# Rat has head tilt, bulging eye, and is walking in circles/rolling?



## RatLover7718 (May 16, 2011)

Hello, my pet rat recently had shown the symptoms of a slightly bulged eye, walking in circles/rolling, and a head tilt towards the left. She is still eating, and is doing OK, but we do not know what this could be. We took her to the vet this morning and the veterinarian said that it could either be an inner ear infection, or a tumor. She has received antibiotics for her spinning/circling. We are not sure what to do for her or what this is. It would be very appreciated if someone helped with a second opinion and some back up.

Thanks so much,
Miriam


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## smesyna (Nov 22, 2010)

Sounds like an ear infection to me. The other thing it could be is pituitary tumor. How old is your rat?

What antibiotics did you get? What is the MG/ML? What is the dose, eg. .04cc? Your rats weight, approximately?

If you don't see significant improvement soon I'd ask for some steroids.


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## RatLover7718 (May 16, 2011)

My rat is about two and a half.
I have received: 
- Metacam 1.5/ml/mg
Give 0.08 milliliter orally 2 times per day for 14 days.
- Meclizine HCL 12.5mg.
Give 1/8 - 1/4 tablet orally crushed and mixed with small amount of Karo syrup or yogurt once a day.
- Baytril 100 100mg/ml/ml
Give 0.04 milliliter orally 2 times per day for 14 days.
- Baytril 100 100mg/ml/ml
Give 0.05mls by mouth every 12 hours for 14 days.
- Metacam 1.5mls/ml/1ml
Give 0.15 mls by mouth every 12 hours for 14 days.

My rat weighs about 1 pound.


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## smesyna (Nov 22, 2010)

Ah she is old enough for it to be PT but I think the circling makes it more likely to be an ear infection.

Which metacam info is the right one? Sorry I'm a little confused. 

The baytril is good, but if it is an infection with as hard as ear infections can be to get rid of I'd want 4 weeks instead of two. When you are at the end I'd call your vet for a refill.

I can't find rat doses on the nausea pill (mezlicline(sp)).


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## RatLover7718 (May 16, 2011)

Simone (my rat) is apparently "rolling" now...

I'm not sure, I have two bottles of Metacam for her.


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## RatLover7718 (May 16, 2011)

*Edit* The correct dosage is: 0.15 mls by mouth.......


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## smesyna (Nov 22, 2010)

Okay, the metacam is fine.

Poor girl  I hope she's better soon.


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## RatLover7718 (May 16, 2011)

Thank you so much....
also since my rat is now rolling, has the outlook changed at all?
If there is anything I can do for my rat other than what steps are being taken now, please let me know.


Thank you!


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## smesyna (Nov 22, 2010)

The only other thing that is ever done in this situation is steroids. I'm going to PM a member here who is experienced in both conditions since she will be more helpful to you.


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## RatLover7718 (May 16, 2011)

Thank you so much for your help.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

The only good thing about inner ear infection and PT is they are treated the same. The only change I would do is a steroid but if it's inner ear infection and it really does sound like that one, the metacam is good for any pain and does help with any inflammation.

Your girl has only just started her course of antibiotics and I have seen rats that were rolling get better, so its not the End or anything like that. Be very faithful with your dosing, and if she needs help eating at first, you can syringe Ensure or watery baby cereal into her mouth. Keep her water sources lower down, try for more liquidy foods she can lick up, instead of hard items that my be hard for her to chew with her dizziness, and possible pain.

Inner ear especially a bad one like this can take many weeks of abs to recover from but they usually do.

IF additional symptoms show up like bruxxing incessantly, head bumping when you stroke over her head, a confusion that is more than just being sick, or inability to grasp small food items (like cheerios) in her front paws, but also not because she is dizzy and falling over...then post these symptoms and we will go over the possibility of pituitary tumor for you.


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## RatLover7718 (May 16, 2011)

Thank you so much lilspaz68. My rat has now progressed to slowly walking. I am feeding her her favorite food, yogurt. I will alert you if there is any changes. Thank you!!!


