rat acting different

The Rat Shack Forum

Help Support The Rat Shack Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

jessicadelage

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2012
Messages
68
Location
Ottawa, Ontario
Can anyone give me an idea about what might be wrong with my rat or what I can do about it?

One of my rats suddenly started acting different about 2-3 days ago.
She just turned 1 on August 30th.
She was on Baytril for 10 days (ending October 4th), the vet didn't hear anything in her lungs but said the problem seemed to be from her nose or throat.
The medication seemed to work since she stopped making the noise (sounded like a guinea pig).

Zoe has always been sort of the bully of the group (starting little fights with the others, stealing food, etc). The last few days she has been very slow moving, slow at eating and the others have been stealing food from her and she doesn't even seem to notice.
She almost seems confused or lost sometimes.
She also seems to be having trouble climbing, I put her on the outside bars of her cage to see and she just sort of hung there instead of moving (usually she climbs all over).
I gave them a snack in their bowl and instead of grabbing all she could and running off to eat like normal she took a piece and slowly ate it until someone else stole it (she didn't even try to fight or get it back).

She is still taking food and eating, she seems to be drinking the same as usual and I can't tell about peeing/pooping since they are all together.
She always sneezes but does seem to be sneezing a little more and she is wipe/cleaning her face very often.

I am really worried about her because she is not acting like herself at all but I can't really afford to go to the vet again so soon.
 
She is quite young, but is she using her paws to hold food? Second, why was she on baytril? Sound like you were possibly treating her for some kind of respiratory infection? Rats need to be on medication for 4-6 weeks even if they seem to be better sooner than that. They also need a combination of medication - baytril/doxy. If her food is being stolen you may need to take her out while she is eating so she can get food. Try some soft foods - baby food, cereal w/ensure, etc.
 
The vet only gave me Baytril for 10 days. I brought all 5 rats into the vet because they were making a noise like a guinea pig. The vet listened to their lungs and said she didn't hear anything but they seemed to be congested.

She hates coming out of the cage and won't eat or drink when she is out so I can't really separate her to eat. The others seem to mostly steal treats not their regular food.

She is using both her front feet to hold food and walk. I thought something might be wrong with one of her front feet but I never really paid much attention to how she held food before so I'm not sure (one just doesn't seem to close as tightly around the food).
 
Mine won't eat out of the cage either - perhaps you can take the others out so she can eat. If she is congested she needs antibiotics and for a minimum of 4 weeks. Is your vet an exotics vet?
 
I go to a animal hospital with multiple vets, they see everything from reptiles-dogs but none of them really seem overly knowledgeable about rats. I don't know of any other vets near me that see small animals.
 
Honestly, it sounds like she is still sick and getting worse. I would get her on a combination of antibiotics ASAP. There are other things it could be besides an infection, but better safe than sorry!
 
You could try her in a steamy bathroom. If it is congestion, the moist air may help loosen any mucous. But if she seems worse, then remove her immediately.
Offer her lots of rehydrating foods like grapes or watermelon. Make sure she is drinking lots and that she's hydrated.
 
The vet gave me Baytril and Doxycycline but for 10 days/twice a day.
How long should it take to start showing improvement?

Zoe has been taking it since the evening of the 28th (so 8 doses so far) and doesn't seem to be getting any better. Sometimes she almost seems worse.

She is still very calm and she does move around the cage but once she is in a spot she seems to almost freeze.
She is still sneezing (like I said before she has always sneezed but it is more often) and now she has red stuff (can't remember the name) all over her nose and paws. She is also still letting me pick her up way to easy and when she is on my hand she is not moving back into the cage when I put my hand in the cage (she hates to be picked up or taken out of her cage and will usually start trying to run into the cage before I even get close enough).
She is still eating very slow, not running or even coming to food (she will eat if I put it near her or her near the food), she is dropping her food or just not picking it up (chewing it on the floor) and she is walking away from food which she never does (she will chew a bit and then leave it).
She also seems to not have much balance (falling off my shoulder, not holding onto the bars of the cage or my shirt very well, etc).
When I try to hand her food she is also grabbing and biting my fingers instead of the food (not making me bleed, just like if she can't find the food or tell the difference between my finger and the food).
 
It almost sounds like your describing PT. Have you tried giving her water, pedilyte, coconut water in a bowl or from a syringe? How about baby food or something soft from your finger? Can you upload that video of her and does it show her moving? Can you get one of her when you hand her something to grasp?
 
I am uploading a few videos, I will post when they are finished.
What is a PT?

I forgot to mention she also sometimes has some clear goop around her eyes (very little) and she closes or half closes one of or both of her eyes sometimes.
 
Last edited:
I gave them some baby food a few days ago, she ate some when I put her near the bowl. Most of the treat they get are pretty soft though. In the videos she is eating some pieces of cracker, a yogurt melt, a puff, a apple wheel piece (only hard thing) and a piece of popcorn.
 
It looks like she's still using her paws for the little stuff. Not the big stuff like popcorn, but I don't think that's weird... Mine will nibble on big stuff like that without holding it.
I don't know a lot about PT but I do know for a fact that when a rat needs antibiotics, they need it for 4-6 weeks, ten days will do nothing. She may be acting differently because she's sick, and not getting the chance to get better with such a short amount of antibiotics.
Have you been weighing her to make sure she isn't losing weight?
 
I watched some of the videos - she isn't actually picking up the food especially the popcorn. In the first video she stops more than once and just has that blank stare as if she forgets what she is going. Then there is that wide hind end stance she has as she sits. If she isn't in the beginning stages of PT she definitely has a neurological issue. Can she get food out of a bowl with her paws of is she taking it out with her teeth?
 
Back
Top