Blood in ear/Update 10-28

[user 78]

While I had the girls out, I was giving them a treat and noticed dried blood on the inside of Penn's ear. There wasn't a whole lot, but a good bit and mostly inside her ear towards the canal.

I've cleaned her ear out with a moist q tip [took me 2 q tips to get it all off] and there's no scratches or nicks, and nothing that looks like it could have been either of those. The way it was, it looked like she had shaken her head and it sprayed out into the cup of her ear. Make any sense?

She's been sleeping a bit more than usual lately, has had some problems climbing and getting down from certain places, but she's also recently turned 18mo. She's acting totally fine, no wobbling, tilting, issues grasping with her front paws. She's still interested in food [went through 4 yogies with the ear cleaning] and will romp a bit now and again. She's been on a maintenance dose of Baytril since 9/15 [some sneezing and porphyrin and severe paranoia after her sister passed suddenly] and Doxy was added 9/24.

So.. Anyone have any ideas? I'm going to try and get her into the vet tomorrow and see what she says.

Some really bad pictures. She's never been much for handling, but lately she's been really put off by it. I passed it off as stress of being a bit bullied by her new cagemate Grey.

 

[mamarat2]

I took Daisy into the vet last week for some blood in her ear. The vet looked in her ear and said it looked like she had a polyp (small growth) in her ear canal that had ruptured. She put her on ear drops that had ab's and dexamethasone to decrease the swelling. Can't think of the name of the drops offhand, will get it to you when I get home from work today.

 

[jorats]

We've had about 3 rats with masses/polyps in their ear as well, two of which didn't have a good outcome, but the masses weren't found till it was too late.

 

[mamarat2]

Name of the drops we were using in her ears were actually eye drops. The vet prescribed them for her ear, she said it should be less of an irritant to the ear.

"Neomycin and Polymixin B sulfates and Dexamethasone Opthalmic Suspension"

Thats whats on the original box, the name on the vets label is "Neopolydex OP Ointment".

Hope she's doing ok

 

[user 78]

Well, several hours later, there's no more blood in her ear. I've been bugging her every so often all day, but what I cleaned out earlier has been it.

I just pulled her out of the hammock to watch her walk and move around. She's getting around just fine. She did something fairly strange, or atleast as far as I know her own behavior. She's never really liked much attention, so she has a habit of going to the corner and hunkering down. She'll tolerate a few cheek strokes, but that's about it. Well, she did that, as usual, but then did this thing. I don't know how to really describe it. Her head was nodding very quickly, but not alot of movement. I guess trembling would be a more accurate word. She also squinted the eye that the bloody ear was on.

I'm really at a loss as to what to do. She's already on antibiotics, so other than that I don't know what a vet could do for her.

 

[jorats]

I think I would just keep an eye on her. If you see some imbalance, rolling or a head tilt, other than that, I was probably a scratch that healed fast.

 

[Fidget]

Sounds like something is really wrong that only a vet can pinpoint :shock:
That's a scary thing, I hope your Penn will be ok. Not the best pictures, but enough to send good hopeful healing vibes to. And I'm sure doing that.
Let us know what the vet says?

 

[user 78]

As much as I would love to believe it was just a scratch, there's nothing even remotely resembling a scratch in her ear. Not even a red spot or anything. Penn's not the sort to go ear mining with her toes, and I had actually separated out Grey [the Antagonizer] yesterday night. Lil adores Penn, so I really don't think she could have done it.

She's just.. Off. I don't know how, or even how to really describe it, but she just is. She's not herself. We're going to the vet to see what she thinks, possibly to get some prednisone as a diagnostic. If there is any swelling, that would fix it.

 

[jorats]

I wasn't reading that right... so you do find her acting differently.

Hopefully something can be done if the vet sees a mass or whatever else. We found out in post mortem that a couple of our rats had masses in the ear, one was called a polyp, they developed infections due to the masses and it spread into the brain. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this is not the case for your sweetie.

 

[user 78]

She walking, eating, has good balance, etc.. But she's still acting off. A casual observer would see absolutely nothing wrong with her, I'm sure. I know my babies, though, and she's not acting like herself. It's just not anything that I can pinpoint and say might be the problem.

 

[mamarat2]

Hopefully the vet will have some ideas for ya. Let us know how the appt goes.

 

[jorats]

I know exactly what you mean. My Flea has been acting a bit off for the last two weeks. Just something that I could tell/feel.

Good luck at the vets!!!

 

[user 78]

Well, we're back from the vet.. I've got 5mg pills of Prednisone to try as a diagnostic, and a refill of Baytril. I'll start her later today on the Pred. Dr. Colson said she doesn't know what could be causing the problem, and there isn't anything she could see in her ear that could have done it.

She's not taking the stress of the visit well, and is currently being absolutely adorable and sleeping it off. I'll let everyone know how she does after her dose later.

 

[Ratgirl@RatRitz]

... and there isn't anything she could see in her ear that could have done it.

If an infection is present in her inner ear and is very deep, there wouldn't necessarily be anything to see ... so I wouldn't rule out the possibility of infection ... the meds she's on should help if that's what is behind her odd behaviour

 

[user 78]

... and there isn't anything she could see in her ear that could have done it.

If an infection is present in her inner ear and is very deep, there wouldn't necessarily be anything to see ... so I wouldn't rule out the possibility of infection ... the meds she's on should help if that's what is behind her odd behaviour

Yes, I understand that. It was verification that there were no abrasions, cuts, or anything else in her ear that could have caused the blood.

 

[Ratgirl@RatRitz]

Ahhh I see what you mean, misinterpreted, sorry!

 

[user 78]

Everything seems to be good so far with Penn. Friday night I had given her a small dose of infant Motrin, in case there was any pain/swelling. Saturday morning she was acting a bit better, but still off. After her Pred dose yesterday, she's acting perfectly fine. She had taken to lying in her double decker most of the time, and last night she came out and walked around some.

I'm going to continue on the Pred for today and tomorrow, and then take her off. If she goes downhill again, we'll know that something is wrong. Right now my greatest fear is the beginning of a PT or some other growth in that area, especially with the blood in her ear.

Tonight we're celebrating Penn's 18mo birthday. She actually turned 18mo on the 3rd, but we hadn't had a chance to really celebrate yet. Last night she had her birthday dinner of spaghetti squash, sweet potato, mushrooms, and endives. Today they're going to get a mini homemade pumpkin tart. I'm not going to worry too much about her expanding waistline just now.

 

[user 78]

Well, the girls are up from their playtime, and I'm wondering if someone switched my rat out overnight. She's a totally new girl! She's running around, romping, investigating, and even chasing the little ones. Things she almost never did, even when she was a baby.

She let me check her over pretty well, and ate up her Baytril/Doxy cocktail like a pro. No more blood, and no other signs of a problem. Of course, now I'm worried the Pred has done it's job, which would mean something is wrong. Now to figure out what.

 

[jorats]

You'll definitely know when you wean her off the pred and if the symptoms come back.
Keeping my fingers crossed that it's really nothing.

 

[user 78]

I don't believe I have to wean her off the pred. From what I've read, it's when they've been on it for a while [week plus, maybe?] that you have to wean them off. I may go ahead and half her dosage tonight, though, just to be safe.