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Pet Forum / Mammals / Rats / June 2007new baby boys
This is my first time posting here, but I don't know where else to get *positive* advice about our two new boys. We got two male 5 wk. old ratlets almost 2 wks. ago- Rocky and Jack. I have had many rats since my teen years, but they have all been female! (simply by fate.) These are also the first rats that I have gotten from someone I didn't know- and I have a few questions/worries. My first concern is that both of our boys seem too itchy- they both have little white specks stuck (firmly, unlike dandruff) to their hairs. I have not seen any bugs on them- yet. The specks reminded me of lice nits, so I looked around online. It sounds like they could be fur mites or lice. All the sites I visited said to use Ivermectin paste or Revolution. One site said that mites are now immune to the oral paste. Has anyone had luck with either? or something else? They don't have any sores or bald spots, although Rocky has a few tiny scabs. Which leads to my next question: Jack seems to, what I call, alpha groom Rocky a lot. They are litter mates and they wrestle around- but nothing serious yet. Right now they are in a 20 gal. tank, but I am planning on buying them a much bigger cage. Should I wait to invest my $100. for a few weeks to see if they are going to get along? or should the extra space give them enough alone time? Jack, (the alpha groomer), also nips my fingers when he is in his cage. It began as nibbles, which was normal, especially since he is young and we just got them, but the last few days he has been nipping a bit harder. He doesn't do it when he is out of the cage- so could it be a dominance thing? I have been giving him his treats on a plastic spoon or fork and saying, "treat treat" before I hand it to him, and washing my hands before sticking them in the cage so I don't think it's a food mistake. He has never bitten- drawn blood or even intented the skin, but my 5yr. old son's fingers are not as tough as mine. (Jack nips all of us) Rocky has never nipped. In fact, he began kissing/grooming my hands for the first time two days ago. It was a huge complement!! :) My last concern is Jack- once again. He does this sort-of squeak/bark that I have never heard. He sort-of rocks forward and back on all fours making this squeaking/bark/cough??? This could be just normal male behavior, but since I've never had a male- I don't know. My concern is that it may be a cough. None of my girls ever had a resp. infection either. Does anyone know what it might be? > This is my first time posting here, but I don't know where else to get > *positive* advice about our two new boys. We got two male 5 wk. old [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] > concern is that it may be a cough. None of my girls ever had a resp. > infection either. Does anyone know what it might be? Hi and welcome to the list!! So your boys are now 7 weeks old... first of all, there's no way your babies are displaying dominant issues yet. The nibbling is all part of play at this point. Keep socializing him, it will do him good, lots of hand cuddling too. When he nips down, squeak loudly so he can associate it to unpleasantness. Another thing... your babies have mites. I strongly recommend the Revolution, it's quick and easy. Jack's behaviour could also be linked to having mites, some rats will feel very grumpy with buggies living off of them. Also, the bark/cough/squeak... not a good sign. I would definitely bring them to a vet to get a full exam and assessment. Your vet can give you the revolution and show you how to dose them. Jack may need some meds for that cough, I would recommend Zithromax. Try and find a good rat savvy vet. And I bet once the ratties are all treated and happy again, Jack will becoming a good little boy. Oh and getting them out of the aquarium should be your top priority. They need a large wire cage. Fighting, grooming, scuffles, mounting, it's all part of playing. Here's a video I took of my 7 week old boys... they "fight" like this all the time, it's all fun! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohfJGmtRHJ8  SignatureJoanne Owned by 26 rats. Webshots: http://community.webshots.com/user/joanneb70 ------------------------------------------------------- ~Ignorance is not innocence but sin. *Robert Browning* > > This is my first time posting here, but I don't know where else to get > > *positive* advice about our two new boys. We got two male 5 wk. old [quoted text clipped - 73 lines] > > - Show quoted text - I replied to your post yesturday, but apparently it got lost in cyber space! Thank you for your advice. I finally found a vet yesturday somewhat nearby who will see our boys. I called the vet's office first who had seen our sugar glider a few years back and the receptionist told me, "We don't take *those*." (and *those* should be read as snide as can be.) But 5 calls, 6 towns, and over 2 bridges later- Eureka! A rat savy vet. I hope. Hopefully, we will be able to use her as our regular vet- although she seems a bit expensive. The receptionist, at first, told me I would have to pay the office visit fee ($48.) for EACH rat. I explained that they are only 7 weeks old and all I want the vet to do is confirm mites, write a Revolution script, and make sure Jack doesn't have a resp. infection- so she asked the vet who said I would only have to pay for one visit. {{sigh of relief}} I really don't want to have to wait until next pay day to get the boys their new high rise, but I just won't be comfortable until I know they are healthy. I looked online at the price of the Revolution so hopefully if Jack needs antibiotics they won't be too bad. Although I am quite sure the babies came home with the mites, I stuck the remainder