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y'all with your free checkups for other rats, mine's 30 quid a snoot
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Jun 25, 2019 16:56
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Jaded Burnout posted:y'all with your free checkups for other rats, mine's
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Jun 27, 2019 15:37
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Content warning for the first episode of Stranger Things 3, there is a scene about 30 minutes in that is not for rat lovers. 
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Jul 5, 2019 04:30
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Scholtz posted:Content warning for the first episode of Stranger Things 3, there is a scene about 30 minutes in that is not for rat lovers. Speaking of which. It really pisses me off how every time I try to look up cute pet rat videos on YT it's 50% snake feeding videos, no matter how many "cute"/"pet"/etc keywords I try to put in there. YT also loves putting those into autoplay queue right after I watch some cute rat fuzzbutts.
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Jul 5, 2019 06:47
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I used to have that problem, but after flagging enough of those videos as "I don't want to see this/this is offensive," they haven't come up in my feed or searches for about two years now. But yeah it pissed me off, too, especially when it involved live feeding. Live feeding is gross.
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Jul 5, 2019 16:22
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I'm sorry, HOW much per kilo?
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Jul 8, 2019 18:22
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Jaded Burnout posted:I'm sorry, HOW much per kilo? Only the best diamond encrusted gold shavings to feed my favorite ratties.
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Jul 8, 2019 18:26
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I picked up a couple things for the cage today and now I’m not sure if the rats should actually have them! Two are bird perch branches (one says java wood and the other days coffeewood). The coffeewood label says ‘do not allow your pet to ingest portions of this item’, and I can’t find any info on whether either of these are actually rat safe! I just assumed they would be. I also picked up these Kaytee Kapok Nest & Chew Pods and then found at least one site saying kapok is toxic for rats. Anyone know if any of this is definitely not okay or know any resources that could shed some light on it? 
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Jul 11, 2019 20:18
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redcheval posted:I picked up a couple things for the cage today and now I’m not sure if the rats should actually have them! Two are bird perch branches (one says java wood and the other days coffeewood). The coffeewood label says ‘do not allow your pet to ingest portions of this item’, and I can’t find any info on whether either of these are actually rat safe! I just assumed they would be. I also picked up these Kaytee Kapok Nest & Chew Pods and then found at least one site saying kapok is toxic for rats. Anyone know if any of this is definitely not okay or know any resources that could shed some light on it? https://www.ratcentral.com/plants-poisonous-rats/  And as far as my Googling tells me "java wood" is just coffee tree wood but old? So from what I can tell it's definitely dangerous. EDIT: As far as I can tell when it comes to Kapok, it seems to be safe for rats. Jack Trades fucked around with this message at 22:05 on Jul 11, 2019 |
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Jul 11, 2019 22:03
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Gave my boys a lil bit of cheese each for the first time today, I think one of them wolfed it too fast and is now drooling everywhere as he tries to dislodge it, the goof. He's still breathing OK so I'm just monitoring from afar, but I'm a touch on edge because I think this is how my other one died. Edit: he seems to have sorted himself out. No more cheese for this one. Jaded Burnout fucked around with this message at 10:18 on Jul 16, 2019 |
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Jul 16, 2019 09:11
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Carebear posted:If you are thinking about getting another rat, get a new cage. It doesn’t have to be anything terribly expensive or large, but remember that you might have to keep your new rat in there for a few weeks. Place the two cages next to each other and let the rats become accustomed to the scents of the other cage. After a few days, have the rats trade cages. If this goes well, have your rats meet in neutral territory (somewhere that your old rat’s smell isn’t overpowering). Rats are extremely sensitive to new smells and you might want to put everyone on even ground before the meeting. Putting a few drops of vanilla extract on the rats will help mask their scent, or you can try bathing them. The Rat Fan Club’s rat introduction page even suggests smearing the rats with some chocolate pudding so they all smell the same, and this has the added bonus of the rats bonding by cleaning a tasty treat off of one another. Is this still generally considered good advice? I have a couple of two year old females and I want to get some replaceme..... some new little friends for them.
