My pet rat can not move his back legs. He is dragging them. What could have happened. He was fine a couple weeks ago and now is having a hard time getting around.
I am sorry to hear about your rat.
There are several possible causes as to why he is dragging is back legs.
1) Trauma. If he accidently fell he could have hurt his back.
2) Ruptured disk. Animals have disks in their backs just like people do. If the bulge or rupture it can cause hind end paralysis if the spinal cord is damaged.
3) Due to his age I would be concerned that he could have a tumor in his spinal cord causing his symptoms. Sometimes the symptoms can be gradual and othertimes very quick.
If he is truely dragging his legs he is considered paralyzed on th elower half of his body. It is important to make sure he is able to reach his food and water, and that his cage stays clean.
One possible treatment would be a trial of a steroid medication. This can help decrease inflammation. It may help, it may not. In order to get a prescrption for a medication like that he would need to be examined by a vet first. They may come up with a different plan after examining him.
It is good you have been allowing him to rest. If it is a disk problem, somethimes rest is the only needed treatment. Also, make sure he can urinate. If ther eis too much damage to the spinal cord the bladder can sometimes be difficult to empty.
Please let me know if you would like to discuss this more. I am here to help.