Presenting: RDPY Pooh Bear

His health has been excellent.

UPDATE: 03/03/05 Pooh Bear turned two this past October, considering his age he is doing pretty good. He as developed a boil or cyst on the right side of his jaw, which is causing an irritation in his eye on that side. I'm hoping it will pop soon and he'll be back to his beautiful self. He reminds me of a person with mumps or like he has food stashed in the corner of his mouth. It doesn't appear to bother him too much, he is still eating like a horse. Pooh is a big boy, weighing over a pound.

UPDATE: 03/08/05 Pooh's cyst has not popped. It looks like and abscess. Possibly a tooth abscess. I've started him on antibiotics - tetracycline, as he has started to sound congested, possibly because of the swelling in the nasal area. I'm going to contact the vet to see if I can administrator any pain medicine as he is hunched in the position ratties do when they are uncomfortable.

UPDATE: 03/19/05 though the antibiotics did help the breathing problem, it was unable to stop the infection of the abscess. Pooh had a stroke on 03/16/05 sometime in the late afternoon. I found him lying unconscious in the bottom of his cage. I put him in a healing unit and gave him water on the end of a cue tip swab on his tongue. He never regained consciousness and left for the Rainbow Bridge just after midnight on St. Patrick's Day.

Pooh lived a long and healthy life. He was one of the longest living ratties I've owned. He was healthy and active right up until the end. No regrets, but now he is no longer in pain. He has many friends and relatives waiting for him at the Rainbow Bridge. I was able to say my goodbyes. I will not cry, but smile for my Pooh Bear.