Would the pupils dilate in a dead animal?

[x Sarah x]

Ok sounds weird i know, but i'm currently nursing a rat that may be dead.

I'm treating it as torpor because its only happened because of the cold, 4 rats escaped about 4 days ago, day by day i've managed to catch one and this one was left overnight on its own outside as i was unable to catch her...

Today i found her in the bottom of a bag of hay, and basically she looks dead.

The only reason i've decided to warm her up is because:

1. The position she was in, she is sitting rather than sprawled out like a dead animal.

2. She doesn't smell at all.

3. her eyes are normal as opposed to whiting.

Now i know none of that may be relevent if she has only just died...
I've been warming her for about half an hour now, shes stone cold through.

But i've been checking her pupils every 5 minutes and they are dilating, the pupil is bigger everytime i look.

Now would this happen in a dead animal?

I'm trying to feel for a heartbeat as no visable breathing is there, but i can't work out if it is a heartbeat or if its my own heart pulsating through my fingers.

Its likely i'm wasting my time here, but i feel its worth a try as i've revived mice and hamsters in the past before, several years ago now, but usually there is some sort of movement, whether it be an eyelid or mouth movement...

[corny girl]

Try tapping gently in the corner of the eye, if she is alive there should be a reaction, if no reaction then i'm sorry but it is too late & she has died. This is how Vets tell if an animal is still alive (apart from the obvious listening for heart beat, feeling a pulse etc..).

[sarahc]

it's normal for pupils to dilate after death.I think half an hour with no response is pretty conclusive,Sorry.

[x Sarah x]

Such a shame

She was a lovely girl, just found it strange because when i gas feeder mice their eyes begin to frost over and go white within minutes, where as hers look like any healthy animals eyes, maybe the cold preserved them or something...

RIP little one.x

[sarahc]

I don't know why that would be but as far as the pupils go,when you die the muscle that controls the hole that is the pupil relaxes.Therefore the dilated pupil is a good indication that death has occurred.

[shiro_ookami]

Oh i'm so sorry for you hunny =(

My mum and I were hoping she would come around, we've had small mammals freeze before and we have managed to bring them around by warming them up before. We hoped it would be the same for you *hug*

Again i'm sorry hun xx

[shiro_ookami]

How were you trying to warm her up babes? We used a low warm setting on a hairdryer..my mum says that she would wrap it up in a towel and put it over a warm fire or a warmish radiator.

But mum says put a hairdryer on her.

[x Sarah x]

Shes not alive i'm afraid, i had her wrapped in a blanket with a hot water bottle, did the job but sadly she wasn't concious, she must have literally just died when i found her hense being so fresh and alive looking...

Was very much a shame, the only thing i can be thankful for is the fact she came from a group of 6 meaning no one has been left alone without her...