The Rat Lovers Club! ~MODS PLEASE LOCK!

[LEVIATHANjuno303]

l love rats!!!!

[Badash]

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Username: Phantom Wings
Have you ever had a rat?: Yes... Two. One of them, Khloe, died just last winter of a mammory tumor, but my other rat, Sophie, is still alive, and a little more than 3 years old. She is a Capped agouti, with a black/grey cap. The funny thing is, as she has gotten older, her fur tips have gotten tinged red! Sadly, just 3 weeks ago, she got diagnosed with a slow growing tumor on her hip. It sadly cannot be operated on (the tumor would relocate somewhere else in her body, like her brain, and instantly kill her). If anyone would like to make a pic of her for me, just message.

[MoonfallTheFox]

I just came back from the vet with awful news. My girl, Rosebud, has a Zymbal's gland tumor. She's in hospice now, eating only mushy food because the lump has pushed her jaw off to the side and she cannot chew. She's happy right now but I fear she doesn't have long at all.

EDIT- I realised how that sounded- like I was just going to leave her until she died, in pain. Once her quality of life deteriorates, I will be having her euthanised. I spoke to my vet about it today and he said to just call whenever I feel it's time and he will put her to sleep. He looked really sad when he told me that it was a tumor, as I feared, and that we couldn't do much for her. It's really hard to know she is dying.

[TheForumFairy]

[Kouvinxx]

aww no

my rat lilly has just got a tumor I cried when I found out

[MochaTheLlama]

:(

Please try to post more than this. It is considered spam. Also, words mean much more to someone than an emoticon. C;

[crazy cranky critter]

I just found out the local rat shelter sells pretty awesome looking ratter hoodies. I'm buying sevral for Christmas B)

[heartleafed]

I have a question. Is canola oil okay for rats? I was just wanted to know because I needed something to grease their wheel with, and I figured some canola cooking spray stuff would be okay, but I don't want to take any chances with it. All help is appreciated.

[MoonfallTheFox]

Don't know about the oil, but I know that vasoline is considered safe for mice.

Mice are a jillion times more fragile than rats, so I'm willing to bet that a teeny bit of vasoline would be helpful and certainly won't hurt them.

An update on Rosebud- she's doing okay today but the tumor is growing. I had her out to cuddle with me all day, and stayed home from school to be with her. Her eyes are bright, and she is active. Her right eye is covered in poryphin, even if I wipe it off, and I think the tumor is close to the eye or eve growing behind it at this point. She seems to be putting back an itty bitty amount of weight now that she's actually able to lick up her food.

She is eating her mush and drinking and being a sweetheart.

Keep her in your thoughts, guys. She needs it.

I'm taking it a day at a time. When I sense her going downhill I will stay home from school with her to comfort her, parents be damned, and then get her to my vet for the last time.

I took a picture of her good side today, thought you all might like to see it!



Oh, and rats like to eat wet cat food mixed with applesauce. Ew. But they like it, and Rosebud's able to eat it since it's mushy and slippery and she can lick it up.

That's how bad the jaw is- she has to lick up all of her food. She tried to eat a somewhat medium sized cottage cheese curd yesterday and was trying to mush it with her tounge and it fell out of her mouth. I have the slop-making skills, though, so she has something she CAN eat. Going to probably get Ensure for her tomorrow.

[Kiliann]

Aww.
I'm praying for you and your rat. Good luck, and give her a mini-hug from my babies!

I'm debating weather or not I should get more rats- I want to, but... the costs are too big at the moment. I have other things I need to buy here, like gifts!