seizures

Question
QUESTION: i was away on vacation when one of my two rats became ill.  the signs point to him having diarrhea and either lack of appetite or not being able to get to the food that was up on a platform, as he lost a lot of weight.  i suspect the only food he was getting was the cereal biscuit snack i had my friend offering once a day. when retrieved the boys Spud was normal and Badger wouldn't come out of hiding.  when we got home i saw that Badger looked terrible and wouldn't take any water. i had to bathe him to get the poop off his rear and his urine was incredibly strong.  he dove into an egg-milk mix as well as some thin cream of wheat and pinches of bread but he couldn't eat much at a time.  every 10 or so minutes he'd come out for more and promptly got back to bed.  the next morning he was on his side and limp and remained that way except when he began having seizures later that morning.  the seizures became more frequent and more violent as the day went on.  he did not appear conscious in between fits except the few moments before and after.  early on during those moments his eyes would clear and he'd talk to me (teeth grinding, chattering and eye boggling).  later he stopped talking except once or twice.  he had no problems breathing until late that night and within 2 hours he died.  please tell me if you know what could have caused this.  Badger wasn't even 2 and i feel his time with me was too short.

ANSWER: I am confused......who was feeding them and caring for them when you were away on vacation?  Why were they not able to reach their food? Why was your friend feeding them cereal biscuit snack (not sure what that consists of either)  It seems to me that he died from heart attack or heart failure due to severe dehydration and malnutritoin due to neglect while you were on vacation.  Perhaps I am missing the picture but its hard to get a mental image of anything else from your description.  Anyhow let me know how long you think he had goine without food our nourishment.  Did he live in a cage or have room to roam where he could have gotten into something he shouldnt have. ?

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


badger   QUESTION: my friend was the one feeding my boys with my instructions as to their feeding schedule.  i had him offering a kashi autumn harvest cereal once a day plus a crouton of homemade bread.  they stay in a complex of cages so they can roam between them.  the food was kept on a platform that i only assume Badger could could not or would not go to.  i think he went without eating for 2-3 days before i came home.  but i am no expert on how fast they thin. he just wasn't nearly as plump as i left him.  nor was he as perky.  he looked out of the house at me  but tucked back inside even when i tried to pick him up. badger never was the super outgoing one but he was very curious and loved checking out every pocket and sleeve.
my friend said he didn't take them out of the cage and his wife wasn't that adventurous either.  there was nothing in the cage that wasn't suppose to be there.

ANSWER: What kind of litter do you use in the tanks?  He is very cute.....btw. Looks like one of my boys I had long ago I named Shadow. He was a blazed dumbo alot like Badger.

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

QUESTION: i have always used soft-sorbent.  it is something my local pet store carries and i love it for the odor and moisture control.  in the 10 days i was gone the litter was trashed and the urine odor was horrible.  it usually lasts 2 weeks.  
could the stress of being able to hear strange animals have contributed somehow?  he had never known dogs and my friend has several.  but the boys were kept in a separate part of the house from the dogs.  and if that contributed why would he have been starving but mobile one day and limp mixed with seizures and convulsions the next after coming home?

Answer
I am sure it was the mixture of stress and being in a strange atmoshere.  Also, even just hearing a dog bark or a cat meow can scare a rat.  The seizures though, that I do believe was from lack of fluids during the time you were gone.   I am thinking your friend do not do a very good job at caring for your rats.