Sudden death

[UnlimitedRattieLady]

My future mother-in-laws rat died last week. It was very sudden. He was an 17 month, 725 gram PEW. She notice one morning that he seemed uninteresting in a treat (bubble was always the first one to come for a treat) So my fiance took him out of the cage and stroke him, buddle suddenly started thrashing about as if trying to get back to the cage, so my fiance took him to the edge of the cage opening with buddle sitting on his hand as my got bubble to the cage he half climbed onto the self and layed flat. My fiance picked him up to see what was wrong but bubble was dead. He was a healthy rat he's never had an illness. Could he of had a heart attack caused by age and weight?

[nancycccslp]

Heart attacks happen, strokes happen; it's awful no matter what.  17months is not old, but I've lost rats as young as 11 months.  That was a big rat.........................

I'm so sorry for what happened.  It's so hard to lose them when you just don't expect it; please tell your future M-I-L that I'm sorry to hear of her loss.

[Eileen]

I'm sorry, it's hard enough when they are older to lose them. But nancy is right; I lost one of my girls at 15 months; turns out she had a pituitary tumor (per the necropsy).

Either way, it doesn't make it any easier, please send your MIL our condolences.

[DolciLady]

I'm sorry about MIL's big boy.  I just don't know which is worse, a sudden surprise like that or watching an obvious downhill slide.  No matter how they go, it's always a super sucky thing. 

Robin

[kmw]

I'm sorry.  I lost a boy in minutes when he bled out internally from a tumor we didn't know he had.  I asked the vet to do a necropsy, because it was so sudden and unexpected.  There was, in his case, nothing we could have done.  Again, I'm sorry to hear about your MiL's rat.   

[scout]

As others have said, sometimes it comes as a complete surprise. One of my alpha girls in a cage of 11 died during play time. One minute she was chasing a cagemate, the next minute she was gone. Without a necropsy, there really isn't any way of knowing what the cause is.

[ginniejollie]

Ohhhhh I'm so sorry to hear you have lost Bubble, it's hard at the best of times, let alone when they go early.  Play well at the bridge little Bubble. 

[Rat Mommy]

Oh I'm so sorry for your family's loss.    My roomie lost a 5 month old suddenly one day. Xena wouldn't take her treat that morning either and later that night she started seizing and roomie had to put her down she was in so much pain. I hope Bubble wasn't in pain. Hugs to you and MIL.

[Kati33]

I lost one of my girls very suddenly. I had her necropsied and it turned out she had a very rare parasite that had freakishly found its way into her liver. There was no way for me to know about it. So basically, yeah- anything can happen. I'm so sorry for both you and your MIL.