Originally posted by luckies4me
Ok, the pyometra part. Rats don't really work like our cats and dogs. There are two types of pyometra in rats, closed and open. Open would of course show signs of discharge, but closed is when the vagina actually seals itself up, which is why the uterus becomes swollen with pus. This of course makes the abdomen enlarge. Here is some more information on Pyometra. While Myco is the most common cause, it's not the only one unfortunately.

http://ratguide.com/health/reproductive/pyometra.php

My own rat Honey has been fighting an open pyometra for about a month now. Because it's not too bad, the vets are reluctant to spay her due to her age, but I am looking into another vet who would be willing to get her spayed. I think with her injured back it would be the best thing to do in my opinion.

As far as doing a necopsy, as long as she has beenin the freezer you can still get one done. The latest I have done a necropsy was five days, and especially if you are looking for a clue in the body itself, not in the actual blood, then you *should* be just fine.
I knew that rats vaginas can seal shut but I thought that the discharge could still seep through. I did know about most of the pyometra symptoms though.