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Hey!
Today I got two baby ratties,Faith and Runt!!One is Brown&White(Faith) and one is grayish and white(Runt).......Runt is sneezing quite a bit so im makin sure she stays warm,and she is awfly small, so is Faith shes small too........I will post pics ASAP!!!
G2G
-KAY-
FCRDCC:)
Congratulations on your new ratties - best keep them seperate from everyone until she stops sneezin' - wouldn't want anyone else catching a rat-cold or anything! Can't wait to see the new gals! ;)
I sure hope you are quarantining these rats ina seperate household with a different air supply if one is sick. Sendi and SDA are very highly contagious viruses and spread rapidly through a rattery! They spread via air so even if they are contained ina seperate room they can still infect others. These virus' also stick to hands and clothes so you need to make sure that you wash your hands EVERY time you play with rats at the petstore and change your clothes. These diseases can wipe out a rattery within a week!
If she is sneezing she needs to see a vet. Contrary to what people think, it's not normal for rats to sneeze, at all. If not a contagious disease sneezing can be a sign of a MYCO outbreak, which can be deadly if left untreated. Flareups in MYCO prone rats are common, but should always be dealt with swiftly. MYCO can scar the lungs, making it very hard to breathe. This calls for a dose of antibiotics such as Tylan or Amoxicillan. It's not reccommended to use Baytril on kittens (baby rats) because it stunts their growth. Try less invasive antibiotics first, and then if that doesn't help try Baytril. PLEASE quarantine new rats for a minimum of four weeks.
I hope you got the same sex. Breeding unpedigreed rats is a very dangerous thing to do, for future ratties because most petstore rats are prone to diseases as well as tumours. If you do have opposite sexes keep them seperated!
P.S. Your gray girl is referred to as "blue". Other names: American blue, sky blue, Slate blue. Your brown girl is most likely agouti (wild coloring) or chocolate. :) Hope to see pics soon and I hope you take your rat in for treatment.
Congrats on your new rats! Looking forward to seeing the pics :)
Here are a few helpful links about SDA, Sendai and about how to properly quarantine new ratties. Hope you gain some insight into this. :)
This one pretty much sums everything up, written by a friend of mine named Debbie who I just got a cute dilute black tailess carrier buck from, named Tiny!
:)
rat care information, illness etc.
SDA
SDA and Sendai at Rodentfancy.com
Again, pine and cedar are not appropriate bedding materials for rats or any small animal and contain phenols which can cause death/respiratory problems, which could also cause the sneezing...if they are housed on this. Recommended beddings are Carefresh, Aspen pellets/shavings.
Just to let ya'll know, she Does not own any other rats. These are her first Ratties to! Congrats! I'm so happy for you! Can't wait to see pics!
Ash
PS: How is Chewy??
Aspen and Misty:
I really love your signiture! :D
Congrats on your new additions, Faith and Runt!!:) Hope they're both doing well, now!
Quote:
Originally posted by luckies4me
Aspen and Misty:
I really love your signiture! :D
Thanx, I loved it to and just had to put it as my sig. Hee hee. How are all the rats? Got any new ones latly?
Ash
LOL! Actually my last litter has been sold, all but three, which one( a dumbo) I am keeping but I have to decide on the other two. I am keeping them here until I decide. :p I just got a new black tailess carrier buck from Washington and have a Russian Blue dumbo double velveteen berkshire I am getting at the end of the month (actually February 1st) from Canada. :D I can't wait to work with Russian Blue! It is my favorite color. I will be breeding him with my blue beige girl Roxy for an all RB litter. I am also getting a dalmation rat. You can see him at http://www.manmadehell.com/rattums/litter2.htmQuote:
Originally posted by Aspen and Misty
Thanx, I loved it to and just had to put it as my sig. Hee hee. How are all the rats? Got any new ones latly?
Ash
Things in this forum are not working for me right now. He is number three, and a dumbo!
Cass
O! Those babies are soooo cute! The one you picked out is adorable!!! I haev never seen a Russian Blue? I bet they are pretty though!
Ash
As soon as the breeder takes a pic of my baby (he is only three weeks old right now) I will post so you can see their color. They are beautiful! Thier a very dark blue. :)
O wow, sounds pretty! I can't wait to see him!
Ash
PS: Kay, I hope your Rats ARE girls, LOL, don't want your mom gettin mad at you!
