Mystery disease killed my rat
Mystery disease killed my rat2007-11-24 22:13:47
well i had a male rat and he was only a year old. he suddenly coundnt move his back legs. actually he could move them he just couldnt walk on them, so he like army crawled. mi friends mom is a vet to i described the symptoms to her and she gave me some meds (that didnt help) we had to get him put down , his condition was worsening.
any ideas what it was, the vet said the meds wouldnt treat brain tumors, maybey that was it?
Answers:I had two rats who I put down back in december that had the same syptoms your describing. I believe that they probably had strokes. They too were given meds that didn't help.
My condolences about the loss of your pet rat. It sounds like your rat may have had some damage to his brain, perhaps a brain tumor, that would cause his legs to become partially paralyzed. Can't rule out stroke, though. You did the right thing putting him down. That was the kindest, most loving thing you could have done to relieve his suffering. Guess you'll never really know the exact cause without an autopsy. It must have just been his time to go. Hope you get another rat soon to ease your own pain. Good luck.
I'm sorry about your baby - it was most likely a stroke. Several of my rats have had strokes and it has greatly impaired their movement and made them very uncomfortable. Since you rat was pretty much paralyzed, letting him die peacefully was the right thing to do. It really depends on the severity of the stroke - my rat David had a stroke when he was a year olod and his head tilted to the left for the rest of his lfe. But he seemed okay, and lived another 4 yearss! So it really depends on how you are reading your pet. Once again, I'm so sorry for your loss - also, make sure to take pet rats to a vet that has dealt with small animals - vets that only deal with dogs and cats sometimes are a bit rusty when it comes to "exotic" pets. In fact, I"m surprised that the vet even prescribed medication. Make sure next time the vet is trained in small animal/exotic pet care.
HELLO.
I DONT OWN RATS I OWN HAMSTERS :-)
IM SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT THIS,HOW SAD :-(
u shouldnt have put it down. it would have been paralized., but me would be special.he still had a chance to live!! SHAME ON YOU!
the meds are what made him worse :P
i have read that males are at risk for spinal cord deterioration as they age. that would explain the problem with the back legs.