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Rat back feet look like disgusting dead shrimps.
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Sep 3, 2010 01:36
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We call them chicken feets. 
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Sep 4, 2010 02:06
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Boco_T posted:Rat back feet look like disgusting dead shrimps. naww
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Sep 4, 2010 03:52
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I love the feet. That is one cute little ratty
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Sep 4, 2010 10:22
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Just got my Jenny rat cage and I'm really pleased with how big it is! When I get my rats they're going to have so much fun in there. The people I picked it up from were really nice and gave me some pet-friendly cleaning stuff they had left, and a little wooden hut for the rats to hide in. The access IS a bit poor though - I'm quite small so I can get my arm in there easily enough but the doors are positioned a bit poorly so it is a bit awkward to reach everything in the cage. I'm thinking about trying to put an extra door on if I can figure out a good way to do it, has anyone else done anything similar and how did you do it? Also just wanted to re-post my query about mammary tumours in female rats, as it's the one worry I have for when I get them. How common is it? My breeder says she's only had instances of it in pet shop rats, and none of her breeding rats have had any problems, but they're still quite young (18 months) so it could show up yet. I know there are no guarantees about this sort of thing, I guess I just want a better idea than "female rats are prone to this".
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Sep 4, 2010 14:34
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Chakattack! posted:I know there are no guarantees about this sort of thing, I guess I just want a better idea than "female rats are prone to this". If you feel any lumps bigger than a pea, check them the next day. A tumor will double in size every day till its about the size of an egg but obviously you'll get surgery before then. It wont be a chore, it should be part of the normal way you pick up and play with them.
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Sep 5, 2010 22:56
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I feel like I never get a response but I will try again  What are the differences between symptoms of illness and symptoms of old age? Peaches is two years old and three months. In the past few weeks she has been losing a lot of her limb strength, and I've seen a lot more porphyrin around her nose. Her breathing is fine, and even though she is weaker she still always wants to get out of my lap and explore. She has a healthy appetite, though I've had to switch her to softer foods because she can't really hold foods with her paws. I moved a couple of weeks ago, so I'm not sure if that factors. My room is clean and quiet though and she has all of her familiar toys. She is also solitary because she is crabby with other rats, and her previous cagemates passed away. I give her a bunch of attention though and I see her boggling more now than she used to a couple months ago. I've never had a rat live this long so I'm worried about what I need to look out for. If she is just showing signs of old age that is fine, but if she needs a visit to the vet I will make an appointment. I just don't want to stress her out if I don't have to.
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Sep 7, 2010 05:32
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Sorry, I haven't had to deal with old rats yet, but to me it sounds like she is just ageing. Maybe someone else can help.
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Sep 7, 2010 10:32
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Dr. Spaceman posted:She has a healthy appetite, though I've had to switch her to softer foods because she can't really hold foods with her paws. 2 years and 3 months isn't that extremely old that she'd lose strength in her limbs. She can't hold food with her paws? Can she use her front legs at all? Did this come on suddenly or gradually? Have you looked into the possibility that she may have a pituitary tumor? http://ratguide.com/health/neoplasia/pituitary_tumor.php Losing limb strength always sets off an alarm in my head for pituitary tumors, I had a rat that had one. I went through that too, I had to hand feed her. She lost some weight too, so I had to hold her up and hand feed her ensure and baby food. The worst day in the world was when I was hand feeding her one day on the counter, and turned around for a split second, and she rolled off the counter. Hit her head, and died. I was maybe 16 at the time, but I will never forget that and I will feel guilty for the rest of my life. So if you are feeding her on a counter or something, don't do what I did! How is her weight? If she has had any weight loss, I'd advise feeding her ensure. They love the chocolate kind. I would also advise not putting it into a cage with high ramps, because she could roll off and hurt herself. When this happened to me, I just took the ramp out and let her stay on the bottom because she couldn't jump or climb, but the other rats were still able to get around. Carebear fucked around with this message at 12:32 on Sep 7, 2010 |
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Sep 7, 2010 12:22
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Slidje posted:Every time you handle your rats give them a good feel underneath. You want to check from their front limbs to the rear, thats where their nipples/mamories run across. Female rats have 10 nipples, 5 on each side with one in each armpit. Thanks for this, I'm sure it'll be very helpful! That's not really what I was asking though, I'm not worried about how to find the tumours if they occur (I'm always very hands on with my animals and my cat at home is victim to me running my fingers through his fur endlessly checking for scratches), what I really want to know is how common people think the mammary tumours are. I'd love to hear from people who've had female rats, and whether they've experienced it or not. 