Aspen & Misty:
I am rewriting my feeding page and I will post it when I am done. I added a few things to it, like examples of what my rats had for the day etc. I hope you like it when I finish! :D
O I know I will like it! I'm always looking for new things for my girls to eat, as long as its healthy! hee hee. Like those good cookies I sometimes give them, Healthy is our middle name :D
Ash
Well I finished most of it but I still need to add examples of what my rats ate for the week. This article has taken me all day and it is totally rewritten!!!:eek: :D
I hope you enjoy reading it.....
How to make sure your rat gets the best diet possible, while keeping it interesting at the same time
Written by: Cassandra Barlow ©2002
As with all animals proper diet is essential to your rat's health. Rats are omnivorous, which means they eat both plant and animal material. Rats love food in general and will eat themselves silly, savoring every morsel. They seem to eat just to have something to do. Rats love junk food, just try to keep it as healthy as possible. Table scraps can be given as treats but in no way should they be the staple diet. Below I will outline my own rats' diet, as well as go over healthy treats you can offer your
rats. Eating the same thing every day can get boring. Hopefully this article will give you ideas on how to add variety in the diet, while keeping it healthy at the same time.
First off, most commercial rat feeds are not healthy and should not be given. Most commercial feeds contain harmful additives and preservatives such as Ethoxyquin, a preservative which contains toxins that can cause seizures and in most reported cases, cancer in fancy rats. They also contain corn which most often contains fungus and mold, tiny seeds which are not eaten (some of my rats eat them) and also alfalfa pellets which are hard for a little rats stomach to digest. If you want to add roughage timothy pellets are a safer option. Some rabbits have been known to develope bladder stones if fed too much alfalfa.
Your rat should be fed a staple diet that consists of a well-balanced dry dog food or a small animal lab block. This kind of food gives them the complete nutrition a rat needs and also helps keep their teeth from becomming overgrown. Lab
blocks are hard food made especially for rodents. You should be able to find them in most pet stores, feed stores and sometimes also through breeders, as well as online. Some good brands to consider are Harland Tecklad (http://www.teklad.com/), Purina and Mazuri brand lab blocks. All of these can be purchased online at pet food sites. My rats also are fed Innova Senior dog
food. I prefer Innova over Nutro Natural Choice dog kibble. By comparing the ingredients for both types of food you will see that Innova is made of healthier ingredients.
Lets compare ingredients now, shall we? The ingredients are listed in order of the most to the least used in the food.
Innova-
Ingredients:
Turkey (main ingredient)
Chicken
Ground Barley
Ground Brown Rice
Potatoes
Rice
Chicken Meal
Herring
Chicken Fat
Apples
Carrots
Cottage Cheese
Sunflower Oil
Alfalfa Sprouts
Egg
Garlic
Prebiotics
Probiotics
Chondroitin Sulfate
Glucosamine
Vitamins/Minerals
Nutrition facts:
Linoleic Acid 2.89 %
Omega 3 0.41 %
Protein 18 %
Fat 8 %
Fiber 5.5 %
Moisture 9.5 %
Calories 397 Kcal/cup
Calories 1587 Kcal/lb
Carbohydrates 51.83 %
Ash 6.17 %
Nutro-
Ingredients:
Rice Flour (main ingredient)
Lamb Meal
Ground Rice
Rice Bran
Beet Pulp
Sunflower oil
Poultry Fat
natural flavor
yeast culture
Potassium Chloride
Monosodium Phosphate
Dried egg product
Dried Kelp
Ferrous Sulfate
Choline Chloride
Zinc Sulfate
Vitamin E supplement
Ascorbic acid
Biotin
Manganous Oxide
Garlic flavor
Calcium Pantothenate
Niacin
Vitamin B12 Supplement
Riboflavin Supplement
Vitamin A acitate
Glucousamine
Copper Sulfate
Pyridroitin hydrochloride
Thiamine mononitrate
Chondroitin sulfate
calcium iodate
Menadione sodium bisulfite complex
sodium selenite
vitamin D3 supplement
folic acid
Nutrition facts:
crude protein 14.00%
crude fat (min) 6.00% (max) 8.50%
crude fiber 6.50%
moisture (max) 10.00%
Linoleic acid (min) 2.50%
Zinc (min) 250 mg/kg
Vitamin E (min) 100 IU/kg
Ascorbic acid (min) * 40 mg/kg
Glucosamine (min) * 400 mg/kg
Chondroitin Sulfate (min) * 300 mg/kg
* Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient
Profiles
Of course just because I prefer Innova doesn't mean that Nutro is a bad food. Nutro is a very good food, and healthier than most other dog foods. It's just what my rats do very well on. I still feed Nutro Natural Choice Light dog biscutes as treats. Now, as a rule, the less protein a rat gets the better, try to keep it within healthy limits. A nice protein range for bucks should be around 9 to 15
percent. Females can be fed a higher protein ratio. A 14 to 18 percent protein ratio works well with females. As you can see Innova senior contains 18% protein, so my bucks get fewer kibbles than the females and I try to offset the protein levels with more veggies and fruits, as well as pastas. If bucks are fed too
much protein this can lead to dry, flaky skin as well as an excess of "buck grease". This is an orangish oily substance that is secreted by bucks. Hairless rats are very prone to this, although they need more protein than standard furred bucks because they burn most of it off keeping themselves warm. If you notice
that your buck has too much grease, and it's taking away from his natural beauty, you need to cut down on his protein ratio. Try adding more vegetables or pasta to his diet.
