Young rat with head tilt: help !

[Maisy Gibbons]

I have a 10 week old rat called Beryl who has had a head tilt for about 2 weeks. She is on baytril two times a day and panacur once but she seems to be getting worse. She is active and eats and drinks well, but she tends to run in circles. I can’t tell if it’s an ear infection or a PT. can anyone help ?

 

[SQ]

at her age it is most likely an inner ear infection ….

she needs different antibiotics from the vet
and an anti-inflammatory for a few weeks to help prevent permanent damage
When antibiotics are helping, she will need to be on them for at least 6 weeks - rats often need to be on them for several months in order to get rid of the infection

please see: http://ratguide.com/health/auricle_ear/otitis_media_otitis_interna_labyrinthitis.php

Please make sure she is staying hydrated and getting enough to eat as that may be hard for her
you can offer soft foods like:
her blocks ground up and soaked in cool water to make mush
organic soy infant formula thickened with baby cereal (Walmart online sells the formula if none is available in your grocery store infant section)
baby food
cooked sweet potato, cooked real oatmeal etc

and a water dish that can not be upset would be a good idea

 

[jorats]

Yep, I'd go back to the vet and ask for something else to treat her. She should be getting better not worse on baytril. Keep in mind though, that the head tilt might remain forever which is ok. Rats learn to live and adapt very well with a head tilt.

 

[Maisy Gibbons]

Thankyou !!
She drinks a lot and is still very active. Is there a certain type of anti inflammatory I need to give her ?

 

[SQ]

Thankyou !!
She drinks a lot and is still very active. Is there a certain type of anti inflammatory I need to give her ?

Glad that she is able to eat and drink. Keep an eye on that because if the infection gets worse eating and drinking will become increasingly difficult to do.
Discuss it with your vet when you see about changing her antibiotics because you will need to get it from your vet.
Examples include metacam, prednisone and dex. Prednisone can not just be stopped, it needs to be slowly stopped by repeatedly cutting the amount in half.
Please read this link as it gives important information, including treatment and medications

please see: http://ratguide.com/health/auricle_ear/otitis_media_otitis_interna_labyrinthitis.php​

 

[lilspaz68]

Panacur is used for heas tilt in rabbits not for rats so it likely did nothing. If you can get your vet to write you a prescription for pediatric Zithromax (azithromycin) that should help cure the active infection, but like jorats said, the tilt may remain for life .I call these rats tilties and they adapt and have relatively normal lives depending on the extent of the tilt. Do you have a video?

 

[Maisy Gibbons]

Wouldn’t let me upload a video so here’s a photo. but she only seems to turn in the direction her head is tilted, she finds it easy to jump and climb so hopefully that’s good, I will be taking her to the vets tomorrow.

 

[SQ]

post your video to youtube and then post the link on here

 

[Maisy Gibbons]

 

[lilspaz68]

She looks pretty typical of a tilty with inner ear infection. Adorable little wee one! The right meds should help her out

 

[Maisy Gibbons]

Thankyou she’s the cutest! Just been to the vets and they have prescribed her with an anti-inflammatory so hopefully she will start improving.

 

[SQ]

Hopefully you also changed or added antibiotics because if the baytril wasn't working she needs a change.
Antibiotics are what will make her better