Rat needs help! Experienced answers please!?

Balance and Head Tilt Problems

There are three possible causes of head tilt and/or loss of balance in rats but it should be stated clearly that the single most common reason for a head tilt in a young or young adult rat is ear infection: -

Ear infection - unfortunately rats have no way of telling us they have a little bit of ear-ache until it gets to a stage of causing either balance or head tilt problems. By this stage the ear infection is quite advanced and rapid treatment is essential. The rat may appear to be rolling from lack of balance and completely unable to stand, but if it is an ear infection, getting the rat injected with steroid and on a course of antibiotics will improve the condition very rapidly. If the ear infection was quite advanced the rat may be left with a slight head tilt after treatment, but it is not unusual for them to make a complete recovery with no sign they ever had the ear infection.

Stroke - strokes will have the same symptoms as ear infection, but the treatment will not have the same effect as it would for an ear infection. As there is no way to differentiate the symptoms, a steroid injection plus antibiotics is the initial treatment. The steroid injection should help a bit and the rat may well stabilise enough to continue quality life, particularly with repeated steroid treatment. Quite often they will show signs of weakness of a limb or continued slight balance problems, but they may well live on for quite a while after the first stroke. It is unusual for a rat to have a second stroke and be able to maintain quality of life after.

Pituitary Tumour - again the symptoms are the same as for an ear infection, again treat as for an ear infection. The steroid will help stabilise the condition for a short period of time and repeated steroid treatment can help for a short time, but with a pituitary tumour there is one extra symptom to look out for in that the rat has an inability to hold food properly with their front paws - they will wedge the food against things to eat. This gets worse until the rat stops eating completely and the quality of life goes. Unfortunately by the time a pituitary tumour has displayed the symptoms, there is not much time left.

Choking rat - The symptoms of a rat choking are drooling and pulling the head back in gagging motion, flattening the ears. In most cases the blockage does not stop the rat from breathing and the best thing you can do is stay calm to try to help the rat to remove the blockage. Normally the blockage will work its way out given time and veterinary assistance is rarely necessary. If choking persists for more than about 6 hours then you must take your rat to a vet. The object lodged in the throat may be too big to pass down, or the cause may be a tumour or some other problem, rather than something the rat has tried to eat. Sometimes respiratory illness can cause gagging and choking symptoms.

If the rat cannot breathe, then it is imperative you assist quickly. You can try the Heimlich manoeuvre pressing sharply up and in underneath the ribcage in an attempt to dislodge whatever is stuck in the rats throat. Another method is described in Deb Ducommun's Rat Health Care book as "the fling".

"Hold your rat firmly around the neck with one hand, and by the base of the tail with the other to hold her securely. Make sure there are no objects within an arm's length. Lift the rat overhead and bring her down in a rapid arc, so that at the end of the path she's tail up and head down. This can be repeated 3-4 times, then give the rat a rest, check her breathing, and see if anything is visible in the mouth. This is extremely effective in dislodging objects in the throat. However, don't use this procedure if your rat can breathe, or you might make it worse."

Either ways, u SHOULD take him to a vet if u r concerned. good luck:)

It certainly does sound like he is a having a seizure or a stroke, possibly more than one back to back. You'll have to take him to the vet immediately or he will very likely die. If your vet is out of town, take him to somebody else. Seizures can happen in normal rats for seemingly no reason at all, but are usually quick and followed by a refractory period where the rat seems almost comatose for a while before eventually coming around. This sounds a little more serious and it is unlikely that he will recover unless he gets immediate medical attention. I'm sorry to hear about your rat, good luck!

i could point out the white goop to the vet. Please attempt to convey the two rats to the vet for the URI as a results of fact's achievable that the single rat isn't exhibiting indications yet yet might have it so convey them the two to confirm that an infection has not unfold. you additionally can purchase some thing referred to as revolution which will kill the mites yet you may desire to get it prescribed with the help of the vet. Make a deal which contain your mothers and fathers (in the experience that your a new child) to lend you the money or do jobs to earn all the money you may to convey the two rats to the vet and have them dealt with and regarded at. that's particularly stressful and that i be responsive to the sensation. the only way I have been given relieved grew to become into with the help of bringing the two one in each and every of my women to the vet and while they have been clinically determined and given therapy it grew to become into merely soooooo much less stressful.

Take him to a vet SOON if you can.

From what you describe it's not looking too good. It could be anything from physical trauma, poisoning (did he eat any plant material or tobacco???), head trauma, stroke, the list of

possibilities here is very long.

I hope it all works out.

Why don't you take him to a vet FFS, he's obviously unwell and most likely has cancer which is extremely common in rats

Duuhhh take it the

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BRING TO A VET ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!