Deciding that euthanasia is the best option for an ailing pet is the first step toward saying good-bye. For many pet owners, the good-bye comes before a veterinarian closes a door to take the animal away “to a better place.” For anyone with rats or mice, getting to that better place may involve a great amount of agony. Before you take your rat or mouse to the veterinarian, read this.
WHEN
Rats and mice are tough little animals, and may not appear sick until a disease has progressed to a severe extent. To know when to decide to put the little one to rest is up to each pet owner, but to avoid doing it too late or too early is crucial.
As long as the rat seems pain free most of the time (and medication can help), is active, eats, drink, sleeps, and plays like normal – then, euthanasia may be kept well down the line. Even if a disease has progressed to where a rat cannot be cured, he or she may live happily for several more months.
If, however, a rat is in obvious pain and all other methods have been exhausted, euthanasia is the best option.
HOW
Few methods of euthanasia are appropriate for rats or mice. Due to their small size, the traditional vein injection used on dogs and cats does not work. The injection has to be inserted into the heart or the belly, a very painful process that can easily go awry and lead to a pierced lung or repeated attempts. Under no circumstances allow the veterinarian to give an intracardiac (in the heart) injection – which is illegal in California and declared inhumane by the American Veterinary Medical Association Panel on Euthanasia.
Prior to giving a mouse or rat a lethal injection, insist that the veterinarian provide the animal with an anesthetic to relieve the potential pain of its last few minutes of life. The injection may not even be necessary if the rat is given a heavy dose of anesthetic. Also always insist that you be allowed in the room to observe what happens – a veterinarian who does not want you around has something to hide.
Euthanasia can be done at home, and some rat lovers recommend it as the preferred method. The rat or mouse is not subjected to the stress of a visit to the veterinarian. This can only be done humanely if there is a method to legally obtain Halothane in your state. Halothane is not easy to obtain and is subject to regulation. Please discuss this with your veterinarian for more information. If you are unable to keep a small amount at home, make sure your rat or mouse is given an anesthetic prior to any injection.
To give your rat or mouse the anesthetic, Mary Ann Isaksen recommends this procedure in the July/August 1998 edition of Rat & Mouse Gazette. First make your pet comfortable in your lap – use a towel or pillow for them to rest on if needed. Place Halothane soaked cotton balls in the bottom of a jar. The rat may shy away from the smell at first, although it is not unpleasant. Let the rat continue breathing the Halothane even after falling asleep.
Continue talking and petting your animal as he gently falls asleep in your lap, whether at home or at the veterinarian. According to Mary Ann “This method has been a comfort to both me and the rats I have used it on.”
Any other method you may find online or recommended by even the biggest well-wisher should not be pursued. Methods I have seen recommended include freezing the animal, asphyxiating the rodent via various ways such as placing them in a container of CO2 or in a box placed up against a car exhaust, and drowing. For any pet lover, these should not be viable options – especially when making the difficult decision to say good-bye to a loved one. However, some methods of using CO2 have been recommended but like any other method may cause the rat or mouse to suffer.
Mary Ann Isaksen. “Euthanasia.” Rat & Mouse Gazette, July/August 1998.
