I need some help everyone!! Please read!

[Aspen and Misty]

I keep forgetting the whole blue thing. LOL. Sorry.

They Cheeks are not puffy there throats are not puffy. There eyes are clear. I checked everything you told me to. I think it is the jitters, well more like hopeing. it only happens every now and then. We are going to the vets on monday. I saw her drink, and eat. They look fat. Acctually, don't tell my dad (lol) but I think they are either pregnet or over fed!! They said they didn't keep the males and female in the same cage but I think they lied. Cause they are pregnet fat and are builiding nest. I'm prepared for the worst. I never thought abotu seprate rooms, much less seprate houses. I guess they will be down stairs till there corenteen is up. The nexbies haven't touched my shirt and I always wash my hands after I touch my rats. I'm hopeing melony and hope don't get sick, if they do I will never forgive myself for this. WISH US LUCK.


Ash

[Aspen and Misty]

Can the clothes I worn while touching the babies can they be in my room? Or do they need to go some where else? Also, is there any type of diet my babies are goign to need? And when there corentien is up can the be introduced to melony and hope? They are the size of a full grown mouse. Any thing else special I need to do? They haev been moved out of my room. And I removed everything that they have touched.

Ash

[luckies4me]

Oh I hope they are not pregnant. If they are you will know soon. And contact me asap if they have babies!!! That way I can give you ome advise, hehe. Does should not be bred til the age of four months and it would be sad if they are pregnant. You said they were young still right?

If it is an infection a good round of Amoxi drops or Baytril should do it. However if they are babies DO NOT let your vet prescribe Baytril. It stunts young rats growth.

If the moms have been together a while you can leave together while they have their babies. They will actually care for eachothers babies. If they are young you will need to be prepared to find a surrogate mother just incase the does do not take care of th babies. You should check for milk bellies two hours after they are born. Keeping fingers crossed!!!!!!!!!

Also tetracycline might be a good idea until you can get your rat to a vet. You can give them tablets made for birds in their water bottle. I usually add two tabs for eight ounces of water. If you do this, you need to cover the bottle wth foil as tetracycline is light sensitive. It's also referred to as Ornacycline. It's a broad spectrum antibiotic. You can also buy this at feed stores.

[luckies4me]

Originally posted by Aspen and Misty
Can the clothes I worn while touching the babies can they be in my room? Or do they need to go some where else? Also, is there any type of diet my babies are goign to need? And when there corentien is up can the be introduced to melony and hope? They are the size of a full grown mouse. Any thing else special I need to do? They haev been moved out of my room. And I removed everything that they have touched.

Ash

For health reason all clothes worn should be laundered as soon as possible as to avoid contamination. If they are kept far away in a seperate room in the house it should be ok. Just make sure you wash your hands and change clothes before visiting with the others. Some people even shower first. It's just precautionary is all.

For feeding please refer to my article for basic feeding info:

http://www.geocities.com/luckies4me/Feeding.html

We can talk about introduction after we know your babies are healthy.

[Aspen and Misty]

Thanx Luckies4me. You've been a great help! I'm going to get the tablets today. Adn thanx for all the information.

Ash

[luckies4me]

Your welcome, and please keepme posted on your cute little furballs. Is the rat getting any better?

Also a few pics wouldn't hurteither, lol!

[Aspen and Misty]

I don't have a digital camra or a scanner . BUT OMG ARE THEY CUTE!!

Today they did the cutest thing today! They were walking around in there ceder and barried themselves under neath it all. It was so cute to only see there tails sticking out. I'm so in love with them. Melony and Hope were out today and I set Mel on the table real quick and she grabed the salt shaker and tipped it over. LOL. It wasa big mess and my mom walked in and asked what happned, I just told her I accidently knowcked it over cause she woulda been mad. Its so much fun to haev babies in the house. O I checked there cage this mornign and all the poo in there was ahrd, I think she only has runny poo when I hold her, so I must scare her.

Ash

[luckies4me]

Cedar! I think I have told you once before that cedar is toxic to small animals....please switch them to a non toxic bedding asap!