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Aug 16, 2019 22:38
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after the quarantine time, we had the cage for our newer girls and the kennel we use for transport with the old girls sitting near each other on our large dining table with a new cheap fleece blanket on it. then I'd let one pair out and let them sniff around, then vice versa, always making sure they're not biting each other through the bars. they would sniff and lick and do little grabby hands. eventually we let them all out at the same time, leaving both the cage and kennel open, so they could explore together. we also had neutral boxes and hiding spots on the table, along with treats. once we felt okay with their interactions, we put them in the big cage together during the day/when we could supervise them, and split them into the two levels at night. didn't take long for them to start destroying poo poo to try to get to each other though. they live together fairly peacefully, we were lucky. people recommend bathtubs or whatever but I feel like bathroom lights are a little harsh and every pet I've had hates bathtubs, and try to jump out. all rats are different, just use your judgment and be vigilant for any dangerous aggression. it's normal for them to wrestle and groom but, you know, biting, drawing blood, etc. needs to be broken up asap. we had a big sheet of cardboard to shove in between them just in case we had to break up a fight (never used it lol).
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Aug 16, 2019 22:57
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Animal-Mother posted:Is this still generally considered good advice? I have a couple of two year old females and I want to get some replaceme..... some new little friends for them. http://www.isamurats.co.uk/the-carrier-method.html different if you need to quarantine (eg rescues) ofc
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Aug 17, 2019 16:28
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I would like to check in to say that my 3 remaining boys are staying pretty hale and hearty now I've got the humidity in their environment consistent. Though they're becoming more "stay at home" rats and don't come out of the cage much anymore, but I understand laziness is a trait of male rats, plus they can't climb and leap like they used to.
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Aug 17, 2019 17:11
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One of my lads has I think an ear infection. Head tilt, very disoriented, doesn't really know what's going on. I'm hand feeding him baby food and rice krispies because he doesn't seem to be aware enough to eat or drink normally. Got him booked in to the vet for tomorrow morning.
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Aug 21, 2019 20:34
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Jaded Burnout posted:One of my lads has I think an ear infection. Head tilt, very disoriented, doesn't really know what's going on. I'm hand feeding him baby food and rice krispies because he doesn't seem to be aware enough to eat or drink normally. Yeah, that sounds like a classic ear infection. Poor guy.  Antibiotics should clear it up pretty quick.
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Aug 21, 2019 21:06
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Falstaff posted:Yeah, that sounds like a classic ear infection. Poor guy. 
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Aug 21, 2019 21:20
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No evidence of infection (or any other problem) found. Got antibiotics anyway but it's not looking good.
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Aug 22, 2019 11:39
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That sucks... How old is he? A brain tumour can also produce those symptoms, but they're quite rare. Hopefully your vet is mistaken. Does s/he have much experience with rats?
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Aug 22, 2019 19:21
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Falstaff posted:That sucks... How old is he? Coming up on 2 years. Falstaff posted:A brain tumour can also produce those symptoms, but they're quite rare. Yeah, about 7% in male rats, I guess. Falstaff posted:Hopefully your vet is mistaken. Does s/he have much experience with rats? Hopefully mistaken indeed. He was a locum and no idea how much he does or doesn't know, so it's quite possible there's an infection he couldn't see. He definitely had no idea what was up in the end.
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Aug 22, 2019 20:27
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Checked in with him this morning. Still having to feed him everything by hand, still won't drink anything. I can't tell if his neurological symptoms are getting worse but they're definitely not getting better. I have an appointment with the vet on Tuesday and (assuming he makes it) if he isn't showing improvement from the antibiotics I'm going to have to have him put to sleep. I don't think he's super in pain but definitely uncomfortable, and really just stumbling back and forth when not sleeping.
