[shazam26]

Hi everyone, I've had a wonderful rat named Raymond for a couple weeks now and he's been an absolute beacon of good health! He's always very curious and alert, I've never found him sneezing or anything of the like, he readily accepts his food (I feed him nutritional blocks, and treats every now and then of yogurt, tiny bits of cheese, fruit like apples and bananas, vegetables...)

I came home today and noticed he's very lethargic, like he's sleepy.
He was shaking, and seemed very unbalanced. He shook when he walked and had a hunched appearance. I offered him food and he readily took it and began eating away. I feared maybe he might have gotten cold (perhaps he got sick, and due to the fact he was weak, couldn't burrow in his bedding) I currently have him snuggled into one of my sweaters and he's enjoying some warm oatmeal. He's got a very healthy appetite and since he began eating the oatmeal has perked up. He seems to have begun sneezing occasionally.
I never miss a feeding and feed him usually 2-3 blocks a day along with seeds and other treats. I always keep on top of cleaning his cage and take him out to exercise, keep his water bottle full of clean, fresh water... I don't know what could have caused him to become ill!

I know rats get the flu and pneumonia, and it's a common thing- I would hate having to see Ray suffer, or worse die. I don't know if I'm overreacting or not, everywhere I've looked offers little to no information.
Please tell me what I can do, whatever you can offer to help him. I'm very, very worried. I'd go to the vet but it's currently closed. I would have gone earlier but I was playing with him earlier today and he showed not one sign of this coming on. :?
Please help with whatever information you can, I feel very helpless.

 

[nerdchick]

I would say make a vet appointment as soon as possible, and in the mean time keep him comfortable. If you have to hunt down a vet that isn't your regular, do that too.

-Caty

 

[linz_04]

Most vet offices have a vet on call. Even if it's not your regular exotic specialist that is on call, they can still recognize pneumonia on an xray. Pneumonia is pneumonia and it appears the same way on the films no matter what type of animal... a rat's lungs are just smaller. You could call the vet clinic, usually it rings through to someone's home for emergencies or if they have an emergency number to call.
or if you think he'll be fine until they open, you can wait and call asap.
but... I had a little rat who got sick on a saturday night and I waited until monday morning because I thought she'd be fine and I took her in ASAP mon morning and she was dead by Monday night. they go REALLY quick, especially if they're dehydrated.

 

[shazam26]

I got up and checked on him this morning- now this is the strangest thing I've ever seen since caring for rodents. He woke up and was as perky as ever.
He's randomly back to his old self, as if nothing in the world had inflicted him last night. Not a hunched back, lethargic muscle or even the slightest suggestion of illness anywhere in sight :? He's been pigging out and climbing all over me all day.
I'm still worried though, I believe I'll arrange an appointment regardless, just to make sure everything is in check.
Has this ever happened to anyone? I can't believe it. I've seen some rodents like this before and had them die so quickly they couldn't even get to proper help. I stayed up with Ray until 5:30 this morning and was very surprised to find him seemingly fine when I woke up.
I was wondering, perhaps he had a stroke? Though this doesn't quite explain the flu-like symptoms.
This is very odd indeed. 8O