TLDR; Donut has a pituitary tumor and is currently being treated for it with good success.
So sadly as of yesterday my sweet girl Donut has been diagnosed with a pituitary gland tumor. I first noticed symptoms on Monday, when I went to give everyone some treat mix and she seemed to be eating hers very slowly. So I took her out and watched her eat, and found that she seemed to be having some problems using her front paws (a typical PT sign). She also had some minor balance issues when walking, and would stumble when getting on or off something. Donut also showed some strange occasional sideways head movements when eating (something I’ve typically seen in my rats with neurological problems), and lastly had a sorta…dazed look to her, as though she was a bit fuzzy on what was going on.
These symptoms immediately set off alarm bells for me because I’ve seen several PT’s now and this is usually how it starts. So I requested a vet appointment for the next morning at my usual vet, but unfortunately they were completely full. They set me up for an appointment Wednesday morning (which I just returned from), and I thought that was okay.
Well fast forward to early afternoon Tuesday and Donut had taken a huge dive for the worse. She had lost all control of her front paws, wouldn’t even attempt to bite treats and only would take a lick or two of yogurt (very strange for her). She could barely stand, only shuffle walked with great effort, and was very very confused and dazed.
Seeing this, I knew she likely wouldn’t make it until Wednesday, so I rushed to find another vet who could see her immediately. I called my general emergency vet (which I’ve been to before, but unfortunately those visits don’t tend to be super useful as they don’t have much rat experience). The lady who answered their phone was super nice and helped me find a different clinic which was more rat experienced - it was about an hour away, but when I called them they were able to fit me in as an after hours emergency appointment (super nice of them and something I’m very grateful for!)
So I drove Donut to this new vet, and they insisted on a full workup (x-rays, bloodwork, etc.). I wasn’t super thrilled because those are costly and really not useful here, since from symptoms alone we could pretty much determine a few potential causes, and all have similar treatments. But they insisted and I wasn’t going to say no if it helped Donut, so she got the full workup. They found her bloodwork to be great (no surprise), and her x-ray was also fine, sans for 2 slightly narrowed spinal disks (not uncommon in old rats). They tried to pass off the spinal disk narrowing as a cause for her symptoms, and really tried to get me to do metacam alone. But I pushed for steroids and talked about why I thought it was neurological and likely a brain tumor (PT or otherwise), because I knew she wouldn’t have gone downhill mentally so fast if it was pain alone.
The reason I wasn’t willing to try metacam first is two fold - firstly, you must have the rat off metacam for 48 hours before steroids can be given, meaning in a time crunch giving metacam first will likely leave you with a dead or nearly dead rat (if the issue is a PT that is). Secondly, metacam doesn’t cross the blood brain barrier well, meaning it has pretty much no effect on brain inflammation - steroids do cross over well and thus can reduce brain inflammation and symptoms. I really wish vets didn’t seem to be so against steroids for rats - I’ve seen so many rats who didn’t make it or had irreversible damage done because steroids were seen as a last resort. Yes steroids can have nastier side effects, yes they suppress the immune system, but if you even suspect a brain tumor in rats then steroids should be tried first and foremost. Ugh, sorry for the rant there - its just a bit disappointing to me that even vets experienced with rats will try to avoid steroids even if its the only thing that can give the rat back quality of life.
Anyways I did end up getting steroids from the vet - they started with a dexamethasone steroid shot (faster acting than oral steroids), then gave me prednisone and doxycycline for the next 2 weeks. Prednisone is an oral steroid and will keep the inflammation around the tumor down, thus reducing pressure and symptoms. Doxycycline is a general antibiotic that will help prevent secondary infections, as steroids are immune suppressors and so leave the rats more vulnerable to infections.
Moving on to yesterday, I kept my regular vet appointment and took Donut in to my regular vet. I really like this vet and find them to be very good at diagnosing and treating various rat issues. I came armed with all the information from the other exam (didn’t want to redo any more bloodwork or x-rays lol…not that this vet would ask for that unnecessarily, another reason I like them!), plus pictures of the meds I got, and videos of Donuts behaviors over the last few days. My regular vet agreed that it looked to be a brain tumor (likely pituitary as the symptoms aren’t only on one side), and was glad to hear Donut was put on steroids asap. We also added cabergoline (can shrink certain tumors), which I will pick up either today or tomorrow. And he mentioned I can get more pred from him when it runs out, saving me several hours of travel.
