# Mouth breathing at deaths doorstep



## liesel (Feb 13, 2013)

My very sick rat is doing the whole "breathing through her mouth" thing rats tend to do right before they die. My other girls only did this for a few hours befofe they passed on, but they were both at peace with the knowledge that it was time. She doesn't seem it. Shes really trying to fight it. Any suggestions I should do to make her death more comfortable? Do they ever mouth breath and then live on to see another day? I noticed cause when I went to check on her she was lying on her back I'm her cage (as though she was climbing the bars and fell) and she couldn't get up. So sad to watch this.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

If you can put her in an oxygen box or bring her to a vet to euthanize her. It feels like drowning, not a nice death Is it from a bad URI? That is where the 02 box comes handy so as to give a chance for the antibiotics to work. When my Gribouilli was dying (congenital congestive heart failure) at age 17 months, she started month breathing about 10 hours before her death. I put her in the oxygen box and she passed peacefully, all curled up and sleeping in her space pod. Without the O2 I would have brought her to a vet to put her to sleep. I'm so sorry your rat is dying It is so heartbreaking.


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## liesel (Feb 13, 2013)

It's so hard to watch. We're not entirely sure what's wrong as shes too weak for surgery which is ideally what my vet wanted to do but there was such a little chance she'd survive the surgery itself that it wasn't worth it. The vet figures she most likely has cancer in her lungs but it's simply a guess.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

It could be cancer in her lungs or congestive heart failure maybe unless you had X-rays to rule that out. In any case, there is no treatment for either. I had my rat on meds to make it better, but ultimately CHF is fatal. I'm sorry you have to go through this I hope she will pass quickly now.


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## liesel (Feb 13, 2013)

Me too. I don't want it to be long and drawn out - for her sake. Poor baby.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

If shes falling and breathing so hard and so weak she cannot get back up, she probably does need to be let go. I have had some mouth breathers make it through but it was either from panicking at a stuffy nose (rats really don't like breathing through their mouth) or I was able to quickly inject a fast acting steroid that opens up their lungs. Most rat owners dont have this option and the rat often passes but struggles badly. 

The other breathing you are talking about is called agonal breathing. its a non-life sustaining breathing motion that most mammals go through as the body is dying...even humans. Once you see this shallow often not rhythmic breathing, just hold them until its over.


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## liesel (Feb 13, 2013)

I've noticed that she's only really mouth breathing after she tries to exert a lot of energy. When she's sitting still it's just really bad labored breathing. She won't let me hold her. She just uses the little strength she has left to run away. I'm getting the sense she wants to die alone. Kind of makes me sad. I think it's time to call the vet for a euthanasia price quote


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

I am sorry, she sounds unhappy. Fly free little one.


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