Rattie Problem

[Strix]

Woke up yesterday to my rattie with a head tilt and stumbling around the cage. I thought it might be an ear infection and no vets were open and I read that a very little bit of children's motrin would help for any pain.

I gave her a very very miniscule drop of the motrin. She was a bit active yesterday but still dragging, bumbling and circling.

Moved her into a 10 gallon so she can't fall and just in case the other ratties try anything.

Today I noticed that it looks more like paralysis because her whole left side is barely working and her tongue is hanging out on the side.

Is there anything else a more experienced rat handler would recommend?

Also if it comes down to it what are the best ways to euthanize?

edit: tongue is back in her mouth... she seems to want food but it seems like she can't open her mouth/chew

 

[jellybean]

aww bless her. im really sorry i cant help or advise, just wanted to say ihope she gets better

 

[Craig]

Strange! I wonder if the rat had a head tilt and the ibuprofen you gave was a toxic dose ( I don't see how that could happen because you have what sounds like 0.01ml )????

How old is she? I wish I could see the rat I could give you an idea of what is wrong. You should take her to the vet ASAP though.

 

[Boanerges]

Sorry to hear about your problem. C02 is the only humane way. It displaces the oxygen and they go to sleep Sorry again!!!

 

[Craig]

I forgot to mention that if your going to kill the rat at home cervical dislocation is by far the best method. You can use CO2 but that takes a while to kill them. You could also try blunt trauma but that is not pleasant.

If you bring the rat into a vet they will anesthetize the rat with Isoflourine or something similar then give an intercardiac injection of sodium pentobarb or something similar.

 

[Neuroticax]

There are tons of people who can help you with this problem here: http://www.goosemoose.com/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,118/forum,rat/board,3.0

She needs to see a vet ASAP.

And the best way is BY VET NOT AT HOME!

 

[halfwaynowhere]

Sounds like she may have had a stroke. I had a rat with severe head tilt, the best we could figure was an anurism. We treated him for a bacterial infection of the brain, as well as a protozoal infection, hoping it would help, but it didn't. A vet is always helpful, but in cases like that, sometimes there isn't much they can do...
Sorry about your baby.

 

[Strix]

She just got worst through the night.. and yes it was around 0.01ml I carefully measured it out because I didn't want to overdose.

She can't stand up, wont eat, and her eye has blood around it. I called up the vet and decided to have her euthanised.

It was a real tough decision for me and I just couldn't stand to see her in such a condition. I also wouldn't be able to keep my composure at the vets so I sent my grandmother there with her. =(

 

[equuskat]

Stroke sounds like a pretty valid diagnosis. Rats are also very prone to all sorts of tumors, and there's a possibility that she had a brain tumor or something similar.

Unfortunately, euthanasia probably was the best choice. It's awful to see them suffer.

 

[Neuroticax]

Putting them to sleep is the hardest thing to do. At least you decided right instead of letting her suffer because you didn't want to see her go. I've seen people do that.. it's horrible.

Yeah that's one thing about rats that a lot of people don't understand, they think they are great pets for kids and are *so easy* to take care, but don't even look into the fact they are prone to all sorts of health problems that are hard to deal with and can get costly.

 

[Diggy415]

rasing rats and mice that is one im all to familiar with, euthanashia is the way to go, some of mine that had that sympton devleoped a tumor others are stroke, blood clot etc, vets will charge up the ying yang, but your choice, i take care of any of my friends by the cervical dislocation.

 

[Neuroticax]

Not all vets will charge a lot. You need to find a decent vet. Sometimes people get lucky, sometimes they don't. I know people who get charged nothing for PTS because they try and build a relationship with their "already cheap(er)" vet. I guess it's really hit or miss and to shop around.

 

[Strix]

Now that I'm a bit more composed over the loss of one of my little ones... the vet had told my grandmother that the rat probably only had hours left and we could save the $18 if we wait it out.

Thankfully my grandmother has the same views as me and told the vet "why should we let the animal suffer any more then it already has, just do the operation."

I gave her the money to take with her and honestly I would have paid double or triple just not to see the poor darling suffer any more.

