Sushi

Sushi

We lost our littlest girl tonight.

Sushi was in her tube hanging out and looking content when Dave came home from work tonight; by the time I got home two hours later she had died.

I knew when we started this blog that some day there would be a post like this, but I never thought it would be so soon. She was 21 months old. A youngster. This morning she was so rambunctious that Dave had to help me get her in the cage; every time I put her down she would race up my arm before I could shut the door.

I think this is where this blog ends. Our intent behind the blog was to create a place where you could find information on the reality of caring for a rat with severe dental issues. I think we've accomplished that. We have visitors from over almost 90 countries and judging by the search terms that are getting people here, the posts on Sushi's teeth were worth it. I'm going to leave this blog in place in the hope that it can continue to be that resource for those looking for information, just like we were looking when we brought the girls home in December of 2010.

I don't need to describe how special Sushi was. This blog is evidence of that. As devastated as we are tonight, we're also keenly aware of how lucky we have been. We had no idea what we were getting into when we brought the girls home and I am grateful for every minute of it.

Snaggletooth

I'd noticed late last week that Saké's face seemed a bit fatter than usual. Saturday night she was napping in a box with her head at just the right angle for me to glimpse what was going on - she had a really long bottom right incisor. We've noticed that as she's gotten older, her teeth don't line up quite as well as they used to. In this case the bottom incisor now was angling just enough to no longer get ground down by the incisor above it.

I figured she would have to wait until we could get her to the vet yesterday, but Dave had other ideas and pulled out a pair of nail clippers. Now, we both have read enough about malocclusion to know that you can trim a rat's tooth in a pinch but I didn't think that meant you actually should. Dave was pretty confident though and a few minutes later, after I finally managed to not only hold Saké still but also open her mouth, the tooth was snipped.

Saké after her trimming

We're keeping an eye on her, but so far she seems to be doing terrifically without that long, sharp tooth!

Wash Day

Early last week I noticed that the girls' hammock was wet, due to someone's laziness. I took it out of their cage, threw it in the laundry room, and didn't think much more about it.

Sushi really likes her hammock. It is where she spends most of her time when asleep. Saturday night I found Sushi laying on her wheel, seemingly trying to recreate her hammock experience while her hammock was in the laundry.

Once I realized what was going on, I immediately threw the hammock in the washing machine. Not a minute too soon either, since by the time it was out of the dryer and ready to be placed back in the cage, Sushi was sound asleep.

She woke up while I was hanging the hammock and was curled up in it just seconds afterward.

Cozy

I'd guess Sushi isn't as comfortable as Saké in these pictures.

Hanging Around

I know this picture is terrible but I still love it. Sushi was exceptionally annoyed to be woken up.

Sushi Takes a Bath

Tails

Where there's a tail...

there must be a rat!

(I obviously woke Sushi up when I took the picture - look at that sleepy face!)

Happy Monday!

Saké

In Season

Saké

We had zucchini and squash with dinner the other night, and Dave cooked them in such a way that they were super tender. Naturally we saved a couple of pieces for the girls.

Sushi

Sushi doesn't often get fresh vegetables, so she was particularly excited.

Holding on tightly

Sushi would eat the tender inside of each piece and then discard it when just the (slightly tougher) rind was left. Fortunately Saké was not as picky, and she quickly cleaned up Sushi's mess.

Garbage disposal...

Hiding

We have been on vacation the past few days, meaning that the house hasn't been as quiet as normal during the daytime. Saké seems to have found a way to get some peace and quiet.

Saké

On the other hand, Sushi didn't seem to mind the extra activity.

Sushi

Explorer Rat

Sushi was in full explorer mode today. She played on the bed while I dealt with laundry and cleaned her cage. Her sister spent the entire time napping in their hammock and had no interest in leaving their cage.

I love seeing Sushi seem more like her normal explorer self. However, this picture makes me incredibly sad:

I'm astounded at how quickly that tumor is growing. It doesn't seem to bother her at this point, although I think she's a little more unbalanced than she was previously.

Looking Back

Last year around this time I posted this picture:

I love this picture of Sushi. The past year has had a lot of ups and downs for her. I love how bright her eyes are as she holds onto her piece of Rice Chex.

Move Along

There's nothing to see here.

Can't a rat hang out in her tube in peace?

Move along.

(I love these pictures because we can always tell when Sushi has really recovered from being sick - she always starts spending a ton of time in her tube.)