euthanasia

Question
Smurf lost balance, confined to base of cage, gradual deterioration over a month. Vet gave steroid todays ago but said probably needs pts.

I have given water, honey, scrambled egg, grapes cut in half, and the Synulox. Steroid injection gave her a week of slightly more coordination.

It must be Pituitary Tumour as suggested by Vet.

OK. It's terminal. Do I go for a peaceful lapse into death or a  perhaps traumatic trip to have a syringe injected through her rib cage?

Am I being cruel in preferring to give water, turn her, stroke her, and allow her to die?

Answer
No mention of the proper antibiotics?  Why?  Ear infections mock PTs. Ear infections are mostly caused by mycoplasmosis bacteria, and the antibiotic that was used will do nothing for it. Myco is an organism that lacks a cell wall. Only a small number or antibiotics will destroy myco. Baytril is one of them.  I would find a vet that is more current on the care of rats rather than just put her to death.  Yes, it can be a PT, but without treating her for an inner ear infection, I would never consider death.  Too many rats are put to death because they are misdiagnosed by a vet that is not qualified to treat rats.  One MAIN sign of a PT is the loss of the use of their front paws and they inability to chew and swallow.  Has your rat lost the use of her front paws?

Inner ear infection signs are loss of balance, head tilt, walking in circles or spinning, one eye appears larger than the other or may even be prolapsed from the pressure, there is also loss of appetite, they DO respond to steroids slightly but if the infection is still there they will not recover properly.  

Both inner ear infection and PTs put pressure on the vestibular cochlear nerve which controls equilibrium.  Its hard to tell them apart, at first.  Using the right medication is a start, which is something that has not been done here with your girl. Please give her a chance, do NOT let her be put to sleep over this. I have witnessed too many rats put to death due to an ear infection and the vet said it was a PT. Finally I talked someone into going to another vet rather than put her rat to death and lo and behold, in a week after treatment using the PROPER drugs, her rat recovered and is still going strong months later with no signs of any neurological problems.  The vet nearly had this woman kill a rat that could recover fully.

Also, putting a rat to sleep is not supposed to be traumatic.  The rat   MUST be put totally under anesthesia, just like they are going to have surgery.  They are not supposed to be awake, not even  under heavy sedation, for the intracardiac injection to be felt.  In fact in most states it is illegal and inhumane to put a rat to sleep this way UNLESS he or she is is fully under the affects of anesthesia.  If not, the vets licence can be revoked, and yes, even over a rat.

Who is your vet?  You can make this private if you want and let me know the credentials of this Vet.  Something tells me that this vet is NOT a certified avian/exotic vet at all and  just a general DVM that sees rats on the side along with dogs and cats.