Could my rat have had a stroke or heart attack?

Sudden death in rats, without previous symptoms, is usually a heart attack. In otherwords they don't survive a heart attack. Classic signs of progressive heart disease is the need to lay in a high place with their head hanging low over the edge. This helps them breath. Since your boy was still with you for awhile it was not a heart attack.

http://www.ratfanclub.org/resp.html

http://ratguide.com/health/cardiovascular/congesti...

Stroke is quite common in old rats, but the classic sign of stroke is a paralysis usually seen on one side of the body after the stroke. There are no warning signs to a stroke, it happens suddenly. Depending on severity and on what part of the brain was damaged a rat can linger in an almost vegetative state for hours or days after a stroke.

http://ratplanet.0catch.com/healthcheck.htm#Stroke

I have, and so have others, experienced a quiet and sutle myco, which progresses slowly with a sudden collapse in the end. Rats with Myco have a tendancy to sleep in a position where their heads are held higher then the rest of their body. This helps them to breath.

http://ratguide.com/health/bacteria/mycoplasma_myc...

spazrats

"my life has gone to the Rats"

1

I'm so sorry! At 2 years old, any pre-existing problems can start to get the better of them. It doesn't sound like a stroke, you would have noticed disorientation (walking around in circles, falling over) and he most likely would not have been able to eat at all (affects that part of the brain).

Did he already have diagnosed Myco? If he's had flare-ups before, that's enough sometimes to shorten their lifespan that much, even with antibiotic treatment. It sounds like you know quite a bit about caring for ratties already, so it was most likely one of those. We do the best we can!

There are many, many causes of rat heath problems, most of which we don't even hear of because they go unknown. If you still want to try to find out what happened, or if anything happens to your remaining ratty, here's a good reference site I've found:

http://ratguide.com/health/

It's more thorough than just the common rat care sites. Good luck with your other ratty, love him for me! = )

Yes, it is very possible,.. even probable.

He most likely had a stroke or embolism of sorts.

Rats are proned to such and heart attacks, as they are also known for growths (tumors).

I loss my dear Domino (female) so very fast and suddenly a few yrs. ago. Gave her a pce. of toast (she waits for it when I get up) as I had my morning coffee, within a few mins. later heard some frantic "fluttering", ran to her cage to see her lying there panting,.. rushed to vet's (got there within 15 mins.).

But by that time she was cyanic (membranes turned blue) and dead. Vet said prob. heart attack. She was spoiled and only the same age as yours.

My other rats died a more expected death with horrid tumors which grew kinda slowly, yet rapidly too coz of their under 3 yr. age. (Had to put to sleep when they didn't enjoy life anymore for the size of growths).

Anyways, please don't think there was anything you could have done. Hindsight is 20/20.

Hope this helps and so sorry for your sudden loss.

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yes, any animal can have a stroke/ heart-attack ..... just like humans!

Sorry to hear that you lost him.

It really could be anything. You could take his bosy to the vet and get them to examine him and see what they find.

I don't know, but will be watching answers to this. I just got a rat. I'm sorry for your loss...... :-(