Trying to if I should put rat to sleep

I have two 2.5 year old rats, and neither are doing very well.

Martin, due to a tumor growing in his mouth (around his lower jaw) hasn't been able to eat hard food for awhile. The mass has caused his teeth to grow in out of align. Because of this I have been taking him to the vet to get his teeth trimmed, and he would eat soft food and be happy. However, over the last three weeks he has gotten worse. There seems to be another tumor growing, which is causing his eye to pop out slightly. He also has lost most of his motion in his back legs. He still eats, but has lost a lot of weight. Today when I came to change his food, there was blood all over the plate. I cannot tell where it came from, but I am assuming it came from his mouth (which is even more swollen on the side today). I am going away for a month in about a week, and don't want to leave him suffering when I go.

My other rat has chronic myco, and lately doesn't seem to be responding to the Baytril/Doxy combination. His breathing is getting pretty bad. I can feel it in his lungs, and hear it. He's definitely not as bad as Martin, but I am starting to think that I need new meds for him.

I would suggest a vet appointment asap for both boys

You need to find out what is going on with Martin,
if anything can be done to help him or make him more comfortable,
or if he needs to be humanely put to sleep
For information on how to have a rat humanely put to sleep, please see the following link.
http://www.ratshackforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7652
Most vets do not know how to do it properly so rat owners need to be present and make sure it is done properly


For your second boy, I would suggest you add azithromycin (10 mg/Ib) to the baytril + doxy, orally, twice a day, for at least 6 weeks if it is helping (I buy azithromycin from a pharmacy by prescription from my vet)
He may need Lasix for awhile to remove fluid from his lungs
He may have a heart issue so if the antibiotic doesn't help within a few days
you will want to test dose with benazepril for a heart issue

I hope that a vet is able to help both boys and that they are soon feeling much better

SQ said:

I would suggest a vet appointment asap for both boys

You need to find out what is going on with Martin,
if anything can be done to help him or make him more comfortable,
or if he needs to be humanely put to sleep
For information on how to have a rat humanely put to sleep, please see the following link.
http://www.ratshackforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7652
Most vets do not know how to do it properly so rat owners need to be present and make sure it is done properly


For your second boy, I would suggest you add azithromycin (10 mg/Ib) to the baytril + doxy, orally, twice a day, for at least 6 weeks if it is helping (I buy azithromycin from a pharmacy by prescription from my vet)
He may need Lasix for awhile to remove fluid from his lungs
He may have a heart issue so if the antibiotic doesn't help within a few days
you will want to test dose with benazepril for a heart issue

I hope that a vet is able to help both boys and that they are soon feeling much better

Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply. I was actually at the vet a few days ago. The vet doesn't think the tumor is operable, and at this point is trying to make him comfortable, with the understanding the euthenasia might be in the future. He has me giving him anti-inflammatories and Baytril. He thinks his leg issues are either from changes in his spine, or are neurological from the tumor that is growing.

I will ask about the other kinds of medication for Maurice.

I would probably say goodbye to Martin before you leave, as he sounds like there is not much time left before he is in trouble.
Your other rat still may be OK by trying Zithro like SQ suggested, and making sure your vet has given his heart a good listen, and perhaps even an x-ray of his heart to see if it's enlarged.
I have used Baytril, Doxy, and Zithro all at once to beat down a stubborn infection. He may respond quite well to the Zithro if he has never taken it before.

Martin may have hed, and the anti-inflammatory may help with that.
http://ratguide.com/health/musculoskeletal/degenerative_osteoarthritis.php
Martin may need to be humanely put to sleep before you leave ...
but only you and your vet have enough information to decide what is best for him

SQ said:

Martin may have hed, and the anti-inflammatory may help with that.
http://ratguide.com/health/musculoskeletal/degenerative_osteoarthritis.php
Martin may need to be humanely put to sleep before you leave ...
but only you and your vet have enough information to decide what is best for him

Click to expand...

It sounds like he'd fits a lot of his symptoms. He definitely has a tumor as well, though, growing inside his mouth and/behind his eye. I think I will take him to the vet after the weekend to see if this would be the best thing to do. His quality of life just isn't good anymore. He cannot gain his weight back, and has such a hard time eating even though he's always trying (I also syringe him food) .I just don't want to put him down if he has a few more weeks left in him just because I am the one leaving in a week.

I went to bed last night and Martin was messily eating his food. Woke up this morning and he had passed away. His buddy is sad, and kept trying to wake up up.

I'm sorry Martin has left for the Bridge, but glad he decided to take the decision out of your hands. Give lots of love and attention to Maurice for us. I hope he isn't too lonely.

So sorry to hear of your Martin.