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Sep 7, 2010 16:45
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Dr. Spaceman posted:...I just don't want to stress her out if I don't have to. The combination of increase in porphyrin, loss of coordination and/or strength, and weight loss definitely warrants a vet trip. Boggling can also be a sign of stress. You would only be stressing her out for a few hours at most. Just remember to treat her with lot of chocolate afterwards.
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Sep 7, 2010 17:11
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Carebear posted:Have you looked into the possibility that she may have a pituitary tumor? Peaches definitely has some of the symptoms. Her loss of strength has been more gradual, but I ended up putting her in a one level cage before I moved. First a mammary tumor, then abscesses, now this :/ What happened to your rat sounds horrible, but if you hadn't taken good care of her I doubt she would have even lived to that point. It sounds like you were very good to her, so I hope you don't still feel guilty. Queen Burbleburble posted:The combination of increase in porphyrin, loss of coordination and/or strength, and weight loss definitely warrants a vet trip. Boggling can also be a sign of stress. You would only be stressing her out for a few hours at most. Just remember to treat her with lot of chocolate afterwards. I didn't realize rats would boggle when they were stressed. If I am petting Peaches and she boggles for example, how can I tell the difference between her being stressed and her being happy? And thanks both of you for the responses. I will make an appointment for her this week. Chakattack! posted:I'd love to hear from people who've had female rats, and whether they've experienced it or not. Out of the seven female rats I, my friends, and family have had, five have had tumors. I feel like that number is much higher than average, but these are all rats that came from the pet store or from "accident litters" between pet store rats. So it may be that they were poorly bred. Out of the five tumors though, only one was malignant.
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Sep 7, 2010 19:57
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Dr. Spaceman posted:I didn't realize rats would boggle when they were stressed. If I am petting Peaches and she boggles for example, how can I tell the difference between her being stressed and her being happy? Mine boggle when in a happy rat pile in their hammock and I am sure thats contentment, not stress. However one of mine I take outside regularly - he likes to sniff the air and loves meeting new people. But sometimes he acts a bit anxious and doesn't want to go out. There is definitely teeth chattering and sometimes boggling there, and I figure something is stressing him when he withdraws into my shirt or tries to get back to the cage. If she only boggles while you're petting her she is probably just enjoying it
Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 00:47 on Sep 8, 2010 |
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Sep 8, 2010 00:43
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I've personally never had a rat boggle while stressed. I've always been under the impression that they only do it while extremely content. But, it could be like cats and purring, I guess. That really wouldn't be surprising to me at all!
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Sep 8, 2010 02:11
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Just saw this article and thought it was pretty rad. http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/09/07/herorats.detect.landmines/index.html?hpt=C2 Picture 10 is pretty All hooked up to a harness and everything.
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Sep 9, 2010 00:28
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Yeah they are indeed awesome Everyone was saying earlier how we all want to own one.
Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 11:09 on Sep 9, 2010 |
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Sep 9, 2010 11:07
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rear end Crackers! posted:Just saw this article and thought it was pretty rad. Why don't the rats get blast masks?
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Sep 10, 2010 03:08
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 When do you know when its time? Neko has had mammary tumors (as well as an internal tumor) growing for over half a year now. Today is the first day I've notice any change in her behavior. She hasn't been jumping, but today she won't come up onto the second floor at all, isn't eating as much, and is sort of limping as she drags her tumors. I have a feeling this is the beginning of her downward spiral... I'm thinking I will euthanize her within the next few days. Part of me is saying its too early, but the other part doesn't want her to suffer. I don't know. I'm spaying the next female rats I get.
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Sep 10, 2010 03:17
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How do I get my rat to not be afraid of me? I remember reading somewhere in this thread about not forcing them to spend time with you so I've been trying to be patient with her, but she always bolts into her hiding place when I open up the cage. The other one likes me at least.
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Sep 10, 2010 06:36
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No, with rats you DO want to force them to spend time with you. Read the rest of the thread for the info on "forced socialisation" - its not cruel like it sounds I promise, and it works really well edit: here's a quick link, but really this thread has the best info http://e4n.kuddlykorner4u.com/behavior.html#forced Make sure you start out with giving her a treat every time you walk past the cage until she gets the idea that your hands aren't scary and she gets good things from them. Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 06:48 on Sep 10, 2010 |
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Sep 10, 2010 06:38
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Big Bug Hug posted:Make sure you start out with giving her a treat every time you walk past the cage until she gets the idea that your hands aren't scary and she gets good things from them. But DON'T give the treat through the cage bars! This leads to a terrible snatchy habit. Carebear, I'm at that same point with one of my girls, Noel. I'm so afraid that she's going to downward spiral too quickly for me to react. I will probably take her in to say goodbye sometime very soon. 
