# EMERGENCY: Something's Not Right



## Paeeje (Feb 17, 2016)

Hi there, I have a little girl named Cordelia. Delia came from a pet store over two years ago, and she has been acting strangely since last night. 

Usually, we don't really like each other. She's the cutest thing, but she bites and she's really active, but we tolerate each other and I treat her the same as everybody else. 

However, last night, she was kind of just lying there, and it concerned me a bit, so I opened her cage and picked her up, but she was kind of limp. Her eyes were still open and everything, it's just that she wouldn't actually move. When I set her back down, she limply laid there and didn't adjust herself or anything. I put their food (she's got a sister) in the cage, and she ate as much as she usually does, so I let it be to see how she would be in the morning.

Now, I went to check on her, and she was just lying there again. I did the same thing with picking her up, and she still did not move. I placed her on one of her toys, and she fell off backwards and slightly adjusted herself. Now, she's sitting in my lap which she never ever does, and her eyes are closed. She keeps doing this thing where it's like she scrunches up and shakes a little bit. 

What could be wrong with her?


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## Fraido (Oct 1, 2014)

My first guess would be old age, to be honest. She could be ready to pass over the rainbow bridge. But with the scrunching up thing, I'm not really sure, others will chime in, but if you're really concerned you should probably take her to the vet.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

If she doesn't have any other symptoms and was fine 1 day ago, I would say she might have had a seizure. In some cases, the rat regains partial or full functionality within 2-5 days. Only time will tell. It is a really good sign that she is eating ok. Does she drink too?


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

stroke is an option, pituitary tumor is another, and there's also seizures. Can you get a video?


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## Paeeje (Feb 17, 2016)

Here's some videos I just took. Let me know if the links work!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2fadb4vz6v25f2y/20160309_161716.mp4?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gektd7rarhqx7kj/20160309_161832.mp4?dl=0 (she shakes at the very end of this one)


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## Paeeje (Feb 17, 2016)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2fadb4vz6v...61716.mp4?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gektd7rarh...61832.mp4?dl=0 (she shakes at the very end of this one)


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## Paeeje (Feb 17, 2016)

Gribouilli said:


> If she doesn't have any other symptoms and was fine 1 day ago, I would say she might have had a seizure. In some cases, the rat regains partial or full functionality within 2-5 days. Only time will tell. It is a really good sign that she is eating ok. Does she drink too?


I have not seen her drink recently, but I just put her bottle toher mouth and squeezed some in front of her and she dank a bit.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

aww poor little bean, that reaction at the end of video 2 IS a seizure. I had my suspicions when I saw her ears twitching like that. 

She's just over 2 years old? Was her health really good prior to this episode?


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

The videos are working fine. Does she make any noise? I couldn't tell with the background noise. It looks like a tiny seizure when she shakes. I think she had some kind of seizures if not other symptoms are present. She is old, especially for a pet store rat. I can tell you took good care of her.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

I keep watching the 2nd video over and over and see more and more seizure activity. its not full-blown seizures but they might be pretty much non-stop even if milder. Does she ever "come around" or is she like this ALL the time?

If she had periods of lucidity, I would say you could try seizure meds like phenobarbitol...I have had some good luck with 1 of the 3 seizure rats I tried to treat.


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## Paeeje (Feb 17, 2016)

lilspaz68 said:


> aww poor little bean, that reaction at the end of video 2 IS a seizure. I had my suspicions when I saw her ears twitching like that.
> 
> She's just over 2 years old? Was her health really good prior to this episode?


That's what I was thinking as well. She was kind of bigger, but not as big as she is now when I got her, so i have a feeling she's maybe pushing three or at least 2 and a half. 

She has never ever done this before. What can I do for her?


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## Paeeje (Feb 17, 2016)

lilspaz68 said:


> I keep watching the 2nd video over and over and see more and more seizure activity. its not full-blown seizures but they might be pretty much non-stop even if milder. Does she ever "come around" or is she like this ALL the time?
> 
> If she had periods of lucidity, I would say you could try seizure meds like phenobarbitol...I have had some good luck with 1 of the 3 seizure rats I tried to treat.


Up until last night, she has been perfectly normal. She's always active (a little too annoyingly active for me sometimes, hahah). She has been doing what she is doing in the videos since I put her in my lap about an hour and a half go, and I haven't been home to see what she has been doing before that. 

The shaking still has not stopped, and she is still not moving on her own at all. I have been squeezing her water bottle to drip for her, and she has been drinking. Here's a video of her drinking:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/f7prke51ftww4w7/20160309_164704.mp4?dl=0

She stops every so often and I was using the nozzle to get the drops off of her, and I do have to hold her up to have her drink.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Paeeje said:


> I have not seen her drink recently, but I just put her bottle toher mouth and squeezed some in front of her and she dank a bit.


You are going to have to keep her hydrated, possibly syringing water into her mouth. Can you check for dehydration by donig a skin pinch test? Pull up the skin tight and do a small twist, then let go..how fast the skin drops back to normal...count the seconds (1 steamboat, 2 steamboat...)

2 seconds or so is normal, after that is more dehydrated. If the skin stays tented she's critical!


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## Paeeje (Feb 17, 2016)

Gribouilli said:


> The videos are working fine. Does she make any noise? I couldn't tell with the background noise. It looks like a tiny seizure when she shakes. I think she had some kind of seizures if not other symptoms are present. She is old, especially for a pet store rat. I can tell you took good care of her.


