Is It a PT?

[Scavenqers]

Hi there. Just joined the forum to ask you all about my boy Dandelion. He's about a year and a half old and suddenly became very lethargic. He walks with a severe wobble and often falls over, if he does walk; for the last few days he's been electing to sit in one spot all day. His back feet and tail feel cold and look a little blue to me. I just tested his front paws by giving him a little piece of food and he was able to hold it but seemed to have some trouble keeping his paws coordinated. His appetite is very poor to the point that he won't even take applesauce from me anymore. He's been getting an appropriate dose of amoxicillin daily for about a week now (since I first noticed his lethargy) but shows no improvement. He's lost a lot of weight very quickly and when compared to his healthy cagemates he looks absolutely pitiful. Is this a PT, stroke, or simply a bad infection? What can I do for him?

 

[Dena]

Let's start with some important questions.

How old is he? How long have you had him? When you pick him up and put his sides to your ears (ratphone him) what do you hear? Is it a silent whoosh of air, crackly, or whistly? What is he on amoxicillin for? Did you get it from the vet, or just decide to give it to him? What strength and dosage are you giving him?

Can you please take a video of him walking and interacting with his cagemates, and upload it to YouTube, then copy and paste the link on here? That way one of the seniors can view it and better give you an idea of what is going on.

You may find a couple of websites, www.joinrats.com and www.ratguide.com helpful in providing some answers to your questions. Rat guide is a vet approved site for medical stuff.

Do you have a good vet, who's knowledgeable in rats, who can help you? He really needs to see a vet. Lilspaz may be able to shed some light if it's PT, or ear infection.

In the mean time, it's IMPERATIVE that he gets plenty to drink (dehydration kills), and get some food in him to get some weight on him. You can give him infant pedialite from a dropper, in a dish, or from a syringe without the needle. Organic soy infant formula, mixed with infant cereal is a good way to give him nutrients and help get weight back on. Ensure, or pediasure is good too. Also, soak his rat blocks in cool water to make a mush so it's easier to eat. Soft foods like cooked sweet potatoes, cooked oatmeal, cooked quinoa are a few more options.

If it is a PT, that doesn't mean it's a death sentence. Many rats can live many more months happily, on the correct therapy. But ear infection, and strokes are possibilities too. Ear infections are common, strokes usually depend on age.

Hope he gets better soon! Welcome to the forum!