Expert: Sandra Todd - 6/11/2008

Question
About two years ago I gave my daughter a rat as a pet from a friend of mine who breeds them. She has always been a very friendly, hand held rat, which she calls "pookie". I would let her out at night to roam free of the house and she would be everywhere. Recently, our family moved but the rat stayed in our old plave for a while. I dont think she was fed very well and she did not get out at all. When I brought her home finally she had only been at the new house for two days before my daughter decided to take her outside to show all the neighborhood kids. During the excitment, my duaghter lost her outside. I did not think we would ever find her and three days later she showed up by the garbage cans in front of the house. She was shaking, skinny, and frightened. You could tell she had been through some trauma. When I finally looked her over a week later I noticed her two front teeth had been broken in half, one of her eyes pertruded out farther than the other, and she did not want to walk around anymore. And when she did, she would fall over to the side. Now, she hardly even eats, hardly drinks any water, and her balance has progressivly gotten worse. I dont know what to do and my daughter thinks she is going to die. I think she will die too, if no action is taken to help her, but I dont know what she might have or what could have happened to her. Could you help me out?

Answer
I am not sure but did she stay behind at your old place alone? I may have misunderstood your post.

It sounds as if she needs to see a vet. You need to be sure she is getting fluids. Dehydration is the first thing  that will make your rat act sick and its the easiest thing to cure.

Do you have a vet that is up to par   with rats?