Sick(??) Rat

Question
QUESTION: Hi Sandra,

My boy Bear seems to be having some issues lately. I have posted a detailed account with video in a forum, which I will link to at the end of this post (it contains all of the following information and probably a bit more detail). I got Bear from a breeder about four weeks ago, and he is about 4.5 months old. A few days ago, I noticed Bear drooling a lot and making strange "squished faces". I read up online and posted on ratforums.com, and concluded that he was probably choking on some food but that he would work it out on his own over time. Since then, I have seen him do the weird face on at least two occasions (not drooling, though). He also seems more lethargic than usual. I posted a video of the face thing on the forum, which you can see here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0BzTCZf_2w

People then posted that it doesn't look like choking at all and that they're not sure what it is. He was incredibly friendly, outgoing, curious. He is still quite sweet but is quite lethargic. If I bring him out of his cage, he will wake up and sniff around a bit and explore for a while, but he always returns to his cage and lies back down. He never seems to want to do anything unless I make him!

I am bringing Bear to a nearby vet in the morning, but I thought I would get a rat specialist's opinion as well. The vet has experience working with rats but is by no means a rat specialist. I know it's hard without seeing him in person, but any suggestions or ideas you have would be very valuable.

I am most worried about Bear being in pain. The face scrunchy thing looks like a pain face. :(

Here is the link to the forum I have referenced:
http://www.ratforum.com/showthread.php?50891-Muscle-tensing-and-drool...-seizure(


Thanks,
Sydney

ANSWER: Hi

I am thinking he has pneumonia. Sometimes rats drool when they have pneumonia, esp if their lungs are filling up with fluids.  The leaping and running around indicate he may be having difficulty getting oxygen which sends him into a panic. The lethargy indicates being ill of course, and the excess porphyrin on his nostrils and the side of his nose (which I am going to assume is what you saw on his nose instead of blood, which is a common mistake rat owners make)  Please let me know what the vet says.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Sandra,

Thanks for the quick reply. Wouldn't I hear wheezing or coughing or anything from pneumonia? I've been checking to make sure he isn't making any noises that would be congruent with a respiratory infection, since I know those are common.

Also, have you ever seen a rat make a face like Bear does? I can't seem to find any videos or documentation of any other rats doing that.

Thanks for your reply, and I will definitely let you know what the rat says.

Answer
Not always. Some rats have a pneumonia related to a potential deadly bacteria and the only sign at first is lethargy. The rat is dead in 24 hours in some cases and the owner is totally baffled as to what happened.   As for that face, yes, I have seen it in some rats. When they choke, they drool alot and foam at the mouth and extend their necks every few seconds to minutes in an effort to try to either dislodge the object or move it around a bit until it dissolves more (if its food that is the culprit) I have had rats that have had tumors in the nasal cavity and when they close their mouths they cannot breathe through their nose and start to gag and make an odd face.  Again, without seeing him I can sit here and throw all sorts of things out there with nothing that can clearly be the actual cause.  You need to have a vet that truly knows about rats and their anatomy and diseases to look him over. Meanwhile, try soft foods such as baby food and see if that doesnt change things until the vet can see him. Please keep me posted.