Fancy Rats Archive forum: 2002 - 2011

Will the metal screw bits be stainless or in any way coated to prevent rusting? That's the worry I'd have with those. As for the shelf surface - the smoother the better if you ask me, less places for yucky gunk to build up and easier to wipe. I'd prefer no lip, but I accept I might be in a minority ...

I find Aubiose really does go absolutely everywhere (no, really, I found some in my bed yesterday. Which is separated from the rat cage by three rooms and a staircase. I don't even. :o ) but everything else about it is so good I don't care. No smell, rats love it, warm, cheap, not dusty.... Whether ...

Awww, he's a lucky guy that he ended up with you :) In that setup he should be fine till Monday I'd say. If he is struggling to breathe really, really badly you could put him in the bathroom and run the shower to steam the place up (keep the water away obviously!), that'll ease things a bit, but if ...

I agree, if it's just sneezing and snuffling it's probably not contagious. Can I ask what bedding you're keeping Shadow on? Some types of bedding are far dustier than others, and the less dusty the bedding, the less sneezy the rats usually. Glad to hear you're getting him a buddy soon :D In my exper...

She's looking a little better this morning - mainly in that she's no longer trying to sit high up and upright to help her breathe. Just been to the vet for her second shot, and she'll have another tomorrow. Still very worried, but it seems to be doing her some good, so can only cross fingers and hop...

I had terrible trouble getting Stanley to take his Baytril. Eventually I took to locking him in a carrier with nothing but a bowl of medicine-laced yoghurt or babyfood for company. It only took him a few days to catch on that the sooner he eats it, the sooner I let him out. I felt mean, but it did w...

Well, we're back and he agreed that it's likely heart failure. He also says it sounds like her lungs are full of fluid. She's had a shot of Furosemide and one of Marbocyl, and she's going back tomorrow at 10am for another shot of Furo. The hope is that if it takes, she can be on it permanently, pote...

Yeah, we've been lucky that we haven't really had anything complicated to deal with in years! Just the usual progression of respiratory infections and lumps. He does the same thing with me as well with the vials of Baytril, he writes a dose on them but he always puts far more Baytril in than officia...

Thanks I've done some googling and printed out some information from the rat guide as well to back me up if it's needed. She'll be going to Barbour-Hill vets tonight as that's who we normally use, but if they can't/won't help I certainly won't hesitate to get a second opinion elsewhere.

siberiankiss wrote:It really does sound like heart failure. I would get her to a vet asap.

She's seeing the vet at 6, as I mentioned above, and I'll certainly mention heart failure as a possibility if the vet doesn't bring it up. What should be the treatment for this, if it is heart failure?

Well, she's perked up a fair bit since I first posted here but I'm still very worried as she's still clearly unwell. She will only eat a disgusting-looking mixture of complan, water and babyfood, which is at least keepign her hydrated and active but I wish she'd eat some actual solids as I can't see...

I had an interesting time lately to get Stanley and Bailey to take their meds. Took three days before we figured something out that worked. Apparently the trick for Stanley is to just lock him in a carrier with nothing but a bowl of Baytril-laced babyfood for company (I know, I feel so mean! Took hi...

You've done the right thing, and if she does not appear to be in any immediate distress I would say that the three hour wait to see a vet would be ok. I certainly won't condemn you for that, and I'm sorry if I sounded harsh earlier - I just wanted to make sure Ripley would see a vet today! Good luck...

Just echoing what has been said, she needs a vet as soon as possible. If you ring your vet, do they not have an answer machine with an emergency number or something? This *does* warrant an emergency callout, vaginal bleeding in a rat pretty much always needs immediate attention no matter what the ti...

Hey guys, thanks for the replies :) I'll definitely get her to the vet if she's not looking better by Monday but at the moment I just don't know what he'd do, seeing as other than a bit listless and thin she seems totally fine! Obviously she isn't but she has no other symptoms of anything if you see...