Said goodbye to Miss Mulie.

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elricsgirl

Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2019
Messages
13
Location
Oregon
We had to put our sweet girl down on Monday. It was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make and I'm feeling so guilty.

She was barely eating. What she was eating was only if it was hand-fed and she wasn't super interested in that. She wasn't drinking either. She stumbled when she walked or kind of dragged herself around and her nose was crusted in porphyrin. She wasn't grooming or playing.

I could tell she was in pain, but did I do the right thing? Do they turn around from that at almost 2 years old? Did I give it enough time? My vet said she was suffering and it was time. I believe her, but this guilt is the worst.
 
Under 2 is very young for a more natural loss. Its possible she had PT (pituitary tumour). What symptoms did your lass have? It sounds like it was time for her to go, but learning about it could help you in the future with other rats.

I'm very sorry you lost your lady :(
 
Under 2 is very young for a more natural loss. Its possible she had PT (pituitary tumour). What symptoms did your lass have? It sounds like it was time for her to go, but learning about it could help you in the future with other rats.

I'm very sorry you lost your lady :(

Thank you.

She wasn't eating or drinking, she had myco, and when the doctor palpated her abdomen on Monday, she was in pain. She also couldn't walk well. The doctor said it was likely cancer, but would not survive another surgery. She recently had 2 mammary tumors removed (benign) and was spayed. She declined very quickly. I had her in last Thursday because she had some porphyrin around her nose and she was a little sluggish. The vet put her on 2 antibiotics for myco. By Saturday she was doing weird stretches and was not eating unless she was hand fed and not drinking at all. I was adding water to all of her foods. Sunday, she was barely walking and Monday she wouldn't eat anything and had heavy porphyrin discharge coming from her nose. By the time we got her to the vet, it was coming from her eyes as well. She even refused her beloved Cheerios.

Edit to add: I looked up pituitary tumor and the last couple of days she was laying with her head under or against things. Her bed, her tunnel, the wall and she would bump my hand when I would try to pet her. I wonder if that was it. I figured she was just uncomfortable overall and didn't want to be touched. She wasn't a super cuddly girl to begin with.
 
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I'm so sorry for your loss. I often fight with if my decisions on euthanasia were too hasty or if there was anything I could've done, but I have to remind myself that I did what I think was best and that the rat wasn't in pain and that their quality of life was poor. While your girl didn't sound like a cuddler, I'm sure she knew you loved her. You just have some rats who love you just as much as the others, but they don't express it as much as our cuddly babies.
 
I'm so sorry for your loss. I often fight with if my decisions on euthanasia were too hasty or if there was anything I could've done, but I have to remind myself that I did what I think was best and that the rat wasn't in pain and that their quality of life was poor. While your girl didn't sound like a cuddler, I'm sure she knew you loved her. You just have some rats who love you just as much as the others, but they don't express it as much as our cuddly babies.

Thank you. This is my first rat and she was a retired lab rat with ongoing health issues. She didn't like to be held much because she was constantly manhandled and poked when she was young. I'm the only one that she would let just sit and hold her and even that was only for short times. The last day though, while we were at the vet, she curled up in my arms and fell asleep while we were still trying to decide what to do. Our vet, who is also a rat parent told us that if it were hers, she would let her go because she was suffering. I still have guilt though. I appreciate the support. Thank you for your reply.
 
You were kind to take in Miss Mulie and care for her to the best of your ability. She may not have been ultra-cuddly (understandable, given her background), but I bet she took great comfort from having you tend to her. Rats are very good at reading humans & knowing which ones are caring and reliable...so it's important you were with her to the end.
I love the name Miss Mulie...bet there's an interesting story behind it.
 
You were kind to take in Miss Mulie and care for her to the best of your ability. She may not have been ultra-cuddly (understandable, given her background), but I bet she took great comfort from having you tend to her. Rats are very good at reading humans & knowing which ones are caring and reliable...so it's important you were with her to the end.
I love the name Miss Mulie...bet there's an interesting story behind it.

Thank you. Her name was actually Mulan. My daughter's boyfriend named her when he rescued her from the university's lab he was working in. When he and my daughter moved, they weren't able to take her to their new apartment, so I kept her. Her name just kind of transformed into Mulie. She was the sweetest rat. I was with her the whole time. I never stopped touching her and talking to her right up to the end.
 
It does sound like she developed PT after her surgery. It sometimes happens where the anesthesia kicks a latent pituitary tumour into high gear. These often don't respond to normal treatment so it does sound like you did the best thing for your beloved girl.
 
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