File :-(, x, )
Gardener
):
Damnit /an/.
My pet rat "Ermine" is ABOUT 2 years old.
He is the SWEETEST rat ever. He's never bitten anybody, and when he was younger and his 3 day old children escaped and got into his cage, instead of eating them like many male rats do, he let them hang out and they snuggled and crawled all over him and my pure terror that he might've eaten one turned to sheer D'AWWW. He has been one of the cutest, sweetest, nicest pets I've ever had.
It makes me feel sad though, because I think something's wrong with him ):
Instead of walking with all 4 legs like normal, he walks with his 2 front feet and his back legs drag and he never seems to use them. I felt them, squeezed them, looked at them, and when I touched them he showed no sign of pain. He just.. Doesn't use them. It's been going on for a month or two.
Now, there are 4 possible culprits that come to mind.
He's had fleas for a few weeks, and just yesterday we found a safe rat flea spray and sprayed him. It seems to have helped his problem and a ton of fleas are gone now. He seems a lot less restless. It could be the fleas doing this.
Secondly, it could be possible arthritis. He is pretty old, and I'd imagine that could happen.
Third, it could be that when he shared a cage with my other rat, Jack, Jack and him got into a fight and Jack bit Ermine's back. It could be nerve damage :I
Fourth, it could be his GINORMOUS FUCKING BALLS. Like, seriously, they're wtfbig. We can't afford to get him neutered, it costs 250 dollars here. It's probably the least likely problem.
He's also a lot thinner than he used to be, and I think because of his scratching himself because of fleas he's losing a lot of hair ;_;
Please /an/, I'm a bit worried about him. If anybody can help, it'll be you.

Pic not related.
>> Ragnaros the Firelord !!yzhEkwd9SJR
cancer.
>> Anonymous
VET.
>> Gardener
Vet? ._.
Thought so, alright. Damnit.
I know it depends, but how much will the visit alone cost?
>> Anonymous
>>291434
We aren't vets (most of us at least), and it really does vary depending on which vet you see.

So gtfo and call your vet, already.
>> Kun-Kun !3GqYIJ3Obs
old age. It happens to my rat too. It's sad, but Ermine is most likely on his last legs. I feel for ya, OP, I really do.
>> Gardener
Damnit, I cried manly tears ;_;
He is an old fart, and he's "been there done that."
I'm going to spoil the shit out of him, little guy. :')
>> Anonymous
>>291424

is that sum pitcher plant
>> Gardener
>>291475
It is.
>> Anonymous
Rats have a tendency to get incurable ailments in their final hours. Both of my rats got Tumors and I had to put them to sleep.
>> Anonymous
>>291480
Tautology is taut.
>> Gardener
>>291480
He isn't showing any signs of pain at all, he's his happy dumb self. What's good is that he's nearly flea-free now, and he can finally take a good ratnap. I don't want to have to get him put down, but if I see him in pain for any length of time, it'll have to be done.
I want him to be happy in his last few weeks/months, dare I say years? ):
>> Anonymous
my rat did a simalar thing in his older age, over a period of a few days his back legs lost all there mass, and he stopped really trying to move, whenever he did it would be trying to shuffle with his front paws.
he wouldn't take food from me either.
vet said brain tumour :S
he was about 3 years old though

sorry if it is a tumour OP, rats just don't live long, it's very sad, because they're amazing pets.

did he start doing this right after the fight with your other rat?

it's probably best to take him to the vet.
>> Anonymous
>>291489
Whoops
>> Gardener
>>291508
No, just recently he stopped using his left leg, now it's both. It seems like his whole backside is paralyzed.
>> Anonymous
>>291508
Yep, one of the things that happens to rats is partial paralysis. It's not that he didn't want to move his back legs, it's that he couldn't.