Melvin

Melvin - September 2011 to Sept. 18, 2013 :'(

My poor Melly, the last of the Niagara Nakies. I thought he would be put to sleep from his horrible respiratory issues or just his failing overall health but sadly his life was cut a bit short by a terrible accident.

Melvin arrived as a wee man, being offered for free on kijiji, as a "blind"rat who would need special care and his cage to always stay the same so he could find his way around. He was being offered with 2 of his brothers in the same condition. I tried very hard to ignore the ads...but knowing they were nakies with eye issues always makes me more worried than usual and my eyes often burn in sympathy. So a few weeks later the ad was still there so I emailed asking about them. Another week later, no response, so I emailed again, then suddenly a `rescuer`I knew emailed me about these boys...hmmm interesting timing. I already had my suspicions about the `rescuer`having helped her a few times before. Then began the emails back and forth with her and the "breeder" of these rats. These two seemed to know the other, and instantly knew what the other was thinking...it was hilarious playing the game of talking to "both" of them LOL

But finally the breeder met the rescuer (sarcasm) who met up with Jenny who brought me my new babies...3 nakie boys, 1 nakie girl and 1 head tilty furred girl.
When I hear eye issues and nakies, you never know what you are going to get...an infection, a hair curling into the eye, debris in the eye, punctured eye balls? Then I saw my Niagara Nakies for the first time...Melvin was the worst. :(



His one eye was punctured and his other eye was chock full. :( They had been kept on carefresh and she said their eyes had looked like this since they opened them :(

Prior to his vet visit, I was putting ointment in their eyes to at least make them more comfortable...poor bubby!



He, his brother Waldo, and sister Yara all went to the vet first...they all had HUGE amounts of debris in their eyes removed and Melvin was scheduled to have his eye removed the following week.



Then they all started getting pustules around their eyes, and went back on antibiotics and drops and ointments like they used to. Unfortunately none of this affected the pustules and they would come and go on their own.

We tried all sorts of different beddings and hammocks and discovered the best was Vet bed and broadcloth hammocks for these nakies with their bad eyes. We often had to go in to the vet and have debris removed from eyes every once in awhile even with precautions. :P

Melvin lived with his bigger brother Waldo, and I was always trying to get pics of them together...they both grew up big and strong with occasional eye issues, and URI's.



Finally!! Only took me a year to get this pic!



He was always a bit of a clown :)



Recovering from another URI...



We had a few good months then the horrible SDA virus hit, cutting a destructive and long-lasting swathe through my babies. Waldo was first...he got sick, got better, then relapsed, got better, relapsed and was finally put to sleep. Melvin was alone. Norbert was next, my wonderful special boy, unfortunately his relapse was so fast he died in my arms. Yara ended up with different issues last month and was put to sleep, and then there was Melvin, the last of the Niagara Nakies. His lungs were toast, and he had mild relapses but not as dramatic. He was aging fast though and finally accepted other rats grudgingly into his life. He would be on the bed with them, but not actually BE with them until a few weeks ago, when he finally decided Wren was alright.



And he was starting to cuddle and deliberately sleep on me like his brother Norby used to. 



Fare well my beautiful boy, you are with your brothers, with full sight, able to breathe easily and run and climb like you used to.