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Aug 23, 2019 09:14
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While looking after my ailing rat who increasingly seems to have some sort of brain damage, I found a huge tumour in the belly of one of the other two.
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Aug 23, 2019 14:54
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OK, I’ve just had to have Brownie put to sleep. He was on the raggedy edge and only had more pain ahead of him.
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Aug 23, 2019 19:19
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Jaded Burnout posted:OK, I’ve just had to have Brownie put to sleep. He was on the raggedy edge and only had more pain ahead of him.
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Aug 23, 2019 19:35
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My condolences.
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Aug 23, 2019 19:43
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Sorry to hear. Whenever this time rolls around in the rat thread, I like to go through their little lifespans captured in the user's post history. Your pictures and updates are some of my favorites, and I hope things start looking up for you and your crew.
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Aug 23, 2019 19:51
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sleppy posted:Sorry to hear. Whenever this time rolls around in the rat thread, I like to go through their little lifespans captured in the user's post history. Your pictures and updates are some of my favorites, and I hope things start looking up for you and your crew. Thanks 
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Aug 23, 2019 19:55
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Sorry about your little fuzzballs. I thought they were good kids.
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Aug 23, 2019 20:11
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condolences. poor baby
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Aug 23, 2019 23:54
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why rats always so lumpy our older girls are both 2 years and 4ish months old. doshiko has hind leg degeneration but still is fairly active, just a little wobbly. I just felt a small lump near a nipple on finky, the rat who's had 4 gotdang surgeries  it's like smaller than a pea at the moment, and it's in a pretty 'good' spot compared to any other tumor she's had (on the side of her belly instead of her neck, or her butt). I know our vet isn't comfortable doing surgeries on her anymore because of her age and we agree, so we just gotta ride it out. it sucks because it basically puts an expiration date on them. she's just as active as she's always been, she still climbs up our legs even at her age, still chonky. so I just hope it grows slowly and we have lots of time left with her.
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Sep 2, 2019 00:32
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I really wish someone would breed a strain of long-lived rats. As it is, their genes basically stop giving a poo poo after ~9 months, since that's roughly how long they live in the wild.
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Sep 2, 2019 03:52
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me too doshiko has a small lump under her armpit on her side, too. for gently caress's sake.
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Sep 4, 2019 00:19
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Mine's going in for surgery next Monday.
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Sep 4, 2019 00:43
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Jaded Burnout posted:Mine's going in for surgery next Monday. Rat is out of surgery and apparently doing well.
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Sep 9, 2019 15:43
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Yay!
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Sep 9, 2019 15:47
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My 2y 10m old that was more tumor than rat at that point died the other day. We had two tumors removed earlier in her life, but the time the latest came she was too old, had no use of her back legs, didn't want to subject her to more surgery. Also her teeth were hosed up and we had to regularly clip them and give her baby food. I swear up until her last day though she still kept trying to climb the side of the cage with just her front legs and managed to do it more often than not. We watched Willard in her honor that night.
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Sep 9, 2019 15:50
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Surgery rat not eating or drinking. Probs gonna have to take him back in.
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Sep 10, 2019 10:40
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Jaded Burnout posted:Surgery rat not eating or drinking. Probs gonna have to take him back in. He's now back at the vet under observation and subq antibiotics, fluids, and painkillers. Poor fella.
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Sep 10, 2019 16:01
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Quick rat update, looks like the stress of the surgery caused a flare up of an upper respiratory infection which means he can't breathe through his nose (hence the "help I've got a thing stuck in my throat" symptoms) and probably can't smell very well (hence the "I don't notice anything until it touches my whiskers" disorientation symptoms). Will be hand feeding him for a bit but hopefully it should pass soon.
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Sep 10, 2019 19:03
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I've seen that before, it can be pretty scary. I hope his medication works fast.
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Sep 10, 2019 20:41
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