my rat is ill

Question
my rat has been ill for a while now and i have had her at the vets non stop but i feel they do not really know what is wrong with her could you help me please if you can my rat is 1 1/2 years old and her symtoms are she has a red discharge from her nose and she seems to have lost the feeling in her paws as she can't grip her food and can't drink from a water bottle i am currently feeding her every two hours through a syringe and she seems to be walking round in circles when she is out of her cage and she seem to be lost as well. she seems to grit her teeth as well and the vet has also noticed that her teeth are seperating,they think that her teeth are broking below the gum or she cuold have a broking jaw but to me it just doesn't seem to add up cuold you help me please?
                            thankyou very much
                                          kerry mcmorran

Answer
Taking your girl to the vet was the right thing to do. Unfortunately most vets do not know much about pet rats unless they are an exotics vet or specialize in rats. I would definitely search around the Internet for a vet that has seen rats, specializes in rats, or is an exotics vet. They can better help you.

The teeth separating at the bottom is completely normal, ALL rats teeth are like this :) But if the vet suspected a broken jaw, he should have taken that suspicion and tested it by getting an x-ray- that right there tells me he may not be the right vet for your rattie.

The reason why your rats lower incisors are able to move side to side is because the joint between the two halves of the jaw isn't attached together. Between this joint instead is cartilage and ligaments. This allows the two teeth to move around which is very important for them when they are gnawing and wearing down their teeth.

The red discharge from her nose is called porphyrin. It's produced by the Harderian gland naturally. Small amounts sometimes are completely normal and should wash away with normal grooming. Porphyrin that sticks around could mean your rat is very stressed which could also mean illness.

Since I am not a certified veterinarian I really can't give you a diagnosis, but I will tell you a few things that COULD be wrong, things you want to mention to your vet.

#1. The weakness in her arms could be due to many many things. One thing could be a tumor pressing on the nerves internally. She could also just be so weak from being ill that she is unable to grip, and might not want to. This could also be a neurological problem. The fist things you are going to want to rule out are tumors and infections.

#2, Does her head tilt to one side? When you say she is walking around in circles It seems to me that this could be an inner ear infection causing a head tilt which will throw a rat off balance completely. They will barrel roll in the bottom of the cage and continuously walk in circles and hang their body and head to one side. It may only be a slight head tilt and hard to notice. This would also account for her inability to grip her food or water bottle. I had a rat many years ago that I adopted from a pet shop. She had this same problem and was unable to hold herself up long enough to grip on to her food or water bottle. Since it was an ear infection I was given antibiotics and she cleared up and in just a few days was doing so much better. Her head tilt never did go away but she was slowly able to gain her ability to balance and walk back. She did so well that she lived to be 4 years and 10 months old! The longest living rat I have ever had and the most special one to me. You should absolutely talk to the vet about the possibility of an ear infection, but please see a vet that has seen rats before and knows what they are doing. You will have much more success.

And just on a side note, if she does not have a cage mate, once she is over her illness, you should get her one of the same gender. Rats are extremely social creatures and need the companionship of their same species. Sometimes rats that are housed alone can become depressed which in turn can also cause illness. It is definitely something to consider if she is living alone :)

I hope I was able to help you and give you suggestions for your vet (or a new one). Please update me and let me know how she is doing! Good luck and I hope she is able to recover and get back to being a healthy little rat.

And please don't forget to rate my answer when you are finished! Thank you!