| Born On | Description | Personality/Temperament | Health/Illnesses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06/27/08 | Black Bareback w/Headspot Rex |
Sterling's Gem, who I affectionately call Gemmi, is Sterling's first born daughter. If you want to know how important that is to me read about RH Sterling's Loverboy on My Children's page. She is dear to my heart as she will remain as a fond remembrance of her beloved Father and Mother. Ratties just don't live long enough. The only thing that keeps me going as a breeder, surviving the heartache over and over again of, loving and losing these great fur friends, is I'm blessed with their son's and daughter's. As long as I have a part of them in my life somehow I get over my grief and carry on. She is quite the little monkey. Standing on her hind legs like Remme from Ratatouille or hanging upside down off the picture taking ledge because she got a little too adventurous, lol. In this picture she is trying to jump from the ledge over to me, just before she just about fell off. (Yes, I caught her just in time and was rewarded with a little kiss on my lips :>) Ratties are just plain characters. Making me laugh and cry with delight at the antics they are capable of getting themselves into and then hoping us humans will bail them out, lol. :>) I love this dear fuzzy girl. |
Update: 12/09/09 Gemmi's tumor started to grow inward as it ran out of room to push outwards and started pushing up on her internal organs, thus causing her ulitmate death. She was a good rattie girl who left way too young. I miss her but I know she is probably more comfortable released from her failing body and living at the Rainbow Bridge. Until we meet again sweet girl...may you rest in peace. Update: 09/12/09 Gemmi's tumor is now on both side of her lower body on either side of her urinary area. It's growing rather slowly, but it's so depressing to me. I know that Gemmi will be leaving me to be with her sister probably by the end of this year. Meanwhile I'll just shower my time and attention on her and enjoy her company for the short while God is allowing me to have it. Update: 08/29/09 Gemmi's tumor has returned on the opposite side from where the original one was. This one appears to be a slower growing type than the first one was. It will take several more months before it's big enough to hinder her. Meanwhile her sister Shimmer is dying and Gemmi is mothering her and making her final days as comfortable as possible. I'm so sadden about losing both of Sterling's daughter at such a early age. Sterling himself however is doing great. I know he'll see his third birthday! I've already got a party planned for him. I'm trying to grasp some kind of positive out of such a negative situation. Update: 06/22/09 after Gemmi's cyst was stitched up, right beneath this she developed an abscess at the wound site. I cleaned the area out with peroxide and then apply Neosporin Plus to help it heal. It healed up on it's own in about a week. No other medical attention was needed. I have decided that many could benefit from me displaying pictures of the kinds of medical issues I'm dealing with. So in an attempt to help others with their own pet rats I'm going to start taking pictures of all medical problems and documenting what they were and how they were resolved. Therefore I'm going to offer a picture of Gemmi's abscess. Click here to see a picture of her abscess. You can still see the scarring from where she had her tumor removed. Warning PG14! This picture is graphic and not intended for young family members eyes. I'm offering it for educational purposes only. Update: 05/28/09 6:25pm. I just returned from the vets and have some great news! This is not another tumor. It was a liquid filled cyst, that sometimes occurs if all loose skin isn't pulled tightly in place after surgery, a pocket can form where liquid can collect. Also the doctor felt her tumor was not cancerous! So maybe Gemmi is finally on the mends and will now live a long happy and healthy life! Update: 05/28/09 Ok, well I'm really watching this now as Gemmi is back in for more surgery. Another small tumor appeared on the