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Sep 10, 2010 16:35
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CompactFanny posted:But DON'T give the treat through the cage bars! This leads to a terrible snatchy habit.
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Sep 11, 2010 00:56
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Reading this thread sorta made me want to get a couple rats and I've been reading up on them and watching youtube videos,except I cant really seem to find many great places in Oklahoma to get them,besides random pet stores.
crazy8 fucked around with this message at 09:00 on Sep 11, 2010 |
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Sep 11, 2010 08:56
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Well there's this: http://www.petfinder.com/pet-search?animal_type=Small&pet_breed=rat&location=oklahoma&distance=0
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Sep 11, 2010 18:29
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I looked there,Oklahoma city is like a hour 1/2 - 2 hour drive for me,and all of those rats listed but one are adults and I don't see the point in buying an adult if its probably gonna die like 3 months after i buy it anyways.
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Sep 11, 2010 20:14
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This page needs more pictures.  That's Joan, who likes squeezing her fatness into the smallest spaces possible.  Trudy, the most adventurous one of the bunch and the only one who's currently allowed to free range since she comes when you call her.  Wrinkles is so ugly that she's kind of adorable. She's the weird one and the only one who uses the wheel.  Joan is a good rat friend and gives massages.  Everyone loves the ledge and wants to stand on it at the same time.  We have this really tall box filled with packing peanuts. Trudy climbs in it almost every day, panics and flails around trying to get out, then jumps back in after we rescue her. A couple of weeks ago Trudy took a flying leap off of the couch and hit her jaw on our coffee table. There was a little blood but she seemed fine immediately after, and started playing and eating again with no troubles. Over the course of the weeks she started developing a lump on her neck area and since it grew slowly we figured it was probably an abscess. Made a vet appointment for yesterday and it burst while Boco_T was holding her in her carrier in the waiting room.  I was at work, but he assures me that it was the worst smell possibly imaginable (but then I work at a daycare and have gotten baby diarrhea on my pants before, and I think that wins the smell contest).Anyway, we have to keep her separated from the other two until her wound closes up and keep her off the floor so she doesn't get dirt packed in there. We're also giving her baytril twice a day and a painkiller and flushing out the wound once a day. She hates the whole process and is just miserable right now. We have to take her back this coming Friday because her face is swollen and they want to see if it clears up with the baytril, or if it's additional abscesses that will need to be treated. Our poor baby.
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Sep 11, 2010 20:18
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We were also holding her in the mini pet carrier we got at Petsmart, which just zips up at both ends. I didn't want her to try and jump off the table while we were asleep, so I reluctantly closed her in when I went to bed. Like 2 minutes later I heard a thump noise, and basically I had zipped the end of a water bottle into the carrier so she wouldn't have to go all night without water. Well, she pushed the water bottle out and jumped out, and she was just hanging out on the table. So I gave her a drink, and then zipped up both ends and set my alarm early so I could give her more water early in the morning. I get up this morning and she had used hands and mouth, no idea how, to unzip the thing from the inside and climb out. Luckily she didn't try to jump to the floor from the table, but yeah, no zipper is going to hold Trudy back.
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Sep 11, 2010 20:25
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lol. Poor rat. Get her a small animal carrier - I use a hard plastic one with a clear perspex lid and good ventilation all around the bottom. It has a clip to close it and there's no way they're getting out of there. Then again I can't imagine any of mine figuring out how to unzip a zip. Something like this: http://www.equinecaninefeline.com/catalog/ferplast-aladino-animal-carrier-small-hamster-mouse-p-396.html
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Sep 12, 2010 02:11
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crazy8 posted:I looked there,Oklahoma city is like a hour 1/2 - 2 hour drive for me,and all of those rats listed but one are adults and I don't see the point in buying an adult if its probably gonna die like 3 months after i buy it anyways. i adopted adults and i still have one a year later :-) adults need love too, even if babies are super cute :]
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Sep 12, 2010 12:25
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Also in the rats spiraling downhill boat. Peaches went to the vet and it turns out she does have a brain tumor. She is still a little piggy but she has gotten so much slower and sadder looking. I just want one of those rats that lives to be 4 years old
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Sep 13, 2010 07:17
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Dr. Spaceman posted:I just want one of those rats that lives to be 4 years old I've had 10 (pet store or adopted) rats. Only one of them has lived past 3 years, and that was due to sheer stubbornness on his part. You and me both, buddy.