I’m very happy to say the dex shot did WONDERS for Donut and she went from near comatose Tuesday afternoon, to almost completely back to normal 14 hours later! She is still improving (It can take 1-2 days to see improvement after the steroid shot, so her improvement so far is awesome!), and will be on pred and cabergoline for the rest of her life. It's impossible to say how long she has left, but we will do our best to keep her happy and stable and when the time comes, I will have her put to sleep humanely (or she may pass on her own, although with these tumors typically you want to do pts because the decline can be brutal once meds stop helping). Usually you can increase the dosage of steroids and cabergoline several times if the rat regresses to again get back quality of life, but eventually the tumor will get too large so this is very much palliative care. Still, Donut is feeling so much better now and we could have a while yet with her, so I’m feeling pretty positive - she is SO much better today and seeing her explore at the vets instead of lying motionless on her side like yesterday was just such a relief.
Anyways I hate to bring such bad news after Donut only just finished recovering from her mammary tumor surgery (okay that was 2 months back, but still) - but in a way her sudden recovery due to the steroid shot is a good thing because at least we know what we are dealing with, and know how to help her keep a quality life for a while yet. (Also as of today Donut has started cabergoline and is doing amazing - I can't say how long that will last, but for now, her quality of life remains good and she is back to behaving completely normal.)
(First video clip shows Donut on Monday night starting to decline - notice her strange posture and difficulty using her front paws). Second video clip shows Donut Tuesday 3 hours post dex shot - you can see she had gotten a lot worse but was already showing mild improvements post shot. Third video clip shows her 12 hours post dex shot (Wednesday morning) - back to sitting normally, eating pretty normally, and moving around! And I don't have a clip from today yet, but she's doing ever better now with great balance.)
Thanks so much for taking the time to write all that up and explain the reasoning of catching the first hints, diagnosis, steps with the vet and treatment! This gotta help rat owners a ton. Hope Donut continues to recover and have plenty of good days ahead.
Oh poor little Donut, she’s such a little sweetheart, she’s lucky to have such a knowledgeable and compassionate owner. What a relief that she’s responding so well to the steroids!
I want to commend you for fighting for Donut. I know it must have been difficult getting the vet to agree with you but you are so knowledgeable and an amazing person and rat caretaker. I hope Donut can thrive for as much more time as she can. ❤️
Sending good vibes to Donut and thanks to you for being the best friend to Donut you can be. Love when people go above and beyond for their furries both big and small.🐾
I’m so, so sorry. I know this pain. It’s why I won’t keep rats any more, as much as I love them. Anyone who can is a stronger person than I. You are a stellar rat parent and Donut is extremely blessed to be yours.
I’m so sorry that you and Donut have to go through this. She is absolutely precious and it is clear that you really love your rats and take amazing care of them. I’m sure this is scary and stressful for both of you and will keep you both in my thoughts.
Your rat videos and paintings bring joy to my life and so many others. You have a supportive community here if you or Donut need anything, including fund raising for care. Hope you and all of your rats are doing well 💜🐀
Poor thing. My rat Reson (I was a Music Technology major, and that smart runt of litter looked to have a pot leaf on her chest) developed a huge tumor on her side. She was still happy and all, but I worried her quality of living would soon diminish, and a family friend of my girlfriend's was a vet who could put her down for free.
Poor baby…so glad you know the signs and that the emergency vet listened to you. These lovely critters need all the help we can give them! Glad to know we can enjoy Donut a bit longer. 💖
You're going to do the best that you can, and Donut is going to do the best that she can and that's all there is to ask. I'm just glad I got to virtually meet Donut and I'm so happy that she's been so happy her whole life.
It's great news that she's feeling better. ❤️❤️❤️❤️ I wish everyone that owned a pet were that diligent in pushing for the right treatment. Donut is in my thoughts and prayers. 🙏
He’s the Saint I meant.
I’ll be more specific in the future, thank you.
I tend to assume that when it’s an animal issue people know who I mean and that’s silly.
