[Sugar Cookie]

Our female rat, Sugar, recently started drooling (her chin is constantly wet), and her saliva smells awful! It looks like she also may have some difficulty drinking, swallowing and extending her tongue from her mouth; when she tries to give her little kisses, she barely sticks her tongue out. Her mobility is fine though. She also seems to be losing weight. I can't find anything online about rats drooling and having a hard time swallowing...has anyone seen this before? ??? She's always been very social and sweet, but now she's almost clingy and scared...reluctant to go back in her cage with her two cage mates after being cuddled. Thoughts?? Thank you!!

 

[kksrats]

I'm almost willing to bet an infection of some sort. Maybe in her tooth or a gland on her neck? Infections of teeth or gums tend to cause bad breath and could be the reason for drooling too if there's pain associated. I'm basing a lot of this off of human infection though, and it sounds like you should take her in to get her checked out by a vet.

 

[Finnebon]

I'm thinking it could be an issue with her teeth too, probably her back molars that you can't see. A vet can look inside really easily and quickly. But I would definitely get her checked by a vet, this doesn't sound like it would be able to get better on its own. If she's stressed out and losing weight from this, she needs help. Best of luck! Let us know what the vets say about her.

 

[WolfPuppy]

Definitely bring her to the vet - sounds like a tooth issue like the others said. That could also explain the weight loss if it hurts her when she eats.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Thank you, all! I have an appointment to take her to the vet this afternoon. Poor Sugar! Hopepfully this can be resolved quickly. I'll post an update when I have one.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Sugar has an ulcer on the side of her tongue that has become infected, so it's painful for her to eat and drink. Fortunately, the vet said it is very treatable (an abscessed tooth or enlarged lymph nodes would have been much more challenging) and prescribed a broad-spectrum antibiotic along with Meloxicam for her pain. Got her to eat some Critical Care mixed with baby food pears this afternoon. Hopefully she'll perk up quickly! Thanks for the great advice, all...I'm so glad I took her to the vet! (The cause of the cut or ulcer is still a mystery...the vet said he'd never really seen this in rats before, more so in cats that had chewed on something that cut their tongue.)

 

[kksrats]

I'm glad the outcome was good! I've never heard of that either, but very glad that it's easily treatable. Wishing for a speedy recovery for your little girl