opposite side from the other one. If it returns yet again I'll have her spayed in an attempt to stop or shrink it. She may have to be put on Tamoxifen for the rest of her life if the tumors keep reappearing. Poor Gemmi... Update: 05/15/09 It's possible the tumor is cancerous and the doctor hopes he got it all. I'm watching this lineage closely now to see if anything else of this nature surfaces in the future. Update: 05/12/09 I finally found a really good doctor to work with in my area. He was able to perform laser surgery on Gemmi's massive tumor and she had very little bleeding and is recovering comfortably. They said it was the biggest tumor they had ever removed. It took me about a week to get scheduled for surgery and just in that short of time it had grown the size of a walnut on top of the orange it already was. Dr. Reabe, is willing to learn about pet rats care so I will be buying him another Rat Health Care booklet from Debbie Ducommun so he can have it on hand. He is an accomplished surgeon with 30 years of experience, so I got lucky. The name of my new pet rattie health care provider is The East Bay Animal Hospital in Traverse City, Michigan. It is almost an hour drive to get there. Dr. Kevin C Reabe , DVM is the name of the vet. He seemed very caring. He only gave her a 50-50 chance of making it through the surgery but I took the chance even if it meant losing my money. Gemmi has so much life left in her. Even though the tumor was bigger than she was she was still trying to climb up my shirt to climb inside it and be with me. She melted the vet techs hearts and got them interested in pet rats. They are all out visiting the Rat Fan Clubs web site trying to learn everything they can now because they know I run a rattery and I'm depending on their services to keep my animals healthy. It's been a long hard road to find this vet. I've tried several and they just didn't "feel" right. One was only interested in money and not my pets. The other had experience with pet rats but was just astronomically expensive. I just knew there had to be a happy medium somewhere and now I've found them! It is hard to find exotic pet vets, but the fact that the East Bay Animal Hospital's veterinarian and staff is willing to learn and become knowledgeable in this fast growing field of pet medicine speaks for itself! Thank you East Bay! Yeah Gemmi you made it!! Against all odds! I knew your spunky will to live would pull you through. They are making a little collar for her so she won't chew her stitches and she comes home later today! :>) Update: 05/06/09 My sweet little licky Gemmi has developed a mammary tumor. She started to get it shortly after she gave birth to her babies. In just two months time it has grown the size of an orange! She is scheduled for surgery on 05/12/09 to have it removed. I'll keep you posted on how she does. Please say a prayer for her that she awakens after surgery because many times they don't. I'm scared of losing her, but I have to try to remove it, it's growing too big too fast. She won't make it to her first birthday if I don't try to help her. I love her so much I guess it's a risk I'll have to take. There is nothing more heartbreaking then having your vet tell you your loved one didn't make it through the surgery. I've been there done that so many times. As of 10/15/08 her health is excellent. Nothing to report at this time. |
| Pedigree Of: RDPY Sterling's Gem | ||||||
|
| Parents | Grandparents | Great Grandparents | Great Great Grandparents | Great Great Great Grandparents | Great Great Great Great Grandparents |
| RH Sterling's Loverboy of RDPY 080047/M American Blue Teddy Rex Dumbo | RH
Sterling Platinum Berkshire | RH Billy Bleau American Blue Berkshire Dumbo | RH Cotter Pin Pearl Merle Self Dumbo | RH Bruce the
Bruce Russian Blue Self Dumbo | Unknown |
| Unknown | |||||
| RH Whisper Mink Dilute Berkshire | Unknown | ||||
| Unknown | |||||
| RH Zoom-Noodle Topaz Berkshire Rex Dumbo | RH
Hogart Odd-Eye Beige, Variberk, Rex, Dumbo | Darrow of
RH American Blue, Patchwork Hairless, Dumbo | |||
| Valentine
of RH Double Odd-Eye, Mink Variberk, Standard Ear | |||||
