signs of PT?

[wonderrodent]

I just fed my girls and I saw that Chailyn is not using her right paw. She can move her arm/paws up and down but she avoids stepping on it. Her little fingers are kinda in a "spaz" position if you know what I mean. Like cramped. She can open her fingers but most of the time she they looked spastic. Is this a sign of a PT?? I don't think it was like that this morning. Can it go that fast?

 

[lilspaz68]

Is her paw knuckled over?

Its possible. How sudden was the change? Does she seem confused?

 

[mamarat2]

PT can come on very quickly. I beleive the club/fist of the paws may be one of the signs. Here is a link to ratquide about signs and symptoms

http://ratguide.com/health/neoplasia/pi ... _tumor.php

 

[jorats]

What I've noticed, first signs is slight confusion, like can't find the food right in front her her. Slight head tilt sometimes, wobbly, knuckling, loss of mobility with arms and then it just gets worse from there.

But without other symptoms, maybe she just hurt herself?

 

[wonderrodent]

Shelagh, as far as I can see, it looks very similar. I'll try to take a picture tomorrow.
Thanks, Jen. She already has hind leg degeneration and one eye has been bigger for several months now (and she has cataract in that eye).
She doesn't seem confused, no head tilt or circling - yet. When I have her in my lap she seems restless. She walks a step forward, then back, looks around, sniffs etc. I don't know if that means anything or maybe because she doesn't want to be in my lap. When I start scritching her, she usually immediately holds still and lets me pet her for a long time. I haven't seen any head pressing. She is still excited about food and treats but she prefers me putting food on my finger and licking it off. Her fur is puffed up quite often. Maybe that's just because she is getting older. I definitely can see that. :cry:
Jo, she wobbles a bit but I think because of the (unbalanced) weight of the tumors. I was wondering too if she might have hurt herself. She does have a problem sometimes seeing the food in front of her. She gets so excited and since she is blind on one eye I thought maybe that's the reason she can't see it right away.

 

[jorats]

Sight as nothing to do with identifying her food. It's all smell.

She could be starting... she's at the age for it too.
Can you get a hold of some pred?

 

[Ratgirl@RatRitz]

Sounds very PT-like to me.

Have you tested her grip?

Hold her up against the cage bars. A healthy rat will automatically grip on to the bars very strongly ... a rat with a PT can't grip in this way (with one or both front paws), their paws will only just hold on, or will slide down the bars when they try and hold on.

I'd also say that the restlessness is a symptom, I've seen this a few times, particularly in girls.

 

[jorats]

Another symptom I just remembered, they brux a lot.

 

[lilspaz68]

Don't forget the headbumping when you stroke over their head, that can happen as well.

Yeah the excessive bruxing is a typical sign too.

Confusion and sometimes a list to left or right when they eat. you might have to turn the dish so your ravenous rat can eat again.

I have noted a very limp, light feeling (lighter than their normal feel) when picking up a rat with PT, my vet told me she's only noticed this was rats and cats with neuro problems. Strange eh?

 

[jorats]

That's right... almost like a loss of weight. I think that's because they aren't using their muscles properly anymore and just hang there when you hold them.

 

[wonderrodent]

She does brux a lot.

Her paw is almost back to normal this morning. She was able to hold food in her hand. So maybe she did just hurt herself.
Shelagh, no head bumping yet. When I give her food she eats a little and then stops. So I do turn her little dish or put it on my finger and then she continues to eat. I do have noticed that she feels limp when I pick her up. I don't know how much all that is because of her tumors and aging. Maybe I read too much into it or I am paranoid. But since I know from you guys how fast a PT can come on, I do watch her very very closely.

Her sister Pisces died Nov. 2nd a year ago