WHAT IS GOING ON? HELP!

My one year old rat has, what looks like push or cream colored goo around his mouth and he is making sort of jerking motions, almost like he wants to throw up? hes not panicking or running around the cage. what is going on? IS HE CHOKING? I cant see my vet til the morning. I dont know what to do! PLEASE HELP!

PLEASE HELP! Hes starting to get panicky, i dont think hes going to make it! :'(

Maybe he has food stuck in his throat? it says not to do anything but try and comfort him, what if hes not okay??? his ears are back and hes jerking. i cant stand watching this and not knowing if hes okay

It sounds like he is choking. The best thing you can do is remain calm and let him try to work the obstruction out on his own. Leave him in his cage or somewhere he isn't stressed and try not to handle him while he's trying to clear his airway.

What did you feed him today?

If you handle him and cause more stress, you could make the obstruction worse instead of helping. Most of the time, these things resolve themselves on their own.

Thank you... I havent handled him bc I dont want to make it worse. Thanks for the reassurance. This is so scary He's eaten his pellets today and I think he's been chewing on the hanging wood chew toy. I feel so sorry for him, I hope hes okay.

Thank you... I havent handled him bc I dont want to make it worse. Thanks for the reassurance. This is so scary He's eaten his pellets today and I think he's been chewing on the hanging wood chew toy. I feel so sorry for him, I hope hes okay.

Hes just laying there now, with slit eyes, I dont think hes okay :'(

What if hes dying? I dont know what to do!

He's still laying there, its like hes not even trying to get it out anymore, I touch him and he barely flinches, when I stroke him, i can feel crackling??? I really dont think hes okay :'(

What is the crackling??? My friends rat, years ago died after a piece of wood got caught and jabbed him in the throat, i really hope that isnt whats going on here :'( theres no blood, just drool and goo. i dont think hes okay, i think hes dying :'(

His ears go back still every now and again. hes not okay... theres no way hes okay. :'( I dont know what to do, im watching him die and I cant do anything. this is HORRIBLE. I love him so much, this cant be happening. please let him be okay...

Rats get very worn out after a choking episode and it can take many hours until they resume activity. It sounds like he's no longer choking and now has to rest to recover from a traumatic episode. You can offer him some soft food (baby cereal, baby food, yogurt, etc.) if you like so he can have something yummy and easy to eat. Foods that commonly cause choking are untoasted bread, peanut butter, potato, rice, or anything with a similar texture.

Sounds like a typical choke, scary to watch but they almost always work it out on their own. The brown goo would be his pellets and they use saliva to break down the stuck food item...the retching motion is part of it as well. Let him rest and see if the crackling is gone, if its still there he may have aspirated some fluid during the choking session. Just keep an eye on him, most of these resolve as well.

He might wake up just fine, or he might be quiet and a bit worn out...looked like a lot of work didn't it? Offer soft foods just in case his throat hurts for a day or so. Unless he grabs a hard bit and starts eating like normal. :thumbup:

Oh dear. I hope he is doing better and it was only choking.

it can sound like a full blow resp attack when they choke. I had a boy who would choke constantly. They produce the saliva to loosen up what is stuck so will be noisy. Sadly that is a normal choke for rats. It is so scary to watch but they usually work it out. I always put my choking rats in a cage alone so they can work it out. I stay near them but I dont mess with them. I hope he is doing better today.

How is your little rat doing? Did he work the obstruction out?

Oh I'm sorry, that sure is scary. As others have said, it does sound like a typical choking episode and they do get extremely tired after. I remember my first experience with a choke, little Cecily was so exhausted and didn't move for hours or respond to me. But she was breathing and that is what mattered.

I hope everything turned out ok!

You were all right, and thankfully Echo is okay! That was terrifying, hands down the most scary thing I've been through with any of my pets. I found a number for an emergency vet in my town and called, but by the time she called me he was already getting more active. He was still retching slightly but he was breathing and the crackling was getting better. I really thought he was dying when he wasn't moving, it was horrible. It's so terrifying when things like this happen in the middle of the night, esp. when my own vet can't be reached. Thanks for all the reassurance, and sorry for all the panicked posts! I love my little boy so much <3 I'm so thankful he's okay, I can't stop kissing him today.

We're happy he's ok too! We get a lot of middle of the night choking posts, you're certainly not the first to panic like that.

How are Eli's teeth doing? Could they have contributed to the episode?