# How do you handle them dying?



## furbaby (Jul 14, 2008)

I've been considering/wanting a rat for many months. One last concern of mine (though I still have questions) is about finding my beloved rat belly up. Do they look contorted when their dead? Do they just look like their sleeping? What do you do with them (bury them? what if you don't have a backyard... can't flush them...)

My roommate told me to get a baby and adopt it out when I move in a couple of years so we don't have to see it dead. Of course this is ridiculous, because you never know when they die and I'm not fond of abandoning a rat I love...

Any and all comments are appreciated!!


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

I have been through 31 losses this year and waiting for #32 to decide when.

They don't die on their back, usually on their side or on their belly sometimes depending on what is wrong with them. Sometimes they look like they are just sleeping and other times they will have their eyes open and will be stiff and a bit distorted if you find them after rigor mortis has set in.

But hopefully you are the type of owner that will take your ratties to the pts at the vets before they suffer. Most rats won't die at home, but have to be assisted.
The ones that do are quiet deaths for the most part. Others you will come home and find gone.

My last little girl died in my arms at 3:50 am. She had pituitary tumour and was slipping away. She slept on me or beside me for most of the night.

The actual death if its just a normal passing (not like severe respiratory or tumors that can make them waste away and suffer...these need to be pts) then they often will stretch out and their hind limbs may kick a little, they may take some gasping breaths (these are all final nerve impulses and your rat has already left), then their heart can often fibrillate, then it stops.


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## begoodtoanimals (Dec 6, 2007)

Regarding what to do with their body: if you don't have a yard, go to some tranquil place with a shovel and your passed buddy in your back pack and secretly bury him there. Nobody will know.


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## furbaby (Jul 14, 2008)

I just figured out what pts meant (put to sleep?). Lilspaz: Can you pts most rats? In my opinion it's more humane than struggling to live, but is it often an option? Do most rats "go" by old age or by an illness? (Assumably the illness is more pts worthy than the old age?)


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

furbaby said:


> I just figured out what pts meant (put to sleep?). Lilspaz: Can you pts most rats? In my opinion it's more humane than struggling to live, but is it often an option? Do most rats "go" by old age or by an illness? (Assumably the illness is more pts worthy than the old age?)


sorry about the short form, i am just soo used to using it LOL

Most rats die of "something". I will look at all my rats from 2008 and give you a scary list of what they died of and if they were pts.

brb...its all on another forum LOL

I have a little ritual that I do with the body. I lay them down on a small piece of fleece...arrange their body on their side,curl the tail up in front of them, then put 2-3 lab blocks behind their back and their treats in front, along with a few pennies and small change (the change is to pay the Ferryman to cross the River Styx, and the extra is for anyone on the bank who doesn't have any money to cross...my babies will share), then I wrap them up, and put them in a small gift box in my freezer until I can get to my sisters farm where they are buried.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

I tired to make this an all around chart with ages as well to give you an overview.

resp = respiratory
pts - put to sleep
uri - upper resp infectino
chf - congestive heart failure

