This post is about the health problems we encountered with Reggie throughout his life and is also a little bit of a lesson in rat health. Rats live to around 2 years, but these days, with good diets, they can live even longer. Reggie lived to 2 years, 7 months. A lot has to do with the breeding too, so unfortunately, even if your rat has a healthy diet, it doesn’t mean they’ll live longer.
Rats can develop many illnesses – and male and female rats can develop different problems. We were very lucky with Reggie in that he was clearly a very healthy boy. He went to the vet five times in his lifetime.
The first time was when he’d hurt himself in a fall when he was about 8 months old – which unfortunately is quite common in these adventurous creatures. Luckily some painkiller/anti-inflammatory sorted him out, but it was still a very traumatic time for all.
The second time was the first time he choked on some of his rat food. Now rats shouldn’t really be able to choke due to the way their throats are constructed, but Reggie did this regularly! After the first time, I knew what to expect, so didn’t panic and go rushing to the Vet in the middle of the night for an emergency call-out! Rats that choke will make a gagging sound and lots of drool will come out of their mouths. The best thing to do is give them some soft food - like bread mixed with milk – to try get the obstruction pushed out the way. Luckily this always worked with Reggie and usually within an hour he would be back to normal and ready for some more food! There can be more serious instances of choking where you need to swing your rat down fast – almost a Heimlich for rats – thankfully I never experienced this!
The third trip to the Vet was when he was 16 months old and he developed a bump on his tail. This was the time when he was also a bit overweight and I learned that a high sugar diet could be causing the weight gain and bump on his tail. As soon as I changed his diet, his tail cleared up and he lost weight and became very energetic again.
The 'big boy' starting his diet 
A leaner, more energetic Reggie in April 2009
In June 2009, when Reggie was just over 2 years, he suddenly lost energy. At this age, their bodies have really reached the end of their lifespan and their joints might start hurting, so supplements can help. Sometimes you can start the supplements at 18 months - when rats enter old age.
A picture of Reggie lying on the couch when I suspected he needed some supplements
I had read about a combination of supplements that could help with old age problems and got them together to give to Reggie. The change in him was amazing. He went from wanting to sleep all day to wanting to run and climb. He would run off to the bedroom, climb up onto the bed and wait for me to come find him. He could even find a way up and down the bed. If ever I couldn’t find Reggie, I would dash off to the bedroom, and there he would be – very pleased with himself – sitting on the bed. He had so much energy.
The supplements included the following: flaxseed oil, vitamin B tablets and glucosamine & chondroitin tablets. There are very specific measurements for all these. I would give these all to Reggie with his breakfast - I sprinkled the crushed tablets onto broccoli (yes, raw broccoli for breakfast!) and then covered it all with the oil. Luckily he absolutely loved it.
I also started him on a supplement called Dr Squiggles - which he got once a week - which he absolutely loved and would drink and drink and drink until I had to take it away from him. He also loved to wash his face with Dr Squiggles.
This worked well for 4 months until he was 2.5 years old and then another condition developed – Spinal Degeneration. We noticed that he could no longer use his back legs very well. He struggled to stand up on them and couldn’t climb and jump up as well as he used to. The illness progressed really quickly too. We first noticed it around the end of October 2009. By mid-November, the condition had gotten much worse. He would sometimes fall over when he was eating and sometimes he would drag his legs behind him.
You can see here how his back legs are looking a bit frail - November 2009
So we made a fourth trip to the Vet (a new Vet in Dublin) to see if they could recommend anything. This was a whole 14 months since the last time we needed to go to the vet. Unfortunately most vets aren’t that clued up about rats, but luckily you can find a lot of information on the internet from other rat lovers. I knew that Metacam could be good for this type of condition – it’s given to cats & dogs with joint problems – but you cannot give it to rats if they have any symptom of kidney disease. It can also bring on more problems – it’s a really tricky decision to make. I decided not to use it.
This picture shows how he couldn't use his big feet for much support anymore
Reggie continued to enjoy life though – forever exploring. I started to give him the supplements twice a day. I gave him the same amount, but half in the morning and half in the evening – hoping that if he was experiencing any pain, the regular dosage of supplements would alleviate that regularly. You never know with rats – they are so tough, they’ll just soldier on.
Our little boy - so old, yet so young at the same time - 23 December 2009
On 29 December, we made a fifth trip to the Vet as we had found a lump on Reggie’s side. (This was another vet as we weren’t happy with the previous vet’s knowledge of rats). A lump can be anything from fatty tissue, to a cyst, to a tumour. The vet we saw decided it was only a fatty tissue mass and said that Reggie looked amazing for his age – his shiny coat and eyes. We were very relieved.
Unfortunately, on New Years Eve – just 2 days after the visit to the vet - Reggie’s little body gave in. On New Years day, 2010, he just wasn’t himself - he just wanted to sleep and wasn’t interested in his usual food or water. I researched the internet for hours to find out what the matter could be – from bladder infection to kidney disease to stroke to heart failure. We got some Baytril from the vet – in case it was an infection - but it didn’t make any difference. It is now thought he could’ve been suffering a series of blood clots that led to the hind leg problem and eventually caused heart failure. All things that unfortunately your average vet wouldn’t know.
Reggie still had his appetite and we fed him baby food, yoghurt, mashed banana and watermelon. I also gave him Dr Squiggles to drink every day as he absolutely loved it.
On 5 January, Reggie and I spent some time cuddled up on the sofa – where everything was very peaceful. He got worse that evening and at 2.30am on Wednesday, 6 January, Reggie passed away while I was holding him close to me. I saw the light go out his eyes. My sweet little baby boy was gone.
Rats are amazing creatures – they will change your life forever. They look at you with those intelligent eyes that are filled with love and a spirit of life - even those who hate rats will find their hearts will melt. Reggie would’ve made anyone fall in love with him.
I have learned a lot about rats – a lot from the internet and other rat owners’ experiences. These are things I would say are very important:
- Start your rats on a good diet from the moment you get them to give them the best chance for a long and healthy life. Learn what they can and can’t eat – you’d be surprised what is harmful to rats.
- Find a vet that knows rats and that you trust – right from the minute you get a rat – you never know when you might need to go to the vet.
- Love your rats - their lives are way too short and it is very hard when you have to say goodbye – don’t regret one minute.
