Will my rat still be ok??

Question

recently i have been asking questions about my rat. she has been very sick the past week or so and is now getting better. she is slowly getting back to her regular self.

here's the quick story, she had a hard time walking, as in she didn't have very good balance. she had no interest in her food or water, therefore she was slowly starving herself. she was always sleeping and would never open her eyes. she didn't move a lot, she would rather just lay in one spot. she was not active at all and was not curious at all. just some bad things. when i got deathly worried about her that's when i started to take action. all i am doing to help her is putting towels in her cage for better traction, giving her water from a syringe and making soft meals for her. giving her breakfast, lunch, and dinner. with a snack before i go to bed. i am also slowly starting to get her back to eating her regular rat feed. all of this has really helped. and she is back to her regular self, almost. she is walking tons better, she doesnt tip over as much. she walks around tons more, she will zip around the kitchen floor. she also gobbles down her food and will drink water. she always has her eyes open and ready to check things out. she will sit around and check things out, she is curious again. so do u think that she will be alright from now on? like she wont get as sick as she did? that she will survive and live the rest of her life? I'm asking this cuz both of my parents are both thinking that she is gonna "kick the bucket" soon and i think she is doing great and going strong. my spirits are just down becuz my hope is somewhat fading becuz of what my parents are saying.i just wanna see if anyone else thinks different.

thanks!

Answer 1

I'm so glad your rat is doing well. The symptoms you mention sound like it could have been a stroke. Rats are very prone to strokes and your lady is getting on at 18 months old. This is the time they start to have health problems as their life span is generally around 2 yrs. I say generally because many DO go on into their third year but others don't reach their 2nd birthday. It really depends on many things.

If she had a stroke, it sounds as though she's recovering well, You did exactly the right thing by hand feeding her. She may not have been able to feed herself and you made sure she built her strength up. I have been rescuing rats for many years, and strokes are very common, but they don't always mean a death sentence! Of course, I'm only guessing at the diagnosis and it could also have been an infection, inner ear problems (causing loss of balance) or even a pituitary tumour, another very common ailment in the older rat.

Take a look at my web site www.ratplanet.co.uk and have a look at the health section to see if your rat had the same symptoms. PLEASE email me if you and your rat have any further problems. I will be able to give you much more detailed advice on how to help her. She is not a youngster now and you may notice that she starts to lose her agility. There are many ways you can make life more comfortable for the older rat. Believe me, I've nursed dozens to the very end, and I never give up on them!! Best wishes to you both, and i hope we hear from you soon.

www.ratplanet.co.uk

xxxxx

Answer 2

Well rats live on average 2.5 - 3 years so it's definitely not old age getting to her or something as she's really not that old for a rat.

First of all, the symptoms you described sounded like the ones my rat had when he had a brain tumor. However, no help we offered him made any difference and we chose to have him put to sleep - from the state you described her, it sounds like she should be put to sleep too. However, after offering her help, it sounds like she's getting a lot better so although I'm not a vet or anything I'm guessing she had a stroke not a tumor.

The two rats I've had which had strokes were terribly ill for a couple of days and then when I started doing stuff like you did, feeding with a dropper e.t.c they both seemed to get a lot better and were almost back to their old selves for about a week. The case of your rat sounds very similar. Unfortunately, though they got better, the stroke had obviously had an effect on them as they both died, seemingly in the prime of health, little more than a week after the changes appeared. It sounds like you're doing a great job looking after your rat and I'm glad to hear she's getting better. However I  don't want to be negative or upset you or anything but don't be surprised if despite all your efforts she dies in the next week or so. You've done all you can for her and it certainly wouldn't be your fault - years of laboratory use has made our poor rat friends very susceptible to diseases.

I really hope your rat gets better and stays better though - you're doing a fantastic job!

Please keep us updated x

Answer 3

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Answer 4

it seems like she is getting better.. if shes back to eating some and getting curious and stuff like that..juist give her daily vitamins (could be found at local petsore).. if shes walking better thats a good sighn!.. for now just keep giving her those soft meals and keep putting those towels in her cage and the whole water with the syringe keep that going.. if she seems like shes getting ALOT better where she doesnt evn seem to be sick anymore.. slowly add some of her daily hard food in with the wet food and evryday just add a little bit more to evry meal.. good luck and best wishes to u and your rat. hope she gets bettr soon!!

Answer 5

the life span of a rat is about 1 year, they live a little longer when cared for as you are doing.  i state this as there comes a point where the rat just can't keep going on due to age and organ problems.

i'm not trying to be negative or hurt your feelings but i don't want to lie to you.

if your rat is younger than that, make sure you give your rat the best nutrition you can get.

I hope your little guy does better.  I do know how it is to loose your animals that are more than just animals, they are family