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Some rats are just skinny, but I would start weighing them and keep a journal if you're concerned about it. Edit: If you really want them to eat the Regal Rat, just stop giving them other food until they finish it.
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Oct 1, 2014 23:30
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Yeah, my skinny rat is definitely the alpha rat. Or is just really really possessive.
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Oct 2, 2014 00:25
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They're now at home and happy!   E: More of them, then I'll stop I promise!    
ShiroTheSniper fucked around with this message at 12:28 on Oct 7, 2014 |
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Oct 6, 2014 12:52
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You'd better post more pictures. We wouldn't want them getting RES.
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Oct 7, 2014 19:52
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ShiroTheSniper posted:E: More of them, then I'll stop I promise! You'd better not stop posting pictures. I need my cute rat fix. 
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Oct 8, 2014 23:06
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Ok ok, here's some more! Kiss!   Camouflaged in the hammock! 
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Oct 9, 2014 17:36
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Joining the Ratopulace with these three butts: blinky  blurry    They're about 300 grams heavier now than when these pics were taken, about a month ago. THEY GROW SO FAST. I decided to get them because 1) I'm in a veterinary program and want to be able to treat small mammals and other exotics, and therefore I should probably own some, and 2) rats are super cute. The gray (sweetest and meekest) already came down with the runs from a protozoan bacterial load, so I'm starting her on antibiotics tonight. Gray and white is the super active explorer, and brown and white is the most scaredy. All are adorable.
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Oct 10, 2014 01:06
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My friend's rat is starting to display some odd symptoms and I was hoping that somebody here might have an idea of what's up. Her rat Dorne has been sick with a URI for awhile, and has been on antibiotics and treated with a nebulizer. We've been having to force feed him for a week or so because he just won't eat anything. Today she sends me a video of him walking very strangely. He'll walk a bit, then make a sudden, violent hop. She also says his front paws keep crossing when he walks. Has anyone here dealt with this before?
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Oct 14, 2014 17:26
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Grape Juice Vampire posted:My friend's rat is starting to display some odd symptoms and I was hoping that somebody here might have an idea of what's up. Her rat Dorne has been sick with a URI for awhile, and has been on antibiotics and treated with a nebulizer. We've been having to force feed him for a week or so because he just won't eat anything. Today she sends me a video of him walking very strangely. He'll walk a bit, then make a sudden, violent hop. She also says his front paws keep crossing when he walks. Has anyone here dealt with this before?
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Oct 14, 2014 17:32
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Grape Juice Vampire posted:Today she sends me a video of him walking very strangely. He'll walk a bit, then make a sudden, violent hop. I had a rat that did this. It sounds a lot like he had a stroke or some other brain injury. These aren't really treatable and you might want to consider his quality of life. Sorry. 
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Oct 14, 2014 17:36
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buffybot posted:I had a rat that did this. It sounds a lot like he had a stroke or some other brain injury. These aren't really treatable and you might want to consider his quality of life. Sorry.  That's what I figured. I think his respiratory thing is preventing him from getting enough oxygen. I just texted her and I'm waiting to hear back. I feel so bad because in the last two weeks she's sunk like $300 into his care and is really distressed about his illness.
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Oct 14, 2014 17:54
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Rats can also make those violent sudden jumps when in respiratory distress. Whether its just that or hes had a stroke etc, it just sounds like the poor guy is really ill, and at that point I would have him pts to end his suffering.
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Oct 14, 2014 23:28
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Big Bug Hug posted:Rats can also make those violent sudden jumps when in respiratory distress. Whether its just that or hes had a stroke etc, it just sounds like the poor guy is really ill, and at that point I would have him pts to end his suffering. So I guess he may be getting better! Today he ate on his own and started sniffing things, so I'm guessing his nose is starting to clear up. He took the flavored medicine with no issues and even chowed down on the medical gruel the vet prescribed him. I'm feeling a little more optimistic after hearing that. The symptoms sound like a tumor, but the vets didn't point anything like that out on his x-rays a week ago. Let's hope he continues to pull through.
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Oct 15, 2014 06:44
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Grape Juice Vampire posted:So I guess he may be getting better! Today he ate on his own and started sniffing things, so I'm guessing his nose is starting to clear up. He took the flavored medicine with no issues and even chowed down on the medical gruel the vet prescribed him. That's great! I hope he gets better. Voluntarily eating his medicine will make things easier!
