What's wrong with my rat?

Question

I just saw the school pet rat on the first day of school. It's about one year old female. My teacher said that it was sick over the summer (The rat had been moping around and hiding and acting out of normal behavior.) so she took it over the vet. Today, she had tooken the rats out alot to show them to the new students. After school when I had come to visit the rats, one of them was just sitting there staring in one direction and her body would be almost thumping (like a heart almost) every half second. I've never seen this happen. Please help.

Answer 1

If your rat is silent and twitching like that it may be hiccups. These are muscle spasms in the diaphragm that will pass on their own. I have seen this very frequently as my girl Molly sometimes gets hiccups. Rats do not make any noise when they get the hiccups however, so if the twitching persists or if you hear a noise, then I would suspect a respiratory infection.

Here is a site that discusses hiccups in rats as well as some other health issues.

http://www.rmca.org/Articles/qna1_98.htm

Answer 2

She could have a chill or come down with an infection. Ask you vet or a shop keeper if there is any medication that you could give.

Depending on how old she is she could be nearing the end of her life.

Try to keep her warm and out of direct sunlight & drafts. Be quite when around her, and leave her in a quite room.

Wash your hands after touch/holding her until you know exactly whats wrong.

Talk to her quitely through the bars to keep her relaxed and calm.

Hope i helped and good luck.

Answer 3

well when i was 17 i burned a rat alive hows that!