- Mattie (26 mo)- PT (pituitary tumour) - died in my hands, peaceful
- Dolci (18 mo)- PT - died on my chest, she was sleeping with me at this time
- Amelia (20 mo?) - masses in jaw, stroke - PTS
- Brie (24 mo) - resp, always been snuffly, had a horrible infection as a baby - passed at home
- Kyrie (22 mo) - resp since young, died in my arms 5 mins away from vet clinic
- Prima (21 mo) - tumour, respi - i think she passed at home, cannot remember
- Lucine (21 mo) - PT - passed at home
- Bella (36 mo) - age, tumour - passed on me
- Moth (37 mo) - age, resp at end - pts
- Fable (33 mo) - age, hind end degen, auricular polyps and abscess on jaw - pts
- Lisbet (36 mo) - age - pts
- Shadow (32 mo) - age - pts
- Adia (29 mo) - tumour/age - passed at home
- Bagel (19 mo) - untreated CHF (congestive heart failure), he was only with me for a week, and passed on me
- Bradley (21 mo) - sudden onset resp. - passed at home
- Saffi (35 mo) - tumour/age - pts
- Nissa (22 mo, 1/2 wild, 1/2 domestic) - CHF - passed at home
- Fayth (19 mo) - stroke, heart attack, no signs - passed at home
- Beni (22 mo half-wild) - CHF - pts 
- Kara (22 mo half wild) - necrotic tumour on hip - pts
- Dilbert (27 mo) - internal mass - pts *sniff*
- Teya (23 mo half-wild) - tumour on head - pts
- Kismet (21 mo) - PT - pts
- Kamea (24 mo) - ended up with chronic URI - passed at home
- Faline (26 mo) - always had a head tilt, spinal nerve degen, ended up getting another inner ear infection - pts
- Bear (24 mo) - chronic URI - passed at home (no time for vet)
- Faerdae (25 mo) - CHF? - gone when I came home
- Lani (18 mo) - PT - passed at home
- Aura (35 mo) - age, tumour on throat, blind - pts
- Asha (36mo) - age, spinal nerve degen - passed at home
- Lottie(28 mo) - tumour, spinal nerve degen - pts
- Terra (30 mo) - tumour inside intestines - pts
- Megan (27 mo) - PT - passed in my arms

I just lost Terra and Megan in December 

Remember that I have a lot of rescue rats in my home, but these are the passings.
If it makes you feel any better, I have 2 ladies at 34 months, Terra;s sister at 30 months, Bronny is 32 months, Rennie is 30 months...
When my babies make it to 30 months I am thrilled!!!


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## furbaby (Jul 14, 2008)

I wish I could hug you. Thanks for all the information and replies. The ones that died at home/in your arms, could they have been pts? Do you get rescues that tend to be more sick than others?


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

furbaby said:


> I wish I could hug you. Thanks for all the information and replies. The ones that died at home/in your arms, could they have been pts? Do you get rescues that tend to be more sick than others?


Some of them could've been, but they passed overnight...I often run my rats in to my vet first thing in the morning before work. With PT rats its often just a gradual fade away, a lot of PT rats can pass quietly at home. I am usually syringe feeding for the last day or 2.

Some of them passed on the weekend when my vet was closed, but I would never let them suffer if I could help it. If there was any physical type of discomfort I would often dose with metacam. If I had to, I could sub-q fluids so they aren't dehydrated. I am more prepared than most to have rats pass at home.


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## begoodtoanimals (Dec 6, 2007)

If they are already dying, IV fluids will only prolong their suffering. Dehydration will allow them to softly slip away. That's only if they don't want to drink or eat anymore. They should always have the option. Dehydration can never be our initiative to euthanize..
I learned this from a physician for humans.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

begoodtoanimals said:


> If they are already dying, IV fluids will only prolong their suffering. Dehydration will allow them to softly slip away. That's only if they don't want to drink or eat anymore. They should always have the option. Dehydration can never be our initiative to euthanize..
> I learned this from a physician for humans.


Yeah well I imagine since they are dying anyways, I don't want them to be horribly uncomfortable beforehand. If there's suffering they will be pts, and I do it on a case by case basis. If they are going to linger for awhile, I will give them fluids and take them to the vet as soon as they open.


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## javakittie (Aug 18, 2007)

begoodtoanimals said:


> If they are already dying, IV fluids will only prolong their suffering. Dehydration will allow them to softly slip away. That's only if they don't want to drink or eat anymore. They should always have the option. Dehydration can never be our initiative to euthanize..
> I learned this from a physician for humans.


That isn't true and I'd like to know where a human doctor got that information.. I've seen dehydrated rats, and it's hardly a 'quietly slipping away' ordeal. My first rat to pass had a severe resp infection and was terribly dehydrated. She was anything but quiet and peaceful. She passed very early in the morning when I was unable to get her to a vet. Her's was the most violent passing I've had to endure. Since then I've had another rat pass from a similar problem, and I was able to give her SubQ at home. She was infinitely more comfortable and was able to pass with some peace.

