Has our rat had a stroke?

Question
Hi my pet rats really ill. shes a year and ten months old.

2 weeks ago she had the sniffles and she was a little bit wheezy when breathing. i took her to the vets and she was prescribed baytril for her and her cage mates who were also a bit unwell. the vet said after 2 weeks if there is no improvement come back and we can try giving them something else.

all rats responded well to the medicine. but my oldest rat millie started becoming lethargic, i assumed it was because shes getting old and slowing down. then she started becoming really thin despite the fact that she is still eating. the other day i went to get the rats out and she wasn't moving. i kept calling her and she just continued to lay there like she was asleep. so i put my hand in to pick her up but she was floppy and wouldn't stir. i thought that she'd died, but eventually she came to.

last night whilst i was feeding her she seemed like she was having difficulty eating even tho she wanted to. she managed to get a bit down but compared to her usual self it was nothing.

i took her to the vets today and they said it could be a side effect of the baytril so i should stop administering her with it and see how she responds. they gave her an injection to boost her up a bit.

tonight when i got home i bought some baby food and mixed it with a little water and went to wake her and get her out she didn't respond, even tho she was breathing she was basically dead. like she was in a coma or something. in the end i managed to wake her. i fed her the baby food and shes managed to get down about a tablespoon, so she still wants to eat and hasn't given up yet and im not going to.

I've now noticed that she cant clutch with her paws and has no grip and she keeps falling over when she's cleaning and her head is slightly tilted to one side and she still cant seem to chew and hold food.She is also very depressed in her cage and just looks limp when we have her out but can hobble around a bit. Do you think this is a stroke and what advice can you give us?

Thanks

Kate

Answer
For starters, you need a new vet. I HATE HATE to say this, but your vet is way off. Big time.

Baytril will never cause these types of side effects.

Now for the bad news:

Your rat has a pituitary tumor on the base of her brain. The signs are all there, from her inability to eat, lethargy, and finally, the neurological signs; unable to grasp with her forelimbs and inability to chew. Swallowing is also pretty hard for her.

Please read up on my site for more information on this and also, just so you have more than just my opinion, here is another source about pituitary tumors. There is no cure and they are fatal.
I am very sorry to have to be this honest with you, but its only fair I tell you the truth so she doesnt suffer.  The vet obviously does not know about how prone female rats are to this disease or he would have picked up on it long ago.  Steroids may help her but since the vet never picked up on it, it may be too late.

Here is the link to my site and the info on pituitary tumors:

http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/pituitarytumors.htm


More info on Pituitary tumors here:

http://ratguide.com/health/neoplasia/pituitary_tumor.php


As for the vet: Your vet also should know that you never tell someone to wait for 2 weeks before the meds work. The rule of thumb is 3 days. If they are not showing signs of recovering in 3 days, they should change medication.  Waiting for 2 weeks is a good way to cause serious illness, possibly making the rat worse.

If you want names of a vet that knows how to properly treat rats, please let me know. If you feel your vet has misled you to believe he or she is an exotic vet when he is just a regular DVM that sees rats *and probably should pass on seeing them from now on*  I can look up his or her credentials and let you know the status.  You can make the next message private. This way nobody can see our message and it is totally private between you and I.

I wish I could help more.  You can help her by feeding her baby food and letting her lick it from you, but I fear that she is near the end of life now.  I diagnose these tumors almost weekly on here and it really gets upsetting.  Recently someone just lost a rat from it.

Please let me know what else I can do to help you. Hang in there. Keep her close and comfortable to you so she at least doesnt feel alone unless she prefers to be alone.


REVISED:

Please let me know how your rat is today and if you have contacted your vet or found another.
I am very worried about your little girl and hope that she gets the help she needs, ,even if it is just to make her more comfortable.