New to the group and need advice!

[astralmoons]

Hello,
 My name is Carolyn and I recently brought home 2 rats from our local pet store.  They are such dolls!  I have a problem though.  The lady at the pet store sent me home with 2 bags of pine shavings for them to bed in.  They stayed in them for a week before I found this site and learned that it is toxic to them.  Well, both of my little babies are sick now!!  They are sneezing their heads off and are now refusing to drink.  My little "Lola" is sitting in the corner weaving her head back and forth a lot. I have contacted my vet and he is giving me some meds for them tomorrow.  They are no longer living in the pine shavings. I have them in natural cotton at the moment. I also went today and ordered a new cage for them Martins.  I purchased the R-670 with pwd coat.

Here are my questions.

1. What is the best bedding that I can use for them and where can i buy it at?

2. What do I do if I cant get them to drink?

3. I would like to let them out of the cage at times, but i'm worried about them running off and getting lost in my house.  How does everyone handle this?  

4. I would also like to build an outside play area for them.  Anyone have any ideas on this?

5. Is it safe to buy rats at the pet store? I believe mine was sick when I got them.

[mustang_grl143]

. What is the best bedding that I can use for them and where can i buy it at?
I use yesterdays news but carefresh is good too

2. What do I do if I cant get them to drink?try putting flavering in it like tang or a little fruit juice no oj if it's a boy!!

3. I would like to let them out of the cage at times, but i'm worried about them running off and getting lost in my house.  How does everyone handle this?  rat proof and keep them in one room is the best no wires they can get to and no hiding spaces

4. I would also like to build an outside play area for them.  Anyone have any ideas on this?

5. Is it safe to buy rats at the pet store? I believe mine was sick when I got them.

[kmw]

1. The best bedding is what works best for you and your rats.  If you're in the US, safe beddings include Carefresh, aspen, Yesterday's News, or cloth.

2. If they won't drink, try sweetening the water with a touch of sugar.  Or try Gatorade or pedialyte - sometimes the fruit flavors help to encourage drinking.  Or fruit with a high water content like watermelon or grapes.  They can dehydrate rather fast, so it is important you get liquids into them.

3. There was a recent post about rat playtimes - posted by Natasha (?) - a lot of great suggestions in there.

4. I use the cage top if we go outside.  Others may have better ideas  

5. Depends on the petstore.  I got Max at PetsMart (who only sells females - oops!) and he's sneezed his whole life.  I got Tuck from another petstore and he's healthy.  It's best to hold the rats, check for porphyrin staining, and any signs of sneezing before taking any home.  

[Anna]

Welcome! You will get so much good advice here, almost more than you can handle!
My 2 cents-
I use crushed walnut shell bedding (a bird bedding usually) because neither my rats nor I am allergic to it. Aspen is also very popular.
If you can't get them to drink water, try gatorage, or electrolyte(sp?)
I handle keeping track of my kids by keeping them on the bed or sofa. Some people have a rat proof room, or a playpen like the great wall (www.ratalog.com)
I suggest closing a door, and putting them on a bed or somewhere and watching them play.
The great wall makes a great outdoor enclosure, as long as you keep your eyes on them.

there's a huge debate on pet shop rats, and the sad truth is that most are already sick. Pine bedding does cause lung damage, and some of it can be permanant.
Love and a good vet is the best thing for them. Also, when the dreaded GGMR hits( gotta get more rats) try adoptions and rescues. They are often heathy social animals than just need a person to love.
Lots of luck!
Anna

[Sabrina]

I can answer a few of the above questions:

1. I personally use a combo of Carefresh and these pellets for which I can't remember the name, though what bedding is "best" is under debate.

2.  I'm currently having trouble getting my Ellie to drink right now (she is very old) so what I am doing is feeding her water through a little syringe (eyedroppers also work).  But now she's started refusing water, so the lovely people on this board told me to give her gatorade or pedialyte, which is much yummier to a rat!

3.  Letting rats out of cage... well, be prepared to have things gnawed on: cushions, blankets, clothes, cords... so only let them in an area where you are willing to have a bit of damage done!  Some rats are worse chewers than others: Ellie loves cords, but has only left a few holes in my comforter... on the other hand, I once had a rat who would chew through anything.  

