September: What's happening in your world?

[SomethingElse]

I have a very nice and relaxing weekend at R's house. Also, my brother's away for a week, so I can sleep in his bed (I thought that he was going away tomorrow and that I'd be on a mattress on the living room floor again).

One of my rats, Zeke, is very old and has hind leg degeneration. He was given a long-acting steroid injection a few weeks ago and is constantly eating, and obviously felt better because he was cuddling up with the other boys again. However, he continued to lose weight. He looks very thin and frail, and he had a bad day today. My mum text to say he wasn't eating and he looked very sorry for himself. He did start eating again and was cuddled up in a bed my mum put in for him, with Tristan (who my mum calls Gus, because he's fat like the mouse from Cinderella). However, he does look in a very sorry state, and I will be taking him to the vets tomorrow, most likely to have him put to sleep.

[ozymandias]

This concert was a good one. Fun and funny, Chad and Jeremy sounded as good as they did back then. Played the old favorites, plus some funny spoofs of classic folk tunes.

And no sensory overload..............I wasn't planning on going, but decided, what the heck, glad I did.

[Sophist]

I have a very nice and relaxing weekend at R's house. Also, my brother's away for a week, so I can sleep in his bed (I thought that he was going away tomorrow and that I'd be on a mattress on the living room floor again).

One of my rats, Zeke, is very old and has hind leg degeneration. He was given a long-acting steroid injection a few weeks ago and is constantly eating, and obviously felt better because he was cuddling up with the other boys again. However, he continued to lose weight. He looks very thin and frail, and he had a bad day today. My mum text to say he wasn't eating and he looked very sorry for himself. He did start eating again and was cuddled up in a bed my mum put in for him, with Tristan (who my mum calls Gus, because he's fat like the mouse from Cinderella). However, he does look in a very sorry state, and I will be taking him to the vets tomorrow, most likely to have him put to sleep.

I'm very sorry, Benji. But it sounds like he's had a long life for a rat I hope. And a great life with you and the other ratties. Can't ask for much better than that.

[ozymandias]

Indeed, it's always sad when a beloved pet passes on or needs to be put to sleep. But, it's for the best. I cried when my Guinea Pig had to be put to sleep long ago. I still remember it. But, there was nothing that could be done.

Hang in there.

[SomethingElse]

It is old. The average lifespan is generally considered to be about 2 years, but many rats die before then because they tend to be prone to quite a few conditions (respiratory, heart, kidneys, as well as tumours). Somehow I always feel I've failed if they don't make 2 and envy people who have rats who have reached 3 or 4 (I've even heard of rats reaching 5, although I wonder whether that is in part just the owner forgetting exactly when they first got the rat, as I've lost track of the time and felt sure that I've had rats for longer than I actually have - you forget what life was like before them, you see).

I am not too sad at the moment. Anxious because I always get anxious when going to the vet when it's for a sick animal (as opposed to a check up for Louie, although I sometimes still get a bit anxious beforehand even then!). I have found so far that the deaths are harder when you've had to watch a rat panicking late at night before dying (when it's too late to get to a vet), or when you've found a rat dead unexpectedly (when you honestly had no idea that they might die). When they are old and you get the choice and can help them to pass and stop their suffering, although it's sad and an awful responsibility, it's also a relief. Zeke doesn't even look like Zeke anymore. He doesn't deserve the indignity of growing so old and frail, and I'm sure he's uncomfortable now. I'm almost eager to take him, as I'm so worried about if he is in pain or struggling to breathe. His appointment is in two hours time. My mum said she would take my but wanted an early or late appointment. The early one we were offered was too early (my mum wouldn't have been in from work and I ended up having Bruno this afternoon anyway, so didn't get home until even later than my mum). So the only other time we could have was half seven.

[ozymandias]

Sometimes I forget that the life span of any rodent type pet can be short compared to a cat or a dog. When you get attached it makes you wish that they could live much longer. And your right, a beloved pet deserves the dignity of a painless death.

Best wishes to you and your pets.

[SomethingElse]

Thank you.

Zeke is gone. I will be taking him to another vet tomorrow to be cremated, as the one I use is very expensive (and it wouldn't be practical to use them for rat cremations).

He passed away during the gassing part of the procedure (they gas them and then inject them straight into the stomach or heart, both of which could potentially be very painful if they weren't already gassed & asleep). I've heard of people's rats struggling when being injected. Bacchus I think was already dead by the time he was put back on the table to be injected, although he was injected, still, before the vet checked. However, tonight Zeke was brought back into the room already wrapped up in a towel because he'd passed during the gassing (the vet said he injected him anyway just to be doubley sure that he was completely gone). R rushed to mine after work so that she could come (because she loves those rats), and she asked if we could see him, and so the vet unwrapped the little bundle. Zeke actually looked better than he'd looked for a long time (peace in death and all that). He looked more 'normal' and less boney and old. However, his head was twitching ever so slightly, giving the illusion that he was still breathing. I thought it was probably just those after-death reflexes, and didn't want to mention it for some reason, but R mentioned it and the vet looked closer and realised and apologised that we'd had to see it, but I didn't really mind. It wasn't upsetting movement. It was very subtle and rhythmic, so quite peaceful looking.

