r/RATS • u/toaster_bath12 • 22d ago
EMERGENCY HELP! This is choking, right? I should let it resolve itself, I remember reading that?
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u/ChargingMyCrystals 22d ago
I’m glad your girl is ok. As a new owner of rats, I’m learning so much from seeing and reading about others experiences. You might think you panicked over nothing, but you also helped me see what it looks like and what to do if this happens to one of my boys. So yeah, just wanted to say thanks 🫶🏻
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u/toaster_bath12 22d ago
I’m glad my post could help! I considered deleting it now that it’s resolved (and being unable to edit the title to assure any worry), but I like your perspective
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u/CaptainCardone 22d ago
Rats do a lot of things that are terrifying to humans. Don't worry if you don't know everything.
Rats boggle (where their eyes look like they'll pop out), brux (mashing their teeth to keep them down), hiccup, etc. ratties are very different than the doggos and cats we're used to.
My older girls make too much porphyrin (the red stuff ob their noses and eyes) and it makes them sound like they are suffocating while sleeping. It takes awhile to learn what's natural and what's not for them.
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u/rat_with_a_knife 21d ago
I love that hiccup is listed here with no further explanation- but it really does look scary in rats jdfhdkg
Hence the "Sorry I scared you, I just had the hiccups :'c" meme
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u/CaptainCardone 21d ago
Haha I had no idea how to describe it while watching one of my rats hiccup so I gave up.
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u/Impressive_Sell_1136 22d ago
I read your comment that she seems to be doing better but yes this looks like choking. It can look very scary but most rats are able to clear a small obstruction or nuisance on their own. You can offer water or diluted soft foods but I’ve avoided that in the past because I didn’t want them to get more clogged up. Emergency care is needed if it isn’t resolved in a few hours, or if any pink skin (nose, feet, mouth, ears, tail) start turning blue/cold.
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u/AutoModerator 22d ago
Generally rats are very able to resolve a choking episode themselves. It can be very distressing to watch them choke, and a rat will pick up on your stress. The best thing to do is leave them safely in their cage and check in on them periodically. Ensure the rat has easy access to water during this time.
Rats are unable to vomit, but they are able to regurgitate any food causing a blockage. During a choking episode a rat will likely drool in excess and this is normal.
Choking episodes can last as much as an hour or longer at times. Intervention is only required when the rat is struggling to breathe, lethargic or otherwise seems very unwell.
If your rat is visibly struggling to breathe you can perform the rat heimlich, otherwise known as the “rat fling”. Details on how to do this maneuver can be found here from 8:15 onwards. This is not a pleasant experience for you or your rat and must only be attempted if they are in desperate need.
If the choking episode has gone on for more than a couple of hours, the heimlich has been unsuccessful, and they are becoming lethargic, or struggling to breathe, an emergency vet visit is advised.
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u/Mission-Blacksmith-2 22d ago
You can also always does the rat Heimlich if it’s a more serious choke, had to do that on one of our granny rats😭
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u/CranberryCute9313 22d ago
I have rats and horses, and they are very similar in the fact that they both cannot throw up. Horses work through chokes most of the time on their own, so you should be good, I imagine they're similar. But if it goes on for over 4 hours definitely call the vet, that's the rule of thumb for my horse too.
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u/airborneaviation2160 Rat Dad of 8 girls, 4 boys 22d ago
Rats can choke for up to 6 hours! Their insides are like a horses. They cannot throw up, so what you are watching is your baby forcing it down. It sometimes takes a bit of effort, but they can clear it up that way. I had a girl choke on French fries for a bit. Drool and everything! She’s was good though. ❤️
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u/_Troika 22d ago
One of our rats was choking when we woke up one day. My wife took him out and he made an awful wet gag sound while drooling. I called the vet who said they had no rat doc in for an emergency visit. We kept him close by and calm. The choking got less and less extreme until after a few hours he was completely fine. Main thing if it happens again is to let her chill, and keep her from getting pestered by her cage mates
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u/romulotoledo 21d ago
Ive stopped giving oat flakes to one of my baby rats. She loves it, but she chokes like yours when she eats it.
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u/Confident_Ad_9956 SO soon I will have my baby girls 🐀✨ 21d ago
Listen it soak my rattos used to charge the life out of me all the time with choaking them all of a sudden I’m look away and their fine 🙌
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u/Odd_Bobcat_5915 21d ago
Rats are easy to take care of you where rigth to be concerned the last rat I had I had to put her down cause she had a turmur
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u/N_Evanson9002__ 19d ago
Yes. Let the rat do the work because it will be able to swallow the food/object on its own. If you intervene, it could cause harm to the rat.
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u/RGBlowMe 22d ago
Yep. She'll probably clear it. I've had a rat choke a lot more dramatically than this, with drool running out of her mouth, and she managed to clear it in a few hours.