My rat seems to have an ear infection!

Question
QUESTION: Hi I have a rat that is approximently 4 months old, and she has a head tilt. I seen she was unbalenced and I thought ear infection! I only have about $50 to my name and I can't afford vet treatment! Is there any way to use other ear drops and antibiotics? I really need help and I don't want my baby to suffer. Please don't tell me "If you can't afford the vet you can't afford the pet" I really could have left her in that cage for snakes to eat. She has been with me like 2 months and I really love her! I have her in a cage with my other female, and she just sits there! Btw her only symptoms are a head tilt and slight off balence it's been like one and a half days. I am 13 and my mom didn't want me to get rat and know I'm stuck!

ANSWER: Unfortunately to the best of my knowledge there is no over the counter safe treatment for a rat's ear infection. Do you smell anything nasty on her head/around her ear? Normally ear infections smell.. it's a very sickly, sweet, nasty smell and very prominent.

Has her head tilt gotten any worse since you noticed it?

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


this is a pic with her   QUESTION: No smell at all! It's been the same and by the way she is a half standard half dumbo rat and the dumbo ear is infected. Does that make a difference? She also has no discharge or ozzing. I might be able to attach a pic! if that helps:

Answer
It may not be an ear infection, it may "just" be a head tilt. Maybe from a birth defect or from a fall or head trauma that you're unaware of. Keep an eye on it, and if it gets worse, head to the vet for treatment.

There's no such thing as a half dumbo, half standard. Either both ears are dumbo or both ears are standard (she's a dumbo). She may not have ears evenly set, which makes it look standard, but she is definitely dumbo. Think of it as you would skin color. If one parent is Caucasian (white) and the other is African-American, you're going to be a blend of the two, leaning more one way than the other -- you're not going to have one ear look completely white and the other look completely black. :) It doesn't work EXACTLY that way of course, it was just the only analogy I could think of .. lol