Ennis is dying- I have a question

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RatsRGods

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2008
Messages
88
Location
Cleveland, Ohio
Hi, I am hoping someone can respond fast.

Ennis is dying. I can tell. When you know you just know.
He's not moving and just staring.
I think it would be cruel to try and prolong his life.
I am just tryin to make him as comfortable as possible.

My question:

My vet is open for 1 more hour today.
Should I have let him die naturally or have him put down?
I know that is a hard question for anyone to answer, but if I could just get an opinion

Thank you.
 
It is a very hard question...I am so very sorry. I don't know how to advise you...I guess judge if he is in pain....If he isn't maybe just hold and comfort him and hope he goes in his sleep...A trip to the vet is not always a peaceful way to go....Sorry again I know how hard this most be for you.....
 
Oh dear... I'm so sorry you are going through this.
I'm like mamarat, if they are in pain, I go to the vet if not, they die with me, in my arms.
hug!!
 
I'm thinking of you RatRGods.. I hope you found or are finding a comfortable answer to your question for you and Ennis.
Are you ok?
 
This reply is too late to help you with your decision. It's a tough one, because you never know whether they will get worse once the vet's office closes.

I can't bear to see a rat in respiratory distress so, if the treatment I am giving hasn't helped, I will take them to be pts. Same thing for pain. If you don't know what's wrong, and they have stopped eating or drinking, then the end is probably very near.

I hope that you were able to make a decision that you felt good about.
 
Hi everyone,
I'm sorry I have not been on to update you all.

Ennis passed away last Monday.
On Sunday, I was able to spend time with him, lying next to him all day with him curled up on his favorite blanket. I actually had him sleep in my bed with me , as I couldnt bear to put him back in his cage, I wanted him near me.

At first I gave him water through a syringe, but I remembered that when my step-dad was on Hospice, the nurses advised no liquids because it makes the muscles more painful. I guess dehyration dulls the pain a bit.
I also cleaned him with a cool washcloth periodically.
Unfortunately I had to go to work on Monday. I gave him a kiss and told him what a good boy he was and to say hi to his old cage mates for me on the other side.
When I came home he was gone.

I feel happy with my decision to not put him to sleep. My gut told me to keep him at home.

I called my vet to tell them he had passed and I needed to bring his body in.
They were so sweet, they actually sent me flowers!
Ennis was as lady killer at the vets, everyone knew him and loved him.

You know what breaks my heart the most about seeing my rats after they passed?
It's is there little front paws clenched into teeny tiny fists.

Thank you all for your help.
 
Your account of his passing is quite beautiful and peaceful. Those are precious moments never to be forgotten.
Thank you for sharing that info about the water. That was something I always wondered, if we should or shouldn't.
 
RatsRGods said:
Hi everyone,
I'm sorry I have not been on to update you all.

Ennis passed away last Monday.
On Sunday, I was able to spend time with him, lying next to him all day with him curled up on his favorite blanket. I actually had him sleep in my bed with me , as I couldnt bear to put him back in his cage, I wanted him near me.

At first I gave him water through a syringe, but I remembered that when my step-dad was on Hospice, the nurses advised no liquids because it makes the muscles more painful. I guess dehyration dulls the pain a bit.
I also cleaned him with a cool washcloth periodically.
Unfortunately I had to go to work on Monday. I gave him a kiss and told him what a good boy he was and to say hi to his old cage mates for me on the other side.
When I came home he was gone.

I feel happy with my decision to not put him to sleep. My gut told me to keep him at home.

I called my vet to tell them he had passed and I needed to bring his body in.
They were so sweet, they actually sent me flowers!
Ennis was as lady killer at the vets, everyone knew him and loved him.

You know what breaks my heart the most about seeing my rats after they passed?
It's is there little front paws clenched into teeny tiny fists.

Thank you all for your help.
Click to expand...

I'm so sorry RatsRGods. :tearful:

Such a precious little gent. :rose:

I agree that the path you took was the best one. What a joy for him to have spent his last days with his beloved owner. :love6:

I always liked to imagine that their little paws clenched into a fist, because they were ready to pass over the bridge with the same, adorable, piss and vinegar that they sweetened our lives with. :heart:

Never believe that you have, in any way, lost Ennis. Like every other rat, whose life you have graced, you are being watched over and followed in the same way you ever were. Little souls grace every inch of your home. They play, argue, pilfer, and strut their little attitudes. They sense the love and affection you continue to have for them, and this, in it's special way, gives them the cuddles and scritches they need to blossom. :rose:

As with all your little loved ones, Ennis will want for nothing. You provided him with everything he could ever have needed to live a good life at the Rainbow Bridge. :cuddle:
 

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