# Please help, My rat is in pain



## Limouri (Apr 19, 2013)

My rat doxy, Is now squeeling and looking stressed everytime i try and pet her neck? I don't know why! Its like shes in pain, but i don't know what from. She has barber'd spots on her neck where the hair is growing back, would that hurt her? when i pet her she like slithers and tries to walk away, any help would be appricated.


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## Kaliloca (Jan 24, 2013)

It might be time to take her to the vet. If you feel something's wrong, it the best thing to do. 

Is there a chance she's having a bad reaction to the dog revolution you used on her?


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## Limouri (Apr 19, 2013)

its been on her for days, im not sure whats wrong at all, shes walking just fine and eating and drinking also fine


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## Kaliloca (Jan 24, 2013)

If she keeps having problems, then she really should see a vet. 

In the pictures you posted earlier. She looked like a normal healthy rat. 

If she's acting normal, eating and drinking, then it's hard to say what's wrong.

You might want to consider a trip to the vet. Even if it turns out to be a "well check" and there's nothing wrong. It will help ease your worries.


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## Limouri (Apr 19, 2013)

She's acting like a totally diffrent rat. I can't afford the vet either. 


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## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

She might be scared? Does she have porphyrin are her eyes squinty half closed is she hunched up is her fur puffed up? 

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## Limouri (Apr 19, 2013)

Her fur puffs up but no red stuff on her face at all. I though I'd let her calm down during the night and she's still tensing up real bad when we try and pet her /:


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## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

Is her furr puffed only when you try to pet her? does it look like she stuck her tail in a power outlet or is it kind of like frizzy? 

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## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

Could you upload a video maybe? 

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## PurpleGirl (Oct 12, 2012)

I had a similar experience recently with my girl Calypso, she had been totally fine and then randomly started screaming and freaking out when I touched her lower back, she was running around squeaking in pain and very quickly began to squeal every time she moved. This happened on a Friday night and it turned out that I couldn't get a vet over the weekend, so I isolated her into a small hamster cage without levels so she couldn't climb around (forcing her to rest) and I luckily had metacam in the house, so I gave her some of that; by Monday morning, she'd stopped squeaking altogether. Turns out nothing was broken, which had been my fear, she must've just bumped herself or landed the wrong way at some point; she's totally fine now, the metacam and lack of activity sorted her right out. If she seems in pain all the time and you really can't get your rat to the vet, you could try the same thing, confine her to a smaller space to prevent her further hurting whatever she's done and if you have any, get some metacam into her (it'll help with any swelling as well as the pain.) 

She sounds quite scared to me too, alternatively has she had a bad scare? Maybe she has a bite on her neck that you can't see properly because she's freaking out so much? If she's acting like a totally different rat as you say then something may have happened to affect her behaviour rather than just pain. Have you noticed at all if she only panics when you touch her neck, or can you touch her fine elsewhere without a reaction?


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## Limouri (Apr 19, 2013)

It's mostly all along her back she freaks out. She does seem. Little better since I let her rest all night. It's just weird I looked hard for a bite or something but I couldn't see one. 


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

It just sounds as if she's not well internally at all. The only thing you can do is take her to a vet to be examined... there's literally no other way of finding out. This doesn't seem like something you can easily self-diagnose I'm afraid, it looks like you'll have to find the funds for a vet appointment


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## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

What was the weight for the dog you got that revolution for? They have the dog dosage in different increments. Also how much does doxy weigh?


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

I'm thinking that this might have something to do with the dog Revolution you got. You really only want to use the kitten formula.


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## Limouri (Apr 19, 2013)

It was the 5-10 purple kind. I literally just touched it to her fur and got it wet a little. I put it on my 4-5 week old baby and she's fine. My other rat lily is normal also. It's like doxy it scared when we touch her and squeaks and tries to run. But if I hold her in my arms and pet her head its fine. I did put the revolution on her neck but none of my other girls are in pain? I don't understand. I don't have money at all for the vet since we used out savings for our dog we had to get fixed up. Doxy is doing better and eating fine. It's just when I touch her, I'm keeping an I on and and constently holding her. She acts if something traumatic has happened to her honestly but I don't know what's in her head. /:


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## Kaliloca (Jan 24, 2013)

Maybe Doxy is fine. Maybe she just hasn't gotten use to her new cage mate yet. 

You did mention in another post that the older girls... "they run and squeek from her, steal food from her, and wont sleep with her". It would seem that the squeaking started when you added the baby to the group. Could this have added trauma or stress?? Yep, it could have. 

Maybe Doxy isn't actually in pain. Maybe she's having a bit of stress. Maybe you being stress about worrying about her is adding to her stress. 

It just seems that lately, you've been having a lot is issues with the rats.

First there was lice. Then the older girls don't like the new girl. Then Doxy "feels" bloated, but when you post picture she's looks like a normal healthy rat. 

Then Doxy is in pain when you touch her neck, but at the same time, Doxy seems better and not bloated anymore. Doxy is walking normal, also eating and drinking, but she's acting totally different?? I think you mentioned "freaked out" in there too.... 

Your new baby has the sneezes....... 

This was all in the last 5/6 days. 

You need to step back and evaluate the situation. You need to shake off the stress and figure out if something is actually wrong with your rat/s. 

If the problem is medical, then she should really see a vet.

If the problem is behavioral, then you need to work on bonding and socializing with your rats. 

If the problem is you're just overly worried and they're actually fine..... Yeah, that could be a possibility too. 