Haven't you ever been extremely thirsty and/or dehydrated? You can't tell me that that is somehow comfortable to you.


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## begoodtoanimals (Dec 6, 2007)

I personally have been severely dehydrated to the point that it became dangerous and it isn't an uncomfortable state at all. Someone else realized what was going on and stepped in, possibly saving my live. So yes, I know from first hand what it's like.
Your rat might have been suffering from the URI itself. Perking them up with fluids to be PTS by the vet puts way more stress on them then quietly slipping away in their own cages or on you.
I have seen this with most of my mice who became sick. The ones that I thought suffered were PTS.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

begoodtoanimals said:


> I personally have been severely dehydrated to the point that it became dangerous and it isn't an uncomfortable state at all. Someone else realized what was going on and stepped in, possibly saving my live. So yes, I know from first hand what it's like.
> Your rat might have been suffering from the URI itself. Perking them up with fluids to be PTS by the vet puts way more stress on them then quietly slipping away in their own cages or on you.
> I have seen this with most of my mice who became sick. The ones that I thought suffered were PTS.


To each their own although I very much disagree with your statement.

You let your mice dehydrate at home, and we will continue to use the option of fluids for comfort if completely necessary.

Even the labs don't agree...

http://www.researchtraining.org/moduletext.asp?intModuleID=602

_Fluid and Electrolyte Balance

Maintaining normal homeostasis is greatly dependent on osmotic pressure between tissue spaces. *Fluid and/or electrolyte imbalance resulting in dehydration or edema may produce discomfort and add to pain and distress *resulting from other causes. ._


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## begoodtoanimals (Dec 6, 2007)

begoodtoanimals said:


> The ones that I thought suffered were PTS.


You didn't read my last sentence. So here's the quote on that. I would never let an animal suffer, hence my user name. So let's just respectfully disagree.


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## javakittie (Aug 18, 2007)

begoodtoanimals said:


> begoodtoanimals said:
> 
> 
> > The ones that I thought suffered were PTS.
> ...


You didn't read her entire post then..


> Fluid and/or electrolyte imbalance resulting in dehydration or edema may produce discomfort and add to pain and distress


You are comfortable saying that no, dehydration is not uncomfortable.
I am not comfortable saying that, and many lab and science articles agree with my opinion.

I'm also no comfortable saying that my pets are not in pain. Rodents especially are prey animals, and hide their symptoms unless they're absolutely unable to. So for my rat to show that she's in obvious pain, she must be in an incredible amount of it. Why should I risk her being in _any_ discomfort? As Lilspaz said, to each their own. What you are comfortable with is your own prerogative.


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## MadCatter (Aug 12, 2008)

Just to add my experience... when I get dehydrated, my head and neck ache, I feel dizzy, and I feel like I'm going to throw up. My eyes feel like they can't focus properly. This isn't even 'life threatening dehydration'. On top of the physical discomfort, my mouth feels dry, and just putting something like lotion on my hands is an enormous relief. I'm not sure if I'd risk disallowing fluids in hopes that they'd pass quicker, if it meant being more uncomfortable or in pain for any amount of time.


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

I'll add mine too.

I have to have a very strict intake of fluids every day. If I get even slightly dehydrated it floors me with headaches, fatigue and I feel, for a lack of a better word, sh**. I couldn't even begin to imagine leaving an animal to pass that is already suffering suffer the effects of dehydration as well. It is common palliative care in humans and it is used more often in not with animals too.

I had a rat with PT this time last year, who spent almost the last 2 weeks of her life on a liquid diet to prevent dehydration while I waited for her to slip quietly away. But you know what, because she was kept hydrated and given the nutrients she needed, although she was by no physical means a regular rat anymore, she did not suffer. She held on until SHE was ready, and I only made her comfortable until that time came. I didn't prolonge her suffering as much as give her a new lease of life to enjoy what little time she had left in her failing body.

I am a firm advocate than least you can do for your pet is to keep it comfortable through it's life, including it's death. You wouldn't deny fluids to your grandma (for eg) if she's on her deathbed would you? If a nurse allowed her lips to get dry and cracked, you'd complain right? The same thing applies in pets, only with rats 2-fold as their metabolism is much faster than ours therefore the effects of dehydration hit fast and hard.


