# Help - my rat is having convulsions



## dancingchica (Nov 2, 2011)

I've just been informed that my rat has started having periodic convulsions in the past 2 days. Here's the description from the friend caring for my rats: "They seem to occur after the rat has been sleeping - the convulsions only last a few second. The one I witnessed - she was in a sitting posture with the hind legs apart and the front legs lifted together, her head was pulled back with the eyes and mouth partially open - her head and front paws were shaking uncontrollably."

The rat ate poppy seeds 3-4 days ago. This is the only thing we know she ate which could be toxic.

Is there anything I can do? Special foods to counteract the toxins, etc.? Is it likely life-threatening?

I'm concerned if I take the rat to a vet they may not have any idea so I'm hoping the experts on this forum will be able to help.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

dancingchica said:


> I've just been informed that my rat has started having periodic convulsions in the past 2 days. Here's the description from the friend caring for my rats: "They seem to occur after the rat has been sleeping - the convulsions only last a few second. The one I witnessed - she was in a sitting posture with the hind legs apart and the front legs lifted together, her head was pulled back with the eyes and mouth partially open - her head and front paws were shaking uncontrollably."
> 
> The rat ate poppy seeds 3-4 days ago. This is the only thing we know she ate which could be toxic.
> 
> ...


Is it possible it was choking? What did she just eat prior to that? Bread, potatoes, peanut butter, another that makes a sticky mess in our mouth and we reach for a drink to wash it down, can cause choking.
They brace themselves, put their head down, and at the same time open their mouth (retching) stretch their eyes/ears back.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

if it was a seizure, was she pawing the air? did she arch her back and fall over or still stay standing?

Can you friend figure out what triggers it? Light, sound, etc?

How old is your girl?


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## dancingchica (Nov 2, 2011)

I ended up taking her to the vet. He thinks it was epileptic seizures and related to the brain. He gave her a shot of cortizone and a vitamin b-complex shot. He didn't think it was related to anything she ate but I'm not sure he understood when I was trying to explain that poppy seeds can have a neurological effect (he only spoke German & my German's not that good).

My friend said the convulsions seemed to happen after she'd been sleeping. She had 5 of them yesterday. I don't know if she had more today since I had to work. I haven't witnessed one of the convulsions myself. When I was holding her yesterday she did have little twitches but it could have been as she was falling asleep and dreaming. Normally she's really active and never sits still so she's never fallen asleep while I was holding her so it's hard for me to judge what's normal. 

She's low energy but eating and drinking fine. Her sister doesn't seem concerned so I hope that's a good sign. I'm worried but hopeful and I'm going to continue to keep an eye on her. She's one year old.


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## dancingchica (Nov 2, 2011)

Good news: Annika has been running and playing around my room for the past two hours and seems full of energy as ever. I haven't seen any convulsions and I think if she were having them then she'd be very exhausted like yesterday. I'm very hopeful!


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