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Poor little guy, he's still adjusting and he has to take medicine  Do they normally eat their food out of a dish? You could try taking the others out and putting some food mixed with medicine in the dish rather than trying to give it to him while you're holding him. My guys will eat medicine in yoghurt, baby food, and at a pinch, ice cream 
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Jul 20, 2011 23:13
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I do meds on bread or stale cake when they will take them, but at some point all of them catch on and stop eating after they've already ingested some of the meds. Then I have to guess how much they've taken and force the rest of it down their throats anyway. Now I just burrito them in a towel, insert meds, and treat. Much less stress in the long run after they get used to it.
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Jul 21, 2011 00:08
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Thanks for all of the suggestions. I'm going to try more mixers tomorrow, but if that doesn't work it's back to the rat burrito method.
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Jul 21, 2011 00:37
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This only works in the summer, but I dose my guys using slurpee syrup that I buy at Walmart. That stuff is like ratcrack and they ONLY get it when they get meds.
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Jul 21, 2011 00:39
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Try Torani's raspberry-flavored syrup as a mixer. I've had good success with it when having to give two of my rats Doxycycline.
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Jul 21, 2011 01:24
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Where's Super to say to just shove it down their throats.  (I'm a total pussy too, I'd be all about hiding it in nummy syrup)
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Jul 21, 2011 01:44
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Our Trudy stopped taking meds in apple sauce, yogurt, or even ice cream, so force feeding it is!
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Jul 21, 2011 02:01
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I'm bigger and stronger than you, rat, and I know what's best. Eat it! A little screaming and terror shits never hurt anybody. 
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Jul 21, 2011 02:46
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I beg to differ, Jack has wet tail, his terror poops can kill. Some good news though, Hurley decided we can be friends as long as I let him chill on my shoulder. Any age estimates on him? For reference my ear plug fronts are 18mm.
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Jul 21, 2011 07:01
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I would estimate anywhere around 6 weeks-2.5 months old.
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Jul 21, 2011 07:27
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Yeah he's a couple of months old I reckon. He's a cutie. Found anything they'll eat with medicine yet?
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Jul 21, 2011 09:33
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Well the babies will eat anything and I'm going to try with Jack again later today.
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Jul 21, 2011 15:40
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Olive Bar posted:I beg to differ, Jack has wet tail, his terror poops can kill. Wet tail is a species-specific bacterial infection that only affects syrian hamsters. Therefore Jack cannot have wet tail!  If he has diarrhea, though, you may be giving him too many watery fruits/veggies, or he might be stressed out about something.
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Jul 22, 2011 00:37
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Oh wow good to know I thought it was just a term for rodent diarrhea. The vet saw one of his explosions so she's aware, we're pretty sure it's stress. I tried mixing his meds again and now he sees it and just knocks it over so I'm going with the shut up and take it rat burrito.
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Jul 22, 2011 00:50
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We got the estimate back from the vet about spaying our three girls. $1400. Don't think that's gonna happen :|
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Jul 22, 2011 01:11
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Have you considered getting quotes from other vets? $466 for getting a rat spayed seems extremely pricey.
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Jul 22, 2011 01:51
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neongrey posted:Where's Super to say to just shove it down their throats. Do ittttttttttttttttt I've actually gone a bit soft, one of mine had to go on a course of Doxy not too long ago and for some reason he was totally willing to lick it out of a syringe with just the banana flavoring the vet mixed in. Just about every other rat I've tried it on has hated that stuff. 
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Jul 22, 2011 02:22
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Baika posted:Have you considered getting quotes from other vets? $466 for getting a rat spayed seems extremely pricey. We've looked around the city, but vets willing to work on rats seem to be pretty sparse. Probably will try calling around more places, though. Ninja edit: I'm in Canada, and fancy rats seem to be less popular here.
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Jul 22, 2011 02:52
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Invalid Octopus posted:Does anyone here have experience with mixed-sex (but all neutered) groups of rats? Is it a bad idea? My guy and I currently have three lady rats (Patti, Liza, and Angela) and have been tossing around the idea of picking up one or two more (we easily have the cage space for it). The girls aren't currently desexed, but probably will be in the next month or so. Were we to get a male (or two), he (or they) would also be desexed. Would a mixed-gender group encourage unwanted social dynamics? Would it be a better idea to get one male rat or two? Or is it an awful idea and we should only think about getting more females? We had a neutered male, Zorro, who was getting on in age, not doing too well, and he had just lost his cagemate ... we put him in with Hemlock and (Poison) Ivy, two girls. Zorro was revived. He was so happy, and the females seemed like they enjoyed having an old man to dote on. They took good care of him, and he died a happy, happy rat, around six months later. Zorro still loved his "mom" (my wife) very much.
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Jul 22, 2011 03:02
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Olive Bar posted:Aw man, every time I read one of those posts my heart drops. I'm so sorry to everyone who has lost a rat. I had to think long and hard about whether or not I could deal with that before I got my boys. Sounds like they're licking friendly-like; they'll come around. I agree, losing a rat sucks. We've done it 97 times in the past ten or eleven years, and it hasn't gotten easier on my wife. She bawls every time.
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Jul 22, 2011 03:06
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Invalid Octopus posted:We've looked around the city, but vets willing to work on rats seem to be pretty sparse. Probably will try calling around more places, though. That sucks. It could work out, with just the male rats being neutered; it did for us a few times. When the females went into heat, they didn't bother the neutered males that lived with them (any more than normal).
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Jul 22, 2011 03:08
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Yep as far as I've heard its fine to have non spayed females with neutered males.