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## begoodtoanimals (Dec 6, 2007)

Of course I would always make sure that they have fluids within reach, even when it means in a saucer next to them. But I will not put them through the stress of IVs in vet offices and force drinking. That's just as much suffering in MHU.
If they have given up on life, it is their time unless I see signs of discomfort. Then I will take them to a vet to be PTS.
And yes again, my grand mother refused any fluids because she was ready and it was respected by the staff. She did slip away quietly with everyone around her.
Maybe dehydration works different in healthy bodies than in sick ones. That's what I have learned from this discussion.


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## javakittie (Aug 18, 2007)

The lack of fluids effects the body the same way. How people interpret that reaction is their own. Healthy or sick, it doesn't matter. You may not give two figs if you're so dehydrated you're about to die. Your grandmother *made her own choice regarding her own body*. What you and she chose/choose to do to your own bodies is your deal.

I, on the other hand, believe all the medical data that says the complete opposite. Although your responses continue to get more and more confusing. Exactly what do you think we do to our _dying_ rats? That we hold them down and try to force actual fluids down their throats? Why on earth would you do that to a rat dying of a resp infection that's not letting them breathe? IV fluids are not only nearly impossible for animals as small as rodents, but are completely impractical. We'll assume you meant SubQ Fluids.. And again, if I'm able to take my *dying* rat into the vet to get it SubQ fluids, then I'm not taking it in to get fluids. I'm taking it in to be pts. 

I'm able to give SubQ fluids _at home_, after talking about it at length with my vet. She and I have a great relationship and she trusts my judgment with my animals. She, too, has not only said that dehydration can cause them even more pain, but that she fully encourages her clients to do SubQ at home for _palliative_ care. The point of the fluids is to make them comfortable until we're able to get them in to the vet, or atleast make them comfortable enough through the day/night before they pass.


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## begoodtoanimals (Dec 6, 2007)

javakittie said:


> IV fluids are not only nearly impossible for animals as small as rodents, but are completely impractical. We'll assume you meant SubQ Fluids.. And again, if I'm able to take my *dying* rat into the vet to get it SubQ fluids, then I'm not taking it in to get fluids. I'm taking it in to be pts.


I agree with that. Then my question is how you would give them fluids besides doing the IV SubQ yourself.

So maybe we don't disagree as much after all, maybe?
I am not against putting them sleep at all but will also trust their own process if I think it's a responsible thing to do. 
I hope this clarifies things.


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## javakittie (Aug 18, 2007)

It's not IV.. It's Subcutaneous Fluids. They're injected via a small needle under the skin, above the layer of muscle. IV is directly into a vein. 

If I hadn't talked it over with my vet, and she hadn't given me the supplies and shown me how to do SubQ injections? Then I'd try my best to get the rat in to be pts. If, for whatever reason, that's not possible, then I'd be doing my best to make them comfortable. Usually that means I'll give a higher dose of Metacam, or whatever pain killer I have on hand, and try to keep them calm and comfortable until it happens. 

Before I had the supplies and know how to give SubQ, I've sat down with rats and simply rubbed rehydrating formula on their lips with my finger for hours on end just to help them hydrate a little bit. I literally fed one rat Ensure .05cc at a time because that's all she could handle before she started gasping. I'm not going to force a dying rat into a stressful situation, but I'm going to make sure I'm doing whatever I can to give them either a shot to make it long enough to get to the vet or to atleast pass with some dignity.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

OK every time you post you add something that needs clarification..so if you are going to continue with your opinion can you tell us what you meant by …



begoodtoanimals said:


> Dehydration can never be our initiative to euthanize.


and 



begoodtoanimals said:


> But I will not put them through the stress of IVs in vet offices and force drinking. That's just as much suffering in MHU.


