ratpotatoez:

CHOKING

This text is directly from Rats and Mice are Awesome on Facebook but this is important information that I feel all rat owners should know.

A choking rat will usually drool, gag—head jerking back and forth— and the ears may be moving with the motion. It may stick its tongue out.

WHAT DO YOU DO??

*CHOKING*

If the rat is CHOKING, do NOTHING! Unless the lips, tail, or toes are turning BLUE, which is rare, a rat will work it out on its own. And it can take several hours sometimes, which will be unbearable for you (and the rat) but you can’t shorten it. Anything you try may hurt. Just provide comfort. You may put a little bowl of water near it but do not force. When we say a rat is choking, the rat is trying to clear its airway. It can usually breathe but it is uncomfortable and scared.

Once the rat has finished choking, it will be exhausted, and possibly go to sleep. Its throat will be sore for a while. You can offer something physically soothing like hot pudding or also emotional soothing like hot kava or chamomile tea. It may take up to six hours for the rat to act normally again.

**IF THE RAT STARTS TO TURN BLUE**

IF YOU HAVE A NEARBY VET, GO GO GO NOW

Otherwise there are two, somewhat drastic options.

If you know the rat is choking on a SUBSTANCE such as peanut butter, mashed potatoes, bread (turns to sticky mush in their throats), the airway is clogged and there is nothing to dislodge. You are going to try to suck the substance out of the throat. Put your mouth gently over the rat’s mouth, KEEPING THE NOSE FREE, and suck very gently. Then let the rat sit a moment and see if its behavior is any different. If not, try again, very gently. This is also something you can try in the car on the way to the vet, but keep the light on so you know you are avoiding the nose.

If you know a rat is choking on an OBJECT, such as a piece of rat block/kibble, something dry like crackers, or any chunk of food (rats will choke on anything because they are greedy little gobstoppers!), or you don’t know what it is, you can try something called the RATTY SWING, which was invented by Debbie DuCommun. Repeat: This is ONLY when the rat is turning blue. This is drastic, can be dangerous, and is terrifying for the rat. She writes: “Hold your rat firmly around the neck with one hand, and by the base of the tail with the other to hold her securely. Make sure there are no objects within an arm’s length. Lift the rat overhead and bring her down in a rapid arc, so that at the end of the path she’s tail up and head down. This can be repeated 3-4 times, then give the rat a rest, check her breathing, and see if anything is visible in the mouth.”

If one of these methods does not work after a few tries, try the other.

Do NOT feed a choking rat food. You may make it worse. if you can see the object, know that there is no guaranteed safe way to get it out. You will have to decide what risk you will take. For instance, you might try a former Heimlich maneuver, some suggest trying to sweep a Q tip though the mouth behind it. That may work but has a strong chance of pushing it farther back. Another thing people say is try to use a tweezer to pull it out. This would be ONLY if you see the object clearly and have access. Tweezers may also damage the throat.

Stay as calm as you possibly can, so the rat feels your calm and does not panic more because you are panicking. Remember to breathe, yourself.