One of my rats, Alton, is sick. It's not a respiratory infection, that much I can tell. (Tony had that before so I know the symptoms.) Alton is lethargic and seems weak (he can move all of his legs but he kind of drags himself along the ground to move, which he doesn't do often), doesn't seem to be drinking or eating much (which is a big change for him, usually he eats quite a lot). When I looked him over he had a sort of squishy white glob stuck in his urethra (it came out without any problems when I pulled on it) so I'm thinking he hasn't peed in a while. Could this be a urinary tract infection? I can't really tell if he has a temperature or not. He's also lost some weight. He also grinds his teeth sometimes.

Extra details - Alton is a blind albino mix (got him at a pet store, I know), about 2 years old now.

I know to take him to the vet, I just literally have no money for it. The only vet in the city (I'm in Seattle) that will take rats doesn't allow payment plans - you have to pay for everything all at once.

Please, any advice here will be useful. I'm really worried about him.

Update: Alton died at 310 PST this morning. He had stopped breathing 5 minutes beforehand. I held him in my hands as his heart stopped.

Thank you to everyone who tried to help with this, especially beautifulwolf for staying up with my worried chats and for being ok with my calling late. I really appreciate it.

RIP, Alton Brown Jones. I hope they have your favorite parrot treats in heaven.