Ratablog

A terrible evening

Both Arthur and Rabskuttle have gone.

As I mentioned Friday, I stopped giving Rab the ipratropium. By Saturday morning his feet were a darker blue, and he breathing sounded worse. I believe I made the right decision, though, because he seemed much less distressed. He cuddled in the nest ball with Arthur, and although he didn't eat much solid food, he took lots of yogurt and Ensure from a syringe.

Arthur wasn't quite himself this weekend. When I had the boys outside the cage on Saturday he buried himself under a blanket instead of running around the bed. Worse, he wasn't eating enthusiastically. One thing with Art, he ate like a fiend...I couldn't understand how he'd been losing weight. (Kanga was the same way.) Saturday I gave him egg and cheese, and he nibbled at them but didn't even bother stashing the rest.

Today both boys were subdued, eating only the yogurt and Ensure I gave them in the syringe. I was wondering if Arthur was somehow adjusting his usual demeanor for Rab.

This evening I was watching Oliver and the girls while Victor was cleaning their cage, and Victor came in and said he had bad news. Arthur had fallen down a ramp in the cage, and he couldn't right himself. I took him out on the bed, and it was just like George last week and Kanga a few months ago...

Arthur hadn't had a seizure, but I figured it was coming. I didn't want him to suffer through the night while we waited for our vet to open, so we decided to take him to the emergency vet to be put to sleep.

Rab wasn't in full blown respiratory distress, but I know it was coming...I figure it would have been another week or so, maybe. And I don't know how Rab would have done by himself. As much as he and Arthur used to squabble, since Misto died they had gotten closer and calmer. The last few weeks they were always together. I hope this was the right thing to do...I let them go together tonight.

I can't believe how the last few weeks have gone. I knew we were going to be facing more bad news than good because of the health and age issues, but I didn't realize it would come bam-bam-bam like this. It's almost like I jinxed us.

I've been typing this through tears.

Goodnight, Arthur. Good night, Rabskuttle. My four rambunctious boys (Art and Rab, Misto, and Mr. Ratburn) are back together again, far too soon, but I hope you are breathing easy and having all kinds of fun.

Posted by Abita at April 9, 2006 09:12 PM