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Sad day at the vet
We took one of our pet rats to the vet today because she had become very lethargic, had a very pronounced head tilt, and had developed a large bulge on her neck overnight. Because rats are so low on the food chain, they instinctively hid injury or illness, and sometimes you don't even know anything's wrong until it's too late.
The vet determined that she had a bad ear infection, swollen lymph nodes, and uterine tumors. A quick listen with the stethoscope also revealed a slow heartbeat with arrhythmia. We discussed the treatments for each condition, and then were told that she may not be strong enough to handle the anaesthesia required to rupture her eardrum, and that he might get into her abdomen only to find out that the tumors have spread. With any other type of treatment for her ear, she would be in pain until it took effect. And with the tumors, she would likely only have a few weeks left.
Then we had the "quality of life" discussion...
Being a responsible pet parent sometimes means making decisions that are best for your critter. It wasn't easy to make the decision to put down a pet who has become part of our family, but I'm just glad that she's not in pain anymore.
Goodbye, Miss Roxy. You are loved and missed. 
Re: Sad day at the vet
I'm sorry to hear about your lab (those are such great dogs!). Several years ago I went with my parents to have their dalmatian put down. It's definitely hard to watch. Hopefully it will give you some comfort to know that they do go quickly, easily, and painlessly, and that you're doing the right thing for her.
Let me know how you're doing tomorrow.