How to understand that a domestic rat is dying of old age and illness

Domestic rats become loyal friends to their loving owners over the course of their lives. Smart rodents live quite a bit, on average 2-3 years, after two years the animals begin to age and get sick. How to understand that a rat is dying? To do this, you just need to love and carefully take care of the pet throughout the life of the rat, and also try to help the little pet live his old age with dignity.

What can a decorative rat die from

Domestic rodents are not distinguished by good health and during their short life they are often exposed to various infectious and non-contagious diseases. All pathologies in rats are characterized by a rapid course due to increased metabolism, therefore, in the absence of proper treatment, the death of smart rodents is often observed. The causes of death of ornamental rats at home can be:

• respiratory diseases of an infectious and non-infectious nature, leading to the development of pneumonia;
• oncological diseases observed in 90% of female rats over the age of 2 years;
• injuries when falling from a great height or negligent attitude of the owner;
• infectious diseases;
• violation of conditions of detention;
• stroke;
• old age.

At the age of 2 years, most domestic rodents have pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, respiratory organs and neoplasms, the animals become weak, sometimes they cannot eat and move on their own.

Some rats, especially males, can lead an active lifestyle until death and die of old age in their sleep without pain.

But if the animal is in pain, it is more humane to carry out euthanasia.

How to understand that a rat is dying of old age

At home, under good conditions of care and maintenance, ornamental rats live for about 2-3 years. You can determine the signs of aging of a fluffy pet by a change in the behavior of a beloved friend:

• the rodent is rapidly losing weight, the spine and ribs begin to stand out noticeably;
• wool becomes sparse, brittle and disheveled;
• eyes are dull, apathetic, there may be blindness;
• frequent release of porphyrin, sneezing, heavy breathing;
• violations of coordination;
• the rat stops playing with toys, moves less, prefers to lie in a hammock or a house with a warm cloth;
• the animal moves heavily around the cage, cannot climb the upper floors, the hind limbs often fail;
• the rat stops washing;
• the rodent eats less, tries to eat only soft food.

Caring for an elderly ornamental rat

It is morally difficult for a loving owner to accept the thought of the imminent death of a devoted animal; many owners do not know what to do if a rat dies of old age. It is impossible to calculate the time of death or extend the life of a domestic rodent; immediately before the death of an animal, there may be heavy breathing or convulsions, sometimes a beloved animal simply dies in a dream. Elderly pets are in great need of increased care and attention of the adored owner, so it is necessary to take care of the aging animal as often and intensively as possible. The owner of an elderly pet must:

• remove all floors from the cage, place the hammock, house, feeder and drinker as low as possible;
• if necessary, independently plant a weak rodent in a warm hammock;
• after each feeding, it is necessary to wipe the nose, mouth and eyes of the pet with a wet swab, once a day wash the intimate places with a solution of chlorhexidine and ears with a cotton swab dipped in saline;
• due to age-related problems with teeth, it is recommended to feed an elderly pet with semi-solid and soft foods: cereals, dried bread, cereals, baby food, yogurts;
• if the animal cannot drink from a nipple drinker, you can fix a cup of water in the cage, treat the rodent with juicy fruits and berries;
• it is necessary to introduce vitamins for rats into the diet;
• slatted floors and coarse filler are not used in older pets; it is recommended to lay soft tissues, napkins, toilet paper on the bottom of the cage as bedding;
• it is desirable to often communicate with the rat, stroke the animal, keep it on your knees, elderly rats need human affection and attention more than ever.

What to do if a rat dies

In many cities, rodents are buried in special pet cemeteries; it is strictly forbidden to use the land of parks and squares for this purpose. When the body of an animal is buried in the ground, water and soil are poisoned and infectious diseases spread.

In the summer, you can place the pet’s body in a makeshift coffin and bury it in a forest far from the city. In winter, it will not be possible to bury an animal in this way, because for the remains it is necessary to dig a hole one and a half to two meters deep to prevent predators from digging up the corpse. The ideal option for burial at any time of the year is the cremation of the body of a decorative rat in a veterinary clinic with the provision of a video to the owner confirming the procedure.

Unfortunately, there is still no cure for old age, so it is necessary to mentally prepare all family members in advance for the fact of the imminent death of a little pet and find out where you can bury your pet. It is very important to explain to the little owners why the rat died and to assure the children that the pet lived a happy, carefree life. In the heart of every owner, a smart, devoted friend will live forever.