Upon Gross Necropsy..Inner right ear abscess that invaded complete right side of brain causing seizures than death. No outward appearance of abscess. Outer ear was completely healthy.

From my Vet (Dr. Susan Hall):

On 4/27/07 I performed a gross necropsy on Star-looker, a 10 month old rat belonging to Valerie Dalzotto. Star-looker had been a healthy rat except for an episode of ataxia which seemed to resolve on its own. The night previous to the necropsy, she had begun to show some respiratory signs which developed into seizures and then death.

On the examination, Star-looker appeared to be in fine body condition with no abnormalities noted in the abdomen. The lungs were somewhat hemorrhagic and edematous (probably due to the seizures. As the ventral approach was made to the brain, it was noted that the right inner ear was filled with pus and the abcess extended into the cerebellum and cerebrum. It is apparent that this abcess was the cause of Star-looker's death.