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Oct 15, 2014 09:08
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I noticed this morning that one of my rats seems to be struggling to get around a bit she seems totally happy and fine, eating normally and everything, but she's stopped climbing completely and if I put her back in the cage on one of the higher platforms (there are no ramps), she appears to be stuck. She walks around awkwardly flatfooted on her back feet. Her sister is fine, running and climbing all around as usual. They're both a few months past two years old. I put them both on my shoulders this morning and she wasn't grasping at all with her back feet, so she couldn't really hang on like normal. Is this a sign of old age/normal for an older rat? Should I take her to a vet? My first pair of rats were PetsMart rats and both (separately) died really suddenly with no warning, so I didn't really experience this. What should I be watching out for and doing to help her out?
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Oct 15, 2014 21:32
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Most old rats get some sort of hind leg degeneration. They'll start dragging their back legs and not be able to climb ramps as well. You can take her to the vet but they're probably going to tell you the same thing and to make the cage easier to move around in. Make sure you don't have loose towels or stuff that they could get tangled up in their back legs. Some sites recommend having some sort of fabric stretched out so they can grab and pull using their front legs. Make sure water and food are at a low enough level so they don't need to stand to reach them. Look up "hind leg paralysis" for more info. It's fairly common though and easy to accommodate.
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Oct 15, 2014 21:39
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Thank you! I'm probably disproportionately upset but she seems happy and I'm reorienting everything in the cage to be floor level accessible. E: repeated myself! mareep fucked around with this message at 04:36 on Oct 16, 2014 |
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Oct 15, 2014 21:43
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Hind limb degeneration is a badge of honor for a rat! It means they've made it to a good old age Just be glad she's not climbing. My last old boy wouldn't stop trying to go up and down the ramp, stumbling down the last few steps. When I took that away, he was still trying to get to the top shelf by climbing the cage wall. He always was pig headed though.
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Oct 16, 2014 12:46
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Hello, Rat Thread! Have some rats!  Ignore the terrible state of the chair; that's their playground.  You can see which one I managed to get to hold still longer.
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Oct 21, 2014 07:23
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dovetaile posted:Hello, Rat Thread! Have some rats! Cute rats, how old're they?And on this subject;  Moxxi by straygiraffe, on Flickr  Chell by straygiraffe, on Flickr It's hard to see irl, but as you can see in the photo one of Chell's eyes looks a little red/scabby? Not sure what's caused that.
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Oct 21, 2014 20:37
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Fraction posted:It's hard to see irl, but as you can see in the photo one of Chell's eyes looks a little red/scabby? Not sure what's caused that.
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Oct 21, 2014 20:43
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I've heard of/seen porphyrin, just haven't seen it up close in an image before I guess! Good to know it isn't something awful though.
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Oct 21, 2014 20:44
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Yeah, when dry it looks rather uncomfortably like dried blood. Makes sense, of course, since it's a component of hemoglobin.
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Oct 21, 2014 20:49
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dovetaile posted:
Rats 1, Furniture 0. You will never get the pee smell out. Hoodies are a rat's natural environment. This is adorable. :3
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Oct 21, 2014 21:00
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Fraction, they're just under a year old (I got them in January of this year). And yours are adorable too!
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Oct 21, 2014 22:18
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Dorne died on Sunday. He was starting to get better, but we went out for a few hours and when my friend got home he was stiff. We gave him a little funeral in the mountains. His cage mate Mereen seems to be taking it ok. He's a little squirrelly now that he can't climb all over his brother and the baby is still too small for him to play with. Hopefully within the next two weeks Greg will be big enough that he can play in the big cage.
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Oct 22, 2014 14:50
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Loving all the beautiful photos! I've never taken good rat photos, probably because I never had a proper camera. And my rats never sit still.Grape Juice Vampire posted:Dorne died on Sunday. That sucks. I'm sorry
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Oct 22, 2014 14:59
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Atalanta is walking with a massive hunch in her back she doesn't seem to be in pain at all and isn't acting any differently but she's walking around with a perfect back arch. She actually seems to be getting around more warily than she was the other day, but is very lethargic all the time. I find her up in a hammock quite often and she can climb up on the little trunk shaped house I bought for them and slide off it with some ease. She seems fine but the arch is making me feel terrible.  e: this sudden onset of health problems recently combined with their old age has got me looking around for another pair of girls in case for when Nyx gets left alone, and I'm coming up with a big bunch of nothing. I'd rather not get another pair of Petsmart rats. There is a really genuinely fantastic local chain of pet stores in this area, but the only two stores nearby have male rats, and it seems like they only sell them when people bring in babies (which seems weird but the store is such high quality, nothing like Petsmart/Petco, and the animals they do have seem incredibly well cared for). The nearest breeder is an hour and a half away and hasn't responded to any communication. Another one, three hours away, did and I'd even picked out a pair of babies before backing out due to distance, unfamiliarity with the area, I'd have to make the drive alone and don't feel comfortable doing it, etc. The tone of her emails gave me a really bad vibe as well, and I'm starting to be really put off by breeder websites (dwarf rats? Since when is that a thing?). Do I go the Petsmart route? The pair of boys at the local pet store look so healthy, I wish I could get them, but I'd prefer girls over neutering, and they don't seem to be a reliable place to go if Atalanta should pass unexpectedly
mareep fucked around with this message at 01:57 on Oct 24, 2014 |
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Oct 24, 2014 01:18
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Oct 24, 2014 02:52
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redcheval posted:Do I go the Petsmart route? The pair of boys at the local pet store look so healthy, I wish I could get them, but I'd prefer girls over neutering, and they don't seem to be a reliable place to go if Atalanta should pass unexpectedly Have you checked to see if there are any rodent rescues in the area? Barring that, I think getting rats from a chain store isn't necessarily bad. Especially if nearby breeders are of questionable quality. As far as the arch thing, I know you said she doesn't seem like she's in any pain, but that's a classic pain signal. Very strange. Oh goodness, that is adorable.