So in this statement you realize you haven’t got your facts right at all and have obviously never been through this type of situation…rats cannot be given IV’s ever, and you offer a syringe of Ensure or rehydrating fluid to the rat, they lick and swallow or don’t. When they refuse you NEVER force them to drink…



begoodtoanimals said:


> Then my question is how you would give them fluids besides doing the IV SubQ yourself.
> 
> So maybe we don't disagree as much after all, maybe?
> I am not against putting them sleep at all but will also trust their own process if I think it's a responsible thing to do.
> I hope this clarifies things.


Sub-cutaneous fluids are very very easy to administer…the rat often doesn’t move. I had to learn how to do sub-q with my DYING girl with pneumonia. I had to inject her with 3 ml’s of ringer’s lactate solution, .05 cc’s of injectable gentocin, and .05 cc’s of dexamethasone. My DYING rat was cured and lived for 7 more months in good health. 

It’s very hard to know when to stop trying. When a human is sick, they “know” they aren’t dying, but an animal won’t. They don’t know that in 3 days with the meds you are giving them, they could be feeling a whole lot better…just like a child. 

But seriously a vet or a person who knows how to do a sub-q injection can do it. I prefer the thinner skin over the flank (you roll it between your fingers) and the rat usually doesn't make a noise, and its done in a second. The needles are very fine and the canula is angled for easier entry through the skin. Its very quick to do if you are only giving up a few ml’s of fluid and I have only done it twice for severely sick rats to make them more comfortable until I could get them to the vet. I have even done up a post on my own forum showing how to sub-q a rat…of course I wasn’t able to show the actual sub-q because its just me and you cannot do it and take pics 

A lot of my rats pass at home (did you even read my post or did you just get stuck on the administering of Sub-q fluids and Your Theory)…I prefer they pass at home, and once they stop eating and drinking they often leave that night or soon after.


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## begoodtoanimals (Dec 6, 2007)

I now understand the difference between SubQ and IVs and that makes sense.
I f my rats are sick, they go the vet. if they are terminal and suffering, they are PTS. If they are terminal and comfortable, and I am sure we all know our rats well enough, I allow them to die on their own.
This is my last reply on this subject. I am sure we will not always agree on certain subjects and that's OK. I know we all do our best in the interest of our little friends.


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## sorraia (Nov 10, 2007)

furbaby said:


> I've been considering/wanting a rat for many months. One last concern of mine (though I still have questions) is about finding my beloved rat belly up. Do they look contorted when their dead? Do they just look like their sleeping? What do you do with them (bury them? what if you don't have a backyard... can't flush them...)


How the rat looks depends on how it died. Most of my rats have passed in their sleep, so they simply look as if they have fallen asleep. Sometimes they are flopped out on their belly. Very rarely have I seen a rat look truly contorted as if in pain, maybe once or twice in the 15+ years I have had pet rats. 

Right now I'm renting a house, and don't want to bury my dead rats here. What I do is take them to my father's house and bury them there. If that wasn't an option, I would honestly find a park or other "natural" setting to bury them at, even if I had to sneak in at night to do it.


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## sorraia (Nov 10, 2007)

begoodtoanimals said:


> I personally have been severely dehydrated to the point that it became dangerous and it isn't an uncomfortable state at all. Someone else realized what was going on and stepped in, possibly saving my live. So yes, I know from first hand what it's like.
> Your rat might have been suffering from the URI itself. Perking them up with fluids to be PTS by the vet puts way more stress on them then quietly slipping away in their own cages or on you.
> I have seen this with most of my mice who became sick. The ones that I thought suffered were PTS.


I have to disagree with your comments. I have been severely dehydrated and it IS a very uncomfortable state. For me, it makes me dizzy, feel faint, hungry, angry, cranky, generally pissy, and gives me headaches (BAD head aches). Dehydration also causes my blood pressure to drop, which makes me feel overall cruddy times ten. My headaches get worse (sometimes to the point of feeling like migraines, and I don't get migraines), I get more faint, more dizzy, disoriented, and uncoordinated, and the feelings of fatigue are awful. Sometimes the fatigue is so bad I don't feel like doing anything at all, and the state will just get worse and worse until I black out or faint. It is NOT a pleasant experience, quite the opposite rather unpleasant.

