2.5yr female rat with head tilt, loss of balance

Question
QUESTION: 6 months ago we had to have our pet rat put down as she was very ill, no appetite, severe weight loss, loss of balance and severe head tilt.  We have one remaining rat, her sister and last week she began to display the same symptoms.  We took her to the vets who told us it was either an ear infection or more commonly a brain tumour (this is what led us to have our first rat put down).  She was prescribed an antibiotic and although hasn't improved she is still eating well and drinking normally.  We were due to take her back to the vets today to have her put down but have had a sleepless night worrying about whether we are doing the right thing.  She feels like a little bag of bones but is still feisty (more often than not she bites!) but I would like to give her a chance as long as she is not suffering and in pain (how can we tell?).  We have lowered her hammock and ropes as she keeps falling and we do not want her to get injured.  She seems very off balance and is turning in circles.  Please can you give us any advice?  Many thanks, Claire

ANSWER: Hi Claire

Is she using her front paws to eat?  It is MORE COMMON for this to be ear infection than it is to be a pituitary tumor (this is the tumor that causes these symptoms)  All too often a rat is put to sleep because the vet feels it is a Pituitary tumor rather than an inner ear infection and the rat is put to sleep for it, when in turn, it was ear infection that was not properly treated.

you mentioned that she was on antibiotics but said nothing about steroids for inflammation?

If not, this is one reason she isnt getting better. There is pressure on the rats Vestibulocochlear Nerve and this is what controls equilibrium  in the brain.  If its from ear infection, it puts pressure on this nerve and the rat spins, has head tilt, walks in circles etc...and antibiotics will kill bacteria but it takes way to long on its own for the inflammation to go away and this tricks the vet into thinking the rat has a brain tumor and wants to put it to sleep.

Either way, if your rat is still feisty I would not put her down.

Again, is she using her front paws to hold things and has she been on steroids?  

How long has she been on antibiotics?  

Please dont put her down yet till we are sure that she has been properly diagnosed.  I see rats get put down for the wrong reasons too many times when head tilt and being off balance is an issue because the vet is not as educated about the  drugs that should be used in   cases like this as he should be.
Please let me know. I hope you have not gone to the vets office yet.




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

QUESTION: Thank you so much for replying so quickly, we are due to go in the next couple of hours and whilst I will still take her we will most certainly NOT be putting her to sleep on this visit!  She is still using her front paws to eat and the only thing I did fail to put in my question was that her left eye looks a little bulgy compared to the other one.  Hopefully this still means its an ear infection?  All she was presribed was 0.1ml of Baytril twice a day which has almost gone.  I will certainly ask for more and I will also ask for steroids too.  I feel so bad for trusting the vet and putting her sister to sleep.  Has this been caused by anything such as drafts?  Thanks again, Claire

Answer
Absolutely!!  Enophthalmos (recession of eye) on the side of the infected ear is often seen.   

Your rat needs treated properly and I am confident she will heal. I am not real keen on your vet though...if this vet doesnt comply and extend her medication and provide her with steroids, I would find another vet ASAP.

Here is more information on ear infections and how to properly treat it. Maybe you can print it and take it to the vet.  Perhaps he will stop putting rats to sleep at the drop of a hat.  Also, the culprit is often mycoplasmosis, drafts wont really cause anything. Thats more or less an old wives tale.  ;)

If you need a new vet, please let me know. I will be happy to help you find one.  I am so glad you did not put her down.  A few months ago someone wrote to me after they put their girl down and asked about the tumor.  They still had the body as it was snowing out and they were going to wait and bury her. I told them to take her body to another vet for an necropsy and they found she did NOT have a brain tumor but instead had the ear infection that as not properly treated, much like your girl, and although I hated for them to find out they put their girl to sleep for nothing, they at least learned their lesson, got rid of that vet and in fact are taking him to small claims court for loss of life of their rat for improperly diagnosis but also because the vet misrepresented himself by saying he was an exotic vet and he was not, he was a general vet that saw exotics but had no formal training other than attending a few workshops.   Always check credentials if he vet claims he is a real exotic vet. There are less than 200 world wide and only a few per state.  Scary.  These non exotic vets that dabble in exotics are causing more harm than good in many cases.
I shudder to think that you could have put this rat to sleep because of the vet not treating her properly.

Please see this website on inner ear infection and also it has the instructions on how to properly treat it too. Maybe you can print it and teach the vet a thing or two.  Sorry to be so bitter but this bothers me that she has not been given steroids for the inflammation and I am sure he has no idea how much to give etc... so giving him this info may help get her the proper treatment.


http://ratguide.com/health/auricle_ear/otitis_media_otitis_interna_labyrinthitis




REVISED

I should NOT have said the people that put their rat to sleep learned their lesson......that sounded bad. I didnt mean it that way. I meant they learned about the vet being incompetent the hard way, but they got away from that vet. In no way is it ever the owners fault. They trust their vet and depend on the vet that they know what they are doing. I didnt mean to sound so callous.