# I'm interested in knowing how your rats have passed away



## Jackie (Jan 31, 2013)

I am sorry for the glum topic, I just kind of want a sample of what to expect in the future. I would like to know:
1. the origin of the rat/s (breeder, petstore, or otherwise)
2. Gender
3. How they passed away
4. Age of death

Only two of my girls have passed so far, both came from craigslist from a hobby breeder (snakes and pets, not a great breeder in my opinion, but she was nice). 

Brie: a stroke at about 1 year 7 months, but the stroke is unconfirmed. Emergency vet said could be a pituitary tumor (which she would have hidden very well considering I now know what that is like) or electrolyte abnormality (still think what the heck is that!?). She passed the same day I noticed anything was wrong after the visit to the vet.
Fontina: a pituitary tumor at 2 years and 1 month old. I was able to extend her life by two months through medication, which is the only positive thing.

It makes me feel like I drew a short stick sometimes. But maybe this is the norm? Hence why I am asking. I wish I could say that a rat passed happily in her sleep from old age.


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## Sabatea (Aug 23, 2014)

I got my girl Izumi from a petstore. I didn't notice in the store, but after I brought her home she was very lethargic, struggling to breathe, etc... She passed away that night. She was probably 6-7 weeks old? I believe she died from pneumonia or a very bad URI. RIP my poor sweet agouti baby....


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## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

I've had a total of three rats pass away so far. 

The first was my Mimi, and she was a female. We're guessing she died of a PT tumor. She had a stroke, and after the stroke she was never the same. She passed away very quickly after that.She passed away at 1 1/2 years old. 

The second was my Molly, and she was also female. She had a huge tumor growing out of her chest, and I put her to sleep after finding out the tumor was between her lungs and there was no way to surgically remove it. She was almost two years old. 

The third, not too recently, was Toast. He was a neutered male. We're not certain what was wrong with him, but he was having really bad respiratory issues. He was on medication, got really skinny, and refused to eat or drink all together. I put him to sleep after taking him to the vet to see if there was anymore I could do for him. He died at 1 1/2 years of age.


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## kksrats (Jul 25, 2014)

Biru
Petstore
Male
Choking. I was away and my pet sitter failed to fill his bowl so he started chewing everything and swallowed a bit of rubber.
11 months

Loki
Different Petstore
Male
A persistent URI that stopped responding to any kind of antibiotic. When he stopped trying to eat and take his meds I made the choice to have him pts.
8 months

I'm not exactly sure if Loki's problem was a combination of bad genetics plus the URI or what; I've never seen a URI that we couldn't at least put a dent in with antibiotic combinations. We fought for a month before he decided it was time to give up. After the incident with Biru, I will never trust my family with any of my pets again.


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## erinsweeney (Nov 13, 2014)

Luna, feeder rat stock, female, cause of death unknown. She passed suddenly after I drained what appeared to be a routine abscess. She was a sweet girl who deserved better from me :/


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## Odessa (Dec 3, 2014)

Ratty: Pet shop, male, old age, around 2.5yo.

Chester: Pet shop, male, old age, around 3yo.

Taff: Pet shop, male, old age, around 2yo.

Bailey: Pet shop, male, euthanised due to large tumour, around 2yo.

Ingrid: Pet shop, female, euthanised due to large tumour, around 2.5yo.

Georgie: Pet shop, female, old age, around 2yo.

Delilah: Pet shop, female, old age, a/round 2.5yo.

Fletcher: Pet shop, male, respiratory issues, around 1.5yo.

Archer: Pet shop, male, respiratory issues, around 1.5yo.

Merv: Pet shop, male, unknown - no obvious illness, around 6 months.


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## artgecko (Nov 26, 2013)

Only 2 of mine have passed so far:
1. Howard ~1.5 years old from petco (feeder). Stroke (unconfirmed) Had to be euthanize due to stroke symptoms preventing him from functioning.

2. Mojo ~1 year 3 months old from a rescue litter (unknown origin of parents) adopted from petco (mother was left there and they adopted out the babies). Respiratory issues... As the result of a URI. He got sick and within 3 days (I had just started antibiotics) he was dead. he had a history of breathing issues and was always prone to sneezing throughout his life, so it was not too shocking. 

I have Mojo's 3 female siblings still and all seem to be in perfect health. I also still have Howard's cagemate who was also purchased from the feeder bin at petco.. He has shown no health issues either.


