# keeping a wheezing, dying rat comfortable



## jeffanie96 (Mar 15, 2010)

i bought lucy 3 years ago from petco, so for her to still be around is a miracle. she's had mycoplasma twice and an ear infection that resulted in a permanent head tilt. otherwise, she's been in good health. 

the past few days she's been breathing more heavily and her fur has been puffed up. yesterday she started panting and wheezing. today she can't stand up, even rolled over on her back at one point. we can't afford a vet, but what can i do to keep her comfortable? she's been sitting in urine so i change the fleece at her spot twice a day, but i'm wondering about wiping her with a damp cloth so she can breathe fresh air, or would that be too traumatic? she does not want to go in her cage but stay out with me and my husband. her cagemates have been taking care of her though.

would putting her in a steamy bathroom be better or worse for the wheezing? 

we put a humidifier near her cage last night. 

she won't eat, drank a little bit of cranberry juice from a spoon, but that's it. 

i know we don't like saying it, but we all have a favorite rat. she knows her name, spins on command, knows the names of the 6 colors, and is selflessly sweet. 

any other ideas are welcome. 

steph


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## AMJ087 (Aug 27, 2008)

well first i will ask...did you go to the vet yet? Thats would be number one.

Next steamy bathrooms can help so do that as much as you can. Also make sure to keep her warm. Use a rice sack or those round things you can microwave (cant think of what they are called) or whatever else will work for you. Have you tried feeding baby food?


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## olddeadpig (Jan 6, 2010)

Washing her with a damp cloth is not likely to cause any pain, and I'm sure she would appreciate not being caked in urine. I have washed rats without any problems before - I would only use warm water though, no soap as it might irritate her skin. 

For warmth, you can use an old sock filled with uncooked rice grains, tied up at the open end with string. She won't have the energy to chew it to bits at the moment. Microwave it for 30 seconds, leave it for 10 seconds then test it to see if it's warm. If it's too hot, just let it cool a bit, then when it's ready, put it next to her. The warmth doesn't last very long so you may want to re-do it every so often.

I would try and get her to a vet. It will cost something for the consultation, sure, and the vet is likely to prescribe antibiotics and maybe painkillers, but this shouldn't cost the earth - try ringing a local vet for an idea of how much it would cost. I have seen old rats recover miraculously from myco - within an hour, after looking as if they were on the point of death - after taking a bit of Baytril (antibiotic) in some applesauce. It might be seriously worth it!

I always get preachy about this, but if you can't afford fairly routine treatment (and most rats will have respiratory problems needing antibiotics at some point - many will have lumps and bumps that need much more costly surgery, the alternative being that you don't take them to the vet and they suffer unnecessarily), you may wish to consider whether to continue keeping rats in the future. I know rats are wonderful pets (the best!), and times are hard and it's not easy to find spare cash at short notice, but it is unlikely to cost more than a few tens of dollars/pounds for a quick consult and prescription for Baytril. If you choose to keep a pet - any pet - I think you should try to make sure you can somehow afford basic vet care (or insure against it) as well as food and accommodation. I would live on bread and water for a month if I had to so I could afford vet bills (sorry this might sound patronising, I don't know your exact circumstances). 

See how much it would be, work out a way to pay for it somehow (maybe the vet will defer payment for a while or accept payment in instalments, maybe a credit card?). You might get a lot more pleasure out of your girl yet! 

Very best of luck to you and Lucy whatever happens.


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## jeffanie96 (Mar 15, 2010)

Thanks for the replies. Before Lucy got sick, I got a prescription for Baytril and doxycycline, and I should be getting it in the mail in 2 days. I planned on calling the vet this morning, but Lucy died last night. She spent all yesterday evening sleeping in my hoodie and clearly did not want to be in the cage. Even if I had taken her to a hospital, she still would not have lasted more than a few days. And I think she was happy to spend her last hours sleeping next to me and my husband being petted and loved than in an oxygen tank by herself.

We kept a heating pad underneath the blanket she was laying in and a humidifier nearby. And gave her lots of love. 

She did appreciate the damp cloth.

I know I'm really new here, but here's my two cents: 

Regarding taking her to a vet- it really was her time. She's hasn't had it easy physically and I am the type of person who hospitalized her parakeet for a week ($1500) just so he could live a few more months. We've given her Baytril 4 times before, but she had no interest in anything other than resting yesterday. Basically I wanted to treat the symptoms and keep her comfortable. As rat owners, we all have to make that decision at some point whether to treat the disease or let it run its course. The way Lucy died is how I'd like to go, knowing and feeling I'm loved, not feeling abandoned, poked, prodded, etc. 

Most of the time, a vet is needed (and we have a very good one), but she was telling us that she would die last night or in a day or two and wanted to be with us to say goodbye. We all know our rats very well and they know when it's time. Sometimes, it's the loving and respectful thing to do to let our babies do what they need to do to move on. 

Again, thanks for the replies. 

Steph


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## [x]RaeLovesRats[x] (Feb 7, 2008)

Try giving her baby food, melted ice cream, veggie soup, just ANYTHING she will eat.
Honey water or slightly heated soy milk might be an idea for a drink.

pm'd you a link


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

RatWitch said:


> Try giving her baby food, melted ice cream, veggie soup, just ANYTHING she will eat.
> Honey water or slightly heated soy milk might be an idea for a drink.
> 
> pm'd you a link


Umm RatWitch, the rat has already passed. :/


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