Expert: Sandra Todd - 6/17/2008

Question
QUESTION: hello,
     the problem with my rat i think is stroke or some sort of heart problem because the rat i have now is from my own litter of which the mother and one of the daughters have both died of the same thing but with them it was very sudden and i know its nothing contagious because they didn't even live in the same house never mind cage but the symptoms were more severe and sudden with them and I'm starting to notice it a little with another of the girls from the litter the symptoms are general illness the head is droopy and the fur looks all messy and puffy out which i know is a sign of illness but also lots of the red nose mucus not much round the eyes just the nose but also very off-balance which isn't good for her because they have a multi story cage but iv moved a bed/foodbowl/waterbottle to the bottom floor for her so she doesnt hav to struggle but she usually spends alot of time out f the cage with me which is how iv noticed early on   but she is still eating but the weight just seems to be falling off her as she has always been quite a plump round rattie so any advice you can give me because i really don't know what to do and am willing to put anything into getting her better because 3 of my beloved rats have died this year and i don't think ill cope with losing another(the 3rd rat died naturally of old age he was 4 1/2 which i believe is quite old ) the 2 girls i hav now are both from that litter 1 of which is in perfect health and are both about 14 months old

ANSWER: Is she breathing fast?

Is her head tilted to one side?  

Is she able to grasp food and hold it when eating?
         
Does she fall over or  walk in circles?

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QUESTION: her breathing is regular she isn't doing the head tilt iv already checked for ear infection and respiratory problems, she doesn't pick her food up and hold it to eat just leans in the bowl and nibbles it and isn't really getting much so iv been crushing the lab block food  and mixing with a bit of water and shes eating it fine also iv been giving her i little bit of baby food every couple of days to keep the weight on her as she has lot quite a bit and she seems to be happy eating it and still has an appetite. she does fall over alot and stumbles over her own feet and has hardly any balance when trying to climb about the cage with her sister and falling alot so iv placed shelves and steps about the cage so that she has less risk of falling badly but she is still quite active and seems relativly happy and still bruxes when i tickle her belly. do you think there is anything i can do for her im wondering this because the other two that died like this had all the same symptoms but with them it was very sudden like a week but she has been like this for a few weeks, i would take her o the vets but all they would do is either put her on baytril or offer to put her to sleep. thank you for your time and help any guidance will be much appreciated x

ANSWER: To be honest the lack of use of her front paws concerns me. When did she stop using her front paws to hold and grasp food.

Do me a favor, hand her a treat and see if she holds it to eat it and let me know.

Also, please let me find another vet for you...someone that knows more about rats rather than to just prescribe baytril. A vet that gives bayril for everything is a vet that has read up a bit on rats and thinks the only drug that can help is baytril, which is far from the truth.

hang in there.

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QUESTION: i tried handing her a treat i tried a piece of apple (her fave) also a yogurt treat usually she would grab it and sit on my knee and eat it but she just ate it out of my hand and didn't grab hold of it she was holding on to my hand tho whilst eating the treat i also tried getting her to grab it by not letting her lean on me but she grabs hold a little bit but not quite holding it  properly and just put it straight down and eating i without holding onto it.

i have tried looking for a vet that knows alot about rats but have had no luck but right now is really not a good time for me money wise im 19 my mum has recently passed away and iv not really got no other family i can ask to borrow money from and im in college and am working and i know what your thinking that if you cant afford it then don't get a pet but iv had these rats before all this happened and all the spare money i have goes  my rats (my babies) and they hav a happy health life till bingle (the sick rat) got ill and i think what ever she has is hereditary i jus dont think i can cope with osing another two of my rats died of the same sort of thing and my first ever rat died early this year which i cried about for weeks and still do now occasionaly bu im sorry if it seems im taking this out on you but its not offen you fimd someone that knows what you mean when talking about rats and im nt just getting the "eww, what... really... rats... eww"and the look you get that goes with that comment you shud know what i mean if you own rats.

but anyway..

she seems a bit perkier today shes got a bit more life in her eyes and isn't dragging her head as much and it moving a little bit better but her balance is still quite off a bit  and as u already know she is still not holding food but i forgot to add this in the firs reply that i hav had to start cleaning her as she has jst been urinating and sitting in the same spot and i noticed the fur around the genital area was soaked so i had to start cleaning her which she quite enjoys anyway but i think that has more to do with lack of ballance because i seen her trying to clean those hard to reach areas and she just cant keep balanced to get to them but ill keep an eye on her balance and the whole cleaning thing

so do you hav any clue what it could be causing it do you think it could be herediory heart/stroke problems?

thank you xx

Answer
I am so sorry you lost your mom and your so young yet....not that its any easier when your older (I lost my mom 7 years ago when I was 37 and it was  really hard.) and I also do understand that things can happen such as finances being tight.  I wish Vets would allow patients to make payments and in some cases, the vet will allow you to do it. Its best to ask the vet, not the staff up front. The vet makes the final call about the prices etc... and a good vet will not allow any animal to go without treatment just because of a financial hardship. In your case, I would think the vet would make an exception and allow you to make small payments that are comfortable for your budget.

Is she using her paws to eat yet?