# Pls help with paralyzed rat :( At a complete loss as to what to do



## RattyBoomBaLatty (May 29, 2013)

First, introductions - I'm new here. In fact, I'm a brand new rat owner. My kids have had hamsters and we have chickens, dogs and cats... but we've always had a soft spot in our hearts for rats. Recently we fell in love with 2 female bonded rats from a pet rescue place and we adopted them both. We think they're around 1 year old. One rat is super super friendly and the other is very shy and standoffish. We named the shy one Speedy because she spends every waking moment running in her wheel. We've had them about 3 weeks and it's been a wonderful experience.

Fast forward to memorial day weekend - Speedy was being put in her cage by my son and she grabbed ahold of the bars with her hands and pulled and he dropped her rear end down. Her front legs were holding on and her rear end fell about 3-4 inches. She limped a bit, but seemed otherwise fine (this was Fri night). Saturday morning I noticed she was really limping. Saturday night she was dragging her entire rear end like she was paralyzed. I was heart-broken and shocked that such a small fall could have caused this. At the time it seemed inconsequential, but now we think maybe she got really injured. Sunday she was the same. Monday she started using her rear legs in sort of a swimming motion. On Tuesday our vet opened again (was closed Sat-Mon for holiday) and we took her in for an appt. I was encouraged because she was putting a little bit of weight on her hind legs. The vet examined her and said it appears to be a spinal trauma (because of the way her hind legs were dragging and her toes were curling up). He said the fact that she has improved leads him to think she'll keep improving if she's kept quiet and in a cage without the ability to climb. I moved her to an old hamster aquarium and I put her sister in with her for a few hours a day so neither one is lonely (per the vet's suggestion). 

Well today - Wednesday - she seems worse. Now she is 100% dragging her entire rear end. Her feet just hang limp behind her :'(. It's $55 to go to the vet again and I can't pay that 2x in one week.

I'm just at a loss. The vet knows a lot about small animals and exotics, in case you wondered. He didn't think that the small fall I described could have caused her injury, but he said she could have slightly hurt her leg and then fallen from the 3rd level of her cage possibly in the night? 

I really need some advice. I know I'm new here, but I really appreciate any help you can give me. I feel horrible looking at her dragging her rear end along....

Thanks


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## shizzoizzo7 (Apr 17, 2013)

Likely not what you want to hear but I had a girl who developed hind leg paralysis about 2 years ago, she was happy and loving for about a week after losing her back legs. After that I am not sure if it progressed or what but she was unable to urinate or have bowel movements so with building toxins and her chewing herself to bleeding trying to be able to urinate my vet and I determined that was no way to make her live and had her PTS, so I definitely recommend keeping a close eye on food consumption and excretion.

Also not sure about your vet but mine charges about $30 less for a follow up visit if its within a week or so.

Hope everything works out for you 


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## RattyBoomBaLatty (May 29, 2013)

Any idea what the cause of hind leg paralysis is? She's not eating her regular food, but she is still happily eating treats - carrots, bananas, cucumber, etc. I'm not sure she's drinking though  The vet said to handle her as little as possible, but I have carefully taken her out of her cage a couple of times to check on her. 

Thank you SO much for responding. I don't anyone with pet rats and I'm at a total loss as to what to do. Her sister seems SO lonely without her (I've put the aquarium right up against her cage so they can see each other - and I just put the sisters in the aquarium together for an hour of "sister time" with the hopes it'll make them both feel less lonely).


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

Good news is that many rats develop hind end paralyzes and live happy lives. I would try to invest in a large rabbit or guinea pig cage, and if it has too big of bar spacing you'll need to cover it in hardware cloth which you can get at places like home depot. This would give her much more roaming room then a tank, it would allow her sister to climb, and it's also long enough that you can put in a level with a long enough ramp for her to go up without hurting herself. Would also make having low hanging hammocks easier to put up for her.

As for what caused it, I'm not 100% sure. It is possible that it happened at Just the right time when her back end fell that gravity caused one of her vertebrae to snap, or to get a compressed disc (is that what it is called?) which is pinching the nerve down causing it. It was probably just really bad timing at the wrong moment. I've had rats fall from 5 ft + before with no issues, but I've heard of many cases on here of rats falling from half that distance dying of internal bleeding. (Not to freak you out). I can try to see if I can find a more scientific answer if you want.


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## RattyBoomBaLatty (May 29, 2013)

Thanks Lightning Wolf. I can modify her 3-story cage to give her more room, so maybe I'll work on that. We were keeping her in the aquarium in case it was an injury and preventing climbing would help her heal. I honestly think putting her back with her sister is the best move for both of them. The problem is that there are bars on the cage and she keeps trying to climb up to the top to sleep in the Space Pod with her sister - and she falls instantly bc she doesn't have the strength to pull herself up without using her back legs 

Again - I really appreciate the feedback from you all.


