euthenisia

Question
QUESTION: Whats the best way for a vet to euthanize a rat?

ANSWER: The rat should be put under anesthesia until she is absolutely and totally unconscious.  The vet should check to be sure there is absolutely no response to stimuli first by flicking the whiskers and the bottom of the feet to be sure there is no response. The rat should be placed in some type of chamber where the anesthesia is constantly being inhaled so she does not wake up at all.  Usually the rat is given a large amount of anesthesia that may start the process of death anyhow. The vet should perform the lethal injection while the rat is under anesthesia.  Usually this is done by a cardiac stick but some vets prefer other areas to inject. Usually the cardiac stick is the fastest and if the rat is in respiratory distress the faster is better. There should be NO PAIN at all during any of this so the rats last memories are as comfortable as can be expected, but this is not always possible if the rat is in pain or cannot breathe etc...  Before the rat is released to the owner, the vet should check the rats heart to be sure it has stopped. I suggest 20 minutes time should pass for this first.   The vet MUST AGREE that he follow these conditions. In most states it is illegal to do a cardiac stick on a rat unless she is under anesthesia. Some vets have tried to get away with sedation such as using valium or other sedatives but this is absolutely NOT enough to keep the rat from feeling the stick to the heart and is inhumane and illegal , esp in the state of California.

An unpleasant topic but a very important one for all rat owners to know.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I really wanted to tell you how much I appreciated this information. I had to take my rat to Banfield today since they were the only vet open on the 4th. Dr. Megan Dolese described the procedure almost exactly the way you wrote it. She said she would put my little baby under the highest form of anesthesia, 5 or 6. And then she would use a cardiac stick. I reminded her to flick her feet and whiskers to make sure she was completely under, and she happily agreed. I think she used a mask for the anesthesia, and not a chamber. Is that okay?
Again, thank you so so so much for the information. This vet really impressed me and I was wondering if there was any search you could do on her online or something. In August, I'm going to take my other rat to be spayed, so that a tumor doesn't take over her body the way it did to my Kiwi. The vet said she's never spayed a rat, but she works with someone who spays sugar gliders and that vet would be willing to help her spay my little Nemo. Is it acceptable to give Dr. Delose a chance? She really seemed interested in rats, and she was really nice. Are sugar glider spays and rat spays similar at all? Also, until she is spayed, Nemo will be by herself for a few months. What can I do to make sure she doesn't get bored? She runs on her wheel religiously, and it gives me comfort that that will entertain her...
I look forward to hearing from you, and thanks again for your time and information.

ANSWER: I am so sorry for your loss. Its never an easy choice to put our babies down.

However, I must warn you about spaying rats.  Even notable exotic specialists are very leary when it comes to spays. They are very invasive and tricky and no, they are not like Sugar Glider spays.
Spays should only be done on very experienced vets. In fact, even removing a tumor should be done by experienced vets since even being off the slightest fraction when it comes to anesthesia can kill your rat.   Only vets that are capable of handling emergency situations such as blood loss or heart failure etc... should do surgery on rats.

Please go over my web page about the safety precautions needed for when it comes to surgery on rats.  Its just as important to read this as it is to read about proper euthanasia.   

Where are you located?


Let me know your location and I can give you info on the vet above and also give you names of vets in your area that are certified in exotics or have a special interest in exotics with experience with rats. That is the only safe way to spay  since they need spayed young.

Here is the info on my site about safety and surgery:

http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/surgerysafteyrisks.htm

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Yes, Kiwi's quality of life had greatly declined, and it was one of the hardest decisions I've ever made.

There are two exotic vets in my area.
The Stahl Exotic Animal Veterinary Services and the Eastern Exotic Veterinary Center.
The reason why I went to Banfield was because they were the only vet that could give me an appointment today since today was my only day off (and its the 4th). This Banfield is located in the Potomac Run Plaza in Sterling. I hope you can give me more information on this vet because she really did seem knowledgeable and interested.
Nemo will be around 6 months old in August, when I plan to do the spay. I hope she won't be too old...
What can I do for her this summer when she's alone? Any ideas to prevent boredom and such?
Thanks a bunch!

Answer
The best age to spay Nemo is before 6 months of age to prevent the growth of mammary tumors.  Usually its between 3 and 5 months of age.

That said, the Vets at Banfield do not hold any certification in exotic medicine at all. The female vet that put your rat to sleep may seem interested etc, but Banfield itself is not properly equipped to do proper surgery on small mammals. The exotic clinics have small scale equipment that are sized to fit small mammals and so there are no huge dog sized or cat sized instruments being used.  Exotic vets are even able to start an IV in a rat if needed and have tiny tools to work on tiny organs. These vets even have invested money in special visual aids to help magnify the small organs and blood vessels and arteries that are so critical to see during any surgery.  The rat should be able to be kept in an isolette after surgery where she will recover in a heated area to help keep her body temp up since it may drop during surgery which is why they use special heated tables or mats to keep the body temp steady during surgery or this can cause heart failure.   This in no way implies the female vet is not a good vet, I just cannot say she is the best choice to spay your girl especially if she has never even done it before.  The vets at Stahl Exotics are the best vets to see for your rats health and surgery, even better than Eastern Exotics as Dr Stahl is board certified in exotics and the other vets are only now working on their certifications.  I prefer experienced Vets when it comes to working on small mammals rather than wanting my rat to be the first spay a vet has ever done.  Its risky enough as it is and they should not be kept under anesthesia long, so having someone that has never done it before could mean she will be slow at it and this is a huge risk. Going to fast is risky too.  Confidence is a must.

Of course I cant tell you who to see, but I can tell you that I checked out the credentials on this clinic and Banfield has no exotic vets there nor do they have vets there that have taken any extra workshops on exotics etc....    they are not exotic equipped.

As for her being alone.....spend as much time with her as you can. I would get her spayed now though rather than wait for her to be borderline age. Mammary tumors are nasty and same for pituitary tumors, which start to form as estrogen levels begin to creep up, after 6 months of age and by the time they are menopause age, around 14 to 18 months, estrogen levels are at their peak, which fuels the growth of these nasty tumors.  
They can be easily removed, though, but what stinks is once one grows, others usually follow.  This is why spaying is so important as you already know.  I just keep it simple and have male rats now after seeing so many tumors with my girls and also at the clinics where I worked before.