a little confused

[seanscritters]

okay so i think i read before that most light eyed rats (red/pink eyes) have vision problems

and that some of them have the head tilt along with it

but does the head tilt have to do with anything else?

my girl lily tilts her head so bad sometimes, especially when she has out time, and being held, that she like flips herself over?

maybe its not so much a head tilt, but she just enjoys doing it?

im just paranoid, and worried that it could be due to something else?

 

[lilangel]

head tilt usually means ear infection or PT(i think). you need to bring her to the vet and be put on meds, i have never herd of red eyed rats having head tilt because of their eyes (so maybe im totally wrong at what i am saying) but my girly had head tilt and had to be treated with meds here is a video of her (her head tilt became a bit better but now lives with this for the rest of her life) :

[youtube:2getvtev]Ph7tPrqN3no[/youtube:2getvtev]

she went on baytril and when it was not helping they put her on clavamox

 

[jorats]

Like lilangel says, head tilt is usually an ear infection and also a symptom of PT. But I'm betting it's an ear infection. She'll need to be seen by a vet and get her on meds.

 

[Ka'eina]

I was told at one point that red or pink eyed rats will sway back and forth when trying to look at something because their depth perception isn't very good. Actually I've seen a few red eyed rats do this. Anyone know if that's the case?

 

[Kayla]

I was told at one point that red or pink eyed rats will sway back and forth when trying to look at something because their depth perception isn't very good. Actually I've seen a few red eyed rats do this. Anyone know if that's the case?

My PEW girls do this, but they don't have head tilt. Head tilt is a constant thing if I'm not mistaken.

 

[lilangel]

here is some more on head tilt:
http://www.rmca.org/Articles/qna2_98.htm
from their site:
Her condition, commonly referred to as "wry neck" could be caused by a number of things, but the most likely cause is an inner ear infection. She will need to be seen by your vet to determine whether or not her eardrum is still intact and to decide upon the proper course of treatment. If the cause is an infection, she definitely will need to be treated with antibiotics from your vet, but he may also prescribe an ear drop which contains both a topical antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory drug.

In most cases with this treatment, it only takes a few days for a rat to get its balance back, but the treatment must be continued for at least one to two weeks.

Another possible cause of head tilt can be a pituitary tumor, which is more common in older female rats, but can be seen in younger rats and even in male rats. There is no treatment for this condition that will cure it, however, anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Prednisone or Dexamethasone, may reduce the swelling slightly and prolong the life of the rat for a short time. Spaying female rats is said to reduce the risk of pituitary tumors, but it is still no guarantee.

A stroke is another possibility. Again, it would be more common in older rats, but it’s not impossible for a younger rat to have a stroke. Anti- inflammatory drugs may help in this situation, too, but for the most part, only time will tell if the damage is permanent or not. In many cases, a full recovery from a stroke can be made in a short period of time (a few days to a week).


also another website for info:
http://ratguide.com/health/auricle_ear/ ... thitis.php

 

[SQ]

What was already said :thumbup:

With head tilt you need to go to the vet asap.
She needs to be put on aggressive doses of antibiotics to cure the infection.
Often a anti-inflamatory is used to reduce swelling so more damange does not occur.

And rats with poor eye sight will sway back and forth as they try to focus but that is normal behaviour.

 

[Moon]

The swaying and the tilt are very different things.

She probably tilts more at out time because tilty rats can have trouble dealing with very open spaces and high ceilings.

 

[seanscritters]

thanks for all the information guys

i will talk to my vet and see when i can bring her in :nod: