My rat is drooling???

[nightmarevamp]

Hi, so today I noticed for the very first time not a happy and jumping around rat. Seems my favorite boy sneezers was asleep in some bedding. I thought it was weird as he is always in the hammock with his brothers.

I took him out and held him, and shortly after I felt very wet. I thought it was pee, but right under his chin he is soaked. So looking at him closer he is drooling, quite a lot to. He isn't moving around much but can when he has to.

Not sure what this means, I feel no bumps or lumps and he doesn't seem to be choking. Any ideas or help is greatly appreciated like always.

 

[lilspaz68]

Sounds like a very mild choke. The saliva breaks up the stuck food item. Is the drool brownish or very clear?

 

[nightmarevamp]

Clear.

If he is mildly choking what can I do to make him stop?

 

[lilspaz68]

Nothing at all. He needs to work it out himself. He'll be quiet, at times it might seem like he's retching, but that's just to help move the stuck food item. My girl did this last week, she was quiet and in the corner, and I saw her do a small retch, and saw brownish drool dripping from her mouth (lab block). I pulled her out and let her rest on the computer desk, and just kept an eye on her. She took a little while (hours) but she was fine.

 

[nightmarevamp]

Yeah I was reading a lot on this and I think it's probably the peanut butter he had late last night.

Or it could be something else.

So me being me what could I do if for some reason he suddenly stop breathing or doesn't stop drooling. I know worse case scenarios.

 

[jorats]

Peanut butter is definitely a choking hazard and one of those foods that should not be given to rats unless very diluted.

 

[lilspaz68]

He's not even actively choking it sounds like, he sure won't stop breathing..haha. Its the passive way to clear a choke, to just drool.

There is the ratty fling but its ONLY for the most direst of emergencies...the rat stops breathing or is unconscious. If you do it to a rat that doesn't need it, you could shift that food item and it could block their airway and they would die.

PB is on the no-no list for foods/treats. Anything that gums up your mouth, potatos, breads (crusts are fine, etc.) can easily cause choke. Gobbling a lab block can cause choke, so we sure don't need to give them anymore reasons.

If he had the PB last night, then it would not affect him now...its pretty much instantaneous.

 

[nightmarevamp]

Ahh so he probably ate something to fast then, I did find him by the feeding bowls in the morning.

Yeah had no idea about the PB, I've been giving it to Thief on his medication soaked cracker. He started being fussy with just eating the cracker and he needed to take his meds, so a tiny bit of peanut butter seemed to do the trick with the meds and graham cracker.

 

[Aida]

Well, like it was said, if he isn't dying then it should pass on it's own. Hope he feels better soon. :]

 

[nightmarevamp]

He is fine and happy once again, it took about a hour and half and he was bruxing. I guess it took something out of him he withdrew from the other rats for a couple of hours but then resumed hanging out with them and snuggling again.


Thank you all so much, it was scary :S

 

[mamarat]

So glad he's all better. They are very tired after a choking and sleep it off.