Swollen cheeks

Question
QUESTION: My Rat is over three years old male tonight I came home and his cheeks were swollen in a way that looked like what hamsters or gerbles look like when they are carrying food in their pouches It was very hot His testicles are also swollen which I know is a sign that he is over heated but I have never seen his cheeks like that help

ANSWER:   It's possible that he has an abscess (or more than one) in his mouth.  Teeth can sometimes get infected and the surrounding pus can cause the cheeks to appear swollen.  Usually this is quite painful to the rat and he will not be eating normally, you may notice some weight loss as well if this is true.

 If it is hot in your house, he may be exhibiting signs of heatstroke, which may or may not have caused the cheek swelling.  Rats are very prone to heatstroke and higher temperatures can quickly be fatal.  If you can't move his cage to a cooler location (room with air conditioning, basement, etc), try putting a bowl of ice in the cage or misting him gently with cool water, making sure that he always has water to drink.  If it gets really hot, you can give him a bath in cool (not cold) water.

 In any case, swollen cheeks are not normal and you should take him to the vet right away.  They will be able to look into his mouth and see if anything is wrong.  They will also be able to discuss treatment options with you, depending on what the problem is.

 I hope your rat feels better soon!  Good luck!

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QUESTION: Thank you I will get him to the vet ASAP - if it is heat stroke, will the swelling go down? Are there other related sx I should look for??

Answer
If the swelling is due to heatstroke, it should go down once he gets cooled off.  If not, then it definitely is something else.  Any other symptoms would be pretty much anything out of the ordinary, anything your rat is doing (or not doing) that is not normal for him, mention it to the vet.  Good luck!