Odin- 13 months pts pulmonary abscesses ):

Nibbler - mink berk, F, 3.5-4 mos, late onset megacolon 

Another to add ( )

Mattie - unspayed female - black hooded Humane Society adoptee - 29 months old - "old age," though she never was sick, looked 100% healthy and vibrant only 24 hours before her passing, and showed no signs of any illness/injury that would cause her death.  She went naturally, peacefully, and with no pain at the e-vets.

 

Riley, the last of my little trio.

Riley  2 yrs 2 mos.
Aug, 2005
Oct. 15,2007

Re-occurring tumor first operated on Oct. 2006. Highly invasive and involved. Opted to not put her through another surgery. She missed her Momma and Sister dearly who passed in May 07, and wanted to be at the Rainbow Bridge with them.

Dib - Intact male - Approx. 2 years and 9 months. Cause of death unknown, multiple medical problems including hind-end degeneration, a recurrent abcess, and probable tumors.

Pseudo - intact male, adopted at 6 weeks old from a breeder.

14 months old when PTS.

Was what I considered my healthiest, most active rat, but found one afternoon (morning for me) lifeless, with cool extremities and unable to lift his head or use his paws, puffy fur, swollen appearance to his head, eyes staring one minute to half shut and unfocused the next, yet bruxing heavily and breathing well. He had never been ill in any way except mites, but looking back may have been diabetic as he drank noticeably more than the others for the first few months I had him (though I was living in a very hot area). He wasn't overweight.

Suspected sudden onset (or undetected) PT (the symptoms fit perfectly), stroke or some sort of kidney/diabetic episode. Diagnostics would only have been to find a cause not a treatment so I said goodbye to one of my guys for the first time.

Joey, male fancy rat, lived approx 2 years, had to be put down after his tumor grew too big. A sarcoma tumor which can be either begnign or malignant, his was malignant. Finally put him down after it spread to his lungs but his quality of life was great right up until the end.

I'll only add the kids who I have known ages on, have 5 other girls who had questions as to ages

Skye - 39 - stroke/CHF - SF, blue, normal coat

Reggie - 30 - ? - NM, blue hooded, normal coat

Einstein - 29 - self-induced starvation after losing Reggie, PTS after 2 weeks of refusing to eat, drink or play - NM, PEW, normal coat

Petal - 6 - pneumonia, general poor health - F, black?, normal coat

Blaze 5 years heart issues, cinder 5 years congestive heart probs , Rif raf  2 years unknown. I curently have dash about a year old Badger we think is a year old there both petsmart  rats tho so no idea on age, Lilly Munster is a rescued female with a tumor shes I think at least a year old possibly younger shes very small 12oz.

We had a rat pass away tonight.  He was acting sick, too mellow.  We gave him a bath, he bit my son, hard; I washed to blood off his face and dried him off.  Then, he stopped breathing

We tried two dozen times to revive him.

We even posted here on rescue tips, but there may not have been anything we could have done for him. 

His death has been has been suggested as a freak heart attack, and then he was dead two minutes later.

James was such a GOOD boy that we are making him a little grave.

9 months old

2 girls (sisters) Lily & Bea - Sprague-Dawleys, 16.5 months, unknown cause of death (possibly a rapid illness caused by bacteria from iguana poop  )

They were great rats and had been healthy their whole lives.

Charlie, not neutered albino male bought from Petco, passed at 2 years of age from a severe upper respirtory infection he never recovered from. No other ilness except a couple weeks getting rid of lice at about age 1,

I'll have to keep track of mine. My girlfriend had rats before me and most of her's have lived past the age of 3. Her current oldest is almost 5 I believe. She has a tumor and will be pts soon.

I guess I'm a lucky one in that my rats and mice have never had a respiratory infection once in my care. Three of my males had them when I got them, but were medicated and haven't had a recurrance. Sometimes I'm shocked by the number of myco-related deaths I see. I don't know if that many rats really have poor immune systems, or if its household chemicals, or even carefresh (which I don't use). All of my rats have been pet store rats or rescues though.

Prinny: