# Altered Rat Behavior



## Cat36 (Apr 6, 2015)

Alright, so I'm really concerned about my rat. I got two rats last year in March as an early birthday present. Well, this past March, the day before my birthday specifically, Candy, the smaller one, passed away. Her sister, Cookie, has been acting a bit strangely. It's nothing severe and everyone else wants to brush it off as nothing. Just a little grief. And maybe that's all it is. But she looks thin to me(even though I've seen her eating) and she's been breathing really hard. I know they breathed pretty quickly since it seems like they're always sniffing, but this is very hard. And she's calmed down a lot. Like, I had her out pretty much all day and all she did was lay on or next to me. She seemed to prefer small areas. Like she laid next to me with her head tucked by my back or if I got up to play with the dog then she got into the couch, under the cushion. Then she just laid on my lap or my arm and didn't really do much. This is unusual. If she's out of the cage then she's always up and running around. I don't ever get to hold her because she hates it and doesn't like being manhandled. She'd much rather explore and run around, but now she hardly leaves me if I'm there and just sort of lays around. She's been 'talking' a lot too. Normally, it's the soft sound that comes with bruxing, but sometimes it gets to be louder squeaks.

Not only that, but one day she was laying in the crook of my arm and her head started trembling really bad. Then it would stop before starting up again. I also noticed her using the box that Candy had been in and the cage we kept Candy in while she was ill when I let her out for free time. 

I have to keep in mind that she's about a year and four months old so age could be getting to her as well, but it happened too fast for that to be all it is.

I have a video of her breathing, but it's not posting. :L


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

It sounds like a uri. The head vibrating was probably bruxing. She'll need a vet visit -- if it isn't a noisy respiratory infection, it may be something major like pneumonia or abscesses in the lungs based on my experience.


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## Cat36 (Apr 6, 2015)

I don't think it's a UTI because I had a cat who had that and that's a lot of bloody urine. She's not having that problem. I should know because she's always peeing on me. And I'm not sure if I can manage getting her to the vet. I guess I probably could... but this all started pretty much right after her sister passed away. I'll admit I think it's getting progressively worse. I'm worried she's going to get depressed though.


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## raindear (Mar 3, 2015)

Nanashi7 said it sounds like a URI - Upper Respiratory Infection. Very common for rats.


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## Cat36 (Apr 6, 2015)

Ah. I really hope she's not sick. :I I was kind of hoping nothing serious would happen so they wouldn't need to go to the vet. I convinced my uncle to get them for me as an early birthday present. The rest was pretty much my responsibility(besides the cage and a few items). Guess it's a good thing I have $500 in the bank. I love her dearly, but there's only so much I can do for her. I want her to be happy and healthy though it seems like I'm failing at the moment.


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## jensenee (Apr 4, 2015)

A vet visit and a round of antibiotics won't be over 80 bucks. URIs are very treatable! Get her to the vet and she should be fine.


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## Cat36 (Apr 6, 2015)

Cookie is doing worse today. For some reason her paws, nose, and the corner of her eyes are bloody. She's really down and not active like she normally is. Help me please. Depression or sickness? If she's sick I'll try to get her to the vet as soon as I can. If its depression then I need something against my mom to get her a friend.


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## Cat36 (Apr 6, 2015)

I'm going to see if my mom will let me take her to the vet. If anything, I'll ask my uncle to take me. I might not have the money on me, but I have plenty in the bank. I know there's a vet at the pet store I got her from though I don't think he's there every day.


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Sickness. The blood is porphyrin which further indicates illness at that proliferation.


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## Cat36 (Apr 6, 2015)

She looks like she's getting worse by the minute. She got up and got on the back of the couch but now she's o my lap laying on her side which I've never seen her do. Her breathing is terrible.


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## Cat36 (Apr 6, 2015)

My aunt called the vet and they say it sounds like pneumonia. She needs to be taken to an emergency room and it could cost several hundred dollars. Unfortunately, we don't have that kind of money.


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Unfortunately it can come down to two issues. Wait and try to make it to an appointment to try and treat it or euthanasia. Unable to breathe can be an awful way to go. Some vets don't require an appt for euthanasia will only charge for the medications used.


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## Cat36 (Apr 6, 2015)

I would love to help her, but more than anything I just her to be out of her suffering. It'll probably be for the best. She can join her sister in whatever afterlife there is. Here, alive, she's alone.


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## jensenee (Apr 4, 2015)

She sounds very very sick. Get her to a vet right away. You might be able to treat her and she might be able to get better or you might have to put her down. Either way don't let her just suffer to death, that's an extremely painful way to die. If you can treat it go ahead and treat it and then maybe relocate her to a rat rescue if you don't feel you can give her a proper home. Rats often require medical treatment. Money, the means to get vet treatment, and the ability to provide a good healthy environment are a must for rats. So sorry to hear Cookie isn't doing well. I would get her to a vet right away.


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## Cat36 (Apr 6, 2015)

Cookie is gone, guys. I'm pretty sure the person my aunt talked to was right. I looked it up and she had about half the symptoms of pneumonia including panicky movements due to the lack of oxygen. She actually scratched me a little trying to get away. She had gotten so sick and was wheezing when she breathed. I don't want any of you to think this was my first choice. We planned on getting her treated, but no one has the money for that kind of treatment. It was hard, but it was my decision to have her put down. Its not really fair how it costs so much to get a rat treated because poor people can love and give the care an animal needs too, but the medical cost is far to high. So this was the best decision and the only one. I cannot afford the treatment and I fear her chances would have been slim if I could. She was terribly sick and I couldn't watch her suffer either though. I don't think Cookie would have enjoyed life like!e she used to anyway since her sister died.


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## CosmicKat62 (Nov 24, 2014)

Just take her to the vet a soon as possible. They'll probably give you baytril or doxycycline, which work in a few days into the treatment.


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