Rat inner ear infection followed by eye removal :( help?

Okay, this is why I joined the forum and I really hope someone can help me on here.

Basically, one of my boys (an 18 months old dumbo hairless, Geordie) developed a very severe head tilt in the space of about 3 days. I left him with my parents and came back to him like that. He couldn't stand, rolled over at the slightest touch and noise, and wasn't eating at all. I took him to a trusted exotics vet near me, who confirmed my suspicions of vestibular disease, and he said he would assume it was an inner ear infection. He was on 0.2ml of Baytril once daily and 0.25ml Stemetil twice daily... both for 2 weeks. I noticed a little improvement in his tilt, and he started walking around at normal speed (even though it was in circles), and his appetite returned. He was in a smaller single level cage on his own because of this, to prevent further injury.

HOWEVER, after 3 days, I noticed excessive poryphin around the eye on his affected side - I assumed it was due to poor balance with the infection, bathed it but couldn't see anything in it. Unfortunately, the following day I noticed some lint from his fleece inside the eye, I bathed this out and left him to it. The following morning he had a yellow blob on the eye surface (looked like a bump but inside the eye?), I called the vet and he said I could go in the next day. The next morning however, his eye was completely yellow and starting to bulge out. Now, I was pretty sure he would need eye removal, and due to funds, I had to take him over to a charity subsidised surgery, who performed the surgery the same day. His eye was stitched and glued (as I pointed out he would definitely be grooming his face a lot), and I was then told to be aware he might vomit I WAS MORTIFIED. I explained they couldn't vomit, and proceeded to check they had in fact removed the correct eye - phew. I had heard good things about the vet, but clearly they were inexperienced with rats. I felt absolutely awful. (Note, I'm studying to be a vet myself, and I was under the impression that we all learned the same thing in university - apparently this is not the case). I took him home with an extended course of antibiotics as she said sometimes head tilts don't improve in the first couple of weeks alone, so encouraged me to persist. I mentioned that I'd read that Baytril might not be enough, but she told me that there were no other licensed antibiotics for small animals that she could prescribe? I haven't had chance to check this out with my lecturers yet, has anyone else been told this? (I'm in the UK)

The op was yesterday, but today his face is still swollen, and the skin looks pink (he is already, but more so) around the area. The vet told me not to mess with the area at all, and I don't think it's a good idea anyway as the slightest touch on his face leads to power grooming... don't want him to scratch it. But I was wondering, is bathing the area something I SHOULD be doing? Other animal surgeries I've experienced require bathing the site as part of post-op care, at least for a couple of days? There's a small line of a scab over the area, but the tissue around it is definitely inflamed and swollen. I might just be panicking, but he seems to be really getting everything lately He was groggy yesterday, but he's bright today, and eating quite a bit (he still seems a little skinny, but I'm hoping he'll start putting on weight now, he certainly isn't losing any).

What do you all think about this? I'm going to take a photo tomorrow morning (tonight's photo was blurred and I don't want to keep disturbing him), and obviously if it's worse I'm just going to take him back there. I've been giving him lactose free baby milk for hungrier babies (had some left over from hand rearing rat babies a couple of weeks ago) mixed with cereal, his normal rat food, baby food, some dry dog kibble... pretty much anything he'll take really to get him eating. What's good to put weight on them quickly? (I know I shouldn't be aiming for putting fat on, but I mean a temporary thing to keep them going until normal appetite returns).

Really would appreciate all of your help!
Thank from Laura (me) and Geordie

Inner ear infection the tilt often remains, baytril is a good drug to use for it, at least 4 weeks if you can. If you catych it right away a steroid can reduce or even eliminate the tilt, but unfortunately that didn't happen.

As for the eye, he's had an enucleation, did they send you home with pain meds like meloxicam (metacam)?

Vital for the swelling...I have been through a few enucleations and they do look swollen esp. on nakies, but with pain meds on board the swelling soon passes.

Eli the night of



Tepeu before




After

Thank you for the quick response, and the pictures! I've found lots of photos of furry rats, but only a couple of hairless ones post op, so had nothing to really compare it to! I'm very grateful.

The first vet did say he'd given a corticosteroid injection, but I wasn't given any to take home, and the second vet said that was normal. The vet who did the op said they'd give him something for the pain while he was there, but she told me that rather than dose him up with loads of things, that I should contact them if he didn't seem his normal self (which he does), and they'd give me whatever I needed. Should I ask for some painkillers? I rushed out with him at the time as I wanted to get him away from all the barking dogs in surgery, but thinking about it they're stoic so he won't really show me until it gets too much. Hmm.

**Edit** just re-read and realised you stated they're vital for swelling, I'll have to ring them in the morning and see if I can collect some for him. Should I ask specifically for Metacam?

meloxicam would be best...not sure what its called in the UK. Our brand name is metacam, and yes tell them you need pain meds...Metacam is also an anti-inflammatory.

Now IF they decide to be idiots and tell you no, pick up infant liquid ibuprofen and I will help you with a dosage if you can give me an estimated weight on your boy. Its not as good but much better than none.

You've got the best experience from our lilspaz68... she's been through numerous eye conditions, the worst usually on hairless rats.
Sending healing vibes for your little one.

