rat illness, possible meningitis?

Question
QUESTION: I have an ill pet ratty on my hands.. I read about meningitis in rats, and I'm terribly worried that it is this. Over the last 2-3 weeks, Totoro has been slower and lazier than usual. At first I thought it was just the heat, and I put a bowl of cold water into the cage, with some ice blocks.

Last Saturday I noticed a sudden change in his behaviour, when he started walking around the cage as though his vision had gone, and as though he was unsure of his surroundings. I got him to the vet, who gave him a shot of cortezone, and supplied me with Baytril to give him for a couple of days. I then had to take him back to the vet a few days later to view his progress. The vet believes that it is either a stroke, or a brain tumour. However, after reading about meningitis in rats, I am terribly concerned that it may be this. As from Wed. evening, Totoro has been stumbling about in the cage, hardly using his front paws, and sort of pushing himself around on his chin with his eyes closed. He seems confused and sometimes mildly panicked. He tends to move down to the lower level of the cage and just stay there, even to sleep, which is not something he normally did before.

I don't know whether it's too late already, but if anyone can offer advice, please do! I also have a 2nd rattie, Aiko, who doesn't seem affected by this yet. But he is a constant sneezer, and I'm worried that with his respiratory issues he may pick up this virus quite easily?

Please let me know what I can do should you have any advice..


ANSWER: It doesnt sound like meningitis to be honest. As a matter of fact, if it were, he would have been dead in just a few days. It sounds more like a pituitary tumor. Please refer to my site, Sandys critter city.  Below is a link to the page about pituitary tumors. Although more common in aged female rats, males are not exempt from developing them and the symptoms are very much like the ones your rat is displaying, especially the lack of use of his forelimbs, which is classic pituitary tumor sign.

http://www.sandyscrittercity.com/pituitarytumors.htm

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

QUESTION: Thank you for your answer. Sadly, my ratty passed away last night, overnight. I did manage to get him to another vet yesterday, who took some x-rays. From the x-rays we could see that he had a white area on one of his lungs, which was either a tumor growing, or his lung had collapsed in this area. He was very suddenly worse yesterday, hardly moving at all, and in the early hours of the morning when I went to check on him, he had passed away. This was a rather sad experience, but from it I was lucky to have found a suitable vet for my other ratty, and any future ratties I will have..
Thank you again. :) ..B.

Answer
I am very sorry for your loss. To be honest, it still sounds like he had a pituitary tumor though. He probably had pneumonia on top of that, which would explain the anxious episodes he displayed. When a rats lungs are compromised and they dont get a proper amount of oxygen, this will cause the rat to have episodes of panic when they become hypoxic. He may have showed signs of cyanosis, which would show in his extremeties by his coloring. His feet may have been blue or purple tinged and this may also include his tail and even his muzzle.  

The signs he had such as being off balance and not using his paws (front paw weakness is a sure sign of something going on neurological wise) tells me he probably had a PT too.

Either way, the little guy is in a better place now and all better....sad as it may be, of course, its always so hard to lose our fur babies.