# suspect Pituitary Tumor, blood on front paws?



## SammieChoc (May 10, 2012)

Hi all....I suspect my 1.5 yr old female rat has a PT, she can't hold food and has balance issues. SHe is not spinning in a circle or anything, but eyes look somewhat glazed sometimes half closed and she looks very unwell. she will still eat although not using her hands, and we soak her lab block or feed her soft things. she still can walk around. she tries to groom herself but kind of falls over a lot. its gotta be classic PT.

I have noticed dried blood on her front paws. does anyone know what could cause this? i am THINKING that when she is trying to eat, she accidentally nibbles her paws a little while eating.

at what point do you have to put them down, when they no longer can eat? it's so sad. poor little girl.


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## CarrieD (Nov 20, 2011)

Is her head tilted? Has your vet ruled out an ear infection?


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

It does sound like PT, I am sorry. The red on her paws is from feeble grooming efforts. She scrubs over her head, transferring the porphryin to the inside of her wrists but doesn't groom it off afterwards like a healthy rat would.

As for the PT, you can try to treat it. Its ultimately fatal, but with steroids (and an antibiotic for the depressed immune system) you can often get these lovely reprieves. If your vet is really open-minded there's a new medication being used for PT right now called bromocriptine.

I have 2 PT girls here right now...an old lady I am using just steroid therapy with and 22 mo old Shade who is getting the bromocriptine. Shade is now back to normal.

Now some rats do not respond to steroid therapy, but some do, and with the bromocriptine you truly can get YOUR rat back for months, whereas with steroid therapy (which only shrinks the tissues/inflammation pressing on the brain) you don't get as long or as quality of life.

Here is my Ariel, who is now famous on ratguide.com. She is a fantastic example of what steroid therapy can accomplish.

http://ratguide.com/health/figures/pituitary_tumor_figure_2.php

If you decide not to treat, once they stop eating/drinking, you take them in to be pts,


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## SammieChoc (May 10, 2012)

so i happen to have some prednisone that was prescribed to me recently that i never took. what would be a dosage for a female rat? could i try giving her a bit? how do you usually give it?


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## SammieChoc (May 10, 2012)

also what should i feed her since we hand feed her or let her work on it herself in her cage? we have been soaking the blocks so they are mushyish and also banana, peeled peas, etc. what can we give her for extra protein?


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Rats don't need extra protein...low protein, lot fat, low sodium, low sugar diet is the best and can prolong your rats life. I use baby cereal and Ensure to syringe feed my sickies...make it watery enough that they are getting the fluids as well as calories. If she's able to eat on her own and NOT lose weight then you can put some in a low dish.

Do you have an antibiotic at home to go with the pred?

I assume the pred is in pill form? What is the mg?


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## SammieChoc (May 10, 2012)

my prednisone are in 10 mg pill form. no i don't have any antibiotic


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## SammieChoc (May 10, 2012)

it's in 10mg pill form. i don't have any antibiotic. but is it guaranteed she will get an infection?


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## shawnalaufer (Aug 21, 2011)

Poor little ratty...


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## SammieChoc (May 10, 2012)

so can i give her any of my prednisone?


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

SammieChoc said:


> so can i give her any of my prednisone?


The steroid depresses the immune system so that somethign the body can naturally and easily fight off they can easily catch. If it was just for a few days before you got antibiotics I would say go ahead, but if she never gets on antibiotics then its very dangerous.


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## SammieChoc (May 10, 2012)

can anyone tell me realistically what is a vet going to want to do to determine it's a pt and then prescribe antibiotics and prednisone? are they going to take me thru batteries of tests that will cost me several hundred dollars? or are they just going to see the symptoms and assume it's probably pt and let me try the steroids?


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

SammieChoc said:


> can anyone tell me realistically what is a vet going to want to do to determine it's a pt and then prescribe antibiotics and prednisone? are they going to take me thru batteries of tests that will cost me several hundred dollars? or are they just going to see the symptoms and assume it's probably pt and let me try the steroids?


The only one to definitively diagnose PT is through a necropsy after the rat is dead. We diagnose through the symptoms. The vet will too...if they want to do a battery of tests tell them no, an exam, the wheel-barrow test (not my fav but something vets like to do) where they hold the rat's hind end up and see how they walk on their front paws.


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