Rat with twisted neck, doing barrel rolls!? UPDATE: She didn't make it :( And now her cagemate is d

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Ouchies, some vets are more expensive than others. Try calling around, hopefully you can find one that works for you and your girlie.

I would be veeery leery about the antibiotics at the feed store being given to a rat. Just calculating the dose would be tricky, and you'd need an exact weight in grams to start. Baytril is often used to treat infections in rodents, but that is an RX medication.
 
You can buy Polysporin eye/ear drops (used to treat Pinkeye in people) over the counter at the drug store. Maybe a drop in each ear might help things?

We have had 3 pet rats in the past. Love them. Checked a book I have and there is a good chance it is an ear infection. Other causes are poisonings or head spinal cord injury. Hope she gets better.
 
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If you can find some organic, extra virgin coconut oil (not the overly processed stuff like Lousanne at WalMart!) you can warm it slightly (in your hands) and put that in the rats ears. EVCO is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. I have used it to treat pink eye in my 6 year old daughter and also for ear infection in my younger son.

You may have to treat it for several days or a week. It DOES and WILL work. IF that is what is wrong with your little furr-baby.

Good Luck!

Deb
 
She was much the same when we got home today. Still with the twisted neck and rolling around, but still managing to eat, drink, clean herself, and give kisses.

We bought both polysporin and EVCO. The polysporin didn''t come in ear drop form, so we are trying the EVCO first. We put a little in each ear. Hopefully this will work....

The other thing we were considering is that this might be a stroke. Anyone ever heard of a rat having a stroke?
 
This is what it says in my rat book:

Ear Infections
Infections in the middle and inner ear behind the eardrum can cause persistent tilting of the rats head; uncoordination; and circling, rolling or falling to one side. Treatment with antibiotics can reduce or eliminate these signs and prevent the infection from spreading. But in many cases the head tilting persists, usually because there has been permanent damage to the rat's sense of balance. This is usually a mild handicap, and the rat learns to compensate.

The book doesn't say anything about strokes, but I'm sure it is a possibility.

If it is in the middle or inner ear, she may need oral antibiotics as oil or drops wouldn't penetrate into the ear far enough to be effective. Could you take her to a vet? There is a few forums for fancy/pet rats. Have you posted your problem on any of them? They may have more experience with something like this.
 
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Thanks for the link! I hadn't thought to look for a rat forum haha. Great idea!

I posted there an hopefully someone will respond. It really does sound like an inner ear infection. And unfortunately if that's the case, the EVCO won't do her a bit of good. We will have to go to the vet, and I'm not sure I will be able to sell my hubby on that
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Hard to convince a frugal and financially savvy man that it's worth it to spend 100$ or more for vet bills on a middle aged rat that only cost ten bucks to begin with.... I have my work cut out for me it seems.
 
She is showing no improvement
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Today I will be looking for an exotic vet in our area and we will be taking her in on Monday or Tuesday. From what I understand, she will not get better without RX meds.
 

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