First Vet Visit

Sushi's first vet visit was on December 23, seven days after we brought her home. Dave took her while I went to the barn and cleaned stalls. The vet did not have a lot of positive things to say - yes, he could help her but this wasn't a one time fix. Rat teeth grow continually (about five inches per year!) and one of the main ways that they are ground down is the action of the upper and lower incisors against each other. Because Sushi's malocclusion is so severe, there is no way for that grinding to happen. She might be able to keep it in check to a small degree by gnawing on wooden blocks, etc., but for the most part, it would have to be controlled by manual intervention. The frequency of this was unknown at the time, but the vet hoped it would only have to be done every 4-6 weeks. Each vet visit for trimming is $72. The average annual cost for a healthy rat per year is about $60.

Furthermore, Sushi was so malnourished that the vet was unsure of how she would do even after he trimmed her teeth. She was less than 9 weeks old at the time and he thought she had been unable to eat properly for weeks. We had noticed that she didn't chew her food - she would lick lab blocks and dried fruit until they softened and disintegrated. She was getting enough food to keep her alive, but barely. He was concerned that there might be something broader going on with Sushi than her teeth.

The vet didn't have a lot of good options for us. He told Dave we probably would want to contact the pet store we'd gotten her from and return her. They would either refund our money or give us a new rat. As for Sushi, they might be able to find someone affiliated with a local rat rescue who was willing to give her a shot. He said there weren't a lot of people out there who might but maybe they could find someone.

(An editorial note: this is almost the exact same thing my vet told me about Parker, our lab mix, when I adopted him from the humane society - he was unknowingly incredibly ill. I think vets must have standard line for people who have inadvertently brought home very sick animals. I hate to think about what happens to most of these animals.)

When Dave called to explain our options, we discussed it from all angles. The bottom line was that we didn't know how Sushi would do if we treated her. But we had a pretty good idea that her life was at an end if we didn't. Dave asked the vet a few more questions regarding her options if we didn't treat her and the vet again mentioned the rescues and that maybe they could find someone who would give her a shot. Dave mentioned our two dogs with hip dysplasia, our retired racehorse with all of his issues, and the hours we spend each week taking care of CANTER horses. In other words, we are "those people" and we decided we had to give Sushi a chance. We asked the vet to trim her teeth and then see what happened.

Look at her face! How could we not help her?

She began eating within an hour of returning home from the vet and more than doubled her weight in three weeks. Her appetite hasn't diminished yet.