tight left side of face

Question

Flurry's face   QUESTION: My rat Flurry has just turned one. He's had something wrong with the left side of his face since i got him. At first it looked like it was his eye, so i got some Ocuflox for him. But when that didn't help, the vet looked in his ear and saw a little something there, so he put him on Canaural. That didn't help either. So the vet said just to let it be, there's nothing we can do, and Flurry seems fine.

I assumed he was born with or something happened to, a nerve. And he's been on antibiotics for Mycoplasma. So i'm guessing this isn't an infection of some sort.

And he does seem fine, other than he used to scratch at his eye sometimes. He's always had a little porpherin around it. Some days it's almost completely open, but usually it's squinty. And the skin around it is quite pink, pinker than his normal eye. And the ear on that side is lower than the other ear. And that side of his face looks thight and pulled back, like he's smiling on that side. I can touch his face and it doesn't seem to hurt him at all.

I've included a picture of him of when i first got him. I can send more if that would help.

It's always bothered me that i didn't know what it has, and most of all, if i could fix it. And now lately, he seems uncomfortable and his fur is puffy, so i know something's wrong. He's on Baytril and Doxy for Myco, and his breathing sounds alot better, but there's obviously something else. Also, he was quite vocal when he was young, like when playing with his friends, and that stoped when he grew up and stoped playing. But now he's very vocal again whenever one of the other rats walks on him or grooms his, he'll squeak. And i'm scared it's because he's in pain. He still gets around normally, though prehaps a little slower, and he grooms himself and has a very good appetite.

But i know he's uncomfortable. And i wonder if his face might give and indication of what's bothering him. Cause his fur is always puffy, and it's extremely coarse.

I know the vet will probably not have any idea what it is, and i don't want to stress Flurry by getting all these tests done on him.

I know you have lots of experience with rats. Have you ever seen anything like it? Do you have any idea what this might be? I feel so bad for him, and i don't want to end up getting him euthanised(if this gets worse) without knowing if there's anything i can do. I just want him to be healthy and comfortable, and not in pain.


ANSWER: Are his teeth aligned properly?  Its hard for me to really tell without really seeing him in person.  Is there a mass on that side? How old is he?  He is cute.....all of the rats are adorable actually. Can he eat ok?   Tell me what his teeth look like. Has the vet ever considered this is related to his teeth?  

If he has always had this it could very well be a birth defect, some type of deformity, but it almost seems like his teeth are misaligned.  Please let me know if the vet checked his teeth to see if they were lined up evenly or if his molars were growing in wrong or abscessed.

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QUESTION: Wow, you answered so fast! Thank you!!
Flurry is one year old. His incisors are the correct length, but no, i don't think the vet checked his molars.
I got him when he was 5 or 6 weeks old, and, as the pictures show, there was somthing not quite right then, so it could be a birth defect. And i don't know if an absess would last a year without bursting. And his face isn't painful when i touch it. It really doesn't seem like a mass. Just like the muscle is pulled back and tight. Though is does seem worse than when i first got him.
Do you think it is an unrelated problem that is causing him all the discomfort? Well i'm sure it's very hard to speculate. And i'm scared that even if a bring him to the vet, he won't be albe to find anything anyway.  

Answer
If you have the right vet, he may come up with  the answer you are seeking. However, do not be fooled by ANY VET unless you are familiar with how to locate a vet that is truly experienced with exotics and has the proper facility to treat exotics etc...  the best place is a place that sees ONLY  exotics and not dogs or cats and has all the microsurgical implements that are made to fit the small exotic mammal.  Many people think their vet is a "rat vet" and sadly, there is no such thing as a rat vet.  It would be almost unrealistic to think that there is a vet in this world that has the knowledge to diagnose and treat every small mammal, from dogs and cats to rats and birds to lizards and snakes and hamsters and rabbits and know every single thing about every single species.  Its....just unrealistic.  So, this is where I come in. My job in the real world has been to aid the Vet that treats exotics but ONLY when it comes to rat care since this is my main focus....and a vet that thinks they know everything from A to Z about every species is a Vet to run away from, far away.  These vets kill your pets since they are to arrogant to seek outside advice and just do what they think is right, and its usually wrong.

If you want, I would like to find a vet for you. No obligation to see he or she at all, but I would like the opportunity to at least check  your area, wherever that may be, and see what your options are.  I know a few awesome vets scattered around the country, from the East coast to the West Coast and a vet in the UK too.  I am convinced this is a birth defect since  your right, if it were an abscess or even a tumor it would burst or grow larger over time and he would have had some serious side effects by now if that were the case.  It may even be his jaw is malformed, although this would probably make his molars misaligned.  I am just guessing right now at this point.  I would LOVE to see some X rays.  Has anyone ever taken a simple X ray of him?  I mean, its not hard to do and its not expensive to take just one or two fast photos.  If  you say no, this tells me that  your vet has not really done anything much to really diagnose him good enough and the answer may just lie in the  X Ray