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Jul 22, 2011 09:07
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O'riginal posted:Sounds like they're licking friendly-like; they'll come around. Jeez. 97 times? I gave up after 10 and just couldn't handle it any more
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Jul 22, 2011 15:46
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Oh my god! I found Jack's irresistible food! He took his meds this morning no muss no fuss on a blueberry waffle with a bit of maple syrup, no poop explosion and he loves me again!
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Jul 22, 2011 17:20
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Congratulations! Had he ever had that before? I'm starting to think the trick with more fussy rats is giving them something new so they don't know anything's wrong with it 
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Jul 22, 2011 23:32
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Olive Bar posted:Oh my god! I found Jack's irresistible food! He took his meds this morning no muss no fuss on a blueberry waffle with a bit of maple syrup, no poop explosion and he loves me again! That's funny, my rats once went absolutely loving insane over a bit of blueberry muffin. I've never seen them so excited or ravenous about food than when they smelled it.
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Jul 22, 2011 23:57
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daggerdragon posted:Jeez. 97 times? I gave up after 10 and just couldn't handle it any more I'm on numbers 9, 10, 11, and 12. I feel like as long as they can still give you happiness, it's worth it but I can definitely see how it can get you down.
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Jul 23, 2011 01:39
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Oh dear, over one hurdle and on to the next. I think the antibiotics have switched Jack from kinda moist to full blown diarrhea. Is there anything I can give him to dry it up? It can't be healthy for him to be cleaning that much poop off himself.
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Jul 23, 2011 02:57
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Olive Bar posted:Oh dear, over one hurdle and on to the next. I think the antibiotics have switched Jack from kinda moist to full blown diarrhea. Is there anything I can give him to dry it up? It can't be healthy for him to be cleaning that much poop off himself. In addition to lots and lots of water, I've read somewhere that you can give rats one drop per ounce of body weight as a dose three times a day of Pepto Bismol, Kaopectate, or Immodium with some yogurt etc. Haven't tried it myself, but it shouldn't harm them as they can't overdose if you're giving it to them in small quantities. If your rats aren't drinking enough water, I've found that mine really enjoy their water flavored with those crystal light packets. snowdoge fucked around with this message at 03:16 on Jul 23, 2011 |
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Jul 23, 2011 03:11
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Yoghurt itself should be good for his system in general too. Just make sure its ok to have it on that particular antibiotic. It should be. You could try pumpkin mash too (like baby food). That immodium thing sounds like a good bet too. Do some googling? Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 04:10 on Jul 23, 2011 |
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Jul 23, 2011 04:04
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Thank you for the suggestions. I'm sick all the time so I've been watching his water intake closely, unfortunately I know all about dehydration from experience. I also drink lots of crystal light so that's good to know should there be an issue.
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Jul 23, 2011 04:13
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NaDy posted:That's funny, my rats once went absolutely loving insane over a bit of blueberry muffin. I've never seen them so excited or ravenous about food than when they smelled it. Mine would freak the gently caress out for mint. They tore holes in my friend's pocket to get to his gum once - he calls it an everlasting tribute to their memory 
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Jul 23, 2011 06:21
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I need some advice. I've been bitten three times by a rat I got yesterday. Now, the first two times it was my own fault, because I had my fingers near the bar of the cage (the first time I was stupid, the second time I was trying to undo the door latch). But the third time, I had the door to the cage open and had my hands laying down in front of the door, attempting to coax him out of the cage. I understand rats can't see very well and so he probably thought I was trying to give him food, but how can I keep him from biting me? I obviously won't poke my finger through the cage bars anymore. For some background, this is a six month old male rat. I just got him yesterday from my friend who didn't have time to take care of him anymore. She said getting him a rat buddy would probably improve his mood, (but she said she didn't get him one because if she didn't want one rat, why should she have two?) I'm picking up another 6 month old male from the Humane Society today. I hope to eventually introduce them, but not if this one is going to be super aggressive. Help!
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Jul 23, 2011 15:05
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Ratty picture time! I built them a cardboard tunnel fort hehe  Willow, destroyer of tissue boxes.  
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Jul 23, 2011 16:01
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Alhara posted:I'm picking up another 6 month old male from the Humane Society today. I hope to eventually introduce them, but not if this one is going to be super aggressive. Help! You`ll need to bathe them both or they might fight to the death. Be very very careful and watch them like a hawk
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Jul 23, 2011 16:56
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Sounds like it's pudding-smearing time for Alhara
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Jul 23, 2011 16:57
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RazorBunny posted:Sounds like it's pudding-smearing time for Alhara Oh, definitely. I've been reading this thread and the advice from this page http://www.ratfanclub.org/newrat.html and the thought of smearing chocolate pudding on a rat is too cute to pass up. But really, having been bitten 3 times by Apollo (the rat I got yesterday) I'm nervous to handle him. I guess I'm really looking for advice about that before I worry about introducing him to Chance (the shelter rat).
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Jul 23, 2011 17:04
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Peanut butter rat cookies work well for my picky eaters too: http://ratguide.com/meds/figures/giving_medications_figure_1.php
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Jul 23, 2011 17:08
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Alhara, what kind of bites we talkin' here? Like did he draw blood or was it sort of a hard nom and then a confused look when he realized you weren't food?
Squid fucked around with this message at 21:47 on Jul 23, 2011 |
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Jul 23, 2011 21:44
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Yeah its easy to tell the difference. Did his old owner say he was bitey? Its possible he just needs a bit of time to adjust if he's super frightened
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Jul 23, 2011 23:32
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