# Sudden hind-leg paralysis



## Butterfly_HyJynx (Mar 14, 2010)

Hi, I'm a first-time poster, just joined in fact, because I'm not sure what to do about this, if this is a cause for being put to sleep or if there's hope:

About a week ago my dumbo hairless, Yuki, age 1 1/2 years, lost most of his ability to use his back legs. I took him into the vet as soon as possible, she was unable to fully determine a cause so she prescribed him antibiotics and anti-inflammatories to try to treat what may be a bacterial or perhaps bone-related disease. There were no other noticeable symptoms, just the paralysis. Whatever the source, if the disease is non-fatal he will never regain full use of his legs. He is still able to stand, and so is able to groom his face, handle food, and drink, but he has a very difficult time moving- non-carpeted floors are too slick for him to grip, carpeted floors are too rough for his skin. 

So, I'm at a loss. On the one hand, Yuki is depressed and uncomfortable and has a slightly difficult time going potty, and it doesn't seem fair to leave him in a state of paraplegia. On the other hand, his discomfort is not to the point of suffering, he still has a good appetite and drinks well, and when he is settled in my lap for a cuddle he seems quite content, he's clear-eyed, self-aware, still affectionate towards myself and his roommate Costello. His mood has been subdued - he'd always been a rat who was so happy about everything that he never walked anywhere, he always bounced - but he's been a little more chipper over the last day or so, hopefully the medicine is helping.

In short, I'm conflicted. On the one hand, Yuki does not seem ready to give up the good fight. On the other hand, I worry that letting him continue in this state is unfair to a rat who has always been very bouncy and athletic. I worry that trying to move may cause him injury, whether through abrasions to his skin or straining his still-functioning front limbs. I guess my question, after all of this, is: Is there a chance for a rat to live well in this state, and how does one make them comfortable? Or would it be better to let him go for his own good?


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## hshelton (Feb 23, 2010)

I think that as long as he is happy and is still eating and drinking, I would let him live out his days until his condition got worse. But its your call, he is your pet and only you know whats best for him. You might want to try to make a pros and cons list to see if that helps make up your mind, it always helps me with difficult decisions.


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## KieruNatsuki (Mar 12, 2010)

"With age and the *hind leg paralysis* he suffered in his last months, Nim mellowed into a delightful old fuzz... But even with his limitations and old age, he retained his cheeky personality... he'd still fooff madly at the other rats, nip their butts if they came too close, and scent mark everything. *I used to hold his weak rear end in my hand and carry his butt all over the house as he free ranged, fooffing and chattering cheerfully.*"

This is an excerpt from the Dapper Rat website. Their one rat, Nimbus, had leg paralysis, but like they wrote, he was still a happy rat. I wouldn't put him to sleep unless the disease created problems that interfered to the point where he just wasn't happy anymore.


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## Stace87 (Jun 24, 2008)

The loss of use was sudden and not gradual?


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## Butterfly_HyJynx (Mar 14, 2010)

Stace87 said:


> The loss of use was sudden and not gradual?


Yes, it happened over the course of about two days - Saturday afternoon (Of course he had to do this AFTER my vet's office closed for the weekend!) he was weak in the legs, Sunday they were almost gone, by Monday when I got him to the vet he was as he is now and there's been no improvement, but no decline either.


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## Butterfly_HyJynx (Mar 14, 2010)

KieruNatsuki said:


> Their one rat, Nimbus, had leg paralysis, but like they wrote, he was still a happy rat. I wouldn't put him to sleep unless the disease created problems that interfered to the point where he just wasn't happy anymore.



That's kind of where I'm leaning right now, especially given that his attitude has been improving and he's starting to learn to cope. My biggest concern for him is mobility, but maybe I can figure out a way to rig up a little cart or sled for him to pull himself with, like one of those little furniture carpet-sliders or something.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

any aid like a cart would drive a rat mad, so I really wouldn't bother. 

lets go over a few things. How does his urine smell? Is it dark and cloudy? I have heard of UTI's causing hind end paralysis. Which antibiotics was he prescribed in case it was bacterial?

Is he subdued or seems to be in some type of discomfort. HED (hind end degeneration) is actually the degeneration of the spinal nerve, and is normally a gradual process...started with dragging a hind limb or a funny sway in the hind end and loss of agility. 18 months is pretty early for HED so along with the suddeness of the onset, I would rule this one out.

