pain  She is improving, and often lets me pop it in her mouth quickly with no fuss 

I am leaving in 17 minutes to drop off wee Faith at the vet's for the first time 

Expect an update mid-afternoon I would imagine. My vet will call and discuss her.


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## begoodtoanimals

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) 07/15 AM*

Have you tried fresh aloe vera, straight from the plant? That often works miracles for skin issues.


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## lilspaz68

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) 07/15 AM*

Well I got the call from Dr. Munn's assistant Christine. I was asked if this little girl had been treated with Revolution and I answered in the affirmative, about 1.5 weeks ago. When my friend contacted me and a few others and we heard scabs and itching we told her to go treat the poor little thing with Revolution ASAP.

Well it seems little Faith is absolutely infested and teeming with lice (Dr Munn took a few hairs and checked them out and found the buggers).

If there is Pyoderma it is secondary to her scratching big wounds on herself from the lice. I feel terrible that I missed it (I couldn't really hold and examine her well but I still should have seen the lice on her butt when I was patting it).

With further investigation it turned out the Revolution was expired :-\

I treated all the rats ASAP, and Faith will continue on baytril and metacam, and a very thin layer of Fuciderm on her nastier wounds to encourage healing. Later on I can use vitamin E oil etc...but for now its just the fuciderm, as this stuff is very easy to spread on sore skin, and its amazing at any infections.

As terrible as I feel, lice is nice, and it will be easier to treat than long-term pyoderma. :blob3: 

We left her face bump for a possible FNA later on when the skin was under control but it burst last night. ;D

Her back today pre-fuciderm









Starting to really heal









Her face bump burst last night, I think it was a small abscess


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## Gabrielle B

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) 07/15 AM*

Poor girl, to think it was something as easy to treat as lice! how could anyone leave an animal like that :'( She is so lucky to have you!


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## lilspaz68

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) 07/15 AM*



Gabrielle B said:


> Poor girl, to think it was something as easy to treat as lice! how could anyone leave an animal like that :'( She is so lucky to have you!


Well its really not "just lice" anymore. She does have a stress pyoderma which she needs the antibiotics to fight, but its better than pyoderma being the main cause...more treatable in the end. 

She's looking better now and she is scabbing properly as well as her face abscess popped so I am flushing out the cavity. 



















Gross pic but the skin is looking less angry, the scabbing is normal and will come off and not return


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## Jerry

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) 07/15 AM*

What a gorgeous little girl.. :-* Her name is very appropriate. I shudder to think about her fate if you hadn't of saved her. :'(
Some people need a bullet for there ignorance and cruelty to animals :-\


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## Maple

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) 07/15 AM*

aww poor girl... :'( :'(


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## lilspaz68

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) 07/15 AM*

10 days later A little better, less scabby overall, the smell of infection from her face cavity is gone tonight (stay gone please?), and brighter still ;D

Still does her funny walk sometimes, with her back arched









Just a quick comparison
July 12








10 days later









Slowly but surely









and the gratuitous "nice pics"









I totally fell for this bright alert little face. :heart: She's not a cuddlebug, but she's a grateful little character


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## this_wallflower

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) 07/22 Eve*

What a lucky girl


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## Corpseflower

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) 07/22 Eve*

I'm so glad she's improving! I'm rooting for her!


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## AMJ087

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) 07/22 Eve*

Im so happy she has a great home now and someone to love and take care of her!


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## areoseek

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) 07/22 Eve*

awww. *I will Pray for her*


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## lilspaz68

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) 07/22 Eve*

She seemed to be sleeping more than usual, but I have to remind myself she's an OLD rat, but today she was much brighter and adventurous. The hole in her face is worse though. :-\

Bad side








Good side









But age and illnesses don't stop her in the least...she still walks a lot like a reptile but she can still climb









Take possession of my purse on the far chair 









Not ready to give up yet! *heart*


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## adoraluna

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) 07/30 AM*

I have an unbelievable amount of respect for you. I don't think I could do what you do. I am glad there are people like you who can do it though and give these lovelies the best quality of life before just putting them down. 

You are made of all kinds of awesome!

~Chris


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## Corpseflower

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) 07/30 AM*

Aw, she does look better, despite the hole. I think she looks great! She's very beautiful too.


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## lilspaz68

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) 07/30 AM*

I had to drop off Faith at the vet on Friday as that lump and hole in her face was getting worse. Faith wasn't impressed with her day one bit, wouldn't eat much pablum while there, and when she got home she ran around the couch "YAY! I'm home!"...then buried herself in the couch :roll:

Good news and bad news.