4.  Would love to hear what others think!

5.  See the post "rats from Petsmart" link below to hear peoples' opinions on rats from pet stores.  It really does depend on the store - I got Ellie from Dolphin Pet Village in Campbell, CA, and she has been my sweetest girl of all, but has had problems with tumors and all... good luck with your girls!

Love,
Sabrina and Ellie

[Sabriel]

1.  For now, put them on cloth or paper towels.  This is the most dust-free bedding that you can use.  After they get better, any bedding that is not pine or cedar will work just fine.  Aspen shavings work well.

2.  If you can, put some flavored pedialyte or gatorade in another waterbottle (so that they have two, one with water and one with pedialyte/gatorade).  It tastes good, and it will help keep them hydrated.  Baby food is also good, as it contains lots of water.

3.  The best thing to do is rat-proof a room of your house and let them run around there under your supervision.

4.  I can't answer this one, sorry.  

5.  Often times rats from pets stores are sick.    It's very possible that they were sick when you got them.

Welcome, and good luck with your ratties!  

[Bonnie]

Let me see how well I can answer these (others will answer too and you'll get a wide range:) )

1) Bedding- many people here use something different. Personally I use Carefresh, because I think my rat was allergic to aspen. Carfresh makes *me* sneeze, but they don't seem to be bothered by it, so I use that.

2) If you can't get them to drink try forcing some into their mouths with an eye dropper or something. You may want to offer them a small peice of apple. If they like it, that will put some moisture into them.

3) You'll have to get your rats to trust you before letting them run around. Catching them when they don't trust you yet can be pretty challenging. Start out by letting them onto a table they can't hop off of, in a bathroom with no escapes, or on a couch or bed that they can't get off of. Make sure you are there, playing with them so that they learn that you're not scary and they will be used to you picking them up. Eventually you'll see how playtime will work for your ratties.

4) Can't help you there- I havn't made one yet

5) It is safe to buy rats from some pet stores. It depends on the individual pet store, and how they care for thier rats. A lot of rats are so stressed out by shipment and being in pet stores they do get sick. Hopefully your pet store has some type of guarentee, just in case.



Yay for already contacting a vet, the Martens cage and everything! You're doing great already! Good luck with them and let us know how they are! Welcome to the forum  

[knuckles]

I'm pretty new to rat "ownership" too  (we got our first rats last July).  I'm not sure who owns who at this point

I use a combination of bedding/litter.  I found I was allergic to carefresh.  I was using aspen shavings (they are safe), but found they were harder to find in stores.  So now I'm using a combination of aspen pellets in their litter boxes and old cloth for bedding.

I don't trust our rats on the ground.  and in fact, a couple of them have learned that getting on the floor means a "time out" in the cage.  I use the dining room table, covered with an old sheet.  The kitchen island, various chairs, beds etc for playtime.  I have thought about getting a "great wall" but know my rattie girls would jump out of it the first chance they got.  I'm looking at making some sort of play pen that I can set up outside for them, but so far haven't had time.

[Bonnie]

wow apparently we were all typin at the same time- when I read the topic no one had posted yet! Heehee.

[astralmoons]

How do you find out what exactly is wrong with your rats? I have heard people talking about tumors, Leukemia, cancer, etc. My vet said that I am the only one he knows with rats for pets and that he doesn't have much experience in this area.  I am also from a small town so there are now rescues around here.  I really hope that my babies dont die on me!  If they get worse, Is there anything that I can do to make them more comfortable?

[Sabrina]

wow apparently we were all typin at the same time- when I read the topic no one had posted yet! Heehee.

same with me!

[Dearpie]

My vet said that I am the only one he knows with rats for pets and that he doesn't have much experience in this area.  I am also from a small town so there are now rescues around here.  