of the Carefresh in the freezer. Besides tossing out the used bedding and cotton scraps they nest in, and bleaching out their cage- is there anything else I need to do to insure against reinfestation? I tried the loud sqeaking when Jack nibbled me yesturday and he just looked up at my face like I was nuts and nibbled my finger again!! It could be because when my 5 yr. old son asked me why rats squeak- I told him that is how they talk to each other- so he sits with them and squeaks and says, "What did I just say, mom?" "What did Jack just say?" (As if I had some mystical Eliza Thornberry power to understand) so Jack could think it's just that weird kid making noises at him again!! Then I tried saying, not in my usual baby-talk voice, "Ouch! No bite." which seemed to work somewhat- he began nibbling on my ring instead. I watched your video- it was very cute! I only have pics of our babies but I'll include a link (I think you have to copy and paste it, though) One is very large of Rocky's fur so I could show Jessica at Kim's Ark the silvery white things. http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=8yufqha.aif7ineu&x=0&h=1&y=-zc0pj9 --Michaela > > > This is my first time posting here, but I don't know where else to get > > > *positive* advice about our two new boys. We got two male 5 wk. old [quoted text clipped - 123 lines] > > --Michaela Joanne's already given some very good advice, so there's not much to add. But, welcome to the group and congratulations on your new rats. One of my rats is a nibbler, I've tried squeaking and it didn't work either. I actually think the nibbling is really cute, so don't bother with the squeaking anymore. Your rats a so tiny. Very cute. Dewi > > > > This is my first time posting here, but I don't know where else to get > > > > *positive* advice about our two new boys. We got two male 5 wk. old [quoted text clipped - 135 lines] > > - Show quoted text - I know that babies nibble sometimes- to test, to check you out, but when he began *nipping* a bit harder I got worried. But- I've begun to see that Jack is just a nibbler. He hasn't gotten any harder and I think it's just his way. Plus, he is so gentle and sweet in every other way. It's nice to know that there are other nibblers out there. I'm beginning to think that Jack's squeak/bark is actually a squeak/ call- it looks and sounds like he is waiting for a response after he does it! Who knows. Thanks for the welcome- it's nice to talk to others who enjoy rats!! --Michaela Okay, so I have had my first rat, Scooter, for about 2 days, and the new rat, previously known as Simon but we changed his name to Minion, because that is totally what he is. Now, I'm guessing that Scooter is about 12 weeks, and Minion is probably 8 weeks. They are displaying a lot of behavior that I am unsure of, and I am going to list them all here, and hopefully you guys will have some advice. The meeting of the two went great, but now I notice that Scooter tends to sit/climb all over Minion (hense the name). My friends noticed he tends to "rub his privates all over Minions face". Is this normal? Minion seems to sleep a lot, like I got him at 2pm, and he has slept for like 90% of the time. I also notice that since I got him Scooter is sleeping a lot too. How often do they usually sleep? When they are out they will run around, but Minion still sleeps on everyone, and usually Scooter tends to run all over Minion and wakes him up. I dont notice any eating, or drinking of water. Now, this could be due to not focusing on them 24/7. I just thought they did nothing but eat (as movies have depicted). Is this normal? I notice that Minion seems to move his whole body when he breathes. Having dealt with resp problems with Oreo I made sure that his nose was clean, and I didnt hear any sounds when he was breathing. Its more like his lungs are just moving his whole body. Is this normal? I am still going to be watching his nose and paying attention to any sounds he might be making. Other than this, they are great. They seem pretty happy and like their home, though I wish they had a bigger cage. I bought a bunch of connecting tubes and tried to put them into the cage, and even though the petstore people said they would work, the poor babies couldnt fit! I took them back, and eventually I will buy something that I can add on to the top of the cage. Right now it fits them, and they are comfortable, but once Minion gets bigger they will need something more. The other problem is that I like to buy them toys, and they have too much in there probably. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks again guys! > Okay, so I have had my first rat, Scooter, for about 2 days, and the new rat, > previously known as Simon but we changed his name to Minion, because that is [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > toys, and they have too much in there probably. Any advice is greatly > appreciated. Thanks again guys! It sounds like your boys are being normal boys. Except the sleeping all the time part... that could be because the cage is too small and there's not much place for them to go. So with that, I would recommend lots of out time for them so they can stretch, run, climb, explore... Rats do sleep a lot and I bet you, they are active and awake at night. Until you get them used to being awake during the day with you then they will continue to do the most playing at night. As for the toys and a small cage, keep changing it around, every couple of days, take some toys out and add news ones. Keep this up and it will stimulate them. Any chance we can see pics of the boys maybe even a video of Scooter so we can get an idea of his breathing? SignatureJoanne Owned by 26 rats. Webshots: http://community.webshots.com/user/joanneb70 ------------------------------------------------------- ~Ignorance