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## RattyBoomBaLatty (May 29, 2013)

I posted a video to YouTube so you can see what she looks like. After shizzoizzo7's recommendation I researched hind end paralysis and I think that's what she's got  It was my understanding (and I could be wrong) that HEP comes on slowly in older rats...not suddenly in younger rats. Granted Speedy is adopted and we *think* she's only 1 year old, but I guess we don't really know.

http://youtu.be/PlZz8ewKb3Q


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## shizzoizzo7 (Apr 17, 2013)

RattyBoomBaLatty said:


> Any idea what the cause of hind leg paralysis is? She's not eating her regular food, but she is still happily eating treats - carrots, bananas, cucumber, etc. I'm not sure she's drinking though  The vet said to handle her as little as possible, but I have carefully taken her out of her cage a couple of times to check on her.
> 
> Thank you SO much for responding. I don't anyone with pet rats and I'm at a total loss as to what to do. Her sister seems SO lonely without her (I've put the aquarium right up against her cage so they can see each other - and I just put the sisters in the aquarium together for an hour of "sister time" with the hopes it'll make them both feel less lonely).


My vet though the cause was an unseen tumor, the regular food might be harder for her to eat, If needed try syringe feeding baby food. Also my vet had put my girl on steroids to try to help strengthen the body.

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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

Hind end paralysis or degeneration is something you’d normally associate with an older rat and it is very gradual. However I’ve heard of sudden onset hind end paralysis like this before. It is almost always caused by either a fall or a tumour pressing on the spine. Without an x-ray (which will be costly I’m sure) there’s no real way of being sure. However on a brighter note you may be able to help her either to recover or to give her a better quality of life. I would recommend asking your vet for a steroid injection for her then some steroids to give palatively. If this is a tumour it should help shrink it considerably at least at first (long term if it’s a tumour she will get worse and you will need to make a hard decision one day), if it’s trauma it will reduce the swelling on the affected area which can help healing a lot. Honestly though the fact its got worse point more to a tumour to me. 

In the mean time I would move her sister in with her into the low level cage permanently. Just make sure you get her out lots to let her run around. This will help cheer them both up, and she will also help keep her sister clean and well groomed, something a paralysed rat struggles with. Keep an eye on your Speedy’s eating and toileting, if it does get worse she will likely either become incontinent or bunged up. If she stops urinating and appears swollen and bunged up then its probably time as they can quickly go from an over filled bladder bursting internally. Offering her lots of soft food in a shallow dish should help, baby food is a good but messy option. I would only separate your two girls if your healthy sister starts picking on Speedy. It may be worth trying her on some painkiller such as metacam or kiddies ibuprofen suspension as these may reduce the anti inflammatory some, however make sure you stop this 24 hours before going to the vets for steroids as they shouldn’t be taken together. Steroids are a much stronger anti inflammatory and are well worth trying.

If it is a tumour there is a chance of it being cancerous, if so then its quite normal for the cancer to spread and she may start looking very poorly one day. If so then this is another sign that its probably time, cancerous tumours are very difficult to get rid of in rats, even in surgery. They have a habbit of intertwining with organs (which makes them feel ill) and its often not worth removing them. Benign tumours are far kinder and tend to crop up in just one place, however I would be warey about even an experienced vet operating near the spine.

I’ve had a fair few boys live comfortably with hind leg degeneration, they normally get quite strong shoulders and pull themselves around with a bit of help. However a rat who has adored running around to suddenly loose this can be a lot harder on them mentally. Keep an eye on her happiness and if she becomes depressed and isn’t improving on steroids then even if shes still managing to function it is probably kinder to put her to sleep. Some rats can handle being an invalid, some rats hate it with a passion and at the end of the day quality of life is paramount.


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## RattyBoomBaLatty (May 29, 2013)

Isamurat - THANK YOU for that info. I hadn't thought about soft food. I'll look up what soft foods are appropriate for her. She loves chunks of frozen banana, but I'm sure if I poke around on this site I'll find plenty of soft food options. I moved her into the 3-story cage with her sister this morning because they both looked so lonely. Oddly she somehow managed to slither up to the top level and sleep in the space pod with her sister. I watched her slither down to the bottom level once and she holds on to the sides of the ramp now so she doesn't fall. I guess she's adapting... I'll call the vet now to see what he says about a steroid injection. Again - thank you!!!


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## tori_m (Mar 5, 2013)

I don't have any real advice as I am a new rat mom myself, and have never seen this before, but I just wanted to send some warm thoughts your way. I'm sure this must be so difficult. From the video, she seems happy and active, I would maybe recommend nothing rough on the bottom of her cage as running and pulling her legs and bottom end like that, it may get tender or raw. Running around on that blanket looks great for her. I bet she can still live a very happy little ratty life! I would definitely put them together though, she probably needs help grooming, and it would make them both happier. Keep us updated!


