Rat Crew - Where your heart grows four legs and then warms itself with its own piss

Slidje · # ¿ Jun 16, 2011 17:14

Invalid Octopus posted:

One of my rats has been sneezing quite a bit today

Sneezing isn't bad, you've got to look for other signs if its a respiratory infection. Pink stained hands and sleeves are one sign. Abnormal chest sounds when you hold your rats chest to your ear is another. Sounds like a golf ball in a vacuum cleaner.

Beluga Smoothie posted:

doxycycline and Baytril

Baytril you can mix into their water bottles but you gotta use a lot of it and wash the bottles every week at the latest. I get huge bottles of Baytril cheap from my vet. They're the bottles farmers use to treat pigs and cattle so its like a bulk item.
Look for the concentration and mix it according to the capacity of your water bottle. I keep a special 100ml water bottle for sick rats and a seperate cage.

If their health is declining really badly I mix it into the food I usually give them after chewing it up, like toast and vegetables.

I regularly give my rats a pot of some baby food, like chocolate pudding.
Baby food also has the strictest quality requirements so it's totally safe for the rats as well as being dirt cheap.

Adbot · # ¿ May 16, 2024 21:18

Slidje · # ¿ Jun 19, 2011 21:50

Olive Bar posted:

Rats generally know best.Their sense of smell is one of the best in the entire animal kingdom.
I use them to check if things like yogurt or chicken has gone off. If the rats wont eat it, you know its bad.

Some people give their rats meal worms and crickets. Show them one and see what they do.

Slidje · # ¿ Jul 23, 2011 16:56

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

Slidje · # ¿ Sep 24, 2011 18:53

Baika posted:

I have a video with him squeaking, does he sound like this or somewhat similar?
http://www.youtube.com/user/marsdjinni2#p/u/9/OAiubqMNGyQ

I had 2 PEW`s that would squeel like pigs all the drat time. It was totally adorable

eig posted:

i'm sorry but who would pay that much money for a pet that lives only like 2 years u__u

Don`t get rats then :sax:

I save up a thousand per rat before I get them.

Slidje · # ¿ Sep 30, 2011 17:03

Bophf posted:

One of my rats, who's about 1 year and 3 months old, has become a jerk off lately.

Does he have cagemates? He might be becoming hormonal and dominant if you keep him alone, seeing your husband as a cage rival.

He might be in pain, like was already mentioned. Rats can become really aggressive when they feel vulnerable. They might think you are causing the pain. You might be pressing on a soft spot when you are handling him.

I had a pair of adopted males called Casper and Booger. Booger was an absolute monster. He could not be handled or socialised and I never realised why till he died. His entire stomach was completely solid.
He must have had cancer in there the whole time I had him but I never got to hold him long enough to feel it until he was dead. Still got Casper, hes a :angel:

Might just be their personality. Some rats are just jerks like my Snowball. She loved nipping us for fun, but never enough to hurt you.

Alhara posted:

Is it worth having it checked out, or did he maybe just have temporary congestion or something?

If it persists yes. Rats can hide more serious symptoms very well, until its way too late to treat them.
If you hear it more than a week, think about getting some anti-biotics. If its there 2 weeks start treatment for 2 weeks to see if it goes away.

If it doesnt, look for other causes like dust or allergies

Slidje · # ¿ Oct 10, 2011 19:17

pyriphlegethon posted:

my little baby is worrying me so much! First I was allergic to him (which seems to have completely cleared up, but my partner is noticing it too), and then i noticed some scabs on his back, and now he's sneezing like crazy! He's such a little sweetheart, I'll be way bummed if he gets sick.

You probably aren`t allergic to him, it`s gonna be skin flakes and insect/lice eggs that are decaying and coming off his body. Might be the bedding they kept him in.

It was already posted but if hes from a pet shop then he IS sick, and if he doesn`t have mites/lice i`ll be astounded.

You really need to have a quarantine period before you introduce rats to the rest of your colony. One sick rat can wipe them all out.

Start treatments for parasites and respiratory illness immediately.

Fraction posted:

- Eggs (hardboiled or softboiled), cooled and in the shell.
- Small bones (raw or cooked?).
- Toast.
- Peanut butter.
- Pasta.

Eggs are always good but like everyone said before: protein blah blah. Peel them first, they aren't very good at breaking into the shell. Boiled is usually the best.
You can give them a whole egg if you want but crack them a little first and then watch the chaos.

Bones, yes but crack them open with pliers. Chicken bones are the best due to the lovely soft marrow.
Lamb bones are good if there some small amounts of meat left but don`t crack these open. Theyre much sharper than chicken bones.

