Need Help

[Mystic]

Last night my rat Iggy was fine. He was running around cage, sitting on my shoulder, etc.

Today he is not moving. He only lays on his side. He does eat if I put it in front of him and he will drink if I put a bowl of water to his mouth. He holds his food and he has moved his hind legs and He cleans himself after he eats something (Face area only) He doesn't seem to be in any pain, There is no wheezing or any labored breathing. It's almost as if he broke his spine and is paralyzed but he does still move his limbs. I'm stumped as to what could be the problem so suddenly.

PLEASE HELP ME

Mark

 

[lilspaz68]

Last night my rat Iggy was fine. He was running around cage, sitting on my shoulder, etc.

Today he is not moving. He only lays on his side. He does eat if I put it in front of him and he will drink if I put a bowl of water to his mouth. He holds his food and he has moved his hind legs and He cleans himself after he eats something (Face area only) He doesn't seem to be in any pain, There is no wheezing or any labored breathing. It's almost as if he broke his spine and is paralyzed but he does still move his limbs. I'm stumped as to what could be the problem so suddenly.

PLEASE HELP ME

Mark

Tell us more about Iggy...

How old is he? is he urinating properly? Or could there be blood in his pee or a foul smell?

 

[Mystic]

Tell us more about Iggy...

How old is he? is he urinating properly? Or could there be blood in his pee or a foul smell?

Iggy is about 2 years old. I've had him a little over 1 1/2 years and I got him from a pet store when he was about 6 months old. He is urinating (I have to keep him dry and clean because he doesn't move when he does) and there is no blood that I see. I do not notice any foul smells at all. This literally happened overnight. He was fine at night and the next day the problem. If I hold him he seems content. I moved him to a separate cage from his roommate just in case it is illness but the only thing I notice is the not moving

 

[lilspaz68]

Tell us more about Iggy...

How old is he? is he urinating properly? Or could there be blood in his pee or a foul smell?

Iggy is about 2 years old. I've had him a little over 1 1/2 years and I got him from a pet store when he was about 6 months old. He is urinating (I have to keep him dry and clean because he doesn't move when he does) and there is no blood that I see. I do not notice any foul smells at all. This literally happened overnight. He was fine at night and the next day the problem. If I hold him he seems content. I moved him to a separate cage from his roommate just in case it is illness but the only thing I notice is the not moving

A UTI can make a male rat paralysed so I was checking for that. Next you need to check him over very carefully, gently feeling along his body, check all his legs and look for swelling from a sprain. Watch for any sign of pain (pulling back, a wince, a noise) I'll check in on this when I get home from work.

 

[Mystic]

Tell us more about Iggy...

How old is he? is he urinating properly? Or could there be blood in his pee or a foul smell?

Iggy is about 2 years old. I've had him a little over 1 1/2 years and I got him from a pet store when he was about 6 months old. He is urinating (I have to keep him dry and clean because he doesn't move when he does) and there is no blood that I see. I do not notice any foul smells at all. This literally happened overnight. He was fine at night and the next day the problem. If I hold him he seems content. I moved him to a separate cage from his roommate just in case it is illness but the only thing I notice is the not moving

A UTI can make a male rat paralysed so I was checking for that. Next you need to check him over very carefully, gently feeling along his body, check all his legs and look for swelling from a sprain. Watch for any sign of pain (pulling back, a wince, a noise) I'll check in on this when I get home from work.

Ok I've already done the checking over for breaks, sprains, etc and have found nothing. As for a UTI, would he be able to pee if he has one and if he has one is there anything I can do to fix it or do I need to take him to a Vet?

Thanks for your help lilspaz68

 

[lilspaz68]

Have you checked him for penis plugs? They can stop up things and make it difficult to pee properly, causing a UTI. They usually still can with a UTI but there's an infection going on.

 

[Mystic]

How do I do that??

 

[fenshae]

Usually they'll have a strong urine smell, but if he's peeing on himself you'd smell that anyway. The penis sheath would also usually have a waxy plug visible in it, but not necessarily -- it could be inside the sheath so you couldn't see it.

Flip him over on his back and you'll want to gently but firmly press down on either side of his penis with your first two fingers. You'll probably have to alternate in a sort of massage-like movement, but it will get him erect. (I know, it's super gross sounding lol) Then you can look at the penis itself, if it has a plug there will be a white waxy...thing...on the top that you can clean off with a tissue or cotton ball. You might need to lube his penis up with some KY jelly to get it to slide back into the sheath once you're done if it dries out.

Sometimes older (or fatter) guys don't groom themselves as well as they should and they get a build-up of secretions in their sheath that can get infected.

 

[Mystic]

Usually they'll have a strong urine smell, but if he's peeing on himself you'd smell that anyway. The penis sheath would also usually have a waxy plug visible in it, but not necessarily -- it could be inside the sheath so you couldn't see it.

