choking on wet food

[Mimmom]

I have a senior rat, Niko, who seems to be choking on wet food whenever she eats it. She has trouble eating hard food because she can't hold it in her paws. She scares me to death whenever this happens because she's gasping and doesn't sound like any air is getting in. I thought she was at deaths door this afternoon and then she was okay. Should I stop giving her wet food? Sometimes it sounds like she's making weird respiratory noises when she eats like maybe she's inhaling a little of it. She wasn't always this way. Is there something going wrong with her that is making her more likely to choke or is it just that's she's very hungry and going too fast?

Miriam

 

[SQ]

What are you feeding her?
How is her breathing when she isn't eating?
Is ahe having any other problems?

 

[Mimmom]

What are you feeding her?
How is her breathing when she isn't eating?
Is ahe having any other problems?

I gave her yogurt with her glucosamine supplement mixed in it. I crushed the glucosamine into powder then mixed it with the yogurt.

Her breathing is fine when she isn't eating. I gave her just plain soymilk this morning and she did well with that. She also does okay with small pieces that she can pick up but doesn't have to hold for very long. So really very small pieces. She had some puffed rice and did well with that. Between the choking episodes she's doing well for a 2.5 year old rat. We had her at the emergency vet after one of these episodes because I thought it was respiratory distress but by the time we got her there she was in great shape and the vet said she's very strong and energetic given her age. Her lungs sounded great and she was struggling to get out of our hands because she wanted to explore. LOL. Still, this choking scares the life out of me.

Miriam

 

[SQ]

You may want to put her suppliment in a tiny amount of something and get her to lick it off your finger, instead of gulping at down.
Hopefully that will help.

If you have not done so, you might try soaking a good quality lab block (such as Harlan Teh 2014, oxbow Regal Rat or Living World hamster extrusian) in cool (clorine & floride free) water to make the pieces very soft (or mush) so that she will be able to eat small pieces and get good nutrition. Since you said she is able to eat small pieces ok without choking, this might help and will also help her stay well hydrated.

 

[Mimmom]

I couldn't get her to eat the mushy lab blocks at all. UGH. I think she still eats the dry ones but I'm worried she expends more calories than she ingests in trying to do that. I will try getting her to lick the supplement/yogurt off my finger.

 

[jorats]

My mom had a rat who did this a lot. I'm going to ask her to respond here.

 

[mamarat]

Vet said his PT was making him choke, but this little one has already seen a vet. Mine would also get gasping fits as he tried to swallow and panic attacks. The PT was affecting that part of the brain and there wasn't much to be done but let him go. Good luck with your sweetie.

 

[Unepuce]

I couldn't get her to eat the mushy lab blocks at all. UGH. I think she still eats the dry ones but I'm worried she expends more calories than she ingests in trying to do that. I will try getting her to lick the supplement/yogurt off my finger.

Have you tried crushing the blocks and giving her pieces?

 

[Mimmom]

I gave Niko a liquid dinner last night with some babyfood (blueberry, spinach and something else I can't remember), soymilk, glucosamine supplement and a little soy yogurt and she ate that. She's eating puffed rice. She seems to handle that pretty well and she also eats uncooked oatmeal. I'm still working on the regal rat food. I might have to order some harlan teklad food. I know she really liked that. Maybe she'll do better with it because the pieces are big enough for her to rest them on the floor while she eats.

Miriam