Pregnant and lactating does, as well as kittens (baby rats) are also given kitten food such as Purina One or Science Diet. They are also supplemented with Nutrical, a nice tasting vitamin/mineral supplement. It is often used for breeding
bitches and working/field dogs in the dog fancy. Nutrical can be purchased from your veterinarian or at Pet Superstores such as Petco or Petsmart.
My rats also recieve a grain mix which includes but is not limited to (I mix it differently once a week, switching ingredients. If I find something else healthy I throw that into the mix also. Cornflakes, nut clusters etc.):
dry vegetable pasta (beet, spinach, tomatoe, carrot and squash)
green split peas
yellow split peas
barley
lentils
alphabet pasta (whole wheat flour, spinach, tomatoe, celery, onion, beets
and garlic)
Cheerios
puffed wheat and rice
oat groats
timothy hay pellets (much easier on a ratties delicate digestive
tract, but still adds the needed roughage)
millet seed
Milo
rolled oats
Sunflower seeds
pumpkin seeds
banana chips ( no sugar added)
dried papaya (no sugar added)
macadamia nuts
walnuts
pecans
almonds
Toasted Corn Flakes
Cream of Wheat
Wheat Flakes
Canadian Field Peas
Pine Nuts (help protect against cancer, also referred to as soy nuts)
Dried Cane Molasses
I spend around $13 dollars for this mix, which usually lasts up to a month with 15 rats. I buy bulk at my local supermarket. Trader Joes is a great place to buy healthy bulk foods at a cheap price. It's better to spend $13 dollars for food that will last a month, than to keep returning to the petstore every week for another
bag of unhealthy mix.
Fresh fruits may include but are not limited to:
strawberries
grapes (seedless)
banana
pear
apple (without seeds, they are toxic)
oranges (only for does, which helps protect against cancer, NOT FOR
BUCKS!)
watermelon
cantelope
kiwi fruit
papaya
prunes
raisins
avacado ( a fruit)
tomatoes (actually a fruit)
nectarines
peaches
plums
honeydeew melon
mango
blueberries
Fresh vegetables include but are not limited to:
acorn squash
mustard greens
collard greens
green and red leaf lettuce
romaine lettuce
spinach
radisho
cucumber
potatoes
alfalfa sprouts
zucchini
pumpkin
asparagus (limited because it can cause gas)
brocolli (can cause gas so feed in small amounts)
cauliflower (" ")
brussel sprouts
carrots
celery
fennel (like celery)
sweet potatoe
and sometimes cooked corn on the cob
Take care not to feed too much watery greens or fruits, as excess water can lead to diarrea.
Treats I give:
peanuts
chicken bones
pork chop bones
fish sticks
yogies (half a yogie per adult size rat)
RITZ crackers
active yeast cultured yogurt (contains good bacteria that aids digestion)
dog biscutes
cooked pasta
bread soaked in soy milk
scrambled eggs
hot dogs
Top Ramen
Macaroni and Cheese
canned cat or dog food
crickets (store bought)
mealworms
rice cakes
cheese
baby food
baby cereal
and anything else they seem to will like, as long as it is somewhat healthy.
Remember, these are treats! These are not to be fed often. For comparison, one chocolate chip to a ratty equals a full candy bar to a human.
Whole protein sources:
chicken
beef
pork
tuna
salmon
liver
My rats also recieve a mineral block, brewers yeast, and fish oil. I have seen dramatic improvements in the overall condition of my rats when these products are used.