Flip him over on his back and you'll want to gently but firmly press down on either side of his penis with your first two fingers. You'll probably have to alternate in a sort of massage-like movement, but it will get him erect. (I know, it's super gross sounding lol) Then you can look at the penis itself, if it has a plug there will be a white waxy...thing...on the top that you can clean off with a tissue or cotton ball. You might need to lube his penis up with some KY jelly to get it to slide back into the sheath once you're done if it dries out.

Sometimes older (or fatter) guys don't groom themselves as well as they should and they get a build-up of secretions in their sheath that can get infected.

Ok I did this and gave him a good cleaning (Not too gross, It's my boy I don't mind) Anyways I didn't see anything white all looked good (So to speak). I have been doing some reading on various places and it seems that Males losing the use of their hind area when they get older is quite common. Could this be the case and if so is there ANYTHING I can do for him. It's killing me to see him like this. He can't even get to the water bowl to get a drink without my help.

 

[fenshae]

hind-end degeneration is pretty common in older guys, but it's not usually so sudden-onset. My boy Ripper lost his hind end gradually over a few days/weeks until he couldn't use it at all.

This might also have been a stroke, but I don't know for sure. The boys I've had who had strokes were pretty "out of it" afterwards, like their legs would move but not very coordinated movements -- not enough to stand up or crawl or really grip anything. If you picked them up, they just felt like dead weight, very limp. It sounds like your dude is a little perkier than that.

Are his forepaws balled up into little fists?

 

[Mystic]

hind-end degeneration is pretty common in older guys, but it's not usually so sudden-onset. My boy Ripper lost his hind end gradually over a few days/weeks until he couldn't use it at all.

This might also have been a stroke, but I don't know for sure. The boys I've had who had strokes were pretty "out of it" afterwards, like their legs would move but not very coordinated movements -- not enough to stand up or crawl or really grip anything. If you picked them up, they just felt like dead weight, very limp. It sounds like your dude is a little perkier than that.

Are his forepaws balled up into little fists?

well he was "Out of It" this morning. Not so much now. If I pick him up It does feel like I am lifting a dead rat His hind leg movement that he does show is not coordinated at all. Looks like it might be more like a general reflex. He doesn't stand or crawl at all. As for his forepaws, now that you mention it they are balled up. I thought he used them to eat with but now that I check it It looks more like he just uses them to move the food closer to him and then wedges the food between them to eat. Not really hold it with them.

 

[SQ]

I have had a lot of rats with hind end degeneration (hed). It has always occurred gradually over a period of months.
What you are describing does not sound like hed.

I wondered about a stroke or injury.
The front paws sound like he may have pt
If the tumour is slow growing, a steriod + antibiotics can relieve symptoms.
However, if it came on so fast it is likely very fast growing.
There are two meds that can help pt. Several people have tried the less expensive drug with great results however had to stop giving it because their rats were unable to tolerate the side effects.
You might try the more expensive drug

Keep him comfortable, warm, hydrated and fed
He can likely eat soft foods (baby cereal mixed with ensure, lab blocks made into mush) by himself, licking it off your finger or by using a needleless syringe to put tiny amounts into the side of his mouth.

 

[lilspaz68]

the curled up or clubbed paws is a neurological symptom, indicating a neurological event like a stroke. I wouldn't think it was PT if he was normal yesterday and "out of it" this morning. A steroid along with an antibiotic will help hasten a potential recovery. But sometimes stroke rats can come back slowly on their own. You will need to feed him and make sure he is hydrated and comfortable. You will probably need to check for plugs since he won't be able to clean himself, you might need to wipe his belly from any urine on his coat, rub his ears, scratch his body, things he was able to do before.

Are his eyes dull or almost bright?

 

[Mystic]

the curled up or clubbed paws is a neurological symptom, indicating a neurological event like a stroke. I wouldn't think it was PT if he was normal yesterday and "out of it" this morning. A steroid along with an antibiotic will help hasten a potential recovery. But sometimes stroke rats can come back slowly on their own. You will need to feed him and make sure he is hydrated and comfortable. You will probably need to check for plugs since he won't be able to clean himself, you might need to wipe his belly from any urine on his coat, rub his ears, scratch his body, things he was able to do before.

Are his eyes dull or almost bright?

Hard to tell at this point in time. It is night here and if I use a light to see better by it makes his eyes bright but thinking about it He kind of has this please help me look in his eyes. I am holding him, keeping him clean petting him scratching behind his ears etc like I would normally do. I'll keep doing this. So you're fairly sure he had a stroke?

 

[lilspaz68]

the curled up or clubbed paws is a neurological symptom, indicating a neurological event like a stroke. I wouldn't think it was PT if he was normal yesterday and "out of it" this morning. A steroid along with an antibiotic will help hasten a potential recovery. But sometimes stroke rats can come back slowly on their own. You will need to feed him and make sure he is hydrated and comfortable. You will probably need to check for plugs since he won't be able to clean himself, you might need to wipe his belly from any urine on his coat, rub his ears, scratch his body, things he was able to do before.

