What killed her?

[pinkpixies]

About this time last year...my hairless rat, Fluffy...died unexpectedly. I had only had her about 4 months...but she was full grown when I got her, I'm not sure how old she was but she looked pretty young still. She was pretty anxious...I don't think she was handled much in the pet store. She would bite sometimes and stuff...but I figured with lots of attention and love she would come around. She would sneeze when she was stressed out...but she didn't have any discharge or anything so I thought she was fine...then one day...my brother and sister in law came over to visit and my sister in law was playing with her...and she sat her down on this large home made foot stool I have...and she took a few steps...fell over...so I picked her up...and she like did two gasps...and went limp...dead...I've never had a rat die like that before....and it still upsets me...could she have been sick? with the sneezing? Could I have prevented her dying by taking her to the vet? Could my sister in law have squeezed her too tightly or something? She is a bit rough with animals...but I didn't think she would actually hurt her, you know?

[twitch]

it almost sounds like a heart attack or an aneurism. but it could have been anything. from bad genetics to her just hiding her illness really well. rats are genesises when it comes to that. i had one of my rats die overnight because i didn't know she was sick. i had another that was sick but was on the road to recovery when she had a heart attack an died suddenly. sometimes this happens. its hard and unexpected and it hurts but it can happen. i'm sorry for your loss but i don't think it was anything you or your sister in law did.