Malcolm was yet another boy from the RTR Rescue of January 2, 2010. Another big manly black hoodie that went quickly into foster,
He was returned to me when he became suddenly paralyzed. He was brought to me and I carefully examined him for injury, and asked about any falls, etc. But the poor lad winced when I pressed around his bladder, and I realized I had a really bad UTI case on my hands. I put him on metacam for pain and antibiotics for his infection and quite quickly the dragging man became the running man again J His foster then informed me that he had been in a rat fight and had gotten a bite above his urethra. I could feel the knot of scarring and worried it would affect his urination, so I took him to my vet who said it wasn’t good but he was able to urinate properly right now… whew
I was told Malcolm wasn’t the nicest boy, but I disagreed, he was sweet, manly, didn’t allow patting for too long because he “had things to do”. He lived with a group, and stayed with his group of tilty Finley and hormonal Gideon.
Poor draggy boy
Cuddled up in my hands while I examined him
He was a lovely big solid boy when I got him at about 14 months of age.
Then the HED returned…along with a few other issues. He started having skin scurf issues that got so bad, that I literally had to pluck the fur out of the follicles (it was loose, like a dog shedding) to remove the greasy nasty fur before he got a skin infection. It was incredibly itchy for him, and I tried to get it under control, which took time but it worked. :D
Malcolm and Finley joined Boris, Huron and the ladies in the Oldies group. By now he stayed in the bottom of the FN in a low slung double decker. His urinary incontinence started about then, probably from that initial bite/scarring. He had to have baths regularly for his skin and especially for his down under bits. He hated the bath, but loooved the patting afterwards. Here he is getting loved on by my friend Jenny :D He became a boggling, bruxxing pancake of a rat under her fingers LOL
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I thought when he developed sores from urine that he only had a short while to go, and he joined me on the bed, on fabric where I could keep him cleaner, while I tried to sort something out. I came up with a great solution...petroleum jelly. After his bath, after his fur was almost dry…provided a moisture barrier that let his sores heal, and after that it was just baths, cuddles, and feeding. For a short while he went back in with his friends and was happily reunited. :D
but then he wasn’t able to drag himself to the waterbottle or the bowl anymore so he came back out with me and became a bed rat which he really loved. Dragging himself over to my side so he could sleep…cuddled up in blankets until I got home, then the head would pop up when he heard me.
I took him with me this weekend to my Mom’s, and he got a lot of attention, and love and extra handfeeding, and loved it. My mom said “you’re right, he looks skinny and tired, but obviously very happy”.
This morning I woke at 4 am to him quietly gone beside my pillow. His chapter over, he just went to sleep and that was all. He is at peace now.
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