Ok so, I get it. I’m weird. According to The Washington Post, I am part of the 4% of people who have a small exotic animal as a pet. Actually wait, no scratch that. 4% of people have small exotic animals; only 6% of that 4% are people who own rats. So, I guess you could say I have an acquired taste. However, I just believe that this number is so small because people associate rats with the famous Bubonic Plague, dirt, poverty and many other things that cause a stomach full of disgust. They are even viewed as such low creatures that 100 million rats and mice are killed in laboratories each year according to PETA. But I don’t have that sad view, and luckily I have decided to educate the world on the inquisitive, playful, loving pet that is the rat. And that’s not all, ill be using my forte, Veterinary Physiotherapy to show you just how awesome these little guys are.
WHY WOULD THEY NEED PHYSIO?
Rats are living animals with a similar musculoskeletal and neurological system to your dog. In fact your dog and rat share the same skin pH level! Thus, rats too fall victim to many issues of these above systems, such as hip dysplasia. Yup, thats correct! Rats can get the same joint disease your neighbour Joe’s rottie has!
Physiotherapy for rats is a new but needed scope of practice for rats especially as they now increasingly have become popular as a pet, and thus are being interbred to produce more and more pet rats. This results in an increase in the chances that your rat will be born with a genetic disease such as hip dysplasia.