There is a possibility of a tumor pressing on the spinal cord nerves...this may cause discomfort, and you will need pain meds to help him feel better. If your vet won't give you any, you can buy and use OTC meds like infant liquid ibuprofen instead. Test for pain, by giving him a dose or 2 and see if his attitude improves...pain makes everyone feel yucky.


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## Butterfly_HyJynx (Mar 14, 2010)

lilspaz68 said:


> lets go over a few things. How does his urine smell? Is it dark and cloudy? I have heard of UTI's causing hind end paralysis. Which antibiotics was he prescribed in case it was bacterial?
> 
> Is he subdued or seems to be in some type of discomfort. HED (hind end degeneration) is actually the degeneration of the spinal nerve, and is normally a gradual process...started with dragging a hind limb or a funny sway in the hind end and loss of agility. 18 months is pretty early for HED so along with the suddeness of the onset, I would rule this one out.
> 
> There is a possibility of a tumor pressing on the spinal cord nerves...this may cause discomfort, and you will need pain meds to help him feel better. If your vet won't give you any, you can buy and use OTC meds like infant liquid ibuprofen instead. Test for pain, by giving him a dose or 2 and see if his attitude improves...pain makes everyone feel yucky.


Urine-wise, he has no unusual smell and it is colored normally. His antibiotic is Tribrissen oral, twice daily. He only seems to be in discomfort when he is trying to move more than a few lengths - he bruxes and his skin gets goose-pimply. While resting there's no evident discomfort, but his mood is subdued. His vet did a full-body x-ray when I took him in initially, there were no signs of any degeneration or tumors around his spine or any of his joints but his left lung looked slightly unusual - she thought this could be either a chest infection or possibly a small chest tumor, she also mentioned the possibility of blood clots.

Right now, given that his attitude is positive but lethargic, I'd like to ask my vet to try pain relievers for him. His anti-inflammatory is prednisone, the antibiotics are also intended to support his immune system while he's on it since prednisone can compromise the body's immunity. When he's taken it his mood does perk up, possibly it's actually helping the problem or maybe it's just because prednisone can affect the body's stress response.


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## olddeadpig (Jan 6, 2010)

We had a buck (Beagrie) who had hind-leg paralysis after what looked like a stroke. He was still his cute self afterwards, just unable to move his hind legs. He would drag himself around by his front paws. We took away the ladder so he had to stay on the ground floor of the cage (to avoid any risk of him falling). Hygiene is a real problem, especially for bucks (and it is usually bucks who develop hind leg paralysis, even if they don't have a stroke it's fairly common in older age). Beagrie would drag himself along quite happily with a string of poos popping out behind him, but he couldn't get himself into a position to clean himself afterwards, so he needed to have his bottom wiped for him, and the base of his tail (faeces and urine will both literally burn a rat's skin if left on for any length of time). A clean cloth or piece of kitchen paper with warm water is fine. The furrier the rat, the more you have to clean up! The other thing to look out for, and we knew very little about it at the time, is a penile plug. This is, I have since found out, quite common in older boys whether they have this paralysis or not, but it is more likely if they are paralysed, again because they can't get in the right position to give the old man a good wash. The hole in their abdomen where their penis pops out every now and again can get blocked with waxy natural secretions, and if this happens the area can get infected and it can lead to an abscess - regrettably I know this because it's what killed Beagrie in the end (that and the fact that we didn't know of a vet who knew anything about rats at the time). So pay a bit of attention to that area too, try to keep it clean and if a plug seems to be forming, squeeze it gently and it will probably shift.

As rats use their hind legs for most of their scratching, and for cleaning the inside of their ears, I'd give your boy an all-over wash with a damp cloth every day, cleaning very gently into the ears (don't use anything sharp or pointy like a Q-tip just in case he moves suddenly), to try and help him out. 

Beagrie was always a lovely gentle licky boy, and became even more so after he lost the use of his back legs. He might have lived a lot longer if our vet at the time wasn't totally useless. We were advised to have him pts because she thought he had no quality of life. Looking back on it she was just plain wrong - he was just the same ratty, who pulled himself about by his front paws and needed a bit of help. He loved his food and his cuddles and was still happy dragging himself around. 

When a rat stops eating and being lively though, then it's time to consider whether it would be kinder to say goodbye. 

Hope your boy lives a good while longer, all the best to both of you!


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