It was tooth related...kinda. :-\ There was a big causeous plug of pus inside that hole on the inside, but where her teeth (molars) should've been they were gone. The tissue was so inflamed and infected there was nothing to hold the tooth in place so it fell out  So I guess the good news is there's no tooth to remove so no surgery to agonize over. Faith was given a whiff of gas and a camera put in her mouth for this pic. 









The lump of pus was removed, cleaned out, gauze put in her mouth and the abscess cavity flushed (so the solution didn't go into her mouth). We are hoping there's no tumor involved and that baytril will clear that up. She will be on soft food for awhile.

Dr. Munn was VERY pleased about the condition of her skin and her weight gain though 

She just didn't deal well with even a whiff of anesthetic but is doing a bit better now.

She came out for some Ensure.










She should feel a lot better soon though


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## Lea

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) Vet Update*

I can't really figure out that mouth picture exactly, but anyway, hope it will get better now that it's been cleaned out!


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## lilspaz68

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) Vet Update*

The white stick thing on the top left is an instrument, below that is the pus, to the right are her molars.


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## Spider

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) Vet Update*

How is Faith today? I realize its going to take time to undo and heal her wounds. What is the condition of her immune system? what is she eating?
I'm very curious and upset at the same time thinking of this poor creature.
Spider


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## lilspaz68

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) Vet Update*

Faith was able to eat lab blocks before the cleanout, but I have been giving her lots of Ensure, baby cereal, baby food, soft foods, etc afterwards. She loves it.

But...I honestly don't know what to do now 

Faith's face is swollen back up but not as much. There's a scab deep inside...


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## Stace87

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) Vet Update*

Oh dear. It looks like her eye is going cloudy now too?


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## lilspaz68

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) Vet Update*



Stace87 said:


> Oh dear. It looks like her eye is going cloudy now too?


She came to me like that.


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## Spider

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) Vet Update*

Are you able to hug her in any way that won't hurt her? or give any touching?
Is she able to spend any time with the other Rats?
I can imagine how you must feel. The cumulative effect of all that you're doing for her, plus the natural survival genes and the healing quality of time itself will combine to bring the desired change about.
Is she up for a long and protracted battle? thats why I asked about the condition of her immune system.
In these newer photos she looks tired, weary,at her age this must be difficult for her.
Maybe a little green tea might pick up her spirits. There are some Bach flower essences that can give hope, happiness etc. I wish I knew which ones.
Spider


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## lilspaz68

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) Vet Update*



Spider said:


> Are you able to hug her in any way that won't hurt her? or give any touching?
> Is she able to spend any time with the other Rats?
> I can imagine how you must feel. The cumulative effect of all that you're doing for her, plus the natural survival genes and the healing quality of time itself will combine to bring the desired change about.
> Is she up for a long and protracted battle? thats why I asked about the condition of her immune system.
> In these newer photos she looks tired, weary,at her age this must be difficult for her.
> Maybe a little green tea might pick up her spirits. There are some Bach flower essences that can give hope, happiness etc. I wish I knew which ones.
> Spider


She cannot be with other rats because they will hurt her skin, but her hospital cage is on my bed and she huffs and puffs at the rats who are out during Out time. She bruxxes and boggles and we have lots of meaningful conversations. She loves when I rub her cheek or her neck/head...even her butt. Thats our patting, but it is still sooo much more than she ever had. Faith loves choice...choosing to sleep where she wants...I leave the door open on her cage at night and sometimes during the day. She often sleeps behind my pillows but goes back to her cage for a drink or a bite.  She had NO choice for almost her entire life. A tiny hamster cage, bad and minimal food, NO handling or out time at all since they had predatory cats so they never took her out.

She is happy right now in her own way...maybe not how you or I would like it, but how she likes it. Freedom, love, soft foods, strokes and scritches when she wants it. Her life won't be a lot longer I know that, but there is no pain or discomfort that she is showing...I do have metacam for the itchies and swelling in her face. She is on baytril and she gets her ointment for her skin.
As soon as my girl shows any sign she may suffer I will have her pts.