is not innocence but sin. *Robert Browning* Sadly I dont have a video. I brought the boys into my room last night (them in their cage) and they are active at night. When I come up to the cage they come out and play. Becuase they are so small still I dont want to let them run around the house, so maybe I'll give them some tub time so they will have a big area to play in. I think for the most part my new lifestyle is just throwing me off (I am use to working afternoons, so I am up till 2-3AM, but now I'm up during the day... so I just dont see them. I have pictures on my myspace, but I'll find a way to put them on here soon. In the mean time you can go to http://www.myspace.com/mcjenjen to see the picture of them. I'll try to add some more of them today. Right now there is only one on there. So, I dont know how well this is going to work, but I put the video on YouTube.com. The link to it is <object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qVOp86TYWik"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qVOp86TYWik" type="application/x-shockwave- flash" width="425" height="350"> </embed> </object> . I hope it works for everyone Okay that didnt work. Here is the link. You probably have to type it in, but it does work. Also, you can hear the clicking. Any advice is greatly appreciated. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVOp86TYWik > Okay that didnt work. Here is the link. You probably have to type it in, > but it does work. Also, you can hear the clicking. Any advice is greatly > appreciated. > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVOp86TYWik His breathing looks very laboured as you described & that bubbling clicky noise doesn't sound good either. I'd be off to the vets asap. Does he make that noise all the time? Sounds like a respiratory infection. Is he still eating & drinking? Do you have a rat friendly vet? SignatureMichael m r o z a t u k g a t e w a y d o t n e t > Okay that didnt work. Here is the link. You probably have to type it in, > but it does work. Also, you can hear the clicking. Any advice is greatly [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > -- > Message posted via PetKB.comhttp://www.petkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/rat/200706/1 Gee, that breathing sounds bad... Minion is most definitely sick. I'd highly recommend taking him to the vet, as rats can go down super quick. I mentioned this before, but Baytril and doxycycline, together, are the best antibiotics for something like this and he'll need it for at least 2 weeks. The sawdust may well be the cause of the breathing problems for Oreo and now Minion. How is Scooter going? Is he breathing okay? Do they get any blankets or fleece to sleep in, to keep them comfy & warm? Dewi Well, Minion died today. He went super quick, I couldn't even get in to see the vet. I'll be taking Scooter in tomorrow to make sure he is healthy. All my friends say that I am doing everything possible to keep them alive and healthy, and that I must be getting them sick. I just dont know. I'm mourning and sad, and I think if Scooter dies I'm done with pets all together. At this point he seems healthy and happy, and not at all sick. No redness, no breathing problems, I'm just taking him in tomorrow to be sure. He was with Minion this whole time, so either way I'm gonna request some meds for if he gets sick. I'm not getting another rat to keep him company. Though Scooter did well, I cant have another sick rat. I cant have another one die on me. So for the time being I will not be getting another rat, and he will be alone. And no one can convince me otherwise. > Well, Minion died today. He went super quick, I couldn't even get in to see > the vet. I'll be taking Scooter in tomorrow to make sure he is healthy. All [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > -- > Message posted via PetKB.comhttp://www.petkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/rat/200706/1 Where are you buying your rats from? If it is the same place, I would not go back there again. I have never heard that clicking b4 that Minion was doing in your video. Can you bring a copy of it to the vet when you have Scooter checked just to show him/her what Minion was doing? I'm so sorry to hear about Scooter's new friend. That's awful. I bought both of these guys from the same store, but a different store than Oreo. I just dont know. I had a feeling from the beginning that Minion was sick, but I hoped not because he was really cute. I'm taking Scooter in tomorrow to make sure he is okay, and I will bring the video with me. Scooter seems a bit sad, but i only had Minon for like 30 hours, so I dont think he got super attached. I dont think at this time I'll be getting another rat for a while. I still have Scooter, and I love him, even though he poops all over the place. Do you know some key things to look for when buying a rat to make sure you are getting a healthy rat? I think even if I get another one, it wont be from a pet store. I'll find a breeder first, or someone who accidentally had babies. I hear that is pretty common, so I'll just look for that. I'm going out of town, and Scooter is staying with a friend of mine, so lets just hope he is healthy enough to not die while I am gone. > I bought both of these guys from the same store, but a different > store than Oreo. I just dont know. I had a feeling from the [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > place. Do you know some key things to look for when buying a rat to > make sure you are getting a healthy rat? If they're young, being active & inquisitive is usually a good sign, not that being quiet implies they're sick - it's just easier to tell if they're lively. That & mostly... > I think even if I get another one, it wont be from a