Teddy - Little Old Man - RIP

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Old...suspension goes, they lower to the ground...they need to balance with one paw on the ground while eating. He may have to rest the food on the ground so he can rest his arms on the ground and grasp with both paws to eat. You will likely see him doing 1 handed grooming as well.
 
Alright! Teddy & Toby are my oldest rats yet! so all this is pretty new ..so it's great to know whats happening:)
 
There is certainly no confusion about what Teddy wants and that's food :nod: He's totally focused on the important things in life! :lol: Way to go Teddy! He does look great. :heart:
 
rattytat said:
There is certainly no confusion about what Teddy wants and that's food :nod: He's totally focused on the important things in life! :lol: Way to go Teddy! He does look great. :heart:

lol yep, that sums it well. Very sweet boy!
 
Teddy spends most of his time lying down like this:

IMG_9296.jpg



and he is still creeping along low to the ground :giggle:
 
Rats learn to adapt without the full function of their limbs. If they have HED or are unbalanced from age/lessening mobility in their hind limbs, they will eat with 1 hand and prop themselves up with the other hand. BUT they prefer to eat with 2, and if lying on their side accomplishes this, and they learn to do it, good for them!
 
The only time I've seen one of my ratties eat lying on their side was in late stages of PT or a stroke. Not sure if it's normal for Teddy though.
 
lilspaz68 said:
go into my rattiluv photobucket account and look for Sebastian folder...he had HED and I have some good pics of him eating on his side.


Thats what I was thinking ..HED. He dose not drag his legs yet, but I think its soon coming. Still just low to the ground, lays on his side a lot, still holds food in two hands but panckes while eating or lays on his side like the above pics. But he can still run when he wants too, just very very low to the ground.

anything I can give him to help with HED? ..he dose not not seemed bothered. by it. He no longer sleeps in hammocks, but thats about the only change.

I still think he is just an old man ..since he still uses those back legs.
 
He is still in his single CN with Toby & Bella! Still able to get up on the shelf (which is in the middle slot) ..I'll move it down once I see him having problems getting up.
 
Also consider ramp liners when his back legs get really bad as they can get their foot/leg caught in the space between the bars. I thought about separating my oldie Jazzy from the rest of the herd with a buddy or two, but she really enjoys being with the other ratties, so I just let her be. Sometimes I move her to the top level. Then if she wants to go down, it's easy. I have two shelves in the top level so there isn't a big drop. I also make sure there is food and water on the top and bottom of the CN in case she gets down to the bottom and can't get back up.
 
Greg (32ish) is our oldie these days. His left rear leg, where he has some cystic abdominal tumors, is about useless. He kind of uses it as a crutch when he walks, with his toes knuckled...a habit he learned and kept after opening a surgery site a few times.

His right rear is in decent shape, he has a bit of a hobble/limp with it but he still uses it rather normally. He spends most of his days asleep in a hammock, but does still got up a ramp on the lowest setting. We have a sock stretched over it so he has grip and does not catch his toes in the bars. His H.E.D. seems to be mostly neurological (tremors) rather than arthritis, and he responded well to adding fish oil to his diet and not noticably at adding glucosamine.

It is interesting, in a sad sort of way, to watch how they adapt to their body getting older and more frail. Dom (R.I.P.) used his tail as a crutch/brace when his rear legs got weak, to the point where he opened sores from tissue strain.
 
I took out the ladder and moved up the shelves when Philbert lost the use of his legs.
The others were able to climb and Philly was able to still cuddle and groom with his buddies.
Just make sure that he can't get his nails stuck in the blanket.
He will need a nail trim to keep his nails from growing too long from lack of movement. :cuddle:
 
Thanks everyone. Right now I have a ramp cover on the ladder, the shelf is in the middle (as he is able to still use his back legs and make it up fine) ..I have boxo on the bottom of the cage, YN in the litter pan and the shelf if left bare because he likes the cool plastic.

I have extra shelfs ordered, so there will be two in their, so they are low enough for him to get on and if he falls he won't get hurt.
He has hard food and soaked food + a water dish!

I love watching him get old, as sad as it is. I know that he has gotten everything out of life, which means everything.
 

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