Rattie Grell, unbalanced & not using hands

Hi,

I have a pet rat (her name is Grell) she is a little over 2 years old and I noticed on Sunday that she was not holding her food/treats to eat and seemed a little clumsy. Grell was my 13 year old daughter's but I lost Izy to suicide last year. Needless to say I am torn up about Rattie Grell.

She is also unbalanced (falls over a bit) and it seems to be getting worse. On her forearms she has what seems to be sores, perhaps caused by trying to climb the cage? Today I noticed her little nose is red and something building up on her eyes.

I have read this could be a ear infection but not using her hands anymore sounds like a Pituitary Tumor?

Some photo's are attached. The one with her on the cage door is to show the little red stop on her front arm (both arms have it). It also shows she is trying to use her hands, so perhaps she is just weak?

Are you able to get a video? We would be better able to determine if its PT vs inner ear infection much easier.

Age is right for PT and inner ear infection.

So very very sorry for your loss.

Hi, below is my attempt to get a movie but Grell is not really wanting to move around. I gave her a yogurt treat, which as usual she always wants to eat. However, she is not picking it up with her little paws.

http://odie3.com/grell/IMG_6469.MOV

I only needed about 4 seconds of video...she's on the final stages of PT. She will need soft foods as she's unable to grasp and even eating hard foods on the ground will be beyond her. Baby cereal, even lab block mush is okay.

If you have a good vet you can ask for an injection of dexamethasone (a fast acting steroid) to see if you can get a response. It sometimes can reduce the pressure on the brain and the symptoms go away or at least reduce. If you have a suggestible vet and want to continue you can then ask for a prescription of bromocriptine (a human PT pill medication) usually in 2.5 mg. You need to give half a pill a day (it dissolves well in a few drops of water, then you cna put flavoured baby cereal over it and mix it in on a spoon (I like the flat bottom ceramic chinese spoons for bromo feeding). This is more of a real treatment and you can get some wonderful results.

Really the final stages but I really did not notice anything awful until this weekend - I feel horrible for missing it and for letting Izy down on her beloved Grell. I'll call the local vet and ask. Should I be thinking of other options so she does not suffer? After reading about PT last night I basically cried myself to sleep. I updated Izy's mom earlier today what I thought and we both were in tears.

I am sorry to ask, are you a vet? Or just have lots of experience? I am just wondering and how you can tell so fast, please do not think me rude for asking.

PT can be very fast or slow ...... sometimes it can be so fast growing that there is little time between the appearance of symptoms and death
People on here are not vets but many have a great deal of experience as we have rescued rats over many years .... lilspaz68 is extremely experienced
I am very sorry

The red you are seeing is likely porphyrin ... a secretion from the nose that means she is feeling sick.
It can also be a sign that a rat is in pain
It would get on her hands an forearms if she cleans it off her nose

Here is some info on how to have a rat humanely put to sleep
Most vets do not know how to do it properly
A conscious rat should never be injected in the heart etc
http://www.ratshackforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7652

Here are a few links about pt and treatment
but only some types of pt will respond to cabergoline or bromocriptine
and many rats can not tolerate bromocriptine as it can hurt their stomachs

http://ratguide.com/health/neoplasia/pituitary_tumor.php

http://ratguide.com/meds/endocrine_hormones/dexamethasone.php
http://ratguide.com/meds/endocrine_hormones/prednisone_prednisolone.php

http://ratguide.com/meds/central_nervous_system_drugs/cabergoline.php
http://ratguide.com/meds/central_nervous_system_drugs/bromocriptine_mesylate.php

I think Lilspaz68 and Godmother have used bromocriptine with some success
I think Joanne has used cabergoline with some success

again, I am very sorry

Thank you SQ for your posts/information. I got to about page 6 of the PTS thread and I am full on tears right now. When the paramedics were trying to revive my Izy, they told me she could not come back and I was the one that had to tell them to stop. Now I have to do this again and while Grell is not Izy, my mind cannot separate them right now.

Sadly our exotic vet is out until next Tuesday. I am not sure how I can get into the next closet during business hours (all evening appointments are taken for the next week).

Should I just get some baby cereal and put that into her bowl? No more hard foods/Yogurt Treats

You can soak her blocks in cool water to make mush
You can feed organic soy baby formula thickened with baby cereal (formula has a lot of nutrients)
You can feed baby food
You can feed baby cereal

You can give hard food and treats.
Grell might like thawed or cooked peas but may need your help to eat them
If she is unable to eat you can feed her using a needless 1 ml syringe and putting small amounts of food into the side of her mouth (so it doesn't go down into her lungs)
Pt can make rats unable to eat, and later, unable to swallow food

If you have a digital kitchen scale (etc) you may want to keep track of her weight to see if Grell is getting enough food
You will want to watch for dehydration as it will kill .... if you pull up on her skin and it doesn't snap back into place, Grell is likely dehydrated
fortunately the soft foods will help keep Grell hydrated
There is some info in the reference section on giving sub-Q fluids

Give Grell a lot of cuddles if she likes that

Next week may be too late if it is fast growing ..... try to make sure there is a vet that can help should Grell become worse very fast
If you are going to try any meds, you will want to start immediately
Either predisone or dex (links in previous post) are used to treat inner ear infections (along with antibiotics)

When putting a rat to sleep, the important thing is to make sure they are rendered unconscious and kept unconscious with the gas/oxygen mix vets use for surgery. Then she is injected while unconscious and she stays deeply unconscious until her heart stops and she is dead
It is important to be present to make sure it is done properly and if possible, to comfort her
A peaceful death is the last gift we can give as it prevents further suffering
(I just had to have my boy Dexter put to sleep today ... )

I am so very sorry that you and Grell are going through this
I hope this info helps

Grell LOVES strawberry and banana with Soy Milk!!!

Just picked up some Wal-Mart

I've had several rats with PT and they usually all pass away peacefully at home. I've discussed this with my vet and she believes there usually is no pain with PT. But if you are not comfortable having her pass away at home, then putting to sleep by a vet is also a good thing.

Took Grell to the vet yesterday. Was not really impressed and did not want to seem to focus that it was PT, other than to say she likely has a neurological problem.

He was happy to see she was eating treats he gave her and thinks she has a inner ear infection. So he is having me give her a antibiotic and a steroid. He also say she is not in any pain and to continue giving her baby food.

Odie3 said:

Took Grell to the vet yesterday. Was not really impressed and did not want to seem to focus that it was PT, other than to say she likely has a neurological problem.

He was happy to see she was eating treats he gave her and thinks she has a inner ear infection. So he is having me give her a antibiotic and a steroid. He also say she is not in any pain and to continue giving her baby food.

Click to expand...

its pretty much the same treatment to start with PT, stroke and inner ear infection, but unfortunately if your vet doesn't believe its PT they may not give you the steroid after they believe the inner ear infection is "cured"

My girl Tabi was diagnosed with a PT 3 1/2 months ago. She was given a rescue injection of Dexamethasone and then started on Cabergoline with daily oral Dex. This is the longest any of my PT rats have lived after diagnosis, but I wanted to let you know it is possible.
I'm sorry you are losing your rattie girl. It must feel like you are losing your girl all over again. I'm so sorry.