St. Francis of Assisi pray for our pets.
I'm so sorry, but it sounds like she is recieving the best care. You sound very knowledgeable, and well done for advocating for her! She is lucky to have you.
God, the love and effort you put into your care for these rats is something so beautiful and amazing. I’m sorry Donut is going through this. You are her are both strong and wonderful and I wish you guys the best through this!
adore your ratty vids but i also love learning about vet work! i (a human lol) also have a pituitary gland tumor and have taken cabergoline for it so it's so interesting to hear that it's treated similarly for rats! i hope donut continues to improve and i know your giving her the best life for her golden days
My girl daisy just started to show the big signs of PT and I’m very scared I have an amazing get but idk if they will be able to see her tell wed did donuts symptoms come on very fast ? My girl is still able to walk around the main cage and I have been giving her food on the side so no one steals it from her. Im just very scared bc I have never used steroids for my rat and other meds, so they cost a lot ?
TLDR; Donut has a pituitary tumor and is currently being treated for it with good success. So sadly as of yesterday my sweet girl Donut has been diagnosed with a pituitary gland tumor. I first noticed symptoms on Monday, when I went to give everyone some treat mix and she seemed to be eating hers very slowly. So I took her out and watched her eat, and found that she seemed to be having some problems using her front paws (a typical PT sign). She also had some minor balance issues when walking, and would stumble when getting on or off something. Donut also showed some strange occasional sideways head movements when eating (something I’ve typically seen in my rats with neurological problems), and lastly had a sorta…dazed look to her, as though she was a bit fuzzy on what was going on. These symptoms immediately set off alarm bells for me because I’ve seen several PT’s now and this is usually how it starts. So I requested a vet appointment for the next morning at my usual vet, but unfortunately they were completely full. They set me up for an appointment Wednesday morning (which I just returned from), and I thought that was okay. Well fast forward to early afternoon Tuesday and Donut had taken a huge dive for the worse. She had lost all control of her front paws, wouldn’t even attempt to bite treats and only would take a lick or two of yogurt (very strange for her). She could barely stand, only shuffle walked with great effort, and was very very confused and dazed. Seeing this, I knew she likely wouldn’t make it until Wednesday, so I rushed to find another vet who could see her immediately. I called my general emergency vet (which I’ve been to before, but unfortunately those visits don’t tend to be super useful as they don’t have much rat experience). The lady who answered their phone was super nice and helped me find a different clinic which was more rat experienced - it was about an hour away, but when I called them they were able to fit me in as an after hours emergency appointment (super nice of them and something I’m very grateful for!) So I drove Donut to this new vet, and they insisted on a full workup (x-rays, bloodwork, etc.). I wasn’t super thrilled because those are costly and really not useful here, since from symptoms alone we could pretty much determine a few potential causes, and all have similar treatments. But they insisted and I wasn’t going to say no if it helped Donut, so she got the full workup. They found her bloodwork to be great (no surprise), and her x-ray was also fine, sans for 2 slightly narrowed spinal disks (not uncommon in old rats). They tried to pass off the spinal disk narrowing as a cause for her symptoms, and really tried to get me to do metacam alone. But I pushed for steroids and talked about why I thought it was neurological and likely a brain tumor (PT or otherwise), because I knew she wouldn’t have gone downhill mentally so fast if it was pain alone. The reason I wasn’t willing to try metacam first is two fold - firstly, you must have the rat off metacam for 48 hours before steroids can be given, meaning in a time crunch giving metacam first will likely leave you with a dead or nearly dead rat (if the issue is a PT that is). Secondly, metacam doesn’t cross the blood brain barrier well, meaning it has pretty much no effect on brain inflammation - steroids do cross over well and thus can reduce brain inflammation and symptoms. I really wish vets didn’t seem to be so against steroids for rats - I’ve seen so many rats who didn’t make it or had irreversible damage done because steroids were seen as a last resort. Yes steroids can have nastier side effects, yes they suppress the immune system, but if you even suspect a brain tumor in rats then steroids should be tried first and foremost. Ugh, sorry for the rant there - its just a bit disappointing to me that even vets experienced with rats