Possible stroke, infection or other. Advice?

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violet976

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2009
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united states
Something happened to Bug. He was ok a few hours ago, I came in & he seems like a possible stroke. Not walking well, his tail flops when he walks, not much strength/feels limp. Called my vet & he advised to try a shot of dex & to give aspirin, but said there was not much more to do. He is also doing some occassional squeaks, like short cat cackles. What else can I do?

EDITED TO ADD:
I'm still not honestly sure what's going on, other than him being old & overweight. My vet advised to try and give him Dex & some aspirin (blood thinner, he said, in case of stroke). Last night Bug seemed very out of it, just sitting in his cozy, constantly standing up and turning around some. His tail flopped like a fish when he moved, like he had poor control over it & could not lift it well when he turned. I got a little bit of ensure into him, the dex & aspirin & left him in the cage to rest. Today he is still with us, seems slightly more coordinated but still very slow and still repositioning a lot. He can climb the ladders in the cage, but not great coordination or speed & his back legs appear to be weakening. He did eat, drank some ensure. I noticed yesterday he kept doing occassional cackle-sounding squeaking so I don't know if he was in pain, I don't hear them this morning but he still doesn't look great. I'm taking all three rats in in about an hour as now all three are showing the head shaking that concerned me with Gizmo, along with frequent sneezes, so I'm not sure if something else is going on as well with all of them.

Bug is at least 2 years, & I'm guessing probably 3-4 months past that. He is a very big boned boy but also overweight, at around 850 grams, so I suppose heart issues can't be overlooked either. I don't think he fell, but I cannot say with certainty. My vet said it sounded neurological & hopefully we'll have a better idea when I take them all in. I'm not sure anymore if this is just a fluke that Gizmo took a turn respiratory wise last week and had wet sneezes/head skaking before that, then Bugs sneezing got worse/head shaking & he took a different type of turn last night, and now I see sneezing/head shaking with Merlin, so they are all going in today.

I'm going to be asking for Baytril/Zithro, since Gizmo is already on Zithro now & seems a bit better, but the wet sneezes are still there. I'm also picking up some revolution today in case the shaking is a mite/parasite issue, but I want to see some improvement overall before I dose them since Bug is obviously pretty compromised at this point & Gizmo could be as well. I don't see anything moving on them, but I do see more dandruffy looking specs on Bug, so perhaps the shaking is some sort of pest. & I'm assuming if it is perhaps it could have compromised their immune system... I just don't know.
 
I was telling Melissa that for Bug is sound neurological, possible PT. Hopefully with Dex he might greatly improve or maybe even bromo.
 
With all three head-shaking and sneezing, it sounds as if irritation in nasal passages, maybe ears - an irritant in the head and perhaps treat for ear infection/nasal infection that could be myco-related, with anti-inflammatory and abs.

With Bug, it 'could' be PT, but hard to say. Could be HED starting with some painful joints because of his size, accounting for his vocalization of discomfort, as I've read repeatedly that PT is not painful, just confusing for the rat. A corticosteroid with an antibiotic would be a good thing to try anyway, as the anti-inflammatory will go to work on any inflammation, be it tumor, joints, or otherwise. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to put him on some bromo if a few days of a steroid don't seem to do much, and then see if you notice any difference within a few days after that. As I've just read in one medical article which I posted a few minutes ago, apparently bromo and/or cabergoline, at higher doses than used for prolactinomas, will often successfully treat other forms of PT. This would have to be discussed with a vet, or course, as to exactly how much dosage.

His weight could be causing some joint/muscle problems which a pain killer might help. May wish to ask vet about trying glucosamine/chondroitin, but since they are also blood thinners, probably not in conjunction with aspirin.

Sometimes, it's a matter of trying one thing and waiting a bit to see if there's a positive response before trying another medical route. So often, I find with treating rats, it's a matter or 'ruling out' what isn't, rather than always knowing 'what is' because various conditions can often have such similar symptoms. Best of luck with your babies.
 
Just saw the vet & it seems to be the one thing that I forgot to post suspicions of, though I do think they all have some sort of respiratory infection as well which we will deal with, but at the moment Bug has been rushed into surgery. He had a "seroma" (I think is what the vet was calling it, I always forget) from a bad neuter performed at another vet, basically damage from a neuter that allowed fluid buildup so he looks like he actually has a ball. He's had it for years, and my vet has wanted to leave it be as he was hoping it would either resolve on it's own or simply stay the same & not bother him. Last night I had suspicions that he wasn't peeing, but couldn't really be sure. With all the things running through my head I forgot to mention that concern when I posted, and it turns out it's now blocking his bladder. He is in surgery now to remove the seroma & hopefully fix things up, I'm just hoping he's in good enough shape to pull through.

I will also be opting for ab's for all three, since he'll likely need them anyway, Gizmos already on them & Merlin is showing some same signs of respiratory issues, and I have revolution on hand in case the head shaking is due to mites or bugs that I can't see.
 
Oh geez; sending many healing vibes for a quick recovery to Bug. Poor little fellow, but I guess it has to be removed, as leaving it is no longer an option. Just ensure the vet keeps him warm enough during and after surgery (call over there to ensure this) to prevent shock, and to give him post-op pain meds. Please let us know how he does. I'm sure your other three can be fixed up with some good meds over a few weeks. Hang in there; it's hard enough with one worry, harder when several are on the go.
 
It was much worse than I thought. The mass pushed into Bug's bladder, which pushed & herniated into Bug's stomach. The mass, which was fatty tissue, was removed & Bug's stomach had to be repaired. He is currently staying overnight while they monitor him to look for kidney damage. I saw him briefly before I left, changed his bedding, loved on him & fed him 5 syringeful's of Ensure. I'll call around 10:30 tomorrow to see how he's doing & see if he can come home.
 
aww poor thing. Hugs to you, i cannot imagine them being away all night like that. I would worry so much.
 
I hate it as well, but in Bug's case I'm actually very glad that he will be right there with the vet & staff. They literally had to repair a hole in his stomach... my stomach cringes at the idea of him getting his sutures out at home with the extent of what they just did for him.
 
Poor little angel, and poor you; the stress of it. But as you say, better he be right there for them to check up on him. Try to get some sleep, if you can, and sending healing wishes to you and Bug. I feel your little man is a Trooper and will pull through for you. It shows you how strong ratties are.
 

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