urgent! Please help me

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is there anything else she does that is different? head rearing up? It just doesnt seem like hed but I am not sure what it is. what meds do you have her on now?
 
Looking at the second video with the outstretched front arms and the inability/lack of attempt to hold her food is making me think she has a pituitary/brain tumor.
My rats with HED are quite normal from the middle forwards. They have to compensate for their inability to sit up, but they still are bright and responsive, and try and hold their food as best they can. Your girl is not. I don't think it's HED that's affecting her. Sorry :(
 
I suspected a pituitary tumours from your first post and when you mentioned vaginal discharge, I was almost convinced. After that video, I think there may be something else going on as well. Is it possible she suffered a head/spinal cord injury? Do you have a rat savvy vet?

If not an injury, it could be a deep ear infection that may be affecting her brain. Does she have a head tilt?
 
This is so devastating after my last rat died of cancer which spread to her brain. Poor baby. I am going to get pred today, and try and get her the injection. Will also get some bromo as a secondary medicine, I am encouraged by some of the recovery stories on here!
 
Bromo can be very helpful but, if the issue isn't only a PT, it won't be enough. Maybe you can talk to your vet about getting Chlorpalm (for the possible ear infection) along with Baytril (to treat secondary infections and prevent opportunistic infections related to steroid use) to treat the other possibilities. The Pred will help if there's a PT and/or a spinal cord/head injury.
 
I don't think she has an ear infection although will examine more when I get home. Thank you for your help. Much appreciated.
 
You can't always see an inner ear infection, there doesn't even have to be a head tilt for one to be present. She has some significant neuro issues going on, an ear infection is a probable cause. An exam by an experienced vet would be best though, it's hard to say what's going on from videos.
 
Vet thinks it is either a stroke or PT. She is on 1mg/ml of pred, and is having 0.2ml per day along with the 0.25 of Baytril. Will stop pred if no improvement in 3 days, as vet says that it will have been a stroke if not PT. Does this sound correct?
 
It doesn't seem like a stroke but your vet is right, Pred would only be needed for a few days for a stroke. Rats can recover really well from a stroke though, it doesn't seem like your vets thinks she will. I think the Pred will help but if there's an infection, she may need stronger antibiotics. If she has PT, Bromo or Cabergoline may help.
 
Will the Pred help if its a PT? She said she couldn't get any Bromo or Cabergoline. The reasoning for a stroke is that it seams to be only the left side of her body affected, her right side functions somewhat normally.
 
The Pred may help for a PT as well but it only helps for so long. It treats the symptoms, rather than the cause like the other drugs do. You may want to look into Cabergoline a little more, a lot of people in the UK use it so it must be available.

A stroke is the best case scenario, I hope that's what it is.
 
Hmph. So what are the symptoms of a stroke vs a PT? I'm trying to figure this out. She still has full bladder control, and can kick her legs against my palm, as well as race along if her left leg is supported.
 
Its hard to distinguish between many neurological issues in rats. Here are the rat guide pages on both.
With your description that her one side is weaker, it makes sense that it was a stroke.
How sudden were her symptoms? How well does her front paw on her good side work? (This last one was hard to see from the video of her eating the treat, can she grip things with her good paw?)

Take a look at the 2 pages, it explains symptoms and potential treatments for both:
Stroke: http://ratguide.com/health/neurological/stroke.php
Pituitary tumour: http://ratguide.com/health/neoplasia/pi ... _tumor.php

I hope that she improves with meds, she looks like a darling little girl-rat.
 
The left side is certainly weaker, she lies with her left leg tucked under her. She can hold things in her right hand if I support the item from the left hand side. The onset of the issues went like this:
About 2 weeks ago I noticed her having slight difficulty climbing the cage bars. I made her cage one level and moved her home to the floor to prevent injury if she fell climbing to get to it.
A couple days after I noticed one of her nails was purple, I asumed this was the reason she had difficulty climbing.
From then she deteriorated, however on Thursday last week there was a significant decrease in her mobility, coupled with the red eyes and slightly uneven teeth, I decided to take her to the vets so we went on Friday.
Vet found no tumours and seamed pretty clueless, although she said Gigi still had muscle in the legs.
I have been trying to keep her active and assist her in some free time, if it is a stroke I think that can help them recover.

Am off to read those two pages now :)
 
To be quite honest, I am unsure which one it is. Although she has symptoms of a PT she isn't really demonstrating any of the really common things the vet thought she would be, like lactation or other things hormonal. I have dismissed the discharge, as it is minimal and vet says its just that she's not cleaning herself. With regards to a stroke, the time period seams funny, I would have thought the onset would have been immediate?

Thank you for your support!
She is my baby rescue rat (although she is pushing 2 years!) and I love her to bits. I got her after she was abandoned by a pet store worker who had been given 3 rats to take care of over the christmas break, they were all boys - except my Gigi who snuck in and got pregnant. She had 2 litters in the pet store workers care and he handed her in to the RSPCA as he feared she would be used for breeding by the pet shop, so I always call her my run-away momma. <3
 
gigi said:
To be quite honest, I am unsure which one it is. Although she has symptoms of a PT she isn't really demonstrating any of the really common things the vet thought she would be, like lactation or other things hormonal. I have dismissed the discharge, as it is minimal and vet says its just that she's not cleaning herself. With regards to a stroke, the time period seams funny, I would have thought the onset would have been immediate?

Thank you for your support!
She is my baby rescue rat (although she is pushing 2 years!) and I love her to bits. I got her after she was abandoned by a pet store worker who had been given 3 rats to take care of over the christmas break, they were all boys - except my Gigi who snuck in and got pregnant. She had 2 litters in the pet store workers care and he handed her in to the RSPCA as he feared she would be used for breeding by the pet shop, so I always call her my run-away momma. <3
Click to expand...

Your right, the time period does sounds more like a PT then a stroke. Luckily the treatments are pretty much the same, except with the addition of bromo or caber for a PT, but your vet said she can't get that. Victoria is right when she says that the pred will only help for a certain amount of time if it is a PT. Unfortunately, this is a wait and see what the pred does kind of situation.

Awwww, run-away momma! Too cute!
 
I got Cabergoline at my regular pharmacy. The vet phoned in the prescription. You should be able to get your hands on some. Even if the pharmacy has to get it in from another store, it usually only takes a day or two.
From the delayed onset, it sounds like PT more than stroke. And I haven't noticed any other hormone-related signs in my ratties with PTs.
Give your run-away momma some snuggles from us!
 

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