She makes no sounds whatsoever. She ate a nice, big salad last night with her sister, and then about 4 hours later is when this started happening. I don't think she was having seizures last night, and her salads are always the same: romaine lettuce, baby carrot slices, a grape sliced in half, last night just one tiny slice of banana (we just had one and I had a bite left and only gave them one tiny piece), and then a strawberry.


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## Paeeje (Feb 17, 2016)

lilspaz68 said:


> You are going to have to keep her hydrated, possibly syringing water into her mouth. Can you check for dehydration by donig a skin pinch test? Pull up the skin tight and do a small twist, then let go..how fast the skin drops back to normal...count the seconds (1 steamboat, 2 steamboat...)
> 
> 2 seconds or so is normal, after that is more dehydrated. If the skin stays tented she's critical!


I honestly don't think she is dehydrated, and the skin test was fine (it went back down almost immediately after I pinched it), but this just happened:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/154j2oi6v85bllv/20160309_165857.mp4?dl=0

This is the most she's moved since last night, but I'm almost positive that was a pretty bad seizure.


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## Fraido (Oct 1, 2014)

Aweeh, she looks so exhausted.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Paeeje said:


> I honestly don't think she is dehydrated, and the skin test was fine (it went back down almost immediately after I pinched it), but this just happened:
> 
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/154j2oi6v85bllv/20160309_165857.mp4?dl=0
> 
> This is the most she's moved since last night, but I'm almost positive that was a pretty bad seizure.


that is a full blown seizure but not a really bad one...those ones they fall over and flail and thrash so much they can hurt themselves.

Seizures are usually just symptoms, of things like brain tumours or sometimes just electrical disturbances in the brain. You have a few options now that you know what's going on.

1) If you have a good vet you can ask for phenobarbitol, its a anti-seizure medication that isn't very expensive and often works very well. if the seizures diminish but aren't completely controlled then there are other things you can add like diazepam (valium) or potassium bromide to help.

2) With seizures its best to keep a Seizure Log (start now)...record every seizure, how she acted before, any triggers like bright light/loud noises, how long it was, how long it took her to recover from. Twitching ears, whiskers, eyes and nose means she's still seizing but only lightly. This will give you an idea if its getting worse, or better in frequency, duration, recovery time.

3) the other sad option is to have her put to sleep if she continues.


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## Paeeje (Feb 17, 2016)

lilspaz68 said:


> that is a full blown seizure but not a really bad one...those ones they fall over and flail and thrash so much they can hurt themselves.
> 
> Seizures are usually just symptoms, of things like brain tumours or sometimes just electrical disturbances in the brain. You have a few options now that you know what's going on.
> 
> ...


Got it. Is there any type of food I should get for her? Like something different?


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## Paeeje (Feb 17, 2016)

lilspaz68 said:


> that is a full blown seizure but not a really bad one...those ones they fall over and flail and thrash so much they can hurt themselves.
> 
> Seizures are usually just symptoms, of things like brain tumours or sometimes just electrical disturbances in the brain. You have a few options now that you know what's going on.
> 
> ...


Also, should I separate her from her sister?


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

If her sisters are not bothering or bullying her, she should stay with them.


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## Paeeje (Feb 17, 2016)

Gribouilli said:


> If her sisters are not bothering or bullying her, she should stay with them.


What would qualify as bothering her?


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

Force grooming her, barbering her, trying to wrestle with her, sleeping on top of her in a way that would make it difficult for her to breath...If you hear her squeaking in protest repeatedly that would be a sign to give her her own cage. But if there is no bothering, being with her sisters will make her feel better.


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## Paeeje (Feb 17, 2016)

Gribouilli said:


> Force grooming her, barbering her, trying to wrestle with her, sleeping on top of her in a way that would make it difficult for her to breath...If you hear her squeaking in protest repeatedly that would be a sign to give her her own cage. But if there is no bothering, being with her sisters will make her feel better.


Alright, that's what I was hoping. She is back in her own cage, and she is still just lying there. What more can I do for her? There are no vets in this area, and ones that are not in the area are not reachable right now or even open.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

I would position her close to a water bottle if she can reach it at all (have two water bottles so she is not bothered by her sisters coming to drink and also because it is always better to have 2 water bottles in case one is malfunctioning). If she can't drink by herself have veggies, greens, fruits, baby foods...by her side so she stays hydrated. You might have to take her out of the cage for a few feedings a day as her sisters might get most of the fresh food to themselves. If she doesn't eat enough, soy baby formula and Ensure would help. I had a sick rat who loved the chocolate Ensure.


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## Paeeje (Feb 17, 2016)

I ave tried to give her a grape and a cheerio, but she will not take it. She did stop drinking when I placed the food next to her mouth as well. How does force-feeding or making her drink usually go? Do I have any risk of hurting her if I use a syringe?


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Ensure is a good food/fluids in one syringe, flavored baby cereal is good too, not a lot of energy to eat it.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

If she's still seizing or recovering she won't be able to swallow. Drooling is another sign of seizures, whereas they will start swallowing once they are doing better. At that point you can put a syringe in the side of her mouth, behind the teeth (45 degree angle) and just squeeze a little and see if she swallows. If she does, go slow, and she should figure it out and start swallowing.Has she had more seizures?


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

How is she doing?


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