My rat has a head tilt and motor issues. Can she wait 2 days for vet?

Your rat could be suffering from either an internal ear infection or a brain tumor, the later is more common in rats over 1.5 years of age. You need to take your rat to the vet ASAP in order to get it treated, if it is an ear infection, then a course of antibiotics should resolve it.

Based on what you are describing it does sound as if Lucy is very ill. I would recommend either having her rechecked at your veterinarian or asking for a referral to an exotic capitalistic that can perform more specialized tests on small mammals like blood work, x-rays, and ultrasounds. Based on the age of your rat she may have something more serious going on like an internal infection or cancer. In the meantime, try to encourage Lucy to eat as best you can by offering her her favorite foods and/or syringe feeding her some baby food. I'm sorry to hear that she is not doing well and I hope your vet can help you find answers. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Boop by Petco. Best of luck.

Head tilts in rabbits are usually due to one of two things, an ear infection or a neurologic condition caused by a parasite. Both of these conditions will require treatment by a veterinarian in order to get better. The head tilt will likely get worse and worse if the underlying cause goes untreated. If the cause is the parasite (E. Cuniculi), it will eventually spread to other organ systems and cause death. Even if it is just an ear infection, these can be painful and irritating enough to a rabbit to make them not want to eat. A rabbit who isn't eating is often one that develops gastric stasis, which is another deadly condition. Overall, I would recommend getting Buzz seen by a vet sometime sooner than later.

Hello, I'm sorry to hear you don't feel trusting of your veterinarian's medical opinion. I can't do a physical or neurologic exam online, so it's difficult to advise much in these cases. Pituitary tumors are extremely common in female rats. I think an ear infection would be much less common and not a cause of such severe disease.

If the head tilt is the only sign you are seeing, Sindy could have an infection in her inner or middle ear, nutritional imbalance, or ear mites. Other causes of a head tilt include in encephalitozoonosis which is an infection of the brain and kidney caused by a protozoa called Encephalitozoon cuniculi (you could also see other signs such as seizures, behavior changes, and staggering), toxins, trauma, a stroke (unlikely in such a young rabbit), and cancer (also unlikely in such a young rabbit). I would have Sindy seen by a vet in the morning for this head tilt. The vet can diagnose what is causing it and how best to treat it.

Poor Thumper! Head tilts in rabbits are generally medical problems that need to be assessed and treated by a veterinarian. Often they are caused by an infection in the middle or inner ear that almost always require systemic antibiotics. Though here are occasionally other things that can cause these (tumors, abscesses, trauma, etc.) with Thumper being so young and you reporting no history of trauma they are lower on my list of differentials. I would get Thumper to his vet soon because the last thing you want is for him to start feeling badly, stop eating, and go into GI Stasis which can be life threatening. I hope this helps, good luck with your little guy!

Unfortunately if he won't let you near his ears you may have to wait until tomorrow when you can get Wrigley in to see your veterinarian. If you can pick up an ear cleaner from a pet store you can try flushing them out between now and tomorrow morning. If he is walking with a head tilt I would be worried that his inner or middle ear may also be affected, if this is truly the case, I wouldn't recommend putting anything more in his ears until you see your vet. If you feel he is really uncomfortable and you don't want to wait, an emergency vet should be able to evaluate him today.

Thank you for using Boop by Petco - I'm sorry that Jude is not doing well. Head tilts in rabbits are definitely a cause for concern and I recommend that she is examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible. This symptom can be caused by several things, but two of the more common causes are an infection of the ear or a parasite that travels through the blood and damages the vessels around the ear and cerebellum, the part of the brain responsible for maintaining balance. This basically causes a loss of balance, and the head tilts to one side because the brain "thinks" that the head needs to compensate. Other causes for this can be trauma, a stroke, or a tumor. Depending on the cause of the head tilt, the prognosis can vary, so I cannot predict whether Jude will recover, but a physical exam and diagnostics performed by a veterinarian definitely can. I hope this helps and good luck with Jude!

Thanks for reaching out about Lucy. A brain parasite called Encephalitozoon cuniculi should be considered. A veterinary visit is recommended for a diagnostic and treatment plan, as often can be improved or even cured. A trauma to the neck should be radiographed so that treatment can also be prescribed. If waited too long, an injured neck can fuse in that position, which could limit lifespan. Good luck.

I’m sorry to hear Morgan isn’t doing well. Head tilts in rabbits can of course be caused by trauma, but more commonly I see them associated with either an inner ear infection or a parasite called E. cunniculi. I would recommend an examination with your veterinarian. Many of these head tilts can be cured or at least dramatically improved with the proper treatment. Poor thing, and reassure your daughter that it is unlikely from when she dropped her. I hope she improves soon and thank you for using Pet Coach.