suffering rat needs euthanizing but my vet not available until next week

Question
Hi,

I do not want my little Himalayan rat Angel to have to wait more than a day to have an end to her suffering.  Yesterday her breathing crossed the line to almost gasping, and she has the same look that my last rat who had myco had for a few days before she died.  My vet is wonderful - Dr. Mark Maguire at Queen Village in Phila. - and in fact he is operating on 2 of my other rats next Tuesday (benign mammary tumors).  But he has no hours available between now and sometime next week AFTER Tuesday.

I recently went through the ordeal of rushing a suddenly sick rat (Baby, my blue hooded dumbo) to the local - and not exotic specialist - vet and having them diagnose her as just a little scared and shaken up but nothing appears to be wrong.  I took her home and she died 5 hours later.  I was so furious that she suffered several more hours for absolutely no reason.  Please help.  I live in the Northeast section of Philadelphia - Mayfair, zip 19149.  I know of only one other exotic vet, a Dr. Bauer(?) out in Glenolden, which is a hike for me.

Answer

Dr. Maguire is not a certified exotic vet, but his areas of special interest include rodents and he has uber experience working with them. You are lucky to have him as a vet!  I am sorry you cant get your rat in to see him. Did you explain this is an absolute emergency or is he just not available??

There are just a few vets in the area that work with rats. Below is a clinic that has certified exotic vets below.


Dr. Viacheslav Eroshin
Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania    
3900 Delancey Street
Philadelphia PA 19104-6010
Phone:    215-898-7862
Website: www.vet.upenn.edu/ryan/
'THE EMERGENCY NUMBER IS LISTED ON THEIR WEBSITE and they have exotic vets there as well. In an emergency, please call 215.746.8911

This place should take care of your needs with compassion and gentleness.

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Perhaps you could try aggressive treatment on her rather than put her down?  I am not sure what all you have had done for her, but if she hasnt had the following treatment, its worth a shot:

Having her in oxygen while being treated with aggressive antibiotics such as gentocin or amakacin and baytril, nebulized.  Also nebulized would be albuterol to open her airways.  Steroids for any inflammation in her lungs, also nebulized.  She may need to be at the clinic a few days while the meds start to work and once she is stable, she can take antibiotics the rest of her life to prevent relapse.   I have had rats on deaths door, totally cyanotic, hypoxic and gasping, and after a few days in oxygen and getting super powerful meds, he recovered fully and was kept on baytril and albuterol for the rest of his life, never having another respiratory infection again and he passed away about 19 months after the terrible bout with pneumonia, and he passed away from heart attack.  

Of course, I dont know your rats history at all and only the rat owner truly knows when its time to let them go.  I just usually like to let people know if they dont know already that there are other options aside from euthanasia.  

Of course before letting any strange vet euthanize your rat, please make sure you know how they do it and they should allow you there during the procedure.  I prefer having the rat put under anesthesia before any injection is used, and in fact by law they must be under anesthesia before a cardiac stick is used or its inhumane to do it that way. Not even heavy sedation  is acceptable with cardiac stick.


If you need anything please dont hesitate to ask. I am sorry your girl is so ill.