Can Someone Explain This? (Rodent Lovers Please)

As some of you know I've been working in a pet shop for about a month. In the back room are animals that are either overstock or have been surrendered by their owners. Whoever comes in first thing is supposed to feed, water and make observation about all of them.

Now I'm not expecting much. Half the time the night staff initials that they've been there and water bottles are near empty and food has congealed, you know they signed off and left early. But there is this one rat. I think he's overstock. That is he was supposed to be for sale but there's limited room on the floor for each species.

I told several managers a week ago that this rat was sick. I've had a bunch of them the last several years...I know the signs of a failing rat. It was staggering, fur missing in patches, bleary eyes, most startling and most visible it's feet and front paws were such a bright red they looked bloody. Finally today the vet arrived for routine small animal check.

I told her that I felt that euthanizing this poor beastie was the most humane solution. Later she came out to the floor to talk to me saying she gave him antibiotic and pain shots
and to try to coax him to eat. She said his back legs are paralyzed meaning he can't even reach the water bottle. As a vet isn't she obligated not to let creatures suffer?

I'm thinking tomorrow of calling our local vet and asking if they will put a small animal out of it's misery. Then when I go to work Thursday buying him and taking him to them for an opinion one way or another. All I can think of is that corporate policy says the vet can't put a potential sale to sleep. That they have to let it die a "natural" death before they can write it off as unsellable.

That's really sick, but quite possible. Welcome to big corporate Americka. Half of me thinks I'm over-thinking but I don't want this poor little guy to suffer. Thoughts?

Profit over life.

Sadly there are many that do it sick pups or kittens but rodents too the shop sees $$ not a living soul in pain.

id buy it if i could and then have it put to sleep

poor little soul.

i have a bit of a soft spot for ratties we have wild ones in our garden and i refuse to poison them.

It's quite common for older rats to get hind leg paralysis and they can often cope quite well, assuming they are kept in single level cages and get extra tlc, however if it's not going to get that PTS is the best option. If its a younger rat which has maybe fallen, I would have thought it would be showing signs of improvement given a bit of time and maybe a course of anti-inflammatories. Leaving it like that is certainly not fair and I would be inclined to do as you suggested.

I'd try to find out if that is actually part of the policy. Do you know when the vet will be back in? One antibiotic shot isn't going to last long, neither is the painkiller (usually 3 days at most depending on the drug, but most are 24 hour).
In the mean time if he can't reach the water bottle then he needs a very shallow bowl so he can still drink.
This is the reason I never applied to work in a pet shop, it's such a shame but it all comes from above. If there is nothing else you can do, no one you can talk to (without risking your job too) then it seems you have come to the only option left. Buy him and have him PTS. Just such a shame that they aren't willing to let the poor little soul go. You might be able to get a decent 'discount' or something, with being on the staff and him being really poorly??? I'd hate to line their pockets with profit for letting him suffer.

Yeah I get an employee discount anyways. Then there's another hurdle I just thought of. Technically they aren't allowed to sell a sick animal. I wonder if for me they'll make an exception? The vet said they'll put him down. Now I have to see if I can get him.

I don't understand the mentality of some people. I mean even stepping on ants, or when the cats leave bird and snake bodies on the front lawn. I mean I'm not fond of snakes but they're still living creatures...and it bothers me that they die just like that. But how can people be so callous about other creatures ya know?

Something else, the vet said that the pain meds would put him out for awhile. I dunno what "awhile" means but when I went back there a few hours later he was definitely awake. He could raise his head to look at me. I'm sure picking him up would hurt him more. But I stood there petting his head and back and it seemed to comfort him.

Poor wee rat It's awful to think that he's being kept alive just to sit miserable in a backroom

If you can get him and take him to another vet I think you would be doing him a big favour.

Bless you for caring!

Paws crossed, it's really bothering me. Sure I've got a full plate with everything else, but sometimes you want to go out of your way to do the right thing. Then again I might go into to work tomorrow to find he passed on his own. Poor guy.

Okay blessings come from weird places. The boss said fine take him...then the vet didn't charge for the visit and I have some of his prescription meds already that will save me some nickels and dimes. I watched in his box as I was driving. When I took him out of the cage at work he looked like he would expire at any minute. Before we left he was gnawing at paper padding in the box. Lightbulb moment...he must be hungry.

I put lettuce shreds around his face and he started to eat, and eat, and eat. Even when the doctor put him on the table he still had lettuce hanging from his mouth and was rooting around the table for more. She examined him, treated his eyes, debrided some of the infection and dead skin from his paws and feet, he was majorly dehydrated so she pushed water into him. And when she brought him back in he looked a bit brighter already. She said his legs still have feeling and part of the problem was he had laid in his own pee for a few days.
Does that show you the average level of pet care in this store?

So now he's in a box on the book shelf next to me. I thawed frozen peas and carrots in warm water...and he's eating as I type. Have to put medicated compresses on paws and feet. Squirt him with water and formula a few times a day and keep him clean...dish towels under him I can launder and change.

I can imagine the perfect customized t shirt
Crazy Cat Lady?
Crazy Dog Lady?
Crazy Rat Lady?
All of the above and more!

I think I would avoid giving him lettuce, some lettuce is well know for giving rabbits and guinea pigs diarrhoea and I would worry it would do the same to rats. Many people make up their own feed, mix of rabbit food, dog kibble, breakfast cereal ( not sugary) etc. If you look up Shunamite rat diet it can give you a recipie. Keep him in a low level cage, rats love hidey holes. It's recommened not to keep them on shaving due to the respiratory problems rats are renowned for, I use cardboard squares for mine which are sold for horse beds.

Good luck and well done, rats are fantastic, intelligent, friendly little souls.

Do you know how old he is?