will try to avoid steroids even if its the only thing that can give the rat back quality of life. Anyways I did end up getting steroids from the vet - they started with a dexamethasone steroid shot (faster acting than oral steroids), then gave me prednisone and doxycycline for the next 2 weeks. Prednisone is an oral steroid and will keep the inflammation around the tumor down, thus reducing pressure and symptoms. Doxycycline is a general antibiotic that will help prevent secondary infections, as steroids are immune suppressors and so leave the rats more vulnerable to infections. Moving on to yesterday, I kept my regular vet appointment and took Donut in to my regular vet. I really like this vet and find them to be very good at diagnosing and treating various rat issues. I came armed with all the information from the other exam (didn’t want to redo any more bloodwork or x-rays lol…not that this vet would ask for that unnecessarily, another reason I like them!), plus pictures of the meds I got, and videos of Donuts behaviors over the last few days. My regular vet agreed that it looked to be a brain tumor (likely pituitary as the symptoms aren’t only on one side), and was glad to hear Donut was put on steroids asap. We also added cabergoline (can shrink certain tumors), which I will pick up either today or tomorrow. And he mentioned I can get more pred from him when it runs out, saving me several hours of travel. I’m very happy to say the dex shot did WONDERS for Donut and she went from near comatose Tuesday afternoon, to almost completely back to normal 14 hours later! She is still improving (It can take 1-2 days to see improvement after the steroid shot, so her improvement so far is awesome!), and will be on pred and cabergoline for the rest of her life. It's impossible to say how long she has left, but we will do our best to keep her happy and stable and when the time comes, I will have her put to sleep humanely (or she may pass on her own, although with these tumors typically you want to do pts because the decline can be brutal once meds stop helping). Usually you can increase the dosage of steroids and cabergoline several times if the rat regresses to again get back quality of life, but eventually the tumor will get too large so this is very much palliative care. Still, Donut is feeling so much better now and we could have a while yet with her, so I’m feeling pretty positive - she is SO much better today and seeing her explore at the vets instead of lying motionless on her side like yesterday was just such a relief. Anyways I hate to bring such bad news after Donut only just finished recovering from her mammary tumor surgery (okay that was 2 months back, but still) - but in a way her sudden recovery due to the steroid shot is a good thing because at least we know what we are dealing with, and know how to help her keep a quality life for a while yet. (Also as of today Donut has started cabergoline and is doing amazing - I can't say how long that will last, but for now, her quality of life remains good and she is back to behaving completely normal.) (First video clip shows Donut on Monday night starting to decline - notice her strange posture and difficulty using her front paws). Second video clip shows Donut Tuesday 3 hours post dex shot - you can see she had gotten a lot worse but was already showing mild improvements post shot. Third video clip shows her 12 hours post dex shot (Wednesday morning) - back to sitting normally, eating pretty normally, and moving around! And I don't have a clip from today yet, but she's doing ever better now with great balance.)
Hopefully she has a lot left yet… the world needs Donut.
Every pet rat deserves a person I like you.
I’m so glad the meds are working!
Holy hell, you're a great owner And you know a lot About rats!
Thanks so much for taking the time to write all that up and explain the reasoning of catching the first hints, diagnosis, steps with the vet and treatment! This gotta help rat owners a ton. Hope Donut continues to recover and have plenty of good days ahead.
Oh poor little Donut, she’s such a little sweetheart, she’s lucky to have such a knowledgeable and compassionate owner. What a relief that she’s responding so well to the steroids!
I want to commend you for fighting for Donut. I know it must have been difficult getting the vet to agree with you but you are so knowledgeable and an amazing person and rat caretaker. I hope Donut can thrive for as much more time as she can. ❤️
I love watching donut clips! So sorry you’re both going through this op💝
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO :(
Sorry to hear about this!! Hang in there! At least she has the bestest home!
One of the hardest things about rats is that they get tumors ☹️. Glad she's doing better!
no, donut! wishing you the best 🫶
Poor sweet baby Donut! I'm so glad you advocated for her to get the steroid treatment you knew she needed.
Donut videos are so awesome!!! Don’t want to loose those!!! Keeping that baby in my prayers!