At least I got to say my good byes and sit with her almost all last night and most of today then my grandmother held her and pet her while she went to "sleep."

*Edit* Just found a tumor on my 1st rattie by her back left leg =( It is unfortunate but it is something that I had planned on and expected with rats.

As soon as I get my paycheck i'm going to take her in to the vet and see if they can remove it. If not then I will give her the best life she can have while she has it.

 

[Neuroticax]

Good luck with the tumor! Keep us posted.

 

[Strix]

My grandmother's coworker is a wife of a vet and he suggested against removing it because of her age but she is getting around fine, and she loves being held. I also neglected to mention that the rattie with the tumor was about 1 1/2 years old when I got her and I've had her probably about a year so from what I read she has had a nice long life so far (for a rat.) I did some reading on tumors and read that soy milk can help prevent tumors.

Had my grandmother pic up some 100% organic silk soy milk while I was at work just in case it can also help inhibit the growth of tumors (might as well try something then nothing) and I gave it to both my remaining ratties and they went absolutely crazy over it.

When it comes time to put her down because of the tumor it will be rough but not as rough as something so sudden as a stroke because I knew beforehand they are prone to tumors and it was a very high possibility.

Looks like I may need to get some more ratties as well. It always hurts to see the loved ones go, but it is great to be able to work with, handle and bond with such an intelligent little critter.

My little brown one in my avatar is healthy as ever so far I ended up saving her from being a meal for a snake. She is a bit jumpy from prior mistreatment and does nip.

When I say nip, she will come up, sniff the finger then gently nip down... run away come back, repeat... its a pinching feeling but she has NEVER broken flesh. I want to be able to handle her because she is a sweetheart as well but whenever I try to pet her or hold her she makes a mad dash to the bottom floor of her enclosure (Three story enclosure with a running wheel for exercise and various toys / chew devices for the little ones :worship: )

 

[Diggy415]

it makes me sick when people who have rats and they have tumors, i had sold a person two of my rats as babies and they were three years old and one rat got a baseball size tumor and it was open and bleeding as it was located between her back legs and she didn't have the heart to put it down and it ate and all the rest, i just hope some day you get something you have to live with and go through pain and know what it's like, as no one can put yourself down but you, where as a rat can't do that.....do the right thing and put a rat down, but im sure you won't.... how some people think is beyond me. I have snakes and if i find a mouse or rat i am raising with even a marble size tumor i dispatch it and don't feed it, it's rare but taken care of.

 

[Neuroticax]

Excuse you? Really.

For one, have some tact. For two, if the tumor isn't painful, and isn't inhibiting the rats ability to get around, there is no need to put the animal to sleep, especially since removing the tumor would probably kill the rat and it's not being effected by it. I respect your opinion, but when you take things out of context, then it's just bashing.

 

[Strix]

Diggy, I think that attack was a bit uncalled for. If the tumor is not inhibiting the rat in any way and it does not seem like it is in pain... why not give the rattie the best possible life it has until the tumor gets to a point of bleeding or big enough the rat has no more quality of life.

When the time comes to have the animal put down because like I said it cannot function anymore then I will have her put down. If she seemed in pain I could not live with myself having to see the animal suffer.

As for the rattie right now I can hold her and she will still run all over me, run up and give me kisses on the face, lay down on my shoulder and "chirp" into my ear.

I respect your opinion and where you are coming from although the blatant attack and wishing harm on someone was very unjustified.

I just don't understand the assumption that if the rat has even a small tumor it should be put down. If we all assumed that line of thinking what would be stopping us from eventually putting down people that have diseases or deformities that we don't have a cure for that aren't able to take their own lives.

Also, If I was in a situation where I had a tumor or other problem wrong that could not be fixed I would try and make the best out of my life while I still had the time and was still able to. At the point where I couldn't move or got so sick I couldn't enjoy anything then it would be "game over." I wouldn't end my life by my own hands any sooner then it is.

I do not raise snakes, there is too much work involved for the amount of time I have on my hands right now and I know that unless the rattie was pre-killed and I had no handling experience with it prior to it dying I COULD NOT feed the rattie to the snake.