Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've had my male Baird's rat for four years. I'm not sure how old he is becuase he was about 4'long when I purchased him(just under 6' now). He had been a solid eater of f/t mice up until ten months ago when he started refusing f/t. He eagerly ate live mice though. I have noticed that his vision seems to have gotten progressively worse in the same time frame, and he is now refusing live mice as well. I'm fairly certain he is completely blind now(completely unable to track movement of the mouse or my hand) and he is getting thinner. However, his activity level is still high. My next step would be to bring him to the vet but I really wanted some feedback from this forum. I'm inclined to think that his vision problem is the reason for his changing feeding habits, but I'm not sure...

Thanks, Dan

Have you noticed if he has been shedding his eye caps when he sheds.Or if he still has one stuck to eyes.Besides that he may be in his breeding cycle or sick.Does his body feel full or mushy? Has it been treated for internal parasites or been housed with newly purchased snakes.Just some things to think about,hope it helps.John

To answer your questions, he has been shedding his eye caps.I've been checking. He hasn't been housed with any new snakes(or any for that matter). I keep his enclosure very clean and I treat it with Provent-a-Mite every few months. I have never bred him and his temps are kept the same year round(no induced brumation period).He doesn't feel mushy when held. I was planning to treat him with Panacur and see if that changes things. If not, trip to the vet. It's frustrating not to see him thriving as he had been for the previous three years. Thanks again!