Dragging her hind legs?!?!

[PetsRLife23]

My female rat Phoebe has had a bad few months. She had a mass removed a couple months back and it tested negative for cancer. A few weeks later she got really skinny and lethargic and was put in an oxygen tank for a day and given critical care by the vet. We believe it was a secondary infection, but she has been gaining weight and up until yesterday seemed fine. Today out of no where she has started dragging her hind legs a little. I "think" one more than the other, but both. She is eating and drinking fine. I have a double unit ferret nation for my 3 girls, but because she had been sick I put the top of a Ware natural cage for rats on the second level of the ferret nation and she has been in that so her sister can see and smell her and so she can see and smell them. I was going to let her out in a couple of days, but now I can't because I don't know if she has injured herself or if she has had a stroke. I can't get her to the vet until Saturday since I get paid Friday evening. I would take her now, but I just spent the last of my vet fund on my hamster that went for a check up yesterday. (I don't want anyone to think I am not willing to spend money on her, I am more than willing, her surgery cost me $395 dollars and that doesn't include the office visit and the second round of antibiotics for her secondary infection. I love her so much though so money is not an issue) I am just wondering what you guys think it might be? I really hope it wasn't a stroke, but I have a feeling it was since I can't figure out how she could have possibly hurt herself. She is about 1 year and 3-4 months old. If it was a stroke what is the next step from here? I really don't want to put her down she is my baby and hasn't lived very long she isn't even 2. I know 1 1/2 is old, but man this still sucks. Thanks for any advice that you can give.


She has been walking slow and low to the ground too. Also she usually climbs her bars when I come into the room, but she can't do that now and I usually put her food on top of the igloo hidey house and she can't get to it now so I had to put it down so she can eat.

 

[lilspaz68]

I don't consider 18 months old at all...can you post a pic or a video of her?

 

[PetsRLife23]

I don't consider 18 months old at all...can you post a pic or a video of her?

I will try asap! Thanks I don't really either, but a lot of people do.

 

[PetsRLife23]

[BBvideo 450,375:vg199zea]http://s969.photobucket.com/albums/ae173/bri_131/?action=view&current=IMG_22891.mp4[/BBvideo:vg199zea]

This is the poop she had while I did the video it doesn't look normal it was greenish/gray and had like white mucus. TMI I am sorry!

 

[PetsRLife23]

****I know that she squeaks when I picked her up, but I am not sure if this is abnormal because she was never a rat who liked being held and does that all the time so I don't know if she is in pain or if she is just being herself. Her bald patches were from the vet putting glue on her fur in some areas to distract her from her stitches. It worked, but she pulled out her hair in those areas.****

 

[lilspaz68]

when was the surgery?

 

[PetsRLife23]

when was the surgery?

it was in July

 

[lilspaz68]

Where was the incision? How quickly did she go from normal to this?

 

[PetsRLife23]

Where was the incision? How quickly did she go from normal to this?

Yes there was an incision it was on her chest it is healed now. A few weeks after she got really skinny like almost overnight and was very lethargic I had to rush her in the next day and that was when they put her in the oxygen tank etc. It has been a few weeks since and she was doing good gaining weight and everything and now this. Honestly it happened over night same with the mass appeared overnight the going skinny and lethargy was like over night and now dragging her legs again overnight. :?

 

[jorats]

That poop doesn't look good. What is she eating?
I would probably try to treat it as an infection. Poor girl. It's so hard to see our babies hurt.

 

[PetsRLife23]

That poop doesn't look good. What is she eating?
I would probably try to treat it as an infection. Poor girl. It's so hard to see our babies hurt.

Would infection cause her to drag her back legs? I have some medicine left over, but it expired 8/11/12 is it still good? It was baytril with pina colada.

 

[TheRatQueen]

My Gustave was walking like that, and I put him on heart meds and now he can walk better.

I would get her checked out for a hear problem. His happened over night and he got worse over the next few days before the meds.

 

[jorats]

If it's an intestinal infection, it might, especially if it's a tumour or abscess causing some discomfort. When my old cat develop a large tumour, it moved her colon which caused back legs to splay more.
Unfortunately, I think a vet check is your best bet.