Possible megacolon problem?

Question
QUESTION: Hello.

I've just adopted a rat from the SPCA. His name is Felix. He was neutered by them before we took him home.

When he first arrived, he was going to the bathroom. His stool was light brown in color, mushy (but still shaped), and smelly. I thought it was either nerves or the change in diet. After about a week, his stool turned the dark (normal) color & hardened up. There wasn't a whole lot, but at least I saw some.

He's a 2+ year old albino. He's very active, but very nervous. He often holds onto the cage like grim death when I try to take him out.

Recently, he doesn't appear to be going to the bathroom at all (last 2-3 days). I cleaned his cage last night, and found a few old looking stool samples, but that's it. He went outside the cage last night (possibly nerves) in a fairly large quantity (3 stools kind of stuck together, light brown in color & stinky).

I checked this morning, but still nothing. It's possible he's eating the stool (he eats everything), but I'm still worried about megacolon. I, however, see no physical signs of megacolon on his being. He's sneezing a lot (I'm guessing a sign of being in a new place).

I guess what I'm worried about is the neutering. I'm wondering if the process didn't "nick" him & cause this. They went through the scrotum.

We were feeding him "healthy" foods (vegetables, etc.), but stopped about a week ago. I now give him shredded wheat (unsweetened) as a constant, along with apple sauce. I also tend to give him a few white chocolate chips as a treat.

What do you think?

ANSWER: I think......I think its terrific you adopted an old man, for starters...thats what I think :)

I also do not see any real reason to worry about megacolon. I hate to say he is too old for it, but this would be a first for me, at least, to see a rat this old with it. The oldest I have seen with late onset megacolon was 8 months old. His symptoms do not really fit the criteria to be honest, which is good news!
I know thats the first thing we tend to think when we don't see as many stools as we think we should be seeing. Sounds like when he went to the bathroom outside his cage, whatever he had been storing up was eliminated.
He was recently neutered and I am sure the narcotics used for pain had a part in causing a bit of constipation since narcotics are known to constipate or cause hard stools.

As for Coprophagy  (stool eating), he may or may not be eating his stools and if he is, thats ok. Its actually (gag) good for them and should not be discouraged. When they do this, it is because the stools contained the minerals that were not properly digested and the rat will eat his stool so he can "reclaim" what he should have gotten in round one.  Ew. Sounds gross. Weird there is even a scientific name for it.

As for scrotal neutering, it is actually a bit more difficult to bump into other "internal organs" going this route which is why Vets prefer it, but its more painful during recovery (severe cramping, post op pain, tenderness in the ever so delicate scrotum) and post op complications are usually abscesses in the surgical site.  I prefer abdominal neutering but the recovery time is longer, but its less painful which is what I prefer.  Either way, its a risk, as all surgeries are.
Wonder why he was neutered? Maybe policy to prevent reproduction? There is no real reason for a neuter other than the obvious (pregnancy prevention) or to cure a testicular abscess or for aggression but it does not add an extension to the rats life like spaying does for a female (to prevent mammary tumors or pituitary tumors later in life)

You ask what I think and as I said before, I think its awesome you gave this grand senior rat a second chance at life and a wonderful forever home and I also see a very nervous little guy that has to adjust to his surroundings and learn to trust you which explains his clinging to life when you take him from the cage.
Once he realizes your there to care for him and he sees a routine (rats learn by repetition) he will slowly come around.

I would suggest to ease up a bit on the shredded wheat a bit and the apple sauce and put him back on veggies. Peas are a hit with my rats  and I get lazy and buy canned peas/carrots in the can, rinse off the juice it was packed in and watch them woof it down. I also offer them regal rat by oxbow as their staple diet but of course thats never good enough for them so I make the typical rat mix out of puffed rice, puffed wheat, rice chex cereal, total cereal, nutro light dog food (when I don't give the regal rat) wacky mac (semi cooked) I avoid alot of table scraps mainly because we eat pretty stupid around here (fats, sodium etc...) and I don't want my rats eating as bad as I do. Nice that I care more about the rats than I do myself and hubby.  LOL
Remember, rats do not need alot of protein in their diet. Percentages vary from Vet to Vet so I give a pretty big window, anywhere from 10 percent to 18 percent daily protein with the lower amounts for younger rats to prevent kidney disease when the are older and the older rats who may need a bit more protein since they are now seniors, so they can have up to 18 percent.  There are alot of easy and cheap recipes to make rat mix floating around the net and are found easily in a search but you can check out my website, Critter city (URL found in my profile with the link to it) for more info too.
I do think he is ok and has some adjusting to do but if you really feel uneasy about it, a Vet may be warranted. If you need a good one just let me know and I can help find one.
I think he will be just fine and the sneezing? Like you said...all a part of his new surroundings and since rats learn with their mouth and their nose,he is doing alot of sniffing and inhaling alot of debris and dust. As long as he is eating, drinking and showing normal energy and doesn't have globs of porphyrin oozing from his nose and eyes, I would also chalk his sneezing up to elevated histamine levels brought on by excitement, nerves and even over stimulation.  Histamine levels rise during stress alot like adrenalin and when the stress factors are removed, histamine levels drop, sneezing subsides. He probably doesn't sneeze when he is sleeping or when he is alone in his hidey house grooming himself. Does he tend to sneeze during or after he has been handled?

Sorry for all the questions. It helps me get a better idea about the way he is acting too so I feel right about the advice or suggestions I am giving you.

Please feel free to contact me any time and if I missed anything, just yell back at me with a follow up.




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

QUESTION: I took him to the vet and everything is fine. Thanks for your help. This board is great. I'm quite paranoid, being one of my rats died when I couldn't find out exactly what was wrong with him. It destroyed me.

Answer
Oh thats good news. I had a feeling things were ok. Its hard to say from my computer chair...I never want to give the wrong advice and cause harm to anyones rat. If I say NOT to go to the vet and things are fine blah blah blah and the rat should pass away, I would feel so horrible!

Just glad it worked out...now wait till you see how soft his fur gets now that he is neutered!
:)