Lethargy etc

Question
QUESTION: My rat, about 2 years old, has been acting strange for the past 3 days. When I let him out he just goes and sits somewhere even though he used to explore so much it was hard to catch him to put him back in his cage. Now he doesn't even struggle when I pick him up, and seems sad and tired. He's also scarily thin, and doesn't seem interested in his favorite foods. He used to be obsessive with cleaning - himself, the other rat, even people - but his fur is kind of fluffy and not smooth and sleek like usual. There is a red secretion coming from his nose.
Also, he leaks little spots of urine when he's out, and before this he's never urinated outside his cage at all.
It's very sad to see him like this and I hope you can give me an idea as to what might be wrong. Should I take him to a vet, and if so, what can I do to help him in the meantime?

ANSWER: Hi Samantha

This is the age when older rats start to suffer from many ailments.
Weight loss can be a sign of many ailments, with no other signs such as respiratory issues, it could very well be kidney disease. Your rat needs a vet that has experience with rats (an exotic vet, for example) especially so the vet can be aware of the ailments that can trouble our older rats. A diet high in protein and fats all his life can also contribute to kidney disease so he needs a complete blood work up done on top of an exam.  Regardless, it doesn't mean he will die because there are treatments available for things like this, from kidney to heart disease.

I can help you find a vet that is qualified if you let me know what state and city your located in.  He should be seen within the next 48 hours.  Meantime, you need to get him hydrated and keep him warm.
You can put a heating pad under one part of his cage or a heat lamp about a foot from his cage (again, shining on just one side) so if it gets too warm he can go to the other side of the cage. You should buy some baby food (any kind of strained) from peas to carrots to fruits such as bananas.  Let him lick it from your finger. Crushed watermelon will help replenish lost fluids and you can also buy pedialyte (fruit flavored) and see if he will let you put a syringe to the side of his mouth and slowly squirt it in the side of his mouth. You can also buy ensure (chocolate is fine) this is loaded with vitamins too and rats usually love it.
Rats prefer to lick rather than chew and hold their food since this uses extra energy that he is trying to reserve to use for other things such as moving around etc...
If he has lost weight, this is more of a chronic condition. Other more severe and dangerous ailments such as brain abscesses can cause lethargy and anorexia but this comes on suddenly and doesn't have time to lose weight.
If I can find an emergency clinic that treats rats you should think about having him looked at this weekend since this has gone on for three days, especially if he refuses to eat and drink. He may even have an infection running wild such as a urinary tract infection.
The discharge from his nose is called porphyrin and it is from the harderian gland behind the rats eyes. When the rat is stressed due to illness or other factors, the gland produces more porphyrin and it discharges from the nose and eyes in heavier amounts than normal. Some rats have a little bit of it upon waking up etc...and in time the rat owner will note which is normal and not normal for their rat to secrete.  I have had dying rats have none and healthy rats ooze tons from their nose for their entire 3 years of life, so its not always an indicator of illness unless your rat never has it unless he is sick. Again, the rat owner is the one that usually knows what the norm is when it comes to porphyrin. They may secrete it in the urine too confusing us to think its blood.  
Is he still urinating and if so, do you notice an odor or darker color?

Anyhow, please let me know if you need a vet and I will get busy gathering names for you right away!

Hang in there

Sandra

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

QUESTION: Thank you for your advice. I have been feeding him Pedialyte a few times a day and he seems a little more energetic at least. I'm going to make an appointment with a vet (there's one who looks at rats right near me). He hasn't been leaking urine anymore, so that's good, and he's been drinking more water. Now the main problem seems to be that his nose is congested and it doesn't sound like he can breathe as well as usual.

Answer
If you have a vaporizer you can set it in the room where the rat is and maybe some moist air will help his little congested nose. Also, running the shower and getting the bathroom all steamy and standing in the room with the rat letting him absorb the moist steam can loosen him up too.
Hope the vet can help him with some meds. Lets keep our fingers, paws and tails crossed (oh that was corny wasnt it?! LOL)
Good luck!