Are his eyes dull or almost bright?

Hard to tell at this point in time. It is night here and if I use a light to see better by it makes his eyes bright but thinking about it He kind of has this please help me look in his eyes. I am holding him, keeping him clean petting him scratching behind his ears etc like I would normally do. I'll keep doing this. So you're fairly sure he had a stroke?

It really does sound like it. I am sorry. Are you able to have him near you when you sleep? It might comfort him. Does he have a rat friend or are you it?
Do you have any way of syringing water into his mouth or even better Ensure (when you can get some tomorrow?)

 

[Mystic]

the curled up or clubbed paws is a neurological symptom, indicating a neurological event like a stroke. I wouldn't think it was PT if he was normal yesterday and "out of it" this morning. A steroid along with an antibiotic will help hasten a potential recovery. But sometimes stroke rats can come back slowly on their own. You will need to feed him and make sure he is hydrated and comfortable. You will probably need to check for plugs since he won't be able to clean himself, you might need to wipe his belly from any urine on his coat, rub his ears, scratch his body, things he was able to do before.

Are his eyes dull or almost bright?

Hard to tell at this point in time. It is night here and if I use a light to see better by it makes his eyes bright but thinking about it He kind of has this please help me look in his eyes. I am holding him, keeping him clean petting him scratching behind his ears etc like I would normally do. I'll keep doing this. So you're fairly sure he had a stroke?

It really does sound like it. I am sorry. Are you able to have him near you when you sleep? It might comfort him. Does he have a rat friend or are you it?
Do you have any way of syringing water into his mouth or even better Ensure (when you can get some tomorrow?)

I do have a syringe without a needle to give him water and I'll get some Ensure. He does have a rat friend but I'm not sure that it is a good idea to keep them together. I found him (Merlin) laying on top of Iggy earlier so I removed Iggy from the cage and put him in a separate one. Merlin is a monster rat and would suffocate him in short order. I'll move him to my bedroom. Ok now the big question that I really don't want to ask but think I should. Should I bring him to a vet and well Put him at peace? He's 2 years old, In all honesty what do you think his chances are of a recovery?

 

[lilspaz68]

the curled up or clubbed paws is a neurological symptom, indicating a neurological event like a stroke. I wouldn't think it was PT if he was normal yesterday and "out of it" this morning. A steroid along with an antibiotic will help hasten a potential recovery. But sometimes stroke rats can come back slowly on their own. You will need to feed him and make sure he is hydrated and comfortable. You will probably need to check for plugs since he won't be able to clean himself, you might need to wipe his belly from any urine on his coat, rub his ears, scratch his body, things he was able to do before.

Are his eyes dull or almost bright?

Hard to tell at this point in time. It is night here and if I use a light to see better by it makes his eyes bright but thinking about it He kind of has this please help me look in his eyes. I am holding him, keeping him clean petting him scratching behind his ears etc like I would normally do. I'll keep doing this. So you're fairly sure he had a stroke?

It really does sound like it. I am sorry. Are you able to have him near you when you sleep? It might comfort him. Does he have a rat friend or are you it?
Do you have any way of syringing water into his mouth or even better Ensure (when you can get some tomorrow?)

I do have a syringe without a needle to give him water and I'll get some Ensure. He does have a rat friend but I'm not sure that it is a good idea to keep them together. I found him (Merlin) laying on top of Iggy earlier so I removed Iggy from the cage and put him in a separate one. Merlin is a monster rat and would suffocate him in short order. I'll move him to my bedroom. Ok now the big question that I really don't want to ask but think I should. Should I bring him to a vet and well Put him at peace? He's 2 years old, In all honesty what do you think his chances are of a recovery?

Is he healthy other than this? Does he have chronic URI, or tumours that will affect his life? Is he eating/drinking okay for now?

 

[Mystic]

Is he healthy other than this? Does he have chronic URI, or tumours that will affect his life? Is he eating/drinking okay for now?

Yeah this is the first problem I have had with him. Never anything else. not even the sniffles. As for eating and drinking, he is ok as long as I help him. He could never do it on his own.

I want to thank everyone for your help. You've all been very kind.

 

[smilez_n_hugs]

I'm sorry to hear this is happening to your boy. I would take him to the vet regardless and hopefully the vet will be able to give you a better opinion on whether it might be worth trying meds or if it's time to let him go. Unfortunately it is very hard to give proper medical advice in a situation like this where we can't interact with him.

 

[Mystic]

Update on Iggy.

He seems to be doing basically the same. A little more alert today. I cleaned him up, fed him (Mashed up Lab Block with water from a spoon) and gave him water. He thanked me by peeing down the front of me. Oh well I can't blame him. Going to get some Ensure today to feed him. He doesn't seem to have too much trouble eating as long as I hold him. I can give him little bits of fruits and Veggies and he can eat that on him own. He holds it between his paws but not with his fingers. Paws are still curled/clenched. All I can do now is keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.

Thanks Again for every ones help.