Pet rat in the process of dying [FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY]

This is not mycoplasma, the rat showed no other signs of respiratory distress prior to this event and the symptoms occurred suddenly and did not happen gradually. This is one way you can tell that your rat is passing of old age/organ failure. The first beginning signs of mycoplasma are very subtle and not alarming but can include sneezing and red discharge from the eyes, nose, and you will see the discharge rubbed off on their front paws. As the illness progresses they will be wheezy and have labored breathing, but you will definitely hear it. Catch it in the early stages, make sure you are cleaning the cage frequently and keeping your house clean, and if your rat is showing signs of mycoplasma it will need antibiotic treatment.

Rats who are dying of respiratory failure, they will be skiddish and prefer not to be held. Just let them lay in a blanket or a box as I did, and try to position them to where they are elevated to open their airways and make breathing easier for them. You may want to smother your rat with affection in their last moments but believe me, this is stressful and uncomfortable for an animal who is already having difficulty staying alive. Please just let them rest and go peacefully.

It is not unheard of for rats to die younger than 2-3 years, but it is always a good idea to take them to a vet who specializes in small animals/rodents if they are in distress. It may not always be something natural. We could not take Fatty to a vet at the time because no vets were open and we had no ER vets nearby, but even if we had, the only thing that would have been done was euthanasia to ease her passing. She was old and it was her time, she could not be helped.
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This is Fatty who was discovered at 12:00 AM with labored breathing, eyes half closed, acting solitary (not interacting with the other rats in the cage), very lethargic, and cold/cool to the touch. Fatty is approximately 3 years old but came to us as a rescue which is why age is approximate. Fatty was the name given to her by her owner and we decided to keep it, albeit it’s a bit mean of a name.

I found very little information on the internet about what the signs of death are (was unsure as to if this could be a respiratory infection or actual death by age, both are often mixed up it seems), how long it takes them to die, and how to make them comfortable, so that is why I am sharing what it looks like (this is a natural death) and my experience.

No other rats in the cage showed signs of illness (she was with 4 other rats), she appeared healthy when I first entered the room, once I finished feeding, watering, and socializing everyone I looked into their cage and saw that she was in distress.

As the time passed the labored breathing became gasping (as seen here), her paws and mouth became more pale, her eyes began to weep (with the red pigment included), nose discharged a little bit, and her teeth clicked each time she gasped. She was easily startled by movement and sounds, seemed to experience anxiety when she felt she could not get enough air, but otherwise seemed rather content.

I first started with wrapping her in a baby blanket, but then she would quickly run at random intervals so I thought the blanket was scaring her, but it was actually her organs slowly shutting down and trying to stop her breathing, the movement encouraged her body to continue breathing. Because she needed to move, I took a box, put some litter in it, and her blanket. I gave her antibiotics in case it was in fact an infection and then eventually went back to holding her in the blanket with her head slightly propped up for air (if it is too propped up they can’t breathe well, but putting their body at an angle opens their airways and makes it easier for them to breathe, just like with humans).

I then administered an inhaler accompanied by a toilet paper roll to try and clear her lungs of any congestion and inflammation. She passed shortly after. I found that the only comfort I could give was wrapping her in the blanket and trying my best to get her enough air by holding her at a slight angle, if there is any congestion in the breathing the inhaler is quite useful in relieving this. Although Fatty’s passing was relatively quick, rats have been known to suffer for days. The most humane option is euthanasia which could not be done at the time of Fatty’s passing due to early hours and no ER vets nearby. Euthanasia is relatively cheap, $15-20 for a heart injection, sometimes the same price for gassing.

She passed 5-7 hours after I discovered her, in the morning (5:00 AM), rat was approximately 3 years old. First showed signs at 12:00 AM. 10/24/2012. RIP Fatty.

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