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Sep 13, 2010 16:47
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Which makes this thread kind of upsetting sometimes, because you're never sure if a page is going to be mostly cute pictures, talking about bedding and cages, or OH MY GOD THEY'RE DYING.
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Sep 14, 2010 17:56
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It pretty much comes with the territory, imo. I can't decide if a four year old rat would be really cool, or if it would be like having a 110 year old grandma. She just isn't fun any more now that she can't walk, eat solids, poop in the toilet or remember your name.
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Sep 15, 2010 03:44
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daggerdragon posted:I've had 10 (pet store or adopted) rats. Only one of them has lived past 3 years, and that was due to sheer stubbornness on his part. You and me both, buddy. Pokie was about 5 years old when her body finally gave up. She had a massive tumor, which never seemed to bother her, one of her bottom teeth was a different colour and very brittle, always growing at a weird angle, she had one ear always full of pus no matter what i gave her or tried to treat it with. She was 3 and a bit frail when she got her final tumor. I decided not to risk having it removed because she was so old but she held on and never stopped being a silly bouncey female rat. She used the tumor like a leg and bounced on it as she ran around. Stubborn little bitch. Really should have had that loving thing removed, she might have even lived even longer. She was always active and trying to carry on like all the other rats till one day she just couldnt move or eat, raise her head, she couldnt even blink on her last day. I held her her close, kept my finger on her heart so i knew when she was gone. Gave her lots of love and talked to her as much as i could. Thanked her for staying so long. If i could have kept her the rest of my life i would have. I have recurring dreams where she comes to visit me. CompactFanny posted:It pretty much comes with the territory, imo. I can't decide if a four year old rat would be really cool, or if it would be like having a 110 year old grandma. She just isn't fun any more now that she can't walk, eat solids, poop in the toilet or remember your name.
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Sep 15, 2010 10:12
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CompactFanny posted:It pretty much comes with the territory, imo. I can't decide if a four year old rat would be really cool, or if it would be like having a 110 year old grandma. She just isn't fun any more now that she can't walk, eat solids, poop in the toilet or remember your name. One of mine that made it to a couple of days shy of her 4th Bday was totally spry and with-it mentally up until the day she died. She shrunk a bit, and lost some weight, but she still tore around her cage and beat up the younger girls and stole their food and was an absolute terror. One day I just found her lying in a puddle of drool, unconscious but with her eyes open, and she died in my lap about 10 minutes later. Most of them do descend into a slow and miserable spiral of old age, but the ones that don't are cool as heck.
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Sep 15, 2010 13:57
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I found my Petunia dead this morning. She was all cold and limp at the bottom of the cage D: Now her sister (from birth) Penny is really grieving. She makes little crying sounds and is generally lying in one place. She has two other sisters and they all get along amazingly. I've been trying to cuddle her all day and croon to her, but i'm not sure what else I can do. I'm taking all of the girls this week to get a check up to make sure they're healthy. Is there anything else I can do for her? Thanks for your advice.
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Sep 16, 2010 02:09
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Thats so sad, I'd like to know how other goons deal with it too
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Sep 16, 2010 07:44
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Olifanten posted:I think Vet is a bit extreme, give her time and treats. She should pick up in a few days. Some rats never get over it and their health declines fast. Keep an eye on her and don't panic yet. Vet visits always stress my rats out way too much to be worthwhile unless it's an emergency. One thing you have to watch for is over-grooming. They'll start losing the fur around their arms from grooming them too much. Weight loss and not eating after a week is very bad.
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Sep 16, 2010 12:04
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Olifanten posted:I found my Petunia dead this morning. She was all cold and limp at the bottom of the cage D: I'm so sorry about your Petuina... But as for Penny - little crying sounds? I'm not really sure that's normal behavior for rats. I've had rats become depressed for a short period, but never make noises like that. I would take her to the vet. If you can, upload a video if it? Either way, give her as much attention as you can. Sometimes when I see rats that are left alone after their friends die, they become VERY attached to me. She isn't alone though... Just give her lots of love, and a check up to the vet!
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Sep 16, 2010 12:22
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Rats don't make crying sounds, she's probably sick. Vet.
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Sep 16, 2010 14:42
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