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Oct 24, 2014 05:20
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I thought I'd read that in the thread, but she seems just as fine if I pick her up, and while generally pretty lethargic and not getting around very far is acting pretty normal. She just walks around like a spooked cat. I would imagine rats hide their illnesses/injuries instinctively and I just don't want her to be in pain. Should I keep an eye on her or is this a euthanasia situation?  sorry to spam the thread with my ratty woes, I just really want to make sure I'm doing the best for her.
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Oct 24, 2014 13:25
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 Greg House, Medical Dumbo. He's 90% feet and super soft. Edit: Do dumbos stay soft and fluffy or is he just like that because he's a baby? His coat feels like a mouse's. Grape Juice Vampire fucked around with this message at 22:16 on Oct 24, 2014 |
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Oct 24, 2014 13:47
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Grape Juice Vampire posted:
It's a baby rat thing. But there is variation in adult coat quality! Diet can make a difference there imo.
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Oct 24, 2014 16:08
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buffybot posted:As far as the arch thing, I know you said she doesn't seem like she's in any pain, but that's a classic pain signal. Very strange. One of my rats always seems to arch his back, but it seems more like a fear response since he only does it if someone unfamiliar is in the room or if I startle him awake. His breathing does seem squeaky though, so I'm starting to fear the worst.
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Oct 24, 2014 18:06
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redcheval posted:I thought I'd read that in the thread, but she seems just as fine if I pick her up, and while generally pretty lethargic and not getting around very far is acting pretty normal. She just walks around like a spooked cat. Do you know if she's been losing weight? Are her eating and drinking and pooping habits regular? Are her poops of normal consistency? Is she producing more porphyrin? When you check for lumps does she seem protective if you touch her in a specific location? If you've been keeping an eye on her and nothing seems amiss, I wouldn't worry about it. It never hurts to take them to the vet but I wouldn't bother if she seems fine otherwise. Grape Juice Vampire posted:
It's a baby rat thing. Enjoy it while you can.
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Oct 25, 2014 02:45
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Some of my girls have stayed soft like bunnies, so it definitely varies from rat to rat. If the boys are neutered before their hormones get going they may keep a softer coat as well.
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Oct 25, 2014 10:15
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Jin Wicked posted:Some of my girls have stayed soft like bunnies, so it definitely varies from rat to rat. Ehhh I have a male who was neutered young and while he has a very nice coat, it is defs coarser than the girls.
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Oct 25, 2014 21:15
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One of my guys was neutered young as well and he's definitely substantially softer than his intact cage mate. It might be genetics, though. I got the other guy when he was half a year old and I don't remember him ever being softer than he is now. Except when I fed him too much once, but that's a different kind of softness.
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Oct 25, 2014 21:18
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Thanks buffybot, I really appreciate your help. Other than general lethargy she's completely normal. I'm not sure exactly how this works, but with the arch in her back, she sort of looks 'pinched' around the spine. She looks somehow much skinnier on her back, although her belly and weight and everything appear to remain unchanged. I would theorize it has to do with some kind of bone degeneration or something. Either way, I think she must not have much time left, but she's getting crazy cuddles! And I brought two babies home PetsMart, unfortunately, but the condition of the store is really nice and the employees were surprisingly knowledgeable. I was also really pleased with the associate, who was accurately identifying which were the more skittish and more friendly babies for me. They're doing really well and are incredibly
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Oct 25, 2014 22:25
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Arched backs are definitely a sign of pain most of the time. The rest of the time they usually indicate social aggression. You could try giving her some painkillers, to see if that helps in any way. Ibuprofen is a fairly safe choice, just get a 100mg tablet and crush it. 20-50mg are supposedly safe, so dosage ought to be easy to determine.
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Oct 25, 2014 22:44
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