Sick rat, please help.

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BPoole23

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My sister just left for a 5-week summer program and im watching her 2 rats a few months old. I know nothing about rat care other than what I've googled and was just told to feed them and make sure they have water and clean the cage. One started being lethargic yesterday and is now barely moving or standing up. I can hear it breathing heavy and I got this video of it and this was the most it's moved in a while. It's also fallen over on its side a couple of times. I've attached a video link of it now. Idk what to do, there's one vet I can call tomorrow but I don't have the money for it so I'll have to try to convince my mom to pay for it. But I plan on calling the vet either way tomorrow to see how much it would cost.

But, worst case there's no vet possible, what's my best route. I figure it's a stroke or ear infection but still don't know what to do. Do I need to try feed it or give it water? Also, my dad is out of town and me and my mom both work all day tomorrow so we won't be able to be here other than the morning.

Any suggestions or ideas?

 
I feel like it looks like an ear infection, which you can tell your mom should be fairly inexpensive to treat. He’s definitely off balance. He seems a little skittish too. Is he normally like that? His buddy seems friendly...
 
I think I see a bit of a head tilt, which would suggest inner ear infection. This will give a rat balance problems and make it more uncomfortable to move. Definitely call the vet because inner ear infections are treatable, as are most conditions that young rats get. If you smell the ears and one of them smells bad, then you'll know that the ear is the problem. Walking in circles is another symptom and he's also doing that. You're a very good carer for your sister's rats for noticing symptoms and being concerned! It looks like the symptoms are still pretty early on so you should be able to treat pretty easily. I believe the best antibiotics for an inner ear infection are Baytril in combination with another antibiotic such as doxycycline or amoxicillin, but someone else might know better than I do. It's important to treat an inner ear infection for at least 6 weeks because it can be quite a dangerous infection and can get worse quickly.
 
So, unfortunately I
just got back from the vet and had to put Andrew down. The vet said he had pneumonia pretty bad and he thought possibly an issue with his brain too. He listened with a stethoscope and checked the inside of his ears and there was no discharge. He told me the only treatment was hospitalization with IVs for antibiotics and nutrition and that many rats won't survive even with that, and are often permanently damaged.

Wasn't what I wanted to do but I didn't want him to suffer any more.

Now, my sister wants give the other cagemate away to another home so he won't be lonely. Any suggestions on how to go about that?
 
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I'm so sorry. I recently had a rat with pneumonia and attempted treatment, so I can tell you that you did the right thing. It's an awful and not very treatable condition so the less they have to suffer, the better.

I can't personally recommend ways to give a rat away because I haven't had to do it myself, but maybe you should do a post on here to see if anyone in your area could take him. I would suggest posting to sites that are specifically for rat lovers to make sure he doesn't get into the hands of someone who isn't trustworthy with rats.
 
My condolences to you & your sister for the loss of Andrew.
If she gives his friend away, it's good to get their phone # & address, and ask for pictures of where he'll be living and the ratties he'll be living with (or even a home-check visit) before you give him to someone. That way you're more likely to be assured it's a good home.. If people aren't willing to do that they may not be trustworthy..
 
Not sure now if we may get another rat, or keep him by himself, or re-home.

He's been eating/drinking/grooming so that is good. Haven't been able to get him out other than with applesauce, but he's always been very shy.

But, I did find a couple rat rescues around the area and one will even just assist in rehoming so I'll see.

Do you know if it is typically an issue introducing a new male rat as a cagemate since they won't have known each other since they were younger?
 
Ease or difficulty of intros are most dependant on their temperaments, but it's easier when they're young. Do any of the rat rescues have single males they might let you 'test drive' with your boy? If they're not comfortable letting you take one to see, then maybe you could take yours for a play date with one of their lone boys?
If your sister intends to keep having ratties, it's good to have 3 if you can afford the vet bills, that way nobody's alone if someone dies..
 

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