| RH Zoom-Deedle Blue Agouti Dumbo | Unknown | ||||
| Unknown | |||||
| RH Divena Devore American Blue Self | Keen Eddy of
RH American Blue Berkshire | SGR Epiphany American Blue Berkshire Dumbo | Unknown | ||
| Unknown | |||||
| CELT Amythest of RH American Blue Berkshire | Unknown | ||||
| Unknown | |||||
| SFR Dayna's Raffin of RH Platinum Irish Dumbo | DCR
Talisman Mink-Based Platinum Self Dumbo | OTR
Amaretto Lilac Self Dumbo | |||
| RH Queen
Anne's Lace of DCR Pearl Merle Blazed Berkshire | |||||
| WSR Star in a Jar Platinum Mismarked Hooded | Unknown | ||||
| Unknown | |||||
| RATL Tujaque-Blauw of RH American Blue Self Double Rex Dumbo | RATL BonGo Black Berkshire Rex Dumbo | RRLM
Frank Russian Blue Double Rex | RRLM Lunk Agouti Self Dumbo | RRLM
Binky Blue Agouti Self Dumbo | |
| RRLM
BB Blue Beige Self | |||||
| RRLM LouAnn Lilac Self Rex | CWR Mick Mink Irish Merle Dumbo Rex | ||||
| RRLM Ophelia Dove Self | |||||
| RRLM Jezebel Blue Hooded Rex Dumbo | RRLM Boy
Angel Himalayan Rex Dumbo | RRLM Dave Blue Agouti Hooded Dumbo | |||
| RRLM
Isabella Blue Agouti Self Dumbo | |||||
| LDR Daisy Jr. Blue Berkshire Dumbo | Sleepy Lilac Self Dumbo | ||||
| RRLM
Daisy Blue Variberk Dumbo w/headspot | |||||
| RATL Dot Black Berkshire Rex Dumbo | RRLM
Frank Russian Blue Double Rex | RRLM Lunk Agouti Self Dumbo | RRLM
Binky Blue Agouti Self Dumbo | ||
| RRLM
BB Blue Beige Self | |||||
| RRLM LouAnn Lilac Self Rex | CWR Mick Mink Irish Merle Dumbo Rex | ||||
| RRLM Ophelia Dove Self | |||||
| RRLM Jezebel Blue Hooded Rex Dumbo | RRLM Boy
Angel Himalayan Rex Dumbo | RRLM Dave Blue Agouti Hooded Dumbo | |||
| RRLM
Isabella Blue Agouti Self Dumbo | |||||
| LDR Daisy Jr. Blue Berkshire Dumbo | Sleepy Lilac Self Dumbo | ||||
| RRLM
Daisy Blue Variberk Dumbo w/headspot | |||||
| TTR Abba Zabba of RDPY 080050/F Russian Blue, Mock Masked, Capped/Bareback Mismarked | TTR Dal-icious Black Dalmatian | HSTR Templeton
of TTR Black Wedge Blaze Dalmatian | HSTR
Dominick Black Dalmatian | HSTR Freedman Black Dalmatian | HR
Stimpy BEW |
| HR Patches Black Patched | |||||
| HSTR Crockity Black Freckled | HR
Stimpy BEW | ||||
| HR Patches Black Patched | |||||
| HSTR Bella-Nova BEW | HSTR Freedman Black Dalmatian | HR
Stimpy BEW | |||
| HR Patches Black Patched | |||||
| HSTR Crockity Black Freckled | HR
Stimpy BEW | ||||
| HR Patches Black Patched | |||||
| SFR Belly Dance of TTR American Blue Self | SFR Under
Covers American Blue Self Dumbo | DCR Basil 05DCR0107/05M Black Berkshire Dumbo | 6H
Mesmer Midnight Blue Berkshire | ||
| DCR
Fetish Pearl Merle Self Dumbo | |||||
| DCR Blackberry Black Self Dumbo | 6H
Mesmer Midnight Blue Berkshire | ||||
| DCR
Fetish Pearl Merle Self Dumbo | |||||
| DCR Giselle of SFR American Lilac Self | ALR Bootstrap's
Bootstrap American Blue Down-under, Berkshire Manx | Unknown | |||
| Unknown | |||||
| DCR Jasco Black Self | Unknown | ||||
| Unknown | |||||
| TTR Cookie Crisp Russian Blue, BEW Mismarked | SFR
Odeko Russian Blue Agouti Berkshire | AMR The
Groom Russian Blue Agouti Variberk w/headspot Dumbo | ZRR
Pippin Russian Blue Agouti Possum Capped Dumbo | ZRR
Sebastian Agouti Blazed Possum | |
| ZRR
Bindi Agouti Patched Dumbo | |||||
| SFR Jiliard Russian Silver Irish | DCR
Winchester Russian Silver Self | ||||
| SFR
Legend of Zelda Black Variegated | |||||
| SFR Bisou Bisou Russian Dove Irish | SFR Raphael The
Raven Silvered Black Lightning Blazed Berkshire Dumbo | DCR
Talisman Mink-Based Platinum Self Dumbo | |||
| RB
Rhiannon Russian Blue Rex Berkshire | |||||
| SFR La Femme Nikita Russian Silver Irish | DCR
Winchester Russian Silver Self | ||||
| SFR
Legend of Zelda Black Variegated | |||||
| CuRR Paris Hilton BEW Half Masked Rex Dumbo | JM
Spike Black Berkshire Rex | TYR Cody Beige Berkshire Rex Dumbo | LIL
Leo Beige Berkshire Dumbo | ||
| TYR
Emily Black Bareback Rex Dumbo | |||||
| JM Clover | Unknown | ||||
| Unknown | |||||
| EFK Crystal Masked Russian Blue | EFK
Freckles Black Dalmatian Dumbo | LHM Busy Bee Beige Variegated w/headspot Dumbo | |||
| Snow
White BEW Mismarked | |||||
| Noel Russian Blue Variberk | Agouti
Guy Agouti Dalmatian | ||||
| Crystal American Blue Berkshire |