There was a woman in the vets with a pygmy hedgehog, and R got talking to her because she's never seen one in real life before (I haven't either, actually), and was asking about them. So I think it might have been because I had that in mind, but when Zeke was brought back in the towel he was wrapped in, from the angle I was looking at the carrier from, initially looked like a hedgehog! So I was at first sort of baffled that he'd brought the wrong animal back. It seemed sort of surreal, like... what a mistake to make when someone's just been bereaved! Then, when I realised, I found it hilarious but felt it was inappropriate to laugh so I held it back. The vet left the room at one point and I was telling R about it and we both did crack up laughing.

I feel exhausted, which I think is a mix of a long day with hardly any relaxation and the stress of taking Zeke to the vets. It's sad, but it sort of just also feels okay? I guess because he was old and you can't really stop that (whereas when a rat gets sick it feels like you need to fix it and if you fail it's harder).

[ozymandias]

You did the right thing. Rodents are notoriously hard to care for when they are sick or injured. I learned that from having a guinea pig. They live such short lives that even with the best of care at home it's best to just enjoy the moment. Rats do make good pets.

[Civet]

I'm sorry to hear about Zeke, Benji . It always sounds like you care very much for your pets and look after them very well, so I'm sure he probably had a very good life. It can be very hard to lose a pet, I'm glad you're handling it well now.

Having dealt with illness in beta fish I understand what you mean when it's more difficult to deal with the death because of a sickness you try to cure and are unable to (and with beta fish it seems like it's very hard to cure any of the diseases that are serious). This is why I don't keep fish anymore, it effects me too much when they pass away, and they pass away often. It sounds like Zeke lived a long and pleasant life, though, and that you kept him healthy and happy as can be.

[SomethingElse]

It's amazing how draining just worrying about them can be. Regular feeds for a sick rat who isn't eating (Bacchus being the prime example - I actually had to force feed him to get him through pneumonia, and although it cost a lot of money and dominated most of my time and thoughts it was well worth it because on that occasion I succeeded), checking on them incessantly because you're paranoid something will have happened. I was also worried on every occasion I stayed at R's, convincing myself that something bad would happen while I was away, and I even kept worrying at work that something would happen (number one fear seemed to be that he'd fall on a ladder, get a leg caught and break it, and be stuck hanging there in pain).

Yesterday when I had to stay until home time to look after Bruno I managed to make myself feel faint with worry that I'd come home and find that Louie had been stolen. I think that if I hadn't have had the responsibility of Bruno I might have passed out or had a panic attack, but I had to focus on him. I text my mum asking her to text me when she got home, though.

I have to go back to work shortly to do PECS training (at half three, school finishes at about 3pm for the infants and 3.10pm for the juniors (or 3.15pm, I'm not sure).

[Sophist]

Very very sorry about Zeke, Benji.

[goddessoflubbock]

Sitting here trying to pass the time until DS calls for his lift home. Tonight was an away game, in Abilene. That's 3 hours - each way! Their bus should pull in between 1-2am.

This is what happens when you live in what I call the "Texas Outback". It's a 2 hour ride from our town to the next town with more people than livestock. And that town is no more exciting than this one!

Hubby would like to hit Abilene, as they have his beloved Pep Boys. But it's not a day trip for me...

[SomethingElse]

I went to my cousin's friend's house last night. She (the friend) has been diagnosed with sclerosis (not sure what kind if it is more specific than that) and Raynaud's phenomenon. She is unable to go out much anymore because of how tired she gets and how her joints hurt, so my cousin decided to 'bring the fun to her' so to speak. It was a pleasant evening, and I am feeling a little fragile today! I am going to have a bath soon, because I'm cold and I'm worried about the shower playing up (it tends to do so later in the day, when people in other houses must be using appliances that require water). Poor R had to get up early (she stayed at mine) and go to work (all the way across London and with the terrible weekend travel).

[goddessoflubbock]

Years ago, I used to knit and crochet. I've decided to pick up crochet again, because I've been nearly utterly unproductive for two years. I have no idea what I will make, but at least my hands and brain will be busy.

A skein of red and green yarn called my name - it's 3 montths until Christmas so I should be able to finish something

[ozymandias]

A couple of my friends on a forum, "The Drivel" and on FB. Love weaving, knitting and such. And they do awesome work. My attention span is geared towards other crafts, but I can understand how many people would find it soothing or rewarding!