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## RedFraggle (Jun 4, 2012)

Pixie Pet shop 30 months uterine infectio. Ronnie Pet shop 18 months spinal tumourPerry rescue 2 years stroke. Merlot, rescue, 30 months, old age. Boris, rescue, age unknown, guessed at 2 cause not known.George, rescue, age unknown guessed at around 24 months cause not known. Henry, rescue, age unknown guessed at 24 months cause unknown. Terry, rescue, age unknown guessed at 36 months CHFTox lab rat 22 months cause unknown. Alf, lab rat, 25 months, renal failure following anaesthetic. LD, lab rat, 30 months, cause not known Malcolm, pet shop, 24 months, neurologic disorderColin, pet shop, 30 months, cause unknownBob pet shop, 15 months, PTBadger, pet shop, 20 months, PTTrevor, breeder, 23 months, secondary lung tumour following removal of fibrosrcoma 8 months earlier.


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## ponderosa (Oct 13, 2014)

I've only had rats for about 6 months and I've already had two die. 

Marburg, male, obtained from feeder stock. He was only about 3-4 months old. Appeared healthy and then died really suddenly (within minutes of showing symptoms, no time to get help... symptoms were jumping, freaking out, gasping for air, and then bleeding from nose and mouth). Unexplained causes: possible stroke, seizure, or heart attack. 

And then what happened just this week: Bubonia, female, obtained from feeder stock, about 9 months old. She seemed fine, then less than 24 hours later we found her so sick she couldn't really walk and was showing strange behavior suggestive of a neurological problem, so we rushed her to the emergency vet. She was hospitalized and PTS after deteriorating and no longer able to breathe on her own. The vets suspected that she got a mycoplasma infection in her central nervous system but they couldn't confirm it. 

I don't know if my experiences have been unusually bad, but after how suddenly these rats have died, the experience of having rats has become fraught with anxiety for me.


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## FiMarie (Jan 19, 2013)

Tybalt
1. the origin: Pet Store
2. Gender: Male
3. How: Just old... :\
4. Age: 3

Watson
1. the origin: Breeder
2. Gender: Male
3. How: Respiratory Illness
4. Age: 2

Basil (Baz)
1. the origin: Breeder
2. Gender: Male
3. How: Adult rat attacked him 
4. Age: 12 weeks

Milosh
1. the origin: Breeder
2. Gender: Male
3. How: Pneumonia
4. Age: 2.5


Cato is still alive and kicking. He's from the same pet store where I got Tybalt. He's 2.5 and incredibly active! I swear he's going to make it to 4!


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## Rattienewby (Aug 31, 2014)

My sweet Phoebe passed at 7 months from what we have decided matches that of a pituitary tumor. We got her from a hobby breeder in town.


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## RedFraggle (Jun 4, 2012)

Rattienewby said:


> My sweet Phoebe passed at 7 months from what we have decided matches that of a pituitary tumor. We got her from a hobby breeder in town.


That would be very exceptionally young for a PT. Poor baby.


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## BethC (Apr 6, 2014)

My boy Phantom is in the process of passing away. The vet says it's probably a brain tumor. She says he has less then a week to live.

I got him at Petsmart when he was about 3 months old. He is almost 1 1/2 now. 

He will be my first rat to go.


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## luvmy4rats (Nov 29, 2013)

1. Hobby breeder/female dumbo/pneumonia/18 months

2. Pet store/female standard eared/uterine cancer/2 years 4 months

3. Breeder/female patchwork hairless/pituitary tumor/18 months (in the process of dying at this very moment - I've cried so much)


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## Minky (Apr 4, 2013)

Dolly / female / feeder bin / euthanized due to mammary tumors / 3 yrs

Minky / female / Pet Smart / euthanized due to pituitary tumor / 14 months

Darla / female / Pet Smart / euthanized due to mammary tumors / 2 years

Petunia / female / shelter rescue from animal hoarder / natural causes (probably organ failure) / age unknown (elderly)

Nina Bear / female / shelter rescue from animal hoarder / euthanized due to URI and lymphoma / age unknown (probably about 2)

Baby / female / shelter rescue from animal hoarder / euthanized due to tumors and pneumonia / almost 2


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## Grotesque (Mar 19, 2014)

I guess I can contribute to this now, sadly. 

Mocha/female/rescue (snake didn't eat her)/respiratory issues stopped responding to medication/unknown age (probably around 2)


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## BlackZarak (Apr 18, 2015)

Zorro - Natural death at 2 1/2 years (possibly older as I am not sure of his exact age when I took him in)
Splinter - Paralysis related to spinal nerve degeneration, ~2 years 
Bleach - Post-surgery complications of pituitary tumors related to her advanced age at the time 1 3/4 year
Nostradamus - Natural death/old age, 3 years
Jezebel - Spontaneous heart failure, 1 1/2 year


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