shade
Well-Known Member
I'm at a loss for words right now... Yesterday I got home from work and noticed one of the boys was snuggling with Ben (dad) and thought "cute" but a closer look showed that he was breathing abnormally so I took him out and immediately knew something was wrong. He was practically limp in my hands. I rolled him onto his back to check markings and see who it was and he didn't even put up a struggle. He had a large amount of poryphrin coming out of his nose and his breathing sounded very congested. With every breath his nose made this click/peep sort of sound. His body felt cold, he was dehydrated, and underweight.
I'm not sure how he got like that, I handle my babies and play with them every day and am not sure how I didn't notice this earlier because he looked like he hadn't eaten in a couple days. I made him some oatmeal and tried to hand feed him and he looked as though he wanted to eat but didn't have the strength to. he'd nibble a little here and there then move away and lay in my lap. I wrapped him up in some blankets to keep him warm and just sat with him, trying to get him to eat or drink something. After a while he fell asleep then woke up seeming worse than he was before. I called the emergency line for the University of Florida vet clinic because they see small animals like rats. The vet told me to try and get some fluids into him and to give him some sugar water because he was dehydrated. I did that with a small syringe and he put up a fight and refused to swallow it. But the vet had said just to get it on his gums so he'd absorb it.
30 min later he seemed to be showing small signs of energy but not enough to say he was getting better. He kept grabbing the tag for his blanket so I tried to feed him again but he still wouldn't eat. I couldn't sleep with him so at about 12am I put him back in his cage planning to take him to my vet in the morning.
but morning didn't come soon enough... Poor hopper was laying in the bottom corner of the cage by himself. He looked like he was trying to sleep when he died but just couldn't breath well enough to.
I feel like the worst rat owner in the world because a 10 week old baby doesn't just die like that without reason. The only thing I can think of is that he wasn't dried well enough when we bathed them a week ago... and if that is what caused it...I just feel like it's my fault; that I killed my little kid. And I pray to god that this wont make people not want to adopt them now. I've checked the other babies and they're all healthy... I don't know why poor hopper died...
I'm not sure how he got like that, I handle my babies and play with them every day and am not sure how I didn't notice this earlier because he looked like he hadn't eaten in a couple days. I made him some oatmeal and tried to hand feed him and he looked as though he wanted to eat but didn't have the strength to. he'd nibble a little here and there then move away and lay in my lap. I wrapped him up in some blankets to keep him warm and just sat with him, trying to get him to eat or drink something. After a while he fell asleep then woke up seeming worse than he was before. I called the emergency line for the University of Florida vet clinic because they see small animals like rats. The vet told me to try and get some fluids into him and to give him some sugar water because he was dehydrated. I did that with a small syringe and he put up a fight and refused to swallow it. But the vet had said just to get it on his gums so he'd absorb it.
30 min later he seemed to be showing small signs of energy but not enough to say he was getting better. He kept grabbing the tag for his blanket so I tried to feed him again but he still wouldn't eat. I couldn't sleep with him so at about 12am I put him back in his cage planning to take him to my vet in the morning.
but morning didn't come soon enough... Poor hopper was laying in the bottom corner of the cage by himself. He looked like he was trying to sleep when he died but just couldn't breath well enough to.
I feel like the worst rat owner in the world because a 10 week old baby doesn't just die like that without reason. The only thing I can think of is that he wasn't dried well enough when we bathed them a week ago... and if that is what caused it...I just feel like it's my fault; that I killed my little kid. And I pray to god that this wont make people not want to adopt them now. I've checked the other babies and they're all healthy... I don't know why poor hopper died...