[Aspen and Misty]

Sorry I ment Aspen. I know you told me not to give them ceder so I don't. It's just become a habit to say because everyone calls everything (including Aspen) ceder. Sorry bout that. They are living Aspen.

I have a question about my older girls, Melony and Hope. Melony gave hope a large cut on her shoulder. Her hair hasn't grown back and there is a scab where the cut was but do you think it was just really ruff grooming or do you think it was to ruff and I need to seprate them? I hope not. They seem to like each other, but I don't want anyone to get hurt.

Ash

[luckies4me]

Originally posted by Aspen and Misty
Sorry I ment Aspen. I know you told me not to give them ceder so I don't. It's just become a habit to say because everyone calls everything (including Aspen) ceder. Sorry bout that. They are living Aspen.

I have a question about my older girls, Melony and Hope. Melony gave hope a large cut on her shoulder. Her hair hasn't grown back and there is a scab where the cut was but do you think it was just really ruff grooming or do you think it was to ruff and I need to seprate them? I hope not. They seem to like each other, but I don't want anyone to get hurt.

Ash

They should be just fine. All rats will argue, no matter what you do. It is their nature. They could have spats about food, space etc. It is a common normal fact of keeping rats. Rats heal from cuts and wounds fairly quickly. The fur will grow back in her next molt. Rats molt every three months so it will be soon.

Don't worry about them. It's normal, trust me. Just be glad you don't have bucks!!! They bite ears, tails and more. My tailess buck almost lost his testicles!

[popcornbird]

Originally posted by Aspen and Misty
This are the other names I like and there meanings...

Bliss
Meaning: Gladness and joy

Jenna
Meaning: Arabic - A small bird

Jillian (Jilly Bean for short)
Meaning: Youthful

From my knowledge, the Arabic "Jenna" means heaven, or paradise. I don't know if it might mean a small bird too.

[Aspen and Misty]

Popcornbird- That is what it said on a baby nameing web page. We named the white one Tundra and are considering nameing the grey one Brooke.


Can you tell by size how old they are? Cause if so I think my babies are about 19 days old. The website I'm looking at says they still need there mothers milk. Is that true and do I need to bottle feed them? Or do you think they will be fine? I know they drink out of the water bottle cause they LOVE there new fruit stuff I bought them. LOL. This is about how big they are....

[luckies4me]

And yet another eason why you SHOULD NOT purchase rats from the petstore. No wonder the one is sick! They look only about three weeks old or less, they should be with their mommas! And I doubt that you have both females!

My kittens are kept with their mothers until they are four weeks old, males are then seperated so that they do not impregnante the mother or female siblings, does are kept with their mothers until they are at least five weeks old. Sometimes females stay with their mothers til they are 6 weeks. Those rats are way too young to have been bought!

I WOULD NOT put them with the others until you can find out for certain whether they are indeed both females. Like I said, most petstore employees cannot tell them apart and at that young an age can be easily mistaken for the opposite sex. If I were you I would go purchase a can of KMR milk replacer and offer it in a tiny dish so they can lap that up. They should be starting to eat solid food around this time though, so make sure they also have their other food. You can offer babies baby food, such as minced meet or poultry etc. If they indeed that young they will need it. Otherwise they can die.

[Aspen and Misty]

My vet knows absolutly NOTHING about small animals . I told him that Tundra had Diarhea and he said o thats not a problem. WTH. Grrr. I'm going to look around here and see if there are any good small pet vets. I'm gonna get the substace you talked about, they will just drink it right?


Ash

[luckies4me]

Most vets know diddly squat about rats.

They drink the antibiotic yes. It is called Tetracycline or Ornacycline, and it available as tabs for birds. You may need to buy about three packages to complete the round of antibiotics, as you are treating two rats, maybe four now.

You add two tabs to the water every day intheir water bottle, making sure you completely cover the bottle with foil so you do not ruin the medication. They should be treated for a full seven days. Even if the symptoms dissapear, they need to have seven days.

You can call your vet and see if he can prescribe some amoxi-drops or clavamox though, it's sweet and your rats will most likely like it.