Flame's Vet Bills

Flame is our 5-month old adorable Dumbo rat.  We have seven rats, but Flame is definitely the most special, the most unique.  When we went to the pet store to get some rats after one of our older rats passed, our daughter saw Flame in a tank separated from the other rats and she instantly began crying and pleading that we get her.  She was drawn to Flame from the very beginning. We have had many rats over the years, but Flame definitely stands out.  She’s loving, kind, docile, gentle, and calm. She loves to come out of her cage and sit in our laps and on our shoulders and snuggle and boggle. When we give her treats, she loves to comically take more food than she can carry to store in a pile in her cage. The other day, we noticed that Flame was acting funny.  She was moving much slower than usual and her breathing was shallow and labored.  We got her into the vet and they took X-rays.  The vet said it’s hard to be certain, but that she might have an issue with her heart or a respiratory infection.  She recommended that they keep Flame overnight for three days and start her on a course of heart medication injections to rule that out and then begin her on meds for a respiratory infection. The ESTIMATED cost for this treatment is $1,780.50.  We spoke with the vet this morning and she wanted to do additional X-rays to see if the first heart medication was having any effect and then she wanted to start her on both oral and injectable antibiotics for her respiratory issues.  She said that this morning, Flame was moving around a bit more but that she did not eat the food they left out for her last night.  They will continue to update us each morning. Our family has had a lot of big expenses lately, including needing a new air conditioner, having to trim one of our trees after a branch fell and hit our neighbor, and fixing a leaking tub basin and pipe, and this expense put us in debt. We want to give Flame the best life possible.  To us she is more than just a rat, she is our angel, our Flaming Star.  We left the vet last night weary and with heavy hearts but knowing we made the right decision to give Flame a fighting chance.  If we weren’t in somewhat dire financial straits, this would have been a much easier decision to make.  Our daughter is very distressed and worried about Flame dying, and we have reassured her that the vet is taking good care of her and won’t let anything happen to her.  Any donation you could make would be so greatly appreciated by our family.  Flame is more than just a little pet rat, she is our heart and soul.  We want to save her, but this vet bill is so astronomical we cannot do it alone. Please help us give our favorite rattie all the best care that she deserves.