How old is she?
Is she able to hold a small piece of food (such as a piece of cereal, or a pumpkin seed) in her front paws and eat it?
Does she have a head tilt?
Can you post a video of her eating/holding things and a video of her walking? (post videos to youtube and put the links on here)
I messaged lilspaz68 so hopefully she sees it soon
Bracing the front legs and inability to hold food in front paws and eat sounds like it might be pt. http://ratguide.com/health/neoplasia/pituitary_tumor.php
The treatment for pt is a corticosteroid ( prednisone or dex) + antibiotic (usually baytril) - there is a several day waiting period between stopping Metacam and starting a steroid
This helps shrink inflammation and will reduce symptoms for awhile if it is slow growing.
and cabergoline is often tried as it helps with the most common type of pt
Modifying her cage so that it is safer for her and hanging a low hammock that she can walk into will help
so yes see a vet asap
At present I have two rats - Cross & Ariel - who have pt
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Given her symptoms,
You will need to make sure she is hydrated and getting enough food
her rat blocks soaked in cool water to make mush, organic soy infant formula thickened with baby cereal cane be licked from a shallow dish, from your finger, or fed one drop at a time into the side of her mouth by syringe (so it does not go into her lungs)
also foods like cooked sweet potato, cooked whole grains (such as oatmeal, quinoa, etc), broccoli, baby kale, mixed greens, baby food etc - basically soft foods that are easier to eat and that will help her to stay hydrated …. dehydration kills
If she is unable to swallow/eat, or starts having breathing difficulty she may need to be humanely put to sleep by a vet - if the symptoms are the result of a neurological issue such as pt - most vets do not know how so it is important to make sure it is done properly and to be present if possible
(gas/oxygen mix used for surgery, toe & eye reflexes, when unconscious to at least a surgical level then injected, kept unconscious with the gas/oxygen mix until dead …… a conscious rat must never be given an injection into the heart - this is so cruel it is illegal in some places)
Hopefully Lilspaz68 will respond soon
and there are other possible causes besides pt
The treatment for neurological problems is the same as general pt
- a corticosteroid ( prednisone or dex) + antibiotic (usually baytril) - there is a several day waiting period between stopping Metacam and starting a steroid
http://ratguide.com/health/neoplasia/pituitary_tumor.php
http://ratguide.com/meds/endocrine_hormones/prednisone_prednisolone.php
http://ratguide.com/meds/endocrine_hormones/dexamethasone.php
http://ratguide.com/meds/antimicrobial_agents/enrofloxacin_baytril.php
http://ratguide.com/meds/central_nervous_system_drugs/cabergoline.php
http://ratguide.com/meds/nsaids/meloxicam.php
http://ratguide.com/health/neurological/
Metacam is a mild anti-inflammatory but to my knowledge is not anywhere near enough
Please print out info from ratguide.com and take it to the vet as it is a vet approved medical website, or ask them if they would read the ratguide.com and consult with vets that treat rats, because to my knowledge Snowy is not getting the needed medication (I am just a pet owner not a vet etc)
I'm sorry you are having this problem Jaana; Snowy seems like a lovely girl.
SQ gave great advice above - the symptoms you describe and the videos you've shared do point to a suspected case of PT, though one can never rule out other neurological causes. Sadly, PT is usually only confirmed by post-mortem examination, though the symptoms often allow for an accurate diagnosis.
Has your vet dealt with many cases of PT? Rats with early-to-mid-stage PT can often use their legs for walking, though they may walk in circles and otherwise appear disoriented or unbalanced. The appearance of front leg rigidity that impedes proper handling of food is very strongly associated with PT.
SQ passed links to the Rat Guide literature on PTs, and these are worth a serious look. If you use one of the coritcosteroids mentioned, this may kick in quickly to subdue symptoms for a while - but use with a good broad spectrum antibiotic to help stave off infections.
Cabergoline seems to be the best known treatment for extending life many months - I have had rats diagnosed with pt live up to 10 months while on this drug. As SQ noted, cabergoline treats only the most common form of PT, so it will not help with a small set of cases. But is is worth a try if you can handle the costs...and there's the rub. In Canada, at least, the drug is expensive - C $190 every 18 days (about 109 UK pounds) when purchased through "official" veterinary channels. Some international pharmaceutical vendors sell this drug (brand name Dostinex) for much, much cheaper, though I don't know these sites provide reliable quality control. Perhaps others, such as lilspaz68, could weigh in on this.
At a minimum, ask the vet about pursuing initial corticosteroid treatments for pt, even as a diagnostic tool. And do consider sharing the Rat Guide info above (especially http://ratguide.com/health/neoplasia/pituitary_tumor.php) with your vet, as SQ suggests.
Metacam is a pain medication with mild anti inflammatory properties (http://ratguide.com/meds/nsaids/meloxicam.php). It will not really help with neurological issues.
Hopefully you were given this for mites http://ratguide.com/meds/anti-infectives/selamectin_revolution.php
Please get Snowy started on a corticosteroid (pred or dex) - there will be a few days to wait after stopping the Metacam before this can be started (and once started can not just be stopped as gradual weening off is needed) and a broad spectrum antibiotic (baytril is usually given as it is effective and can be given long term) asap - if she has a slow growing tumour it can give her a lot of good quality time.
Since the vet has recently seen her, they should not need to see her again or charge another exam fee ….. however a more knowledge vet might be better if you can find one …. if not, you need a good vet that is willing to learn and consult other vets
As mentioned, cabergoline only helps with the most common type of pt (please see the link previously provided). If Snowy was spayed young, it is possible but unlikely that she has this type of pt. In terms of cabergoline, it is easier for rats to tolerate then bromocriptine (which costs a bit less but is given daily) I am currently paying approx. $24 for a cabergoline pill by prescription from my vet at a local pharmacy - cost is likely to be different where you are. Although the dose is based on the rat's weight, rats usually get 1/2 a pill every 3 days (day 1 & day 4) so 1 pill every 7 days (day 1, day 4, day 7, etc). There is a generic form of cabergoline. It is a medication used with people. Price varies and may cost less where you are. The only way to know if it will help is to try it …. I find that if it is helping, my rat shows worsening symptoms on the 3rd day and then improves after getting their 1/2 a pill (ground up & dissolved) on the 4th day
Please read the links I provided
yes she can take Corticosteriod, Baytril & cabergoline all at once …… the steroid and baytril are orally twice a day, the cabergoline is orally once every 3 days
print out all of the info to take with you ….. in addition to good info, it gives dosage info for rats which the vet may find helpful
Can you post a new video of her so we can she how she's acting ? As for the tablets I'm not sure.. Maybe crush it up and mix it with baby food ? I don't know how that'd work though..Update - I took Snowy to a different vets today, to which it doesn't sound like good news. She has gotten a bit worst now where she shakes her head quite a bit, when I get her out she just finds a place and sits there, she just seems very lethargic and almost like she is dying. They prescribed me with Prednisoloe 1mg tablet, to which I have to give her half a tablet every day. If she doesn't improve within 5 days, to call back and to see about increasing the dosage. The vet said that there doesn't appear to be any reason to carry on taking Baytril , as she hasn't improved whilst on the Metacam and baytril. He said that it's more likely that she won't get better, but there is a chance, so we will see. Does any one have any recommendations on how to give rats tablets?
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