Toast is great but every rodent i`ve had is a fussy eater, they only ate the buttered side. Chew it up first and roll it into a ball for them.

Pasta is very soft and I`ve never had a problem giving it to rats or mice.

Peanut butter, no. They love it but its very sticky and VERY fattening. When I gave tiny amounts to my mice over a week they visibly got fatter at the end of those 7 days.
That isn`t to say dont give them stuff they like. I gave my two treats all the time. They don`t live very long, even in comparison to rats so I didn`t have mine for long.
Weigh the risks and benefits for yourself. If they`re getting towards the end of their lives go nuts (pun intended :ssh:

)

All you really need to worry about though is:

quote:

3.06 Are there any foods I _shouldn't_ feed my mice?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Try to avoid fatty foods where possible, unless they are particularly valuable
for growing or convalescent animals, or are otherwise very nutritious.
*Peanuts are fattier and less nutritious than sunflower seeds, and provoke a
skin reaction in some mice.
*Chocolate can be toxic in large amounts
*Acidic fruit & veg (citrus fruits, onions etc.)
**Anthing you wouldn't eat yourself because it might give you food poisoning -
mice are susceptible to salmonella & other bacterial infections too!
*Unwashed fruit/veg which might carry pesticides etc - wash it first.

More info on it here

Sunflower seeds are probably the best treat for a rodent, but careful cos they`re very fattening.

Slidje · # ¿ Dec 11, 2011 14:10

c355n4 posted:

Have any of you seen this sort of behavior exhibited in your buddies?

I see it all the time in my rats but I`ve always thought it was from observing me.

One of my rats, Pokie, if I had a pack of biscuits on the table she would always try and butcher it open to pass me one. I`d break off a piece and she would run off with what I gave her. If I gave her a full one she would run to her cagemates with it, but they would all fight over it.

I`ve always found that brother or sister rats will run back to each other with large food objects, smaller ones they`re always selfish with.

Superconsndar posted:

Luckily, her sister stepped in

Aww <3

I`ve seen them help out and bring food to immobile rats.

Another point would be that whenever really close rats lose a friend, their health drops very very quickly.

Slidje · # ¿ Dec 21, 2011 09:30

Delta-Wye posted:

Slidje · # ¿ Feb 7, 2012 14:19

Invalid Octopus posted:

something in one of her eyes

Porphyrin. Can be a bad sign but it`s also normal, especially when they're tired/just woke up. Don't worry unless its all over their hands, arms and nose

quote:

Porphyrin and Norway rats
To the rat enthusiast, one porphyrin is of particular interest: the one that is secreted by the Harderian gland and appears around the rat's eyes. This red substance looks like red tears or blood, and can be startling to those who are unfamiliar with rats. Occasional low levels of porphyrin staining are normal, but regular large amounts of porphyrin indicate stress, sickness, or poor diet.

quote:

The overproduction of porphyrin in rats
Rats sometimes produce profuse amounts of porphyrin in their Harderian gland secretions. The porphyrin-filled tears overflow the eye and dry on and around the eyelids, forming a dark red crust, a condition called chromodacryorrhea (KRO-mo-DAK-re-o-re-uh). The secretions drain from the eye into the nose, and once there may overflow the nostrils and dry around that area as well. The rat may then wipe the secretions with its paws, leading to red-stained paws and muzzles. Occasional small amounts of porphyrin are normal, but large, regular amounts indicate an underlying problem.

Slidje fucked around with this message at 14:25 on Feb 7, 2012

Slidje · # ¿ Feb 8, 2012 16:13

Invalid Octopus posted:

I`m not really seeing anything bad in those pictures but the description makes me think it`s a scratch.
CompactFannys advice is sound if thats the case.

On another note, who wants to play Tail in the bottle :neckbeard:

Slidje · # ¿ Feb 10, 2012 23:30

Rathen posted:

Thats what i was going to tell you. Only put a rat down if they hate being alive.
Only a hand full of my rats ever suffered so much they didn't want to live any more.

Slidje · # ¿ Feb 19, 2012 13:52

redjenova posted:

I'm starting to feel like one of my rats bullies the other

You always have one big aggressive alpha rat, whether you have males or females. It's perfectly normal pack mentality.
They may get worse when theres a lack of food or space for them to live in but if they're not hurting each other I wouldn't worry about it.

If one of them is becoming a danger to the others then you can try bathing them all so everyone smells the same. Add some more cage toys and give them more free time.