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

careful, make sure you wait a few hours between giving her antibiotics and feeding her dairy foods. it can lower their effectiveness.

good luck with your girl, though, sounds like you thankfully have a half decent vet


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## RatLover7718 (May 16, 2011)

Thank you so much


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## leesha (Feb 15, 2010)

I don't post her often anymore, but when I saw this thread I had to jump in. Last year one of my girls presented with the exact same symptoms as your rat, and was diagnosed with a bad inner ear infection. The "bulging eye" wasn't actually bulging, it just appeared to be because the nerves in the other side of her face had been damaged from the infection, causing her eye to squint on the same side as the infected ear. Nina pulled through with the help of our vet, and leads a pretty normal life. She still has the squinted eye and head tilt, but she's a little trooper! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that your baby makes a full recovery.


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## RatLover7718 (May 16, 2011)

Thank you very much...Simone is having some very upsetting episodes of rolling...do you have any knowledge/advice for this? We do have the anti-rolling meds, she took them, responded well, and is now kind of reverting to rotating. She was progressively taking some steps, but she can rotate so much that she goes out of a nice, cushioned area in her one-level cage. She is eating nicely, but refuses to eat from a cap, which is how she is always fed. Also, since she is a bit stubborn, she is receiving water through a syringe.


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## Kinsey (Jun 14, 2009)

You are doing your best. Above all, keep anything sharp/tall out of ehr cage. She could get hurt on it!

Just keep giving her food and water by hand and give her the meds. There isn't much more to do, as Lilspaz said.


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## ChicknThief (Mar 1, 2012)

Hi! Sorry to resurrect an old topic, but I am new to the forum and my rat is showing these EXACT symptoms. We have been putting EVCO in her ears because we suspected an ear infection. From what I read this will not be effective?

I see a list of medications that someone posted, are any of these available at a feed or drug store, or must they be prescribed by a vet? And if so, does anyone know a good vet in the Sacramento area that treats rats?

Sorry again for so many questions. I am quite new


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

I would advise starting a new thread since you resurrected an old one, but what is EVCO?

No OTC meds will help with inner ear infection, you are going to need a vet.


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## KelseyGoodin (Jun 6, 2021)

Hello, my rat is nearly 3 and is doing the same things! I've already taken her to the vet and am giving her antibiotics. She is still very interested in food but is having a hard time. The symptoms were very rapid and happened only within a day and half. Im wondering if she is in pain??? I feel terrible that all I can do is check on her and help hold her up to eat and drink. Are there any other comfort measures I can take?


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## CorbinDallasMyMan (Feb 24, 2017)

KelseyGoodin said:


> Hello, my rat is nearly 3 and is doing the same things! I've already taken her to the vet and am giving her antibiotics. She is still very interested in food but is having a hard time. The symptoms were very rapid and happened only within a day and half. Im wondering if she is in pain??? I feel terrible that all I can do is check on her and help hold her up to eat and drink. Are there any other comfort measures I can take?


Admittedly, I saw this thread was 10 years old so I didn't even read through it.

What does your vet recommend?

What antibiotics is your rat on, what is the dose, and how long have they been on them?

What are the symptoms you're seeing in your rat?


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## KelseyGoodin (Jun 6, 2021)

CorbinDallasMyMan said:


> Admittedly, I saw this thread was 10 years old so I didn't even read through it.
> 
> What does your vet recommend?
> 
> ...


Yes I was afraid with the thread being so old I wouldn't get a reply! Shes on a sulfamethoxazole trimethoprim mix. 
0.2 ml orally every 12 hours. We took her to the vet yesterday and she has only had 2 doses. 
Her symptoms match everything I've been reading in the thread and she has a very hard time sitting up. She keeps falling and rolling over to the same side as her head tilt. She also has what I assume is a tumor lump on her stomach for about 3 months now and the vet agreed it was most likely tumor. Shes still responsive and very interested in food but she has to just lay on her side while eating. I have lots of blankets and hammock tunnels on the ground for her to help push herself back up and balance and I've been holding her up strait in front of her water dropper to make sure she is drinking. I know she's stressed cuz she's been clicking so I've kept crunchy things for her to chew and eat to help calm her. I just hope she's not in pain


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## CorbinDallasMyMan (Feb 24, 2017)

I'm so sorry your lady is going through this. One day of antibiotics probably isn't long enough to see any improvement. If it is an ear infection, you should start to see some improvement after 4-6 days on antibiotics. If her condition starts to worsen rapidly, of course get her to your vet asap. The head-tilt may be permanent, even if the infection clears up.

If it's not an ear infection, you might be looking at a pituitary (brain) tumor. Antibiotics wouldn't help with that but there may be other medications like cabergoline that could buy her a little extra time.


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