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## RattyBoomBaLatty (May 29, 2013)

Thanks tori_m. I'm feeling very sad about the whole thing now. We only had the rats 2 weeks before this happened and I'm just heartbroken. I don't think she's happy being paralyzed from the waist down, but maybe she's adapting. Today she just looks sad. I keep having to wipe pee off her rear end because when she pees, she lays in it. Part of me thinks I should have her put down, and part of me thinks I should see how long she can keep going like this. It's a horrible feeling not knowing what the right thing to do is for her. I know her sister would be heartbroken if she wasn't with her anymore. It's a lot to deal with when you're a brand new rat mom  I'm going to search on this board to see if I can find ways to make her happier. People keep saying I should get rid of the 3-story cage and get a large guinea pig type cage, but we just got this cage and don't have room for a larger one. Her sister still sleeps up top alone, so Speedy spends a lot of him by herself on the bottom of the cage  I made her a little fleece hammock in the corner, but she won't go in it, even if I put her in it... she slithers out. I made them some corn on the cob today to see if that would cheer her up. I just feel so sad about it all.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

It is a horrible thing and a hard decision. I think its worth a shot with the steroids but if she doesnt improve and seems depressed most of the time I think you probably need to say bye to her.

I woild suggest getting her sister a friend as hard as that would be for you alternatively getting a third rat now might be worth considering, that way if speedy has had enough then you still have a pair, and if she gets better you have a lovely trio. For now thouh moving them into a single story cage for a week or two might be worthwhile. Also see if you can get hold of some vet bed or folded fleece to put under speedys bed, this will help draw urine away from her if shes struggling.


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## RattyBoomBaLatty (May 29, 2013)

I would never have dawned on me to get her sister a friend while Speedy is still alive. That is something to consider. I'll start researching that now. And thanks for the idea of the folded fleece. I am a sewer and have a huge bucket of fleece. That is a good idea  Again, thank you. I really appreciate the advice from others... I really feel lost with this whole thing


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## DustyRat (Jul 9, 2012)

It is very sad to see the state of the poor rattie. I would be cautious of a new rat right now as the new rat might harm your sick rat, sensing that something is wrong.


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## tori_m (Mar 5, 2013)

Maybe you can try to sell your three story cage and just get the guinea pig cage, as suggested. That's what I have for my girls, and they love it. I made some levels myself with wood and put some hanging hammicks in there. But there is lots of room to run around on the bottom. I got my cage off of Amazon and it was about $35 I think, shipping included. I think it was called my first home for guinea pigs. 

I found this online, it's all copy pasted;
"


Too often, people euthanize a pet as soon as they develop any chronic condition or disability. However, hind leg paralysis doesn't have to stop a rat from enjoying their life. It doesn't cause pain, and most rats can get around readily using their front paws.
Be aware that paralyzed rats often have bladder control issues. They're more likely to pee on you. Don't get too upset about this, just take them out for shorter but more frequent play sessions.
Provide fabric bedding for a paralyzed rat. Old t-shirts, sheets and other cotton fabric are the best options for a paralyzed rat. The fabric is absorbent, yet comfortable. CareFresh bedding is too rough for the rat's sensitive skin, since the paralyzed rat will be dragging his hind legs over the bedding.
Bathe the paralyzed rat daily or more frequently if needed. Urine can burn the rat's sensitive skin and many paralyzed rats are incontinent and lack sensation in the hind quarters, making him more likely to sit in the urine without realizing it.

Paralysis does not have to be a cause for euthanasia. As a rat lover, you know your little friends have a zest for life, and a paralyzed pet rat can continue to live happily so long as the condition is manageable and you take the time and responsibility to care for your newly special-needs pet. Rats with paralyzed hind limbs can often continue to function relatively well because they can drag themselves along with their front limbs—just make sure they're able to get to food, water and their preferred sleeping areas. "

also i found this link which seems to be useful! http://suite101.com/article/care-for-an-elderly-paralyzed-rat-a70586
​


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

I don't know if it helps at all but if it is paralysis and if she is having trouble using the bathroom (I am not sure if it will work on rats or not especially paralyzed ones)
But with raccoons when they have trouble going to the bathroom or when they are babies we put baby oil on a washcloth and rub their butts and other parts and it helps them go to the bathroom. So you wouldn't have to worry about toxins building up or intestinal blockage.

Sorry if I'm not much of a help.


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## RattyBoomBaLatty (May 29, 2013)

Thanks tori_m!! Those are really great tips. My husband and I just had the "what is her quality of life" talk with each other tonight. We both agreed that it's only been a week and we can't tell, so we'll give it a bit longer and see how we feel. I have no desire to have her euthanized, but she does look so sad just laying there dragging her body along... I'm doing everything I can think of to make her more comfortable and those tips and that link are great! I spoke to a local rat breeder tonight and she said she's never heard of hind leg paralysis in a young female rat, so she thinks it is some sort of spinal trauma too 



tori_m said:


> Maybe you can try to sell your three story cage and just get the guinea pig cage, as suggested. That's what I have for my girls, and they love it. I made some levels myself with wood and put some hanging hammicks in there. But there is lots of room to run around on the bottom. I got my cage off of Amazon and it was about $35 I think, shipping included. I think it was called my first home for guinea pigs.
> 
> I found this online, it's all copy pasted;
> "
> ...


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