If that doesn't work you can try becoming the alpha yourself but it takes a lot of patience. What I do is watch whatever the dominant rat is doing to the others and then do it them.
Pin them upside down and tickle the belly. Let the other rats come close while you hold them down.
Pick them up and cover their eyes. Hold them like that for a bit before putting them down for a treat. Show them you are the boss, basically.

Slidje · # ¿ Mar 7, 2012 11:12

redmercer posted:

longer living

I've been researching them for a long time. They seem to have a common health problem, where they enter a hibernation state (torpor) and die soon after. No one seems to know the root cause so I've been collecting my own data and trying to figure it out before getting one.
They can suffer from the same respiratory problems and cancer as normal rats.

Main problem is the torpor. They don't seem to last long in Western captivity. Might be something lacking in their diet or the different weather patterns.

It's far more difficult to socialise them. They're not at sufficient generations yet to be tamed easily but the bigger risk is from their size. A normal rat can bite, maybe punch through to the bone and hurt you a lot.
These guys can bite enough to cause you serious injury and permanent damage. You don't want one around your children or strangers until they are tame, and some never accept captivity.

You know how normal rats can bite through wires and chew on furniture? These guys can gnaw through table legs in a few minutes, and they love doing it.
They are super agile, and can jump enormous distances while exploring. You can't just rat proof a room, you need to cat proof it as well.

Your cage needs to be sturdier than normal cos they can chew through the wires and plastic cage bottoms. In the wild they build underground burrows. It needs to be massive too.

I'm still serious about getting one but I've been researching it for about 4 years now. Read this forum and this before you commit to anything.
I would recommend waiting a few more years for people to research them better.
Wait for more healthy/tame strains to emerge. Be warned, that video Ratatouille posts is a baby GPR having a seizure. They had to put him down at 6 weeks old. loving heartbreaking

Slidje fucked around with this message at 11:20 on Mar 7, 2012

Slidje · # ¿ Mar 8, 2012 09:21

Invalid Octopus posted:

You know your rats better than anyone so you are always the best person to decide what happens.

I personally wont put a rat down unless I think they are miserable and wont get better or they don't want to be alive any more.

Slidje · # ¿ Mar 10, 2012 12:42

Scribbleboy posted:

YESSS

Slidje · # ¿ Mar 31, 2012 22:38

Chakattack! posted:

lump on my girl

I was in the same situation with Chocko. Get it x-rayed to confirm where it's spread to. If it's attached, dont operate. Keep her comfortable for the rest of her life.

I personally wouldn't even X-ray her, its such a hard place to operate on in an animal so small. I don't think my vet is very good though. Ask your Vet, see how confident he is in surgery and follow the advice.

I wouldn't put her down unless shes in pain. Chocko had tumors sprout up everywhere but they didn't affect her mobility or playfulness. She passed peacefully in her sleep about a year after it started.

If you go ahead with surgery, treat it like your last days with her. It always helps me to plan for the worst, then you are prepared for what might happen or have a very pleasant surprise if all goes well.

Slidje · # ¿ Apr 1, 2012 00:55

My vet is confident but that is part of the problem. He once gave me back one of my girls who had a tumor removed, without stitching her up.

He tried to say she chewed her stitches, but her wound was a neat line on both sides. Had her stitched at an emergency vet for a staggering amount of money.
Her wound got infected so I had to clean her swollen lump every day for 3 weeks but she survived.

I don't trust him. Also he looks just like Harold Shipman

Slidje · # ¿ Apr 15, 2012 14:38

Big Bug Hug posted:

boggling

Slidje · # ¿ Apr 16, 2012 18:10

kitty-go-meow posted:

licking and scratching one of her tumors

If she's doing that, it's probably hurting her

Slidje · # ¿ May 20, 2012 14:23

NaDy posted:

Marley looking cute

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pDaYpqxxB0

Slidje · # ¿ May 26, 2012 16:58

Invalid Octopus posted:

This is how Gypsy always runs, with her tail curled all around (sometimes more)

Its normal when they love running in their wheel, everyone calls is Wheel-Tail.

dustbin posted:

Slidje, your rats always look like fat and happy princes/princesses, without a care or worry in the world

Good, thats exactly my intention when I rescue them.

Slidje · # ¿ May 31, 2012 20:45

Olive Bar posted:

I'm gonna eat your baby

Slidje · # ¿ Jun 2, 2012 21:23

Olive Bar posted:

boys DESTROYING a cockroach

You need to do that video with the original sound. The crunching noise is amazing

Slidje · # ¿ Jun 7, 2012 20:40

NaDy posted:

That FACE. He looks just like my Bigguy. Gave him head kisses all the time.

