Can't stand up, gone off food, yellow greasy flakes in fur

[tumble]

Hi I was wondering if I could have some advice.

I have had my male rat for a year and a half, unfortunately his friend (Ruffy) died a few months ago of a tumor. Now all of a sudden Tumble has stopped being able to walk properly and slides allong. He has also started to eat a lot less, he used to love his food and clean up his bowl every night. He sleeps nearly all day and frequently shakes his head like Ruffy did with the tumor. Also his one of his eyes is buldging out more than the other and has weep in the mornings. I don't think it is poryphrin. He is also getting a lot of urine on his bottom and his whole fur has started to have yellow greasy flakes all other it.

Has he got a brain tumor behind his eye evidenced by the head shaking, and is this why he is unable to walk becase his motor neuron is breaking down and what off the yellow flakes?

Thank you

 

[SQ]

There are a number of things that could be wrong.
Please take him to a vet that knows something about rats - immediately!!

(assuming he has not been to a vet since you did not mention it)

Until you can get him to a vet (today) give him pedalite (at drug store, fluid for babies - my rats like the grape flavour) or Shelagh's rehydration formula.
See if you can get him to eat a bit of ensure or other meal replacement liquids.
Assume he is in a large single floor cage ... put down something to absorb his urine and try toi keep him dry and clean.

BUT get him to a vet!

 

[tumble]

I haven't taken him to the vet yet, however I live in England and the vets here know very little about rats, they either just prescribe baytril or put them to sleep. Ruffy was on Metacam and baytril but it did not help him.

 

[SQ]

Post some pictures of him ... so we can have a better idea.

 

[user 78]

Males are susceptible to hind end generation, but it usually doesn't come on until they're much older. The symptoms of hind end degeneration are the same as you said his are. Again, though, it doesn't set in until they're much older. It sounds like something is definitely wrong with him if his eye is bulging like that. The yellow flakes are possibly buck grease, which males normally secrete, but since he's probably not grooming it's looking worse.

You can mix soy milk or Ensure with a bit of baby cereal if he'll eat it. Make it fairly liquidy so it's easy for him to eat. Also, make sure he has easy access to water, maybe putting it into a bowl in whatever level he seems to prefer to stay on. Dehydration is the number one killer of most sick animals. I really prefer the rehydration formula, it has alot less sugar in it than commercially available electrolyte drinks like Pedialyte.

Rehyd Formula :
10 oz warm water, 1 tsp sugar, 1/3 tsp salt. Mix well, refrigerate extra, warm up to feed.

 

[tumble]

You can see he is sliding along, and his left eye is slightly bulging. He has fleece on the bottom of his cage but can no longer climb to the second level. I have put his food on the floor and have been giving him grapes and pasta etc with some sugar in his water for energy. He is finding it ok to eat his usual. Just his appetite has gone.

 

[lilspaz68]

Can he grasp things with his front paws? Is he clubbing his feet at all...

Is the problem with the whole body or just the hind end with locomotion. How fast did this come on?

Does he seem confused, is there any head tilt at all?

Do you think you could get your vets to prescribe a steroid instead of metacam with his baytril?

 

[tumble]

He is not clubbing the front feet but the back ones his is, but I am not sure if that is for grib, it came on literally over night a few days ago, put him to bed fine, next morning he was like this. I can try ask the vet but we have had a fair few rats in the past and the vets really do not seem to rate them as an animal worth fighting for, I know that if i take him it will be "see how he goes, probably PT we can put him to sleep now if you like?" or just baytril for 5 days. I have just given him some baby porridge with sugar and he is lapping it up.

 

[lilspaz68]

He is not clubbing the front feet but the back ones his is, but I am not sure if that is for grib, it came on literally over night a few days ago, put him to bed fine, next morning he was like this. I can try ask the vet but we have had a fair few rats in the past and the vets really do not seem to rate them as an animal worth fighting for, I know that if i take him it will be "see how he goes, probably PT we can put him to sleep now if you like?" or just baytril for 5 days. I have just given him some baby porridge with sugar and he is lapping it up.

Hmm..it sounds like inner ear infectino and the metacam and baytril should help but 5 days only of baytril is NOT enough. will your vet consider 3 weeks of baytril?

 

[tumble]

I can ask them for three weeks worth, but I know that 5days cost me £10 which is roughly $20 so 3 weeks is going to be like £40 / $80 plus vet fees. I know you can;t put a price on his health though but I'm not sure I will be able to physically afford three weeks!

 

[jorats]

You are getting some already good advice, but I'm going to throw in my two cents. From what you describe, my recently departed Archie did that just days before he passed on. I'm pretty sure he had a pituitary tumour. But it could very well be an inner ear infection with your little guy, in which case, Baytril should help but like already mentioned, you need a lot more than just 5 days worth.

 

[tumble]

Thanks to everyone for the advice, I will get to the vets and get him on meds. Will keeps posted.

Thanks

 

[twitch]

i can't offer an new advice for your boy but to me it sounds like you need to shop around for a new vet. any vet that will put one species over the other on willingness to fight for them is not much worth as a vet to me at all. they are there to help all pets not only the ones they like. i don't know what your area is like but open the phone book and start calling. you may have to travel further for that great rat vet but it will be worth it.

 

[Godmother]

I second the motion for finding a new vet in the future. For now, I wonder if he'd prescribe anything else. I don't know whether Chloramphenicol would be more affordable than Baytril or whether it would be worse. That is the one that Debbie Ducommun's Health Care booklet says is especially good for inner ear infections.

Good luck with your sweetie.

 

[jennifervb]

He is not clubbing the front feet but the back ones his is, but I am not sure if that is for grib, it came on literally over night a few days ago, put him to bed fine, next morning he was like this. I can try ask the vet but we have had a fair few rats in the past and the vets really do not seem to rate them as an animal worth fighting for, I know that if i take him it will be "see how he goes, probably PT we can put him to sleep now if you like?" or just baytril for 5 days. I have just given him some baby porridge with sugar and he is lapping it up.

Make it clear to your vet that he/she is in no position to rate anything. If they don't love or, at least, care about all animals then they have no business practicing veterinary medicine.

If you send me your vet's email address.... I will tell him/her so myself. :redhot:

If my vet indicated something like that to me then I would nail her head to the floor. (I don't remember which Monty Python episode that was, with Doug and Dinsdale Piranha, but that passage had me laughing so hard I cried. :laugh4

 

[Dewi]

When my rats have had ear infections or pituitary tumours my vet (who is excellent!) prescribes baytril (minimum of 3 weeks) and prenisolone (for 2 to 3 weeks and then to wean off after this). In addition to this she prescribed an ear drop (which is anti-fungal, anti-bacterial & anti-inflammatory). This combination worked really well when it has been an ear infection. The antibiotic & prednisolone (or some other coticosteroid) are used for ear infections and pituitary tumours. Perhaps you could suggest this to your vet???

Could you perhaps print this out for your vet (http://ratguide.com/health/auricle_ear/otitis_media_otitis_interna_labyrinthitis.php) and ask for the recommended antibiotics and corticosteroids. My vet acutally printed this out for me to read!

BTW, vets tend to give a discount when you buy larger quantities of medication from them so it should cost less than 30 pounds.

I hope it goes well for Tumble.