Hind Leg Degeneration in Rats (HLD)

Background

Hind leg degeneration (HLD) in rats is an age-related condition where rats gradually lose strength and function in their hind legs. It is most common in senior rats and especially senior males. Rats with HLD will initially show a mild shuffling walk and a tendency to walk flat-footed. You'll notice a loss of muscle tone around the hindquarters and a visible boney spine. The tail may become very floppy, starting at the tip and progressing backwards. In advanced stages, the rat may lose the ability to use its hind legs entirely. It is not typically painful or life-threatening but we must be cognizant of the effects of paralyzation and know when it’s time to see a vet. The most common cause is the degeneration of the spinal cord and peripheral nerves, though arthritis and kidney failure can have many of the same symptoms.

Causes

-B vitamin deficiency (especially B12)

-pituitary tumors

-spinal tumors

-arthritis of the spine

-nutritional deficiencies due to poor diet

-inflammation from eating grain and food products that are sprayed with pesticides

-genetics, particularly obese-prone lines

-lack of exercise

-potentially kidney problems

At-Home Treatment

Exercise-

Exercise helps prolong degeneration. Begin when they are young, don't wait until they are showing signs of struggling to get around. Make sure your cage is spacious and has many opportunities to climb while they are still healthy, removing most cage shelves and ramps to encourage balancing, jumping, and enrichment.

Cage Arrangement-

When they are older, you can setup a large playpen to keep them in most or all of the day for lots of horizontal space to walk around as jumping and climbing become difficult with HLD. Climbing bars vertically and ramps is unnatural and can lead to injuries at this stage so a long area or long cage is best. You will need to move them from a tall cage to one of these setups or a long flat “hospital” cage with a buddy for comfort. I recommend Prevue 528 or Prevue 5524 for senior rats as they are longer and limit climbing.

Hygeine-

Watch their weight, eating habits, and check daily for penis plugs if they are males. Reduced mobility means he won’t be able to clean himself and a penis plug will develop. Penis plugs cause waste to backup inside him, making him ill. If your rat seems to be dirtier or stinkier than usual, you may need to bath them. Switching to fleece bedding that’s washed every 1-3 days will prevent sores from developing from dragging.

Supplementation-

A supplement that I use to help with HLD is “Rat Joint and Mobility Support” from my store, it combines Glucosamine, Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), Curcumin (Turmeric extract), L-Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), with Green-Lipped Mussel. It's banana flavored so it gets mixed with water to become a paste. It aids in mobility and reduces inflammation. If not available in your area, supplement turmeric in other forms such as sprinkled on food.

If they are losing weight, it is best to start offering Oxbow Omnivore Critical Care in a low dish if they are struggling to use their front paws.

Some rat owners report that B12 supplements have helped slow the progression of HLD in their rats. B vitamins are important for nerve function, and some studies suggest that vitamin B12 may help restore peripheral nerve function.

Food-

Since highly processed rat food made with GMO corn and soy are inflammatory, a whole-food organic rat diet supplemented with daily vegetables, legumes, fruit, and lean proteins is a must in order to prevent and manage arthritis and degeneration.

Older rats organs and systems start to operate less effectively as their age, so their diet needs to focus on lower protein, aiming for 12-14%. Older rats also need a focus on kidney-friendly foods as foods high in phosphorous in most traditional diets are hard on their kidneys.

We have created an unprocessed organic rat food that’s formulated to be nutritionally complete for all life stages and be kidney-friendly. Holistic additives such as medicinal mushrooms and herbs are added in order to combat inflammation, as well as natural sources of B vitamins. Find it here on Etsy!

Further Treatment

The best thing you can do for rats with HLD is speak to a vet and get a course of treatment and management. There is no cure for HLD, only managment and prolonging of degeneration. Pain medications, steroids, and anti-inflammatory medications may help them feel more comfortable and can only be accessed from a vet. Know of a vet who can perform humane euthanasia if quality of life is greatly impacted as you may need to help end suffering at some point. Some normal vets who don’t normally care for rats can still do rodent euthanasia, call to ask if you don’t have a local exotics vet.