If I had known the slight head tilt was a severe ear infection, I could have started her on meds earlier, but she never showed any "dog" symptoms of ear issues. No discharge, redness, head shaking, scratching... so I didn't know, and my ignorance cost her life.

Steep learning curves are painful when it comes to live creatures. I'll know better. If it had been ANY rat other than Deedee, I would have simply put it down and fed it off to a snake or lizard.