Occasionally, discomfort in the external ear (the part of the ear outside the ear drum) will cause the animal to hold its head at an angle; causes include bacterial or yeast ear infections, ear mites, or growths in the external canal.
Sometimes a rat is left with a slight permanent head tilt but they adapt easily and may still lead a quality life. Most rats recover completely with prompt treatment.
Poor balance, circling, and a head tilt are other symptoms of a PT, but can also be signs of an inner ear infection. None of these should be ignored, and all require guidance and medication from a vet.
If you notice your rat tilting or leaning its head to one side, your rat probably has an ear infection. Head tilt is one of the most notable and symptoms of ear infection in rats. If your rat has a head tilt, you need to contact your vet immediately.
Signs of illness in Rats and Mice:
Increased porphyrin (red staining around the eyes and nose) Increased sneezing and mucous from the nose. Breathing faster. Breathing harder.
Signs to be on the lookout for are: lethargy, weakness, refusing to eat, or drooling/salivating. There's also risk of them losing consciousness or going into convulsions.
As rats age, they can become prone to back leg weakness. This is often referred to as hind leg degeneration or HLD. It's particularly common in male rats. You may notice your rat appear wobbly or one or both legs starting to drag when they walk.
The primary reason for a dog to exhibit a head tilt is dysfunction of the vestibular system. The vestibular apparatus is responsible for an animal's maintenance of balance and the spatial orientation of the eyes, head, trunk and limbs relative to gravity.
Providing high caloric foods and encouraging the rat to eat will help maintain the strength needed to combat the illness. Rats that are ill frequently tend to lose their appetites and stop drinking water. You will need to monitor them closely.
Rats feel pain, but don't show outward signs of it and may suffer greatly before you realise they're hurting. Small changes in their behaviour can show that something's wrong, as can chromodacryorrhea (red staining around eyes and nose), which indicates stress, possibly from illness or social or environmental problems.
The symptoms that your pet has a middle ear infection may include: difficulty with hearing, red discharge from the eyes, sneezing, difficulty breathing, scratching the ears, head tilt, abnormal smell from the ears, seizures, lethargy, and depression. The middle ear of a rat is large due to their nocturnal nature.
Performing the Pinch Test
Grab with your thumb and forefinger and pull the animal's skin away from its body. A well-hydrated animal's skin will return to a normal position within 1 second. An animal suffering from dehydration will lack elasticity and stay in a peaked position longer.
Acetaminophen (Paracetamol)
Paracetamol can be used to alleviate mild pain in rodents and can be administered to rodents if stronger analgesics are not appropriate. This can be administered in the drinking water. Paediatric preparations are suitable (Tylenol 1-2mg/ml in drinking water).
Rodent droppings are a good indicator of the pest in your house. Rat droppings are shiny black and 1/2 - 3/4 of an inch long, whereas mice droppings are small and smooth with pointed ends. Chew marks are another telltale sign to distinguish your rodent.
Rats with a stroke are known to have inferior motor functions and response, meaning that once they are brought up to the 0-degree position, they are very liable to cross the threshold, enter the unsafe zone, and fall consequently.
Putting your rat's favourite blanket or toy in the travel carrier will calm him. As mentioned above, a blanket will provide your rat with something to nestle into. To calm your rat further, use your rat's favourite blanket.
Often, squeaks or hisses signify that a rat is afraid or in pain. Almost all rat vocalizations are undetectable by the human ear because they are ultrasonic. The sounds of rats you will hear are movement noises. You can hear scratching, gnawing, and rustling in your attic or inside walls.
They're normally active at night and at dawn and dusk. Rats live for around 2 years, but some may live longer.
A shriek or scream indicates strong distress or pain, such as when its tail is pinched. ▶ Occasionally, rats may hiss. Hissing is usually a sign of distress and is given at times of stress.
Other Causes: Two of the more common causes of unusual rat behavior are distemper and lead poisoning. Both may cause unusual behavior which includes wobbling, shaking, and seemingly drunk or directionless movement. Humans are immune to distemper and lead poisoning cannot be transmitted through a bite.
Mice and rats generally prefer temperatures between 82 and 93 degrees, but chilly laboratory temperatures hover between 68 and 72 degrees. In these relatively low temperatures, mice and rats endure mental, physical, and physiological stress—known as “cold stress”—as their skin and core body temperatures fall.
Underwater trauma
Exposed rats demonstrated immediate and persistent (7–30 days post-stress) increased arousal in acoustic startle response (ASR) and anxiety-like behavior in the elevated-plus maze (EPM) tests compared to control rats that swam without submersion43,44,45.