pet store. ...don't buy from pet shops, especially if you suspect they don't look after their animals. > I'll find a breeder first, or someone who accidentally had babies. I > hear that is pretty common, so I'll just look for that. That's probably a good idea. Also, if you know how to care for rats, a good breeder won't mind being questioned by you in order for you to check they know what they're doing. > I'm going out of town, and Scooter is staying with a friend of mine, > so lets just hope he is healthy enough to not die while I am gone. I really do know how you must be feeling. I'm so sorry. Good luck with Scooter. SignatureMichael m r o z a t u k g a t e w a y d o t n e t > Well, Minion died today. He went super quick, I couldn't even get in to see > the vet. I'll be taking Scooter in tomorrow to make sure he is healthy. All > my friends say that I am doing everything possible to keep them alive and > healthy, and that I must be getting them sick. I just dont know. I'm > mourning and sad, and I think if Scooter dies I'm done with pets all together. Oh I'm so sorry this has happened to you all. > At this point he seems healthy and happy, and not at all sick. No redness, > no breathing problems, I'm just taking him in tomorrow to be sure. He was [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > on me. So for the time being I will not be getting another rat, and he will > be alone. And no one can convince me otherwise. I'm pretty sure these rats are sick when you get them. From the way they were looking after them, the pet shop/s clearly haven't got a clue & couldn't care less. FWIW, given Scooter's been ok so far, I doubt Minion's problems will affect him, though as you say, best to get him checked out. SignatureMichael m r o z a t u k g a t e w a y d o t n e t Well, I woke up this morning and Scooter had a red nose, which worried me. I took him to the vet and they said that he is showing signs of the beginnings of an illness. They gave me two meds for him; Baytrol and some pink liquid that smells nasty. He will be on the meds for about a month, and then I'll take him back to the vet to insure he is healthy. He takes the meds better than the previous rats. He clearly doesnt like it, but he takes it okay. He seems to be doing great though at the moment. I have let him out of his cage most of the day, and right now he is sleeping in a ball of a towel in the corner of the couch. His nose isnt red at all! He seems sleepy, but again, that could either be the meds, or the fact that it is the daytime, and he might be out. He was really stressed at the vet though. He started grinding his teeth, which worried the vet. But the moment he was back here he was happy. I think he will be coming with me on my trip to see my parents. I dont want my friends to have to deal with a sick pet, and I dont think she really wants to either. I have read up on it, and it seems like it will probably be easy. I'll keep his cage in there and make sure he is cool, and happy, and for the most part he will sleep the whole way. As for the waterbottle, I've heard mixed reviews. I think I'll keep it attached, and put a little bowl under it in case it leaks. If I notice after a few hours that it isnt working I'll take it down and make sure I give it to him every few hours. He is very loving though, and I realized at the vet that he loves me and trusts me. When the vet tried to pick him up, he ran away and went to me to hide. And when he was running around the counter he kept coming back to check with me. Like he would only go a few feet before he would turn around and come see me again. It was super cute! I love this little guy so much! Well, I'll update tomorrow if he comes with me or if my friend thinks she can handle it. > Well, I woke up this morning and Scooter had a red nose, which worried me. [snip] > And when he was running around the counter he kept coming back > to check with me. Like he would only go a few feet before he would turn > around and come see me again. It was super cute! I love this little guy so > much! :-) > Well, I'll update tomorrow if he comes with me or if my friend thinks > she can handle it. Thanks for letting us know how it's going. Best of luck with the trip. SignatureMichael m r o z a t u k g a t e w a y d o t n e t > Well, I woke up this morning and Scooter had a red nose, which worried me. I > took him to the vet and they said that he is showing signs of the beginnings [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > -- > Message posted via PetKB.comhttp://www.petkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/rat/200706/1 I hope Scooter gets well soon. It's good that you caught it early, so it *should* be ok. There are rat rescues you can contact when you are ready, depending where you live, and sometimes local animal shelters get rats. Especially since you don't seem to have a preference for babies, a rat rescue would be a very good choice AND they would certainly not give you a sick rat. Good luck if you decide to take Scooter along for your trip. Let us know how it all turns out. Well, I decided to not take Scooter with me. My friend said she recently dealt with a sick ferrit, and is willing to take care of him. The stress from the trip wouldnt have been good. I trust her completely. I am super sad to leave him though. I miss him already. I'll keep you guys informed of how he is doing. I wanted to update you guys on something. I forgot to mention that I took the video in of Minion, and showed it to the vet. She said that at that point he had a very bad pneumonia, and that even if I had been able to bring him in the day before, he would have died either way. Just thought I'd let you know. Scooter is doing well. Hates his meds, but takes them. |
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