Why is my rat suddenly aggressive, biting, and dragging his belly?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If Chaos is housed with males, pregnancy may be changing her behavior. However, the signs you describe are pretty nonspecific, meaning that they can go along with a large number of conditions. There are a few things you can do to collect some more information - check to make sure that Chaos’s teeth align properly, check for any blood or diarrhea in the cage, and check Chaos for any swellings or masses. In the chase that Chaos has a contagious disease, I recommend keeping her separated from the other rats. There are vets in most towns/cities thatsee pocket pets, so it would be best to have Chaos evaluates as soon as possible.

Thanks for reaching out about Dobby. Sexual maturity, competition and dominance are all controlled by testosterone levels. Castration is a fairly simple procedure (for a veterinarian with rodent experience) and will likely have a calming effect. Not all castrated males calm down though, but the earlier in the maturation process, the better the outcome. Good luck.

This could be commonly due to a spinal cord problem (slipped disc with nerve compression, or spinal cord stroke). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is immediately essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Possibly further investigations (like abdominal imaging as ultrasound or radiographs) may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This is a quite generic but concerning presentation. Differentials are many, from gastrointestinal or respiratory diseases (infection/inflammations) to any disease that can spread systemically (causing lethargy for example) like infection, and anything that can cause pain/discomfort. A check up is needed if the signs last for more than 24hours. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds like Archie is not feeling well. His wet back end can be due to diarrhea or an inability to control his bladder or bowel movements. The fact that he is dragging his feet around sounds like he may be paralyzed, but I can’t say for certain without some more information. I would be happy to do a consultation to find out more about what is going on and give you some idea about what may be causing this. If Archie isn’t your pet, I recommend letting his owner know about what is going on and having him evaluated by a vet.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A blockage is definitely possible. Other possibilities include other gastrointestinal issues. I recommend you check in with your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They can check for this and treat him accordingly. Best of luck!

He could have mites. A skin scraping should be performed and examined under the microscope. It could also be the beginnings of a growth that your rat is trying to bite or scratch off. I'd recommend an exam to better assess the affected area.