Slidje · # ¿ Jun 13, 2012 19:19

RazorBunny posted:

How do you keep your rats from chewing holes in the fleece and hiding under it?

stop..? them??????? WHY?????

Delta-Wye posted:

ceiling mounted 'orbital

I got one they never use it. Its way too small for them to fit in as adults

Slidje · # ¿ Jun 30, 2012 13:08

killerwhat posted:

So how do I tell if my rats are having fun?

When they stop peeing on everything. Rats will mark areas they don't know or want to feel safe in. When that settles down they will interact with you and other cage mates to play and fight.

Basically when they know the limits of their environment and when they feel safe in it.

Slidje · # ¿ Jul 21, 2012 22:35

Superconsndar posted:

Slidje · # ¿ Aug 5, 2012 21:39

Kerfuffle posted:

More rat gifs please.

Slidje · # ¿ Sep 7, 2012 20:30

Olive Bar posted:

I am going to try the glove technique, but I can't hand feed him because he goes straight for my fingers.

Keep him isolated. Never let him out of the cage unless you are cleaning it.
When you need to clean out the bedding pick up the entire cage and put it somewhere high so he wont jump off.

He should be hidden inside his igloo or house when you move it. Lift out the house and then clean the cage. Set the cage up and tip him out inside of it, then you can clean the igloo.
Don`t clean his igloo too much because it's a pretty brutal way to do it. Let him have his safe spot so he will always hide there. You`ll know where is when you need him to be somewhere you can easily contain him.

When I had a viscous rat like him I would open his cage door and reach my fist in. Basically I would have my hand open on one side with treats inside my hand balanced on my pinky. If he wanted them he had to shove his head in my hand to grab it.
Do not let him get at your fingers.

Drop a few treats on his head so he knows what they are to begin with. Don`t drop them in more than once a week. You don`t want him to think they just rain down from the sky.

If he bit me he wont get it. Never reward bad behavior.
He attacked my hand a few times, but he stopped biting completely and became one of the nicest rats I`ve ever had.

Ketchup. Here he is, sleeping on his balls, on my mouse mat waiting for me to wake up.

Posted this before but lets rehash:
I`ve only had the one rat that I couldn`t curb or train, but that was because he died before having the chance.

Casper and Booger.

Booger was a total monster. He spent his entire life trying to kill his brother, Casper. He could not be handled, and even when you put him on something high, he would loving jump off. I adopted them both together and he just got more and more violent as time went on.

I always let my rats free range my room, leaving the cages open with food and water. I had to keep Casper locked up, to save him from Booger.

I tried the treat-fist method with him to try and soften him up a bit. Didn`t seem to work till one day I was sat at my PC, saw his evil glowing eyes underneath my monitor.

I slowly went to grab him before he could scarper off.
Something was wrong, he normally would have bolted at the slightest noise and I would catch him at the last second and get bitten. He just stayed there waiting.

I switched on the lights and he was still there. I figured 'okay hes softened up now and wants to be picked up' so I picked him up as gentle as possible. He offered no resistance at all.
I knew something was wrong with him. He squirmed a bit, I could tell he was in pain and then he started screaming. Dear god that sound he made as he died will never leave me :gonk:

The only time I ever got to cuddle him was when he died. He was so unbelievably soft, but thats also how I felt the massive solid lump inside his stomach. He was probably in pain from cancer the whole time.

He came to me when he knew he was gonna die so he wasn't a bad rat. I will never believe there are any rats beyond saving because I've never met one.

Give it time, lots of time and just always be nice. Failing that look for a medical problem.

I still have Casper. The trauma of Booger still shows in his skittish behavior.
He`s very old now, so he has trouble walking but he gets around.
Few days ago I was giving him an ear rub, something I haven`t done for a while. Didn't cross my mind at the time but rats that cant use their hind legs cant clean their ears.

SO MUCH WAX :gonk:

Cleaned them out with some cotton buds and now just have to remember to do it every week.

Slidje · # ¿ Sep 20, 2012 18:06

Fraction posted:

I found somewhere that quotes it

NO.

Slidje · # ¿ Oct 14, 2012 11:57

Emergencies:
Cotton balls/Qtips for wound cleaning.
Rubbing alchohol, extremely painful so only to be used in extreme emergencies. Missing limbs, fingers, tails, that sort of thing.
Micro hair bands for tying off limbs and stop bleeding.
Chocolate. It might seem silly but it's a real life saver for picking up your rats mental and physical health quickly. If they have trouble eating, melt it and give it warm. Galaxy melts fastest

The above are only to be used before rushing to a vet. Your vet should be the only person to deal with an emergency. All the steps you take are to ensure you get there before ratty dies.