The problem is we don't know what the animals are feeling. That's great that your dehydration wasn't all that bad, however not every case is going to be like yours. Would you rather assume your animals are like you and assume they aren't suffering, when really they are? Or would you rather try to keep them healthy and feeling good? 

Also, dehydration makes everything worse than it is overall. The body has to work harder when it is dehydrated. Blood volume drops, which means the heart has to work harder. If an animal is fighting off an infection, dehydration will only make it worse. That's why doctors always tell you to drink lots of fluid when you get sick, to give your body the best fighting chance it has. If a rat is sick, keep it well-hydrated so it's body has the best fighting chance it has. If the rat is old, keep it hydrated so it's body can continue to work as best as it can as long as it can. If the animal is suffering while hydrated, then have it put to sleep if it isn't treatable. However don't add suffering by allowing the animal to become dehydrated.

One last note: Dehydration can also cause other problems. Prolonged/chronic dehydration can cause serious organ issues. Not only does the heart work harder when the body is dehydrated, but so do other organs. The kidneys especially have to work harder, and may eventually fail as a result of severe chronic dehydration. This might result in the build-up of waste material in the blood, causing eventual organ failure. Minerals might also build up faster, causing painful stones. The digestive system also doesn't work as well when the body is dehydrated, so the animal may not get all the nutrients it needs. Why advocate putting any animal through this? Remember, the animal can't tell us what they are feeling. Just because we don't see it, doesn't mean they aren't feeling it.


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## Indo (Dec 16, 2008)

I handle it by crying all the way to the pet shop for a refund and some new rats.

Only joking, I give them a decent burial...it's very sad when they die, but it's natural, a new beginning and you can hopefully take a lot of comfort knowing you have given the little critters an amazing, love-filled life.

What you should do is buy three rats to start. When one dies, you buy a pair to keep the remaining two interested and not depressed. Everytime there is only two left, buy another pair and introduce them (it is easier to introduce pairs)

This softens the blow for all concerned...

PS this is easier with females (it;s easier to introduce females).

peace out ratlovers


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

> What you should do is buy three rats to start. When one dies, you buy a pair to keep the remaining two interested and not depressed. Everytime there is only two left, buy another pair and introduce them (it is easier to introduce pairs)
> 
> This softens the blow for all concerned...


I would worry that this method would encourage people to get more pets that their means could afford. :-X


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## Indo (Dec 16, 2008)

Well, I was suggesting an ideal scenario for people who have the space and can afford to keep a maximum of four rats at a time. 

Rats can have great lives in any numbers as long as they are cared for properly, but for those out there who want to have a situation where death is easier to handle (for both the human owners and the ratty cagemates), like the original poster is asking, then my suggestion is pretty much ideal.

Peace out.


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## fridayinluv (Dec 17, 2007)

*Two cents--*

I'm just wondering how you *know* your rats are ready to die. I'm assuming you cannot read their minds or speak their language. Indeed, we can communicate with our rats in many ways. But I just doubt that anyone can really know for certain that their rats want to die.

In my observations, most (not all) animals want to live, and try their hardest to survive, against all odds. For this reason, I don't think I could ever put my pets to sleep. Although I respect other people's choices, and would never tell anyone how to take care of their pets. I am just mentioning this as something to consider. I was convinced of my choice when I met my friend's female rat. She had an enormous tumor on her neck, and had to hobble around. However she seemed to be happy almost all the time, like she barely noticed she was dying. She appeared to enjoy her life up until the end.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

*Re: Two cents--*



fridayinluv said:


> I'm just wondering how you *know* your rats are ready to die. I'm assuming you cannot read their minds or speak their language. Indeed, we can communicate with our rats in many ways. But I just doubt that anyone can really know for certain that their rats want to die.
> 
> In my observations, most (not all) animals want to live, and try their hardest to survive, against all odds. For this reason, I don't think I could ever put my pets to sleep. Although I respect other people's choices, and would never tell anyone how to take care of their pets. I am just mentioning this as something to consider. I was convinced of my choice when I met my friend's female rat. She had an enormous tumor on her neck, and had to hobble around. However she seemed to be happy almost all the time, like she barely noticed she was dying. She appeared to enjoy her life up until the end.


