Current Events > My rats got pneumonia, and one died

(+) Yeah! (+)

So I don't know what to think about it. The rat who was really my friend from the beginning got it first, and usually pneumonia in rats is a death sentence (80%ish mortality) but his cage mate (who doesn't really like to be handled) actually spent all day everyday licking his nose clean, laying on him to keep him warm, etc. Eventually he got pneumonia too, but even worse. I got antibiotics for both of them, and luckily the first rat started to improve slightly, but the second one kept getting worse until all he would do is just stand in the corner and whimper. Two nights ago, for the first time ever, he asked me to pick him up and hold him. So I held him as he struggled to breathe and he felt so cold.

Yesterday, the second rat passed away but the first (the one that basically treats me like his best friend) finally got fully better. He was so happy to feel better than he spent the rest of the evening bruxxing his teeth and boggling his eyes (basically the way rats express joy).

I really think that second rat saved his life.


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damn, I'm sorry.

from your other topics, it's clear that you really love them.

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I'm sorry. You were just talking about how much you loved them too. I'm so sorry.

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Well fortunately the first one beat the odds, and for that I'm grateful.

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Sorry to hear it, I was a manager at Petco for years and we always had Enrofloxacin on hand to treat respiratory infections in the small animals if they got sick overnight to try and keep it at bay until the vet could get out, and even then, most of the time they didn't pull through. It seems like illness in rats, hamsters, gerbils had a very high mortality rate overall.

Condolences that you lost a friend, A lot of people turn their nose up at the idea of keeping a rat as a pet, but they are highly intelligent and affectionate, I had a pet rat at one point and he was a cool little guy.

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I'm really sorry to hear that. I'm glad you held him

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Rats are legitimately amazing pets. They really are like little dogs.

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I have pet rats too. They're such fragile little things with short lives, but it still hurts very much when they go. Sorry for your loss mate. Make sure to give the one you still have extra love.

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The one on top is the one that died. This was before he was sick, and trying to keep the white one warm.

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Mice

:(

Its terrible what happened, but you really need to get another rat so the rat you have now doesnt feel lonely.

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That second picture, damn man

Rest easy little warrior


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SomeLikeItHoth posted...

Its terrible what happened, but you really need to get another rat so the rat you have now doesnt feel lonely.

Actually I'm very lucky in this regard, just a week ago I got a third rat, but it's very young so I kept it in a different cage near theirs so they could get used to each other first, but because of that he didn't get sick.

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Two nights ago, for the first time ever, he asked me to pick him up and hold him. So I held him as he struggled to breathe and he felt so cold.

Well this ruined my night. Thanks.

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Im glad your little buddy made it, that story was a little heart breaking. Little dude was a hero.

My condolences.

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Alteres posted...

Im glad your little buddy made it, that story was a little heart breaking. Little dude was a hero.

My condolences.

Yeah I made him a little grave and buried him with the white rat's favorite piece of cloth, in honor of the one he saved.

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I am so sorry to hear that. Rats are beautiful, intelligent pets and they really become family members. I still remember when my first rat passed away, it was heartbreaking.

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I am sorry for your loss. They were beautiful babies :(

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I feel awful for the brown one. He wouldn't have gotten sick if he hadn't spent so much effort trying to nurse the white one back to health, and in the end he's the one who died.


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Smackems posted...

I'm really sorry to hear that. I'm glad you held him

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