Critter City
By Sandra Conti of Allexperts.com
Help! My rat is holding his head to the side and walking in circles!!
Classic head tilt in young rat.
It happens to many rats. One day they are fine, the next day, they are walking with their head tilted to one side, possibly seeming a bit more clumsy than normal, perhaps walking in circles or spinning.
So what is wrong with your rat?
The first thing the vet will do is prescribe the rat with antibiotics for 30 days. Baytril is often the drug of choice for rats with this condition since the culprit for infection is often caused by mycoplasmosis. Also, something for inflammation, usually a weeks worth of steroids, to help with the inflammation. The reason the rat is holding her head sideways and possibly walking off balance is because she has an inner (middle) ear infection. The inflammation from excessive fluid building up causes pressure on the Vestibular cochlear nerve ,also known as the eighth cranial nerve, which is what regulates balance. As long as there is pressure on this nerve, the rat will continue to be off balance. Head tilt is not always seen, but if it is, it is usually one of the last symptoms to subside even after infection is gone. You should see a gradual improvement, but depending on the severity of the head tilt and how long it went on before it was treated often determines how long it will take for the head tilt to subside. Some rats have a slight tilt for the rest of their lives, esp if the vet is not willing to use steroids for inflammation, which is why I always stress the importance of seeing a vet with plenty of experience with rats, mycoplasmosis and their ailments.
There are no home remedies or over the counter medications that will cure this and the rat must be seen by a vet that is well versed in rat care.
Lack of treatment will eventually cause death in the rat since the bacteria will travel to the brain.
As long as the rat is able to use their front paws and does not show weakness in the limbs, its a good bet it is related to infection in the ear. However, there are neurological problems that can also cause these problems such as a tumor on the brain, but in those cases, you will see weakness in the front paws first, and later, weakness in the back limbs as well and the rat will not respond at all to antibiotic therapy.
More rats suffer from otitis media (inner ear infection) than they do brain tumors, so this is encouraging news.
Here are some photos of animals with head tilt. Rabbits and other animals, including dogs, can suffer from it as well.
The rattie still smiles despite his handicap!
Bunny with severe head tilt