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Skutter posted:
Two minutes? I can't get a single rat to stay still for two seconds to get a non-blurry photo. How did you manage that with five rats? Also, instead of plastic place mats, try getting some cheap fleece throw blankets (Walgreens/CVS have them, often on sale) and cut those to fit your cage floors. I use little binder clips to hold them on. Cut them so you have about an extra inch or two of fabric on the sides that will be clipped, and remember they'll shrink a little later when you wash them. Much more absorbent, you can throw them in the washing machine when they need cleaning, and sometimes you can even find nice patterns (but what the stores get in seems to be pretty random). Fleece from the fabric store works too, but will probably cost quite a bit more more by the yard, especially if you can grab a bunch of blankets when they're on sale.
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Sep 1, 2017 21:07
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| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 04:25 |
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Jaded Burnout posted:Unfortunately despite being rushed to the vet for a few hours, we had to put him to sleep. I’m sorry you didn’t get more time with him. Two years seems so short to us but is a pretty good run for a rat.
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Feb 4, 2020 03:20
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I have a 20+ year old 12" Wodent Wheel that I bought with my first Martins’s Cage that’s seen about 50 rats in its life. It’s a little chewed up in spots but still silent. Maybe 1 in 3 of my rats have used it, but the ones who did used it a lot. Usually enough to get wheelie tail. Apparently they still make them here. Also, Martin’s Cages are great and will last forever. I have a Cabin and a Skyscraper. Line the shelves and bottom with fleece, clip it in with small binder clips. (There should be photo tax here of the current wheel-user but she’s in Chicago and I’m currently on vacation in Honolulu. This will have to do for now, she’s the one on the right.) 
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Mar 14, 2020 07:43
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what are you cleaning the cage with? anything with fumes that could be causing respiratory issues? maybe new litter is a little dusty? some rats can be more sensitive, especially if they have an underlying myco infection. (and they pretty much always have myco.)
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Mar 26, 2020 21:54
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How long has she been on the vibramycin? If it’s been a couple days with no improvement, call your vet and ask for a different antibiotic. My vet has used dexamethasone in addition to an antibiotic for pneumonia, you could ask about that. They shouldn’t have to charge to examine her again, but you’ll have to pay for the new meds obviously. A cool mist humidifier running near the cage for 10-15 minutes every couple hours can help. Also try to keep her eating—give her extra yummy high-calorie foods to keep her strength up. Some rat people I know give dark chocolate chips to help with lower respiratory congestion. I’ve tried it and am not sure it helps but the rats sure enjoy it. Pneumonia is hard for rats because it’s going to exacerbate any myco infection, and all rats just have myco. I nursed one rat through a particularly bad bout of pneumonia and myco and she ended up partially paralyzed and had to be hand fed baby food. My vet ratcheted her all the way up to intramuscular Baytril injections. That was not fun. Trying to stick a scared, skinny rat in the thigh muscle isn’t easy. She made it through, but I had to continue hand feeding for the remainder. She was a tough girl.
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Jul 19, 2020 20:46
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Jack Trades posted:Here's all information you could want on treating the most common type of respiratory infection in rats. I agree with Jack. Myco is a bitch to treat, but if you feel that the rats currently have an adequate quality of life, it can be treated. Find a vet that specializes in small animals or exotics and plan an aggressive treatment procedure, and give it a couple of months. If the rats don't show any improvement, then reassess whether euthanasia might be appropriate. Years ago, one of my favorite rats suffered a severe bout of myco, but intramuscular baytril along with doxy and a nebulizer for 4-6 weeks got her through. She needed hand-feeding of baby food and Ensure and a lot of care including daily injections, but she recovered to maybe 80% of her former stamina. We kept her on a maintenance dose of baytril with a daily B vitamin complex injection, and she had a pretty full life afterwards. However, I will say it wasn't cheap, but I was fortunate to have enough spare income at the time to devote to her care. It can be a tough decision when vet bills start mounting up though. Good luck to you and your rats. Pics would be appreciated!
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Sep 20, 2021 23:14
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| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 04:25 |
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[Edit: Posted the one you said was closed.] You could check https://www.ratforum.com, they have a thread for rats needing rehoming and probably more breeder info.
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Aug 1, 2022 21:59
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