# Lethargic rat



## madDBbekah (Jan 27, 2011)

I've had Tyson for about a year and a half, and he was full grown when I adopted him. I would estimate his age at around 2-2.5 years old. This morning I found him in his cage looking very weak and lethargic. When I opened the door, he was responsive, attempting to greet me. but too weak to move very well. At first, he was seizing, flopping over and not being able to get up and at times up on his haunches and kicking his paws around. He would drink water from a syringe, but otherwise seemed pretty unaware. It looked like the worst this morning, so I rushed him to the vet. They told me there wasn't really anything they could do for him in his condition. But it seems like Tyson has improved since then. It's been a couple hours since the vet and his seizures have stopped completely aside from a couple shivers. He still seems very weak, and I hear him grinding his teeth every once in a while, but much more alert than before. He moves around every few minutes, cleaning his face and looking around. He's very interested in water, and is drinking quite a bit of water from the syringe. He's interested in food, but hasn't eaten more than a teeny bit of a raspberry along with lapping up the juices on the berries. Has anyone else dealt with this? I'd appreciate any advice anyone can give me!


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## madDBbekah (Jan 27, 2011)

Since I posted this, Tyson has eaten a couple mushed up raspberries, and drinks the water and juice when I offer it to him. He seems more active, wanting to sniff around my bed, although he doesn't move quickly, and stops every few moments to rest. He's been shivering a lot, almost every other second (with a few breaks). Should I keep him from moving around too much, maybe bundle him up in a towel or something? Also, he hasn't pooped or peed since I took him out of his cage about five hours ago, which is cause for concern to me, as well.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

The seizures may come back...actually most likely will come back. Watch to make sure he snaps out of them relatively quickly, and watch duration and recovery for the next while. If it continues to increase you will have to either put him on anti-seizure meds (diazepam is one) or let him go as it will only get worse.

Put him in a padded cage with hard objects tucked under shelves so he cannot fall on something and hurt himself. Put in low bowls of water or hang his water bottle low so he can drink.


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## madDBbekah (Jan 27, 2011)

Thank you. I put a bunch of towels in his cage with a couple small lids filled with water. I don't know if he's going to make it through tomorrow. His seizures haven't come back yet, but he's still trembling with his eyes shut, and he's not too responsive to anything. He did pee and he passed a couple of very small stools, but he doesn't seem to be interested in water too much anymore. I'm doing my best to make him as comfortable as possible, though. Thanks again for the advice!


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## madDBbekah (Jan 27, 2011)

I spent all day and night with Tyson, and he seems to have made a recovery. There were many times that I thought he was about to pass on, only to have him perk back up. Yesterday morning he seemed to have turned around completely, moving about his cage, eating a lab block and drinking freely. I took him back to the vet yesterday, and, though she could not find a reason for his sudden illness, thought it best to put him on Baytril just in case. It's been another day, and, although he's been doing a bit more sleeping than normal, he seems to be in much better shape physically. I'm watching his food and water intake, though, and she gave me some Oxbow Carnivore Care as a supplement to his normal diet (he'd dropped .1 kg or almost a .25 lb since his last visit in the summer). 

One thing I've noticed though, is that his behavior has changed. He doesn't seem to be as affectionate or curious, and he also seems to move about in a cumbersome way. Normally, he would respond to my call, but he doesn't seem to react now. Sometimes I think he's gone completely blind and deaf, although I can't be sure. Does anyone know what might cause this behavior change? Might he recover from it?


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