enlarged liver and kidney, but heart and lungs are fine

Question
QUESTION: My poor Mercury (6 months old) has been lethargic and losing weight.  At first the vet thought it was because her teeth were overgrown and making it hard to eat.  The vet filed them down and gave Mercury some critical care food.  (none of the 4 rats we have would eat it). So I started to give her advocado and bananas to help her diet.  Mercury still was lethargic, so after another week we took her back to the vet.  An x-ray showed that she has an enlarged liver and kidneys.  Her heart and lungs are fine.  The vet said that she would eventually pass from the toxins building up.  I couldn't accept that.  So I went online and found some foods will help with liver and kidney function.  ( spinach, advocado, asparagas, carrots, apples, yougurt, wheat germ, tofu etc.)  Mercury has been eatting better, and I think she is gaining a little weight, she even will walk aroung a little, almost seeming healthy. But at other times she is very lethargic.  My question is. Is there anything else I can do for Mercury.  What about DENOSYL?

ANSWER: I am sorry for the late reply. I needed to get permission first from the AllExperts administrators to give holistic advice on this forum. Permission was granted.

I am researching Denosyl for you but so far I have not heard of it being used for rats.

I am not sure if I am going to be able to give you much advice to help your girl. The sad thing about rats is that by the time they start showing symptoms of an illness, their illness is already quite advanced. Good on you for getting her to the vet for a proper diagnosis.

There are a few things you can do for her, but I want you to try only one thing at a time. A detox done too fast in her delicate condition could do more harm then good. I would start with herbal milk thistle. It is the number one herbal remedy for detoxing and restoring the liver's function. The liver is the only organ in the body that can regenerate new functioning cells. A little known fact is that rats do not have gall bladders to store excess bile so we do not want to overtax her digestive system, via her liver, at this time. No meat at this time. The foods above are good choices. Puree them to make them easier to eat, or you can use a wide variety of jarred baby foods.

If you you would like to try homeopathic detox remedies for the liver and the kidneys please e-mail me at spazrats@yahoo.ca for their proper use. You may also join my group Holistarat at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/holistarat for further help.

spazrats
http://spazrats.tripod.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I can't believe the change in Mercury.  Last night we were going to think about having her euthenized.  But today she is actually walking around, and doesn't want to be cuddled.  I gave her the Denosyl yesterday and this morning.  I felt good about the decision, until I read your email.  Should I stop?  The unfortunate thing is that we don't have pet stores with milk thistle or good quality rat food, so I need to order those things online which takes a couple of days.  I'm willing to try just about anything for my little ratties.  Could you give me a list of items I should have for my rats health?  I also went out and got aspen bedding and got rid of the corn cob.  How do you feel about Supreme Original Reggie Rat Food? www.supremepetfoods.com  it was the lowest protein content food that I could find at PetSmart.  It is so nice to have someone to talk to.  Thank you for helping me through this stressful time.

Answer
If Denosyl was given to you by the vet and if the vet showed you how to use it, then by all means, keep using it. Don't try and add too many things to her diet at once. You don't want to overload her body with the healing process.

Since there is so much to learn about pet rats and their proper care I would prefer that you join my group Holistarat, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/holistarat.

Good on you for changing the bedding. You must have read that corn cob can become moldy when it gets wet. Reggie Rat Food has been discussed on the rat forums and yes, it is said to be a good food for rats. My rule of thumb is that you do the best you can with what you have available in your area.

Glad to be of help :) You can talk to me anytime at spazrats@yahoo.ca

spazrats
http://spazrats.tripod.com