I think it's very good that he is eating. Hopefully your little boy will be fine. As for the conditions, etc, I can't say anything- I've been lucky enough to never have had any issues like this. Good luck, and keep us updated!

Thanks everyone. Hopefully they'll just sort him out with some like she said she would.

Out of all the rats I've had, I've only ever had one rat with a tumour, so aside from that and this rat currently, I've had no other health problems with them. This has been tough, but he's one of my boys, and like all of my pets they get treated when they're ill. The vet suggested euthanising him opposed to eye removal, but he really is a little fighter, and just keeps springing back... fingers crossed it all heals up now so he can go back with all his friends.

One more question, has anyone ever seen eye and ear problems linked? Neither vet liked to give me a definitive answer when I asked them about it, but I've had quite a few occasions where one of them has had a bit of bedding in their eye, and after it's out they're fine, I was horrified when Geordie's eye turned into a bag of pus overnight It just seemed odd that he'd suddenly have both things go wrong at once.

Sending healing vibes to your sweetie.

Nakies are prone to debris getting under their 3rd eyelid...I have a group of 4 siblings here that came to me with bedding embedded in their eyes...if you do a search for "Niagara Nakies" it will come up. One boy's eye was so abraded the eyeball ruptured and Melvin had to have his eye removed.

'Usually inner ear infection and eye issues are not linked though...it sounds like the poor lad just had more going on.

Urghhh, got up this morning and checked him to find his surgery site was weeping yellow pus. The inflammation seems to have actually decreased, but it doesn't look pretty at all. I've cleaned him out several times a day since the surgery, and he's only on paper towels with some old cotton material scraps for warmth. I can't work out whether the wound has opened or pus is just leaking or what. I've called the vet who did the operation and I'm not getting any answer via phone. Popped down there and they refused to even look without me telephoning first (would help if they answered), but we're leaving town in a couple of hours to go to our parents for the weekend... Geordie is coming with me obviously, but we don't have a choice on leaving (long story). What do I do? I thought Baytril would handle stuff like this?

Baytril + clavamox is good for both skin infections and inner ear infections.

Is it pus? Get your nose in there and get a deep whiff, and you'll know whether its infection. Somtime the serum/body fluids look like pus/infection but they won't smell.

I was hesitant as I've only just eaten, but I really can't smell anything offensive, but I know the smell you mean. The wound just doesn't look right though, the "pus" isn't oozing or fluid, I can't quite explain but I'll upload a picture in a couple of hours (I'm leaving now with him). Still can't get hold of the vets, phone line is now engaged *sigh*. He doesn't seem bothered by me messing with the area (tried wiping it with damp cotton wool) and usually he shows when he's hurting, hmm.

Here you go...Niagara Nakies with the eye issues

http://www.ratshackforum.com/forum/view ... ye#p389387

Eli's removal (we had issues with it as he came from a filthy environment and there was so much bacteria trapped in that eye socket)

http://www.ratshackforum.com/forum/view ... 20#p269856

I think that should show up as a picture from earlier. It seems dry looking now, like a gross scab. The fluid was clear lymph type fluid, the yellow is actually firm. The vet has not answered all day, and my original vet won't see him without the case notes regarding the op, I'm at a loss. I'll be able to go into the vets who aren't answering on Monday, will that be too late? (I say too late, I'm not sure what I expect might happen).

Were you able to get pain meds?

The eye looks icky but you have antibiotics and there's no foul smell yet. Just keep going. That scab may come off like Eli's did and heal nicely once its gone.

Nothing at all He said he's breaking the rules by discussing it when it's another vet's case (I know for a fact he's exaggerating there, they are definitely allowed to give advice outside of a consultation). He wouldn't prescribe even emergency pain medication (i.e. enough for the weekend) without case notes - which I can't get hold of because they won't answer the telephone :redhot: So frustrated!

Is there anything I could give him until Monday? And is flushing with saline a good idea for this or should I take a hands off approach? I really don't want to encourage excessive facial grooming so I was planning on just cleaning his cage out constantly, but I was wondering whether flushing might be a good idea now it's like this...

I haven't got very accurate scales here but I can easily grab those in the morning to get an accurate weight (completely forgot what the vet weighed him as). I know you mentioned infant ibuprofen in liquid form but I've never actually heard of it, I'll do some googling. The only stuff I've got here is the standard paracetamol and some tramadol, but I'm guessing the anti-inflammatory aspect of ibuprofen is important here. Hmm.

**EDIT** is this what you mean?
http://www.expresschemist.co.uk/Claprof ... 100ml.html

I'm so grateful for your replies by the way, I'm going out of my mind here - and my OH can't stand rats so he's rubbish at the mo :'(

YES that will work great! It's 20 mg/ml so you might need to give more, but its usually tasty for children so that should be okay.

Can you take a pic that shows his whole body with something nearby that is easily recognizable for a size comparison?

Can you guess on a weight?

I'm sure she said 260 or 280g, and the rubbish/slightly off scales here are telling me about the same. He's always been a very small rat and he's a lot thinner than he was before this - but his weight seems stable at the moment. He's half the size of my other boys who average at about 500g-ish, so that seems about right.

His dose would be .28 cc's every 4-6 hours