I need help...

[Renee750il]

Have you e-mailed Romy to see if she knows anyone who can help?

[milos_mommy]

Perhaps contact some local schools or children's museums as well, to see if they'd like to take on any rescue animals? You've got a lot on your plate, I hope some of them find homes soon

[kingfarvito]

Listen, I hate to have to be the voice of reason here. I know I'm going to **** some people off with this, but you have 40+ cancerous aggressive rats from the sounds of it rats with lots of inbreeding as well. I absolutely adore rats and have kept them on several occasions, but it doesn't sound like there is much you can do for them here. Maybe its time to find someone that keeps herps and sell/ give them to said person.

[milos_mommy]

Originally Posted by kingfarvito

Listen, I hate to have to be the voice of reason here. I know I'm going to **** some people off with this, but you have 40+ cancerous aggressive rats from the sounds of it rats with lots of inbreeding as well. I absolutely adore rats and have kept them on several occasions, but it doesn't sound like there is much you can do for them here. Maybe its time to find someone that keeps herps and sell/ give them to said person.

I don't think this is necessarily a horrid and cruel suggestion...but it sounds like the OP is probably quite bonded to a lot of these rats for one thing, and for another: I wouldn't be feeding such potentially ill rats to my reptiles. If they need such a vet care, and some could have things such as infections/viruses/etc...I wouldn't give them to my snakes. I don't know the actual risk, but I wouldn't want to chance it.

[~Tucker&Me~]

Later today I'll take a look at where I am sitting money-wise and if I can help out. I'll have to clear out my inbox (which I will do later tonight) but you could send me the link to your paypal once I have.

As hard as it is, you may need to decide which animals will really benefit from treatment and which should receive palliative care and a peaceful passing when the time comes. I know it's something I struggle with (deciding to treat or let go) but with a large number of animals with no place to go, you will probably have to make some tough decisions. In my opinion, it is better to care for less animals but provide a higher quality of care than more animals but mediocre or less care. I would definitely stop taking in more animals (honestly, if the animal is sick it's not wrong to put them down, you can only do so much with the resources you have). However, as others have mentioned, I would definitely recommend checking out rescue and exhausting all the other resources first. Rats will be difficult, but I imagine the other species may be easier to get help for.

Aww beardie photos! I am desperate for one, have been for a while but I want to go the rescue/rehome route and I just haven't really started looking yet. If one fell into my lap I probably wouldn't say no though I babysat one for two weeks a few years back and since then I have been tentatively planning on getting my own. Someday!

[~Tucker&Me~]

Originally Posted by kingfarvito

Listen, I hate to have to be the voice of reason here. I know I'm going to **** some people off with this, but you have 40+ cancerous aggressive rats from the sounds of it rats with lots of inbreeding as well. I absolutely adore rats and have kept them on several occasions, but it doesn't sound like there is much you can do for them here. Maybe its time to find someone that keeps herps and sell/ give them to said person.

She didn't say the rats were aggressive, did she?

And yeah, sick rats do not make good reptile food... She or the herp owner would also have to kill them first, as live rats are not recommended as snake food. I highly doubt that is something she feels ok doing since she has obviously become attached to them.

[kady05]

Coming from someone who had rats for years, are you sure you should pursue treatment for some of these guys and not opt for euthanasia instead?

I know it sounds harsh but if the girls have mammary tumors, the males are aggressive, and they all have crappy respiratory systems, there's only so much you can do. Sure a spay can *maybe* lessen the chance of more tumors developing, but it's not fool proof. A neuter *can* help with aggression issues, but not always. If they've all had Myco they're going to be susceptible to other respiratory infections, etc. and a surgery might put them over the edge.

Added into that you don't have a job, so what happens if you do all of these surgeries and there are complications.. how will you pay for that?

[JessLough]

Originally Posted by ~Tucker&Me~

She didn't say the rats were aggressive, did she?

And yeah, sick rats do not make good reptile food... She or the herp owner would also have to kill them first, as live rats are not recommended as snake food. I highly doubt that is something she feels ok doing since she has obviously become attached to them.

She said some were extremely aggressive. Or I'm losing my mind.

[kady05]

Originally Posted by JessLough

She said some were extremely aggressive. Or I'm losing my mind.

Yes, she did:

Originally Posted by PitBullLove

Anyway...many of the females have developed mammary tumors (notorious in rats), and some of the males are genetically disposed to being extremely aggressive, something only a neuter will fix, and one of the females has developed a nasty lung problem that nebulizing and antibiotics have had no effect on, so she needs to go in to get checked out.

[JessLough]

I'm going to be that bitch, but that bear die should be put out of its misery. Beardies are very hard to nurse back to health when they even just get sick, let alone all it has been through. Add onto that that you have like 45 other (sick) animals, plus (I'm assuming) the dogs, there's likely also not enough time for you to be doing all neccessary if it has a chance.

You can't save them all. Contact rescues. Let the ones that are way too sick go, as somebody else mentioned.

I suggest you offer to give somebody your vet info if they want to make a donation, may get more donations if they know where its going and can talk to the vet. Or your address if they want to pay for food.

I can't help, as my rescue gets my finances as I can (plus, I have had constant fosters almost) but those may help you get more.