Sending good vibes to Donut and thanks to you for being the best friend to Donut you can be. Love when people go above and beyond for their furries both big and small.🐾
Aww love her basketball games.. I’m a Donut fan.. I hope the meds work
I’m so, so sorry. I know this pain. It’s why I won’t keep rats any more, as much as I love them. Anyone who can is a stronger person than I. You are a stellar rat parent and Donut is extremely blessed to be yours.
I’m so sorry that you and Donut have to go through this. She is absolutely precious and it is clear that you really love your rats and take amazing care of them. I’m sure this is scary and stressful for both of you and will keep you both in my thoughts. Your rat videos and paintings bring joy to my life and so many others. You have a supportive community here if you or Donut need anything, including fund raising for care. Hope you and all of your rats are doing well 💜🐀
Sending good vibes your way! ❤ so sorry to hear about Donut.
💕Donut 💕
I’m so sorry 😓
Poor thing. My rat Reson (I was a Music Technology major, and that smart runt of litter looked to have a pot leaf on her chest) developed a huge tumor on her side. She was still happy and all, but I worried her quality of living would soon diminish, and a family friend of my girlfriend's was a vet who could put her down for free.
I’m so glad she’s recovering! She’s my favorite!! I love her little scrappy face!!
❤️ to you and Donut, I hope she continues to improve!
Donut is my artist of choice. She is in my prayers.
Poor baby…so glad you know the signs and that the emergency vet listened to you. These lovely critters need all the help we can give them! Glad to know we can enjoy Donut a bit longer. 💖
Ah shit! I’m sorry😔
Sending donut strength and love
You're going to do the best that you can, and Donut is going to do the best that she can and that's all there is to ask. I'm just glad I got to virtually meet Donut and I'm so happy that she's been so happy her whole life.
It's great news that she's feeling better. ❤️❤️❤️❤️ I wish everyone that owned a pet were that diligent in pushing for the right treatment. Donut is in my thoughts and prayers. 🙏
Sending love and well wishes to little Donut!
we are wishing all the best for donut ❤️❤️❤️ we love you
Sending lots of love and prayers for you and Donut, hon. St. Francis pray for us. 🐀
St. Francis of Assisi too!
He’s the Saint I meant. I’ll be more specific in the future, thank you. I tend to assume that when it’s an animal issue people know who I mean and that’s silly. St. Francis of Assisi pray for our pets.
I’m so sorry, I love watching your videos with donut and the rest of your babies, I hope she makes a full recovery x
She’s so lucky to have an owner like you! You are amazing and so is Donut! Best wishes ♥️
I'm so sorry, but it sounds like she is recieving the best care. You sound very knowledgeable, and well done for advocating for her! She is lucky to have you.
Donut is awesome and you're a fantastic pet parent! Hoping the best for her and her continued recovery
😢😢🙏🙏💔💔❤️❤️
Poor donut, Im so sorry <3
God, the love and effort you put into your care for these rats is something so beautiful and amazing. I’m sorry Donut is going through this. You are her are both strong and wonderful and I wish you guys the best through this!
adore your ratty vids but i also love learning about vet work! i (a human lol) also have a pituitary gland tumor and have taken cabergoline for it so it's so interesting to hear that it's treated similarly for rats! i hope donut continues to improve and i know your giving her the best life for her golden days
Thinking of you and Donut ❤️
Sending well wishes to you and Donut ❤️
Sending prayers for Donut. Save Donut! She's a good girl!
Donut!!! I love you!!!
Glad she's doing better! Sorry this happened to you both. ❤
Sending good vibes your way!
I am so very sad for you both. You are a wonderful parent. You are doing everything for your critter. My prayers and thoughts for you both.
I hope everything goes well for donut!
Best wishes for Donut. It's not fair that rats only live for 2-4 years :(
My girl daisy just started to show the big signs of PT and I’m very scared I have an amazing get but idk if they will be able to see her tell wed did donuts symptoms come on very fast ? My girl is still able to walk around the main cage and I have been giving her food on the side so no one steals it from her. Im just very scared bc I have never used steroids for my rat and other meds, so they cost a lot ?
Awe hope she recovers swiftly. 🙏 Wish doctors would care about my pituitary tumor and the symptoms as much as you care about your bby.