shaky rat

Question
Hi, I have an albino male rat who's about 8 months old. His name is Squee. Recently, we moved house and so the rats have a new environment. But since the move, he's lost a lot of weight whereas before he was a bit of a fatty. When i get him out to play and exercise he tends to be a bit more lazy and likes to just sit on my lap, also he shakes a bit more than when he's in his cage. His stomach/chest shakes but then after half an hour of being out, he stops shaking so much. Is anything wrong? Thanks for the answer in advance.

p.s. they have cloth bedding (old clothes/t shirts that get washed often) and they're in a wire/plastic cage. He also has his brother rat with him. They eat rat food (seeds/grains with lab blocks mixed) mixture of fresh fruits and treats like banana, honey, yoghurt. thanks a lot!

Answer
Hi Katy...
Do you notice any noises coming from his chest when he is shaky? Does he have any porphyrin around his eyes and nose (looks like blood)...? Do you notice him still eating the same amount or less?

I think it would definitely be a good idea to get him in to see a vet for a check over. He could just be adjusting to his new environment, as a lot of stress could cause weight loss. But along with the stress he should be producing some amount of porphyrin since it is associated with stress in rats, and also illness.

Do you think his shaking is associated with his breathing at all? It's possible that the stress from moving lowered his immune system and caused him to come down with a respiratory infection, which is commonly associated with Mycoplasma. Myco is a disease that all rats have. It attacks the respiratory tract and causes scarring on the lungs which makes it hard to breath. While all rats are born with this, rats with good genetics and strong immune systems will rarely show the symptoms. Treatment should be steam sessions in the bathroom by plugging up the space under the bathroom door and running a hot shower and sink for about 30 minutes a day. Just take him in there in a carrier or in his cage and let him breath in the steam. It will open up the airways and make it much more comfortable to breath. The vet should prescribe something like baytril and doxycycline together to combat this illness. Steroids help with opening up lung passages as well...

This is all of course, assuming its a respiratory infection. Put your ear to his chest and see if you can hear him breathing, listen for raspy sounds, sometimes when it's really bad it can almost sound like they are breathing through mud. In such a case it is extremely important to get him in to see a vet asap...

I hope I was able to help you out a little bit and let me know if you have any other questions!