Our pet (Phil) Fancy Rat

Question
We have had Phil since Aug. 2007.  He has been such a joy.  We noticed yesterday after he had some tapioca, Phil started to drag his body on the sofa (we let him wander on the sofa when were home.  Phil seems to have strength in both back legs but drags them to walk.  He is a little over weight.  Could that be why he is dragging his body to get around?  It just happened last night.  Please advise what we should do.  Thanks for your help. ~S

Answer


Older rats are prone to hind leg paralysis due to inflammation on the nerves in the lower lumbar area of the spine, usually caused by spinal degeneration due to aging, which can be caused by arthritis too.  This condition is usually gradual, however, starting with a drooping tail, and  loss of coordination in the rear legs which leads them to shuffling rather than lifting his feet when he walks.

As this condition advances, he will no longer use his rear legs, and instead, he will drag his hind legs.

When this becomes evident, it is important to make changes to his cage and lower his water bottle so he can reach it, keep his food in a shallow dish and remove ramps and ladders as he will no longer be able to climb.  He may try but this may cause injury from a fall as his muscles atrophy from loss of use. The hind quarters will lose muscle mass and may look a bit more boney than you are used to seeing. The good news is that this condition is not usually painful and most rats will remain pretty mobile, finding their own way to move around as long as it is made easy for them. Keep him off of wire shelves and make it solid so he can propel around on his belly. Move litter into a box and chances are he will move to the litter to use it. This way he wont have to propel through litter and it wont hurt his belly.  Its important to  make changes that make the condition easier to live with. The vet may even give him steroids for inflammation, or metacam which is more like a fancy version of ibuprofen.

With this sudden onset though, it makes me wonder if he did not have a stroke that led to this condition.  Have you noticed anything unusual about him prior to his loss of the use of his hind legs?