Back End Paralysis

Question
Hi!

I have a couple questions about caring for my rat Irwin who has back end paralysis but first I'll give a little background info on him.

He's about one year and four months old and has otherwise been a lovely, healthy, rat. It was five-ish weeks ago when I noticed that he was having some issues with his hind legs. At first I thought it might just be normal from aging as many rats lose the use of their back legs. However after some quick reading I found he was too young, and when he proceeded to lose the use of his hind limbs completely after just three days I knew it was something more serious and quickly scheduled him for a visit with a vet who works with small animals near myself. It was Dr. Jackson at the East Orlando Animal Hospital.

So the next day I took him in and the doctor confirmed that it was not normal and ordered x-rays. Irwin has no tumors or anything specifically out of the usual except one vertebrae which led us to think he was somehow injured. The trip cost $255 but we came away with three x-rays, a doctors visit, antibiotics, and steroids for him. I followed the directions for the meds to a 't', even declining a night out with friends because I needed to give him them. But unfortunately he didn't get any better. During his two week follow up vet visit I was told the condition would likely not get any better. She did suggest a acupuncturist for him though.

Now Irwin is at home and dealing with his disability pretty well. I have him in a ramp-free cage and have put an absorbent cloth down to keep him from sitting entirely in his urine since he can't control that super well now, it also make it easier for him to move around since he has something to grab onto. The cloth is easily washed and/or replaced daily. He still eats like a pig, mostly fresh organic fruits, veggies, grains, and his favorite baby foods. He loves to cuddle up to me and still drags himself around quickly. Also, according to everyone he meets, he poops like a champion. Health wise he's pretty normal except for his legs.

Irwin has also begun having hind end spasms where his feet will kick or his tail will stiffen up and his waist swings around. The vet told me that this wasn't anything to be alarmed about, that they were involuntary, almost phantom, movements. However in the last two weeks they've been getting more and more frequent and I don't know if this is something that I should be taking him back to the vet for.

Here's where my questions come in. Since he's such a young rat, what can I do to keep him more active without his hind legs? Is acupuncture a good idea with a rat? And should I take him back to the vet about the increasing hind end movements?

Any insight you could offer would be greatly appreciated. While I have read everything I can find about rats, Irwin and his brother Barker, are my first two and I know that reading isn't a substitute for experience.

Again, thanks so much!
Carrie

Answer
Hi Carrie

I know of Dr.Jackson, and although she is not a certified small exotic companion mammal Veterinarian  she has a special interest in avian and exotics and is pretty well versed. I have sent several people to see her and they were all pleased.  That said, I will say your boy is pretty young for this condition as it usually is seen in senior rats. Where did you get your boys from?  I am wondering if this isnt something congenital although his brother is ok. Again, though, this is why I ask where you got them from. Perhaps they were cagemates but not related.

As for acupuncture, I am not one to really buy any of that stuff, I have had it done myself years ago for lower back pain and wanted to believe it worked so badly (it wasnt cheap!!) but it never did. So that decision would be yours, although I think the stress of it all in general would not be good for your boy. How long was he on steroids?

There is one thing I have on my own personal website and that is a page on senior rats and also on hind leg paralysis.  A reader sent me some info along with her story of her rat with it and how she helped him recover from it very well so I went ahead and added her story and info to my site.  The link to my website is sandyscrittercity.com and the link to the page about your boy is here
http://www.sandyscrittercity.com/careoftheelderlyrat.htm

I just went to my site to find the URL and noticed it looked funny with some of the words running over photos.  To be honest, right now as we speak I am running a fever of 102F and have been for two days (Doctor tomorrow I suppose) I feel awful so I am not going to my site to correct whatever the heck went wrong but you can still read the paragraph that is over the photo.  I have no clue how that happened though. Always something.  Hope you dont mind. I am just blah right now but wanted to address some issues here on allexperts today since I put it off yesterday when I first became sick.   Let me know after you go over it what you think.