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## teresaisaacs

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) Vet Update*

wow such amazing progress for his girl... im sure she must appreciate all the love and care you have given her xxx


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## Spider

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) Vet Update*

I realize this is a special case and is getting A1 treatment at your hands. You must be having to play it by ear alot of the time as most Rats this affected usually aren't around very long.
I just keep thinking of her looking out the cage bars at the other Rats playing, just being together.
Isn't there a special Rat you could trust to be her special friend? if only for a short time each day? someone extremely gentle who might just lie next to her?
And isn't there anything she could take to pick up her spirits? an herb?
I know you're doing everything possible for this Girl, and I apologize for being intrusive but I'm very interested in your Faith.
Spider


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## lilspaz68

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) Vet Update*



Spider said:


> I realize this is a special case and is getting A1 treatment at your hands. You must be having to play it by ear alot of the time as most Rats this affected usually aren't around very long.
> I just keep thinking of her looking out the cage bars at the other Rats playing, just being together.
> Isn't there a special Rat you could trust to be her special friend? if only for a short time each day? someone extremely gentle who might just lie next to her?
> And isn't there anything she could take to pick up her spirits? an herb?
> I know you're doing everything possible for this Girl, and I apologize for being intrusive but I'm very interested in your Faith.
> Spider


She has met my sweetest and oldest rats and she gets huffy and pins them...she shoves them away. It seems little Faith doesn't want rat companionship. Right now I have her with Ellie (who is on borrowed time herself) and wee pregnant baby Lilith. Poor Ellie got pinned LOL. Although right now she's trying to shove herself into the sleep box beside Faith...we'll see if Faith lets her.

Lilith watches from the sidelines and then runs to cuddle with me.

And Faith often looks through the bars at her beloved bf Timmy (his cage is also on my bed...good thing I don't need much room...I am with the tougher or sick cases all the time this way. Its great for reaching certain rats


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## Spider

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) Vet Update*

what does bf Timmie mean? who is he, whats his history?(sorry for being so nosey).
Spidey


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## lilspaz68

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) Vet Update*



Spider said:


> what does bf Timmie mean? who is he, whats his history?(sorry for being so nosey).
> Spidey


Timmy is a black berk boy I fostered for about a week and a half after picking him up from a bad situation. He went to a good friend into her rescue but soon after arriving started biting. He was neutered but never got any better, even months later, and started throwing himself at the bars to try to bite people walking by. I told her I would fit him in and work with him again. When he was here he never bit, and was just a nervous hormonal boy so I knew there was a nice boy in there. Well after chomping everyone at the rescue he came home, and was instantly my Sweet Timmy...with me. He and Faith's cages are side by side on my bed, and when Faith is out she goes to visit him and he huffs at her through the bars and she gazes longingly at him. :LOL
I mean he's a gorgeous hunk of rat , can you blame her? LOL









Right now Faith is sleeping near Ellie in her box on the end table.  Baby Lilith was put back in her cage just in case she goes into labour tonight.

Just like people they start off cuddling









and end up at opposite sides of the bed :


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## Spider

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) 08/09 Eve*

Rats are so much more interesting than people! I don't know if its my age or what but I've really begun to relate better to animals than people.
Timmy really looks like a beautiful Rat with a strong personality. What an interesting face.
Thank you, Spider


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## lilspaz68

*Re: Introducing Faith (disturbing skin pics) 08/09 Eve*

We are at the end of a long road, Faith and I.

Faith started open mouth gasping last night and I am taking her in to my vet to be pts :'(


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## Corpseflower

Oh no!  I was really rooting for her. Well, at least she'll no longer be in pain...<3


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## Lea

Sorry to hear that, you did your best for her. 
RIP, little Faith.


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## FeffOx

Im so sorry about poor Faith lilspaz  Hopefully she'll have nothing wrong with her at the bridge.


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## Kowcatchan

That's too bad, I just started reading this thread and I was really hopeing she would come through. She is a beautiful little girl  At leased she had some good times, freedom, and friends before her time ends.


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## ratastic

I'm so sorry for Faith's passing. We were all rooting for her.


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## MissHinasaki

Poor Faith. At least she had someone as wonderful and loving as you at the end. Even if your time with her was short, we all know that you greatly improved her life.

RIP, little Faith.


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## Kinsey

Poor sweet thing. She's grateful for having been loved, I'm sure she's happy she had a good home when she passed on. Thank you from her, and all of us, for taking care of her. *huggles*


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## kawaiikitsune

Omg, this is so sad :,(

I'm so sorry. At least she had a good life before she passed on tho. You're an amazing person for taking her in.


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