Q. Could My Rat Have Neurological Damage?
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Posted by Mia Carter Jan 10, 2009 |
On January 7, 2009, I received the following question on my article titled Signs of a Sick Rat: "We bought my daughter a baby rat after her hamster died. My son has full grown rat and my family adores her. Anyway, yesterday the baby rat has been behaving as if he has had a stroke or something. He leans to the right all the time and when you hold him he actually twists around when trying to move. he is able to get around a bit in his cage when on the flat surface and seems to be eating.
"Pux is so awesome and we are ok with a 'special' rat as long as he is not suffering. After reading comments on this site I realized that we have been using the wood chip bedding left over from the hamster. Not even thinking about it. We use a completely different bedding for my sons rat, like a paper type. Do you think he has suffered some nuerological damage because of the bedding and oils? Is it possible he could have had a stroke? At times his genetalia is hugely noticeable and at others it seems that it is inside. Please help."
Thanks for your question. I'm sorry to hear that your little girl's rat is unwell.
Strokes are actually fairly uncommon in young rats such as this; I've actually never encountered a rat with a stroke diagnosis, although I'm sure it can occur. One entire side of her body would be limp and non-functioning if a stroke was to blame.
It's also not all that likely that your rat is experiencing neurological damage as a result of exposure to wood chips. I've heard isolated cases of this occurring, but these are few and far between.
Neurological symptoms due to toxicity is still possible; so I would look at everything in her environment to see if there's anything that she's eating or chewing on, or otherwise exposed to that could be causing problems. Fortunately, with rats, their metabolism is extremely fast, so toxins tend to move through and out of their system very quickly, which works in their favor in one-time poisoning situations, though this does little to improve a situation of continued exposure.
Likely Causes of a Rat's Balance Problems and Odd Movements
What I think is more likely that this rat has an ear infection. An ear infection can cause inflammation in the rat's inner ear, affecting the vestibular system - the organs that maintain the rat's balance. In essence, a rat who suffers from an ear infection can end up with symptoms of vestibular syndrome, which is much like vertigo in humans. You'll often see odd head movements, a complete lack of balance, an inability to walk.
It can be extremely frightening to see a pet with vestibular syndrome, as the effects are quite dramatic. But fortunately, vestibular syndrome and ear infections are very curable with antibiotic medication and anti-inflammatory medications.
So I would recommend keeping her quiet and well fed until you can get her to the veterinarian for an examination. If she does stop eating, you will need to hand feed her; if that is the case, feel free to post a message under this post or send an e-mail to Mia.Carter@Suite101.com and I'd be happy to provide you with information on how to do this.
You can also check out my Rat Care Page for information on how to care for a sick rat.
Have a pet question? Send an email to Mia.Carter@Suite101.com.
Disclaimer: I have extensive experience in caring for animals, including sick and special needs animals, but I am not a veterinarian. I can provide information and advice based on research and my many years of experience with pet care and training, but it's not a substitute for seeking medical attention from a veterinarian.