General stuff:
Metacam in a liquid form. Painrelief for cats/dogs, also works on rats.
Sudocreme. Its a nappy rash cream for babies. Small amounts on rashes helps them deal with rashes from mites/lice.
Baytril. General antibiotic used by most vets everywhere. Dosage varies by concentration so get it from your vet when needed and they`ll explain how to administer what they are giving you. I have a large bottle made for pigs.

Antibiotics aren't really an emergency supply, they cant magic your rat back to normal when they have a respiratory problem. Takes a few weeks for them to work.
Diuretics or steroids will clear airways fast. Some will last a few hours, others last for days.

I volunteer for my vet so I have access to needles, steroids/diuretics. I don't recommend messing with them unless you know exactly what you are doing.
This means being directly supervised and trained by a vet, not reading about it online.
They're used to clear fluids out of your rats lungs when they have trouble breathing.

Sit your rat in bathroom and run a shower. Steam will help clear the airways.

A last ditch if your rat cant breath is to try an asthma inhaler. I read about someone doing this on fancy rats. They've changed around the forums since then so I cant find the thread.
It`s extremely risky because the dosages for humans and rats are so different. She did get her rat to the vet in time.

Overall long term health stuff:
Liquid Echinacea for better health later in life. A few drops in water or given directly for one week, none the next.
Yoghurt/cottage cheese helps with gut flora, especially when you are using anti biotics.
Omega 3 from fish or olive oil will increase their overall lifespan. I give mine salmon or egg whites fried in olive oil.
Steamed broccoli.
Toast with jam, after I`ve chewed it up and rolled it into a ball.

Not sure which of those things is the most effective but I do know this. I've not had a single rat die of respiratory illness for years. It's always old age or cancer

Slidje · # ¿ Nov 7, 2012 18:30

Fraction posted:

AHHHH THAT FACE :neckbeard:

Slidje · # ¿ Dec 21, 2012 20:19

OldMold posted:

let him free and give him a chance?

Seizures can be treated with Valium and other drugs. I don't agree that euthanasia is a solution.

I don't get pets unless I can give them the happiest life possible. He might have issues but that doesn't mean his entire life has to be over.

Slidje · # ¿ Dec 27, 2012 20:04

I've got Casper in my lap about to die. It's been a long happy life for him so I wont be upset for long.

Hes a tough little bastard. Every time I think hes gonna give up he snaps awake for a second before going limp again.

I love you little guy. I'm gonna miss you.

Only registered members can see post attachments!

Slidje · # ¿ Dec 28, 2012 18:29

Just sent Casper for cremation. Made sure they would do it while hes wrapped in my scarf.

CompactFanny posted:

I'm down to one.

None.

Slidje · # ¿ Dec 31, 2012 19:30

Fraction posted:

think you'll want to get more?

In the process of moving. If I can find a place that allows pets, yeah.

Slidje · # ¿ Jan 26, 2013 18:49

Invalid Octopus posted:

I want to put my face in there so bad

Slidje · # ¿ Jun 1, 2013 12:40

Fraction posted:

Food colouring.

Mehndi is the only thing I've ever coloured rats with. It's essentially made of plant matter so it won't be toxic. Takes about 10 minutes to have any effect and dyes it a sort of brown to red depending on the the hair/fur.

I used it so I could quickly distinguish different rats quickly. Best place is right between the shoulder blades.

You could try hair dye if you are very very careful. I wouldn't reccomend it.

Slidje · # ¿ Jun 4, 2013 17:42

Fraction posted:

Kool-aid would be safe though, right?

If it's carbonated, no. Rats cant burp, so if they lick it up, it'll be very painful for them to pass the gas.
We don't have Kool-aid here so I don't know.

Mendhi is still the safest option.

Adbot · # ¿ May 16, 2024 21:18

Slidje · # ¿ Oct 24, 2021 06:37

Animal-Mother posted:

The worst part is that Smokey is all alone now. Her older cousins passed and now her sister too. She's never slept alone in her life until now. I can tell she's still very upset. She stopped looking around for Ghost, she's accepted she's gone.
I don't know if we'll get more little ones. I can't do this every year and a half. But, at the same time, I would like Smoke to have some little buddies. I don't know. Maybe we'll discuss it after her surgery.

I know its the hardest thing in the world, when you lose them.
Adoption is the only way my heart could handle the loss. If you are adopting/rescuing, then any happiness you can bring in the short time you have is worth it.

See if there is a rescue with rats about the same age and try an introduction after quarantine.

Slidje fucked around with this message at 06:41 on Oct 24, 2021