Wait until you have been through it a few times then you'll know if you are very observant. Their eyes change, you can tell they are enduring with no end in sight, you will recognize it when you see it in your own rats.

A lot of us in the beginning waited too long to have a sick rat pts or never did, and a lot of us are still haunted at the memory.

some can peacefully pass at home, but some cannot.


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## sorraia (Nov 10, 2007)

*Re: Two cents--*



fridayinluv said:


> I'm just wondering how you *know* your rats are ready to die. I'm assuming you cannot read their minds or speak their language. Indeed, we can communicate with our rats in many ways. But I just doubt that anyone can really know for certain that their rats want to die.


How do you know when any animal is in pain? You learn to read the subtleties of their language.

That said, people who have been around any kind of animal and gotten to know that animal (not the individual, but the species as a whole) learn to pick up on a few things. If you are the kind of person who is very empathetic and keen on reading body language, it will come to you more naturally. If you aren't that kind of person, you can still learn, just might take a little longer. 



> In my observations, most (not all) animals want to live, and try their hardest to survive, against all odds. For this reason, I don't think I could ever put my pets to sleep. Although I respect other people's choices, and would never tell anyone how to take care of their pets. I am just mentioning this as something to consider. I was convinced of my choice when I met my friend's female rat. She had an enormous tumor on her neck, and had to hobble around. However she seemed to be happy almost all the time, like she barely noticed she was dying. She appeared to enjoy her life up until the end.


I agree that no animal really *wants* to die. However sometimes there comes the point when they can't survive and letting them do so is cruelty. That's when it is our job, as their guardians, to help them along and have them put to sleep.

I had a three year old dog who developed a tumor on her spinal cord. It was devastating because it was so violent and she was so young. At first she lost the use of her hind legs. It started out as just some minor stumbling, and in days progressed to her being unable to move them at all, just dragging her hind legs behind her as she pulled herself with her front legs. At that point she also started losing control of her bowels and bladder. It was AWFUL to observe. The tumor was inoperable, just a big black mass right on her spinal cord (the vet opened her up to try to operate, saw he couldn't, and sewed her back up and gave me a call). I had to make the horrible decision to put her to sleep. If I didn't, she would have NO quality of life. She wouldn't necessarily be in pain, but she wouldn't be able to walk and would tear up her hind legs as a result of dragging them (she was also a 100 pound dog, and making a wheelchair for her was a bit out of the question - I even asked). She had NO control over her bowels and bladder, and would mess herself everywhere (which you could tell she was upset about). The problem was unlikely to end there, possibly progressing to the point where she started having organ failure. She would not have died naturally soon either, she could have lived for weeks or even months that way before she finally died. That was NO way to live or let an animal live.

I had another dog who was poisoned by an irate (and quite frankly psychopathic) neighbor. She threw up once or twice one day, but it was nothing too unusual, sometimes animals throw up. The next day she continued to throw up and had nasty orange diarrhea. She was immediately taken to the vet. After running blood test and taking stool samples, the vet came back to say she was experiencing liver failure. It had happened so quickly the only cause could have been poisoning. She had stopped eating and was in pain and miserable, you could just see it in her eyes. Her liver was so far gone, and her kidneys were starting to go, that there was NOTHING that could be done to help her. She would have lived for several days on her own dying slowly. She would have died from massive blood poisoning, if dehydration didn't get her first. That was NOT a way to let an animal live. I had to make the awful decision to have her put to sleep.

Until you experience something like that (and perhaps you have), it is very easy to say you couldn't put an animal to sleep. We all say that, until we see an animal in such pain and suffering that cannot be treated, and we are faced head-on with that kind of decision. What is worse, knowing you had your beloved pet put to sleep before it suffered any more, or watching it die a slow and agonizing death over the course of days, weeks, or months?


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