Real Life Case Study: Congenital Heart Defect
Sufferer: Biscuit, buck, 10 months

When I bred him with one of my pet does two of their baby girls died at eight weeks old (one I had put to sleep and the other died less than 24 hours after she became ill, before I could get her to the vet), within a day or so of each other of what was diagnosed as a congenital heart defect. Until Biscuit got ill, I did not know whether it was from their father or mother, as both were in good health.

Biscuit when he was in perfect health

At around 8.30pm one night I went downstairs to top up Biscuit and his son’s food bowl (they shared a tank) and found Biscuit in a worrying state. At first I thought he was dead already – he was so still, stiff and cold. When I touched him he did not move a muscle and was freezing: he felt far too cold to be alive. I was very upset and went to remove him from the tank but to my surprise he moved almost imperceptibly. If you looked very long and hard you could just see him breathing.

I picked him up and cupped him in my hands to keep him warm. I knew he was very very ill and would die no matter what treatment was given at this stage. Only hours before he had been running around playing with his son. Now he couldn’t move let alone get to the food or water. I helped him drink by dipping my finger in water and bringing it to his mouth, but I couldn’t get him to eat anything. He was suddenly very thin and I could feel his bones. He was so cold I couldn’t believe it – I have never experienced a live mouse be so cold. It sounds cruel, but I don’t think he was any colder after he died, that’s how much heat he had lost.

I thought that poor Biscuit would die within minutes he was that bad but he hung on for a few more hours. It was as soon as I realised that he was alive and I could do nothing to help him that I wished I had some form of humane home euthanasia. The vet was closed and used a needle in the heart to put mice to sleep anyway. It was then that I resolved to do some in depth research on euthanasia for the future.

I stayed with Biscuit for a while, holding him and keeping him warm. I set him up a little warm nest with food and water (even though he couldn’t get to it) in a small carry tank and took him into my room where it was a bit warmer. The whole time he had been either unconscious or semi-conscious and completely still. I made sure the nest was just right with a little dent for him and put him somewhere warm and comfortable.

I watched him for a while, and then I put the lid back on the tank to keep him warm in his final moments. He died during the night and it seemed as though it was peaceful – I found him lying down as if he had died in his sleep. Somehow he had managed to move a few paces out of the nest I had made for him, which I found amazing knowing what little strength he had had left. Still, at least it seemed that he wasn’t feeling any pain towards the end and went fairly peacefully.