You need to evaluate the situation. You're the only one that can do it, since you're the only one in the same room with the rats.


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## Limouri (Apr 19, 2013)

These are my first rats so i am a bit stressed, I just don't know too much about them, thats why i asked yall. I fixed the lice thank god, Her cage mate with the sneeze is in recovery right now. So im just left with Doxy, I've been working on the issues the best i can. Im sorry >.< I have anxiety so i worry way too much. Doxy seems to be ok sleeping on me, She is still sensitive. But i will take it easy and just watch her.


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

How long ago did you get her? I seem to remember she came from a PetSmart/PetCo. Depending on how ling its been you might be able to take her to their recommended vet either free of charge or for very little. Most vets will do a payment plan option as well.


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## Limouri (Apr 19, 2013)

thats what i just did with the baby who was sneezing, they are treating her now. Doxy came from there over a month ago so sadly i can't take her back.


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## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

Limouri I'm going to add onto what Kalilcoa said. I suffer from sever anxiety myself and my rats can be a blessing and a curse as far as that goes. I hate to say it but I just had to step back and say well as long as they aren't suffering I'm not going to worry. They are taken care of but they're going to get sick and they're going to have things go wrong with them due to poor genetics. Fact of life. Take a deep breath and just pick her up and love on her. I honestly think she may be scared. My girls did that when I first got them coming from a pet store and I recently had one of my newer rescue girls get a little aggressive and she would puff up when I was in her cage to try to keep me away from her. We can only give you suggestions because we're not there with your rats and we don't know how they normally act. I'm going to show you a few pictures that will show you what a rat in pain looks like compared to a happy rat and an aggressive rat. 










This is a rat in pain. The eyes are squinted she has a slightly hunched posture and her fur is slightly puffed up. 










This is a healthy happy looking rat. Her coat is smooth and shiny she has good posture and her eyes are wide.











This is the best I could find for an aggressive rat. His coat is really puffed up his back is hunch and his posture is defensive reminds me of a foot ball player lol he's ready to fight! He is trying to make himself look as big and menacing as possible to get you to back off. 

That's the best I can do to explain some of the rat signs but squeaking could mean pain or fear you just have to read all the signs. I also have a rat that does not want to go back in after free range time and she will let out a deathly wail when I pick her up to put her in the cage. She is just saying hey dammit I'm not ready to go back in not OW you've hurt me.


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## Kaliloca (Jan 24, 2013)

zurfaces said:


> Limouri I'm going to add onto what Kalilcoa said. I suffer from sever anxiety myself and my rats can be a blessing and a curse as far as that goes. I hate to say it but I just had to step back and say well as long as they aren't suffering I'm not going to worry. They are taken care of but they're going to get sick and they're going to have things go wrong with them due to poor genetics. Fact of life. Take a deep breath and just pick her up and love on her. I honestly think she may be scared. My girls did that when I first got them coming from a pet store and I recently had one of my newer rescue girls get a little aggressive and she would puff up when I was in her cage to try to keep me away from her. We can only give you suggestions because we're not there with your rats and we don't know how they normally act. I'm going to show you a few pictures that will show you what a rat in pain looks like compared to a happy rat and an aggressive rat.
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Thank you for helping to clarify things. 

Sometimes I'm not very good at making things clear. It almost felt like I was picking on Limouri, but I really wasn't meaning to.  

The pictures you posted are excellent and hopefully will help out lots.


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## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

I've been trying to get a feel for exactly what the rat is doing so I can help her but pictures might help more.  I don't think you were picking on her just pointing out that she suffers from rat lovers hypochondriac anxiety. My fiancee was reading this thread and he was like this sounds like you! Lmao every other day I'm like oh god sneeze uri oh god is that toe swollen oh god bumble foot. Pinkys feet are cold she has CHF!!!!!! I'm a nut lol and I get so freaked out and sometimes can't breathe when I notice something I just have to say okay Stephanie shut up they're fine! It's just because I love them soooo much and I don't want anything to happen to them. You should have seen me when I found my first tumor and then an abscess and another tumor in the same week. I was flipping out. 

Limouri don't get us wrong we want you to ask questions it's a learning experience for all of us and we want all the little ratties of the world to have owners like you who worry about their well being. We just want you to not have a heart attack from worrying about them so much.  They're durable little boogers. Recently one of my girls got in a fight with another and she lost the tip of her toe and a bit of bone was exposed. It worried me sick because I didn't think the skin would cover the bone and I didn't want her to have to get the bone clipped off or something. Well I went to check on her today and the skin grew right over that bone! If she were a human she'd probably still have exposed bone and a massive infection but they heal so quickly. I also have had many battle wounds my heart rat had a massive gaping wound from a fight and she was bleeding and I was freaking out and you know what two days later it was closed up nicely all pink and barely any scab. If that happened to me I'd have to get stitches and a round of antibiotics and possibly a blood transfusion! That abscess I was talking about came to a head popped and she end up with a big ol gaping hole on the side of her ribs. I went to go flush it the following morning and I couldn't even find it! They can survive a lot of stuff believe it or not  I hope you can set your mind at ease because worrying sucks!


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## Limouri (Apr 19, 2013)

I don't feel picked on at all! I was appoligizing because i don't even notice when im having anxiety and worrying since its how i've always been. Those pictures cleared up alot! Also thats why i thought "well she isn't bleeding or something way worse" i stepped back let her sleep then loved her and its all i can do. I greatly appreciate everyone replying to my threads so much! I mean that, with out everyone on rat forums i'd be pulling my hair out lol!


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