Things such as bacon, lasagna, french fries, hamburger etc. are fed VERY sparingly, like once every two weeks. Remember, moderation is the key. Try to keep it as healthy as possible, but a little junk food won't hurt if given every so often. Pine nuts, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds as well as other nuts contain a lot of protein so make sure you only add a few to
your mix, or better yet save them for play time and use them as treats. My rats are in perfect health and are not overweight. Their coats are shiny, eyes are bright and they are alert and playful.
What NOT to feed:
*carbonated beverages
*too many peanuts ( destroys vitamin A and enzymes used to break down proteins and starches, it's best to use these are treats)
*too much cheese (use a tiny pinch as a treat)
*peanut butter can cause a rat to choke and they cannot vomit, they lack the neccesary muscles that would allow them to do so
*dried corn (can cause liver cancer)
*iceburg lettuce (full of water and has no nutrional value)
*orange juice or orange peel, this causes cancer in male rats (although it protects against mamary tumours in does...)
*blue cheese dressing (toxic!)
*Licorice
*Rhubarb
*red cabbage (causes gas) artichokes (causes gas)
*raw banana, potatoe skins, green or starchy potatoes (not ripe all the way)
*too much chocolate
*avoid all dairy products if your rat is experiencing any signs of respiratory distress!!!
*poppy seeds can cause neurological damage and sometimes death
Hope this gives everyone here ideas on what they can add to their rats diet while still keeping it healthy, but appealing and
interesting at the same time.
I have a few mistakes that I need correct. I also have to add that I am NOT a nutrionist or health expert, lol. :p
Wow! Thats aot of info! I'm gonna print it out and will get back to you but just me scaning it I am impressed! It tells you everythign and anything you would ever want to know about feeding rats! Great article!
Ash
Thanks!:D
Congrats on your new additions!! Can't wait to see pictures of Faith & Runt!!
Wow! I just read over that and it is really good! That is really helpfull to know what to feed our ratties. Great job!
Ash
Runt died last night:(....She had gotten cold im guessing and wouldnt move or anything,so i warmed her up and with in minutes he was runnin around again:),so I made sure I kept Rhamsee and Runt in the warm living room......A couple hours later Runt began to have a hard time breathing and soon she died:(...We think that Runt was really young.....Faith is renamed Rhamsee because shes a he.....Rhamsee is doing great,he is even more hyper......
Thanks for all the web links......I will look at all of them......Sry I havent gotten on lately.....
Kay
I would buy your little fella a new friend. That way he wont be lonly. Sorry to hear about Runt :(
Ash
If she was sneezing and had trouble breathing she probably died of Myco flareup. It scars the lungs and makes it very hard for a rat to breath and can lead to pnuemonia very fast. Please get your new buddy a friend, just make sure the new friend is a boy also. Pet store rats are very prone to disease and you don't want to be breeding unhealthy rats. I would take your boy to the vet to get looked over. If you need links on how to tell males against females let me know.
I am so sorry you lost your friend. Are there any breeders near you can purchase a healthy rat from? :(
Hey,
ASPEN-My youngest brothers b-day is next weekend and he really loves my rat and has been feeding mine...so my mom is going to take him to the pet store,or she thinks she has found a breeder,and he is going to pick out a rat,he wants a solid colored male rat that he said hes going to name chester....So now my lil Rhams boy will have a mate to live with now!PS.Love the pic of CHewy!
LUCKIES-The weird thing about this is that while Runt was very sick Rhams never showed any signs of sickness and still hasnt,and actually is looking much better then he did when we got him and is growing fast!Im going to take him to the vet soon to get him looked over...I would love any web pages on rats that you have!!
-Rhamsee is doing great....and boy is he HYPER!!LoL today he was out in my room runnin around and he took a cracker that I had on my table.....Well he was hopin around on my bed with it and got onto my table and stuck the cracker in between bristels on my hair bush so that it stood up and then he started eating it!and he climbs on my moms dog....and ClIMBS AND CLIMBS...o yeah and did I mention that he loves to CLIMB!!!And he likes it when you let him ride on your shoulder!
Well better go.....Ill keep in touch on how Rhams is doing!
-Kay-
Not all rats are prone to Myco outbreaks however all rats carry the disease. The other rat could go his whole life without having an outbreak, while others have one and die really quick. There's never a way of knowing.
Glad you are searching for breeders. :) Good luck!