# Rat dying of pnuemonia advice please



## simpliciter (Oct 1, 2007)

So my favorite rat of all time is dying right now. On Baytril and Dox twice a day. After 2 days it looked like he was improving, started eating more and had a little energy, but now after 6 days hes going downhill. I can barely get him to eat anything or lick water off my fingers. I've been putting him near a humidifier but it doesn't seem to help. Taking him in the shower terrifies him and I thought he was going to have a heart attack. I'm basically wondering right now if there is still a point in force feeding him the antibiotics (he hates it) if he hasn't gotten better by now am I just extending his pain by giving them to him? I had another rat die of this like a month ago which was heartbreaking to watch and now its happening again. I don't want to see another gasping for breath rat death spasm. Can anyone tell me how much putting them down costs? I am out of money for treatment and have stolen some from my parents basically to get the drugs I did get.

/sniff


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## mamarat (Sep 21, 2007)

I'm so sorry about your little one. I pay 50 dollars here for euthanasia.


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## simpliciter (Oct 1, 2007)

Man, thats more than i expected. I was thinking maybe 25 dollars.... or free. Still praying he somehow pulls through. Got him to eat a little baby food.


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## mamarat (Sep 21, 2007)

I'm in Canada. It might be cheaper somewhere else? How old is your rattie?


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## Meliss (Sep 1, 2007)

I think when we put the first one down it was 30 bucks I am so sorry about your rat


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## simpliciter (Oct 1, 2007)

thankyou for your well wishes. I'm typing w/ 1 hand cause hes asleep in my lap across my other wrist right now. He's only about 16-18 months. 30 is about what i expected.


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## simpliciter (Oct 1, 2007)

Vet said as long as he isnt gasping for breath there is still hope. So far, he hasn't quite reached that stage. Today he is actually seeming better, ate the most ive seen him eat in days and his breating isnt as rapid. I hope I hope hope that he will actually recover but I'm superstitious not to get my hopes up. I so want to prove to my mom that it was worth borrowing 50 bucks from her for medicine, she totally doesn't think its worth it and that they just dont live more than a year and a half.


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## cjshrader (Feb 15, 2007)

simpliciter said:


> she totally doesn't think its worth it and that they just dont live more than a year and a half.


Well actually domesticated rats live from 2-3 years, and I've heard of a few older than that.

Sometimes it is the hardest part of being a rat owner rectifying the cost of expensive surgery vs the fact that they just don't live that long. It doesn't help that rats are so cheap to get, which puts a subconscious thought in our heads that they are simply more disposable. Obviously this is not the case, and all pets should be given the same amount of veterinary care despite cost or size.


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## Rat_Dude_AZ (Oct 3, 2007)

I had to pay 125 for an ER visit (on a Sunday) plus they said that they wanted to keep her overnight for observation and to put her on oxygen. it would have been an extra 500. Sadly we didn't have the money at the time and she passed from pnemonia. It can get expensive but I think its worth it. I would have spent the 500 if I had it. Rats are smart and make great pets. 

If he's not gasping or you don't hear "wet" breathing (like when you have a nose full of snot) then ther still might be a chance.

I wish you and your baby the best of luck.


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## mamarat (Sep 21, 2007)

I'm glad he's doing better. (fingers crossed) You have to give meds for a long time and sometimes for the rest of their short lives. I have three old ladies here who are 29 months and still going strong. Good luck. BTW what's your rattie's name?


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## simpliciter (Oct 1, 2007)

Thankyou for the replies. His name is Hix. Maybe I'll figure out how to post pics on here today... Really pretty grey backed white guy. He is doing better still today (fingers still crossed). Almost normal appetite, but still really skinny and fairly weak compared to how he was before he got sick. Still makes noises breathing, kinda whistling/wheezing occasionally but hes MUCH better than he was like 3 days ago when he was just flopping over and over in my lap trying to breath. Downside is now its even harder to give him his meds cause he fights harder. I put some on some bread and that worked for a bit till he realized he could avoid eating the parts with the meds on it. Yeah I've still got like another 2 weeks of meds twice a day which i plan on giving to him no matter how hard he fights. I hope he won't have to be on em for ever and ever.

heres a cute pic of him and me from awhile ago hope its not too big


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## Poppyseed (Feb 1, 2007)

Mix it with soy milk. My rats like that lol.


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## mamarat (Sep 21, 2007)

Awww Hix is a cutie. You can also put the meds in baby cereal, like pablum. My rats lick the spoon clean.


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## Rat_Dude_AZ (Oct 3, 2007)

Glad to hear that Hix is better.

I usually use light or plain organic yogurt. just make sure it has little to no sugar cause they will get really hyper. and most vets mix it in with some kind of flavoring to make it easier. I've also tried putting some in the pits of raspberries. Good luck


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## New2rats (Oct 4, 2007)

Glad he is doing better, hope he makes a full recovery


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## simpliciter (Oct 1, 2007)

*Re: Rat not dying yay*

He is almost back to his normal self now! Its amazing. My girlfriend and I were pretty sure we were going to lose him. I tried mixing the meds with soymilk but im not sure hes getting it all. Even if i mix it good, the meds seem to go to the bottom and he wont lick the last bit of it off the teaspoon im giving it to him with. So I try half that way and the rest i shove down his throat with the syringe as quickly as i can. When he was sick i was afraid he was going to gag and choke on the liquid cause he had such trouble swallowing. It took awhile to go down and would collect all over his mouth. I wonder if he was having a sore and swollen throat as a symptom and that is what causes them to stop eating and drinking. Now he is fighting me much harder when i try to put it in his mouth, but once i squirt it in he swollows it quickly. He is seriously an amazing rat. If it wasn't for him I probably would have stopped getting more rats at number 2 which he was. Now I'll constantly be searching for another as well tempered and gentle as he.


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