Where do you live?  You may check for another vet perhaps, or print a bunch of information out for him!  There's also a book you should order, one copy for each of you perhaps.  Debbie Ducummon's the Rat Health Handbook.  UHMMM I know you can find out where to get it from this board SOMEWHERE, but can't find it immediately!  UGH

Next, here's a list of vet referrals.  Perhaps there's a different vet in your area that is more familiar with rats.  It never hurts to look another one up!

Vet Referrals - finding a good vet before you need one is vital.
RFC: How to Find a Good Rat Vet - http://www.ratfanclub.org/vetgood.html
RFC: Vet Referral List - http://www.ratfanclub.org/vetref.html
RMCA: Vet List - http://www.rmca.org/Resources/vets.htm

Also, where do you live, what city?  Perhaps there's someone on this board that lives near you and has a great vet they can refer you to.

Here's a list of drugs commonly used to treat ratties, however, if you're not sure what is wrong, it could be difficult.  It SOUNDS like Myco ...

RMCA Drug Chart - http://www.rmca.org/Articles/dchart.htm


Here is where I found the links, in case you're wondering.  You should browse all you can before now and then to perhaps better acquaint yourself with rat care.
http://www.goosemoose.com/rfc/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=5

GOOD luck with all of this information.  I see a lack of sleep in your future tonite while boning up on the topic of RATS! hehehe  

[Tracy]

some nice sites for care info:
http://www.geocities.com/suebee277/rat/ratcare.html
http://www.geocities.com/suebee277/rat/download.html
The rat health care book, I suggest you get 2 copies so your vet can have a copy too: http://www.ratfanclub.org/books.html

Everything else has been answered so I just want to add that you can buy a playpen to put your rats in for playtime but they may learn to climb out.  Darn their smart brains  .  And bathrooms and beds are good play areas if you can't rat proof a bigger room.
And older female rats are the ones with the tumor problems.  
Hope I did not repeat anything.
Tracy

[Joe]

How do you find out what exactly is wrong with your rats?My vet said that I am the only one he knows with rats for pets and that he doesn't have much experience in this area.

  From what you've already said of then being on pine for so long, it's more than likely an upper respiratory infection, which is what the toxins in them cause. Someone who knows these things might wanna mention specifically types of meds and combos for that, as well as general meds for different stuff.
  Your vet is a good one, I can tell you that. Most would fake it. Because he's good, he's gonna be open to anything you can tell him. Definately get Debbie's book. You might wanna get two copies, and give one to him. Here's a link to it:

http://www.ratfanclub.org/books.html

  Rat Health Care is obviously the one you want, and it's a good $6.50 investment. I've also heard some good things about Rats! A Fun and Care Book, so you might wanna check that out, too.

  Good luck with your rats! I hope they get better!

[Suebee]

Wow -- very good answers from everyone! I won't restate what everyone else has already posted, but I had a thought about the drinking:

Did they have a water bottle at the store? If not, they may not be water-bottle trained. I had to train mine -- the breeder I got them from had the drinking from a dish, which is adorable to watch, but I had to replace the dish multiple times a day. I had to show them how to use the water bottle in order for them to start drinking from it.

If they're just being stubborn, I agree with the ones that recommended fruit with high water content, and electrolyte drinks like Gatorade.

[astralmoons]

Well I am happy to say that my ratties seem to be doing a little better today!  Lola started drinking again and has become very active. She quit weaving her head from side to side and enjoyed a nice chunk of ham this morning.  Her favorites to eat are soy nuts and broccoli.

Scabbers is still not drinking, but is eating quite a bit of melon and apples. Perhaps he is getting enough water that way.  Thanks for all of your help!  I was so lost and had no idea what to do.  My entire family is against the idea of me having rats in the house so they was no help!  

I live in Lewisburg Kentucky.  If any of you are near my area please let me know.

[mantricentity]

I just feel  like talking about the pet shop thing. I made sure the pet store I got my rat from handled them regularly and that they had good bedding. Although they kept them seperated by their sex mine came pregnant (one of those mysteries I guess). I just think it's best to look at all the pet store options, or buy from a breeder.

[Yresim]

If scabbers will not drink, try a 1/2 & 1/2 mixture with gatorade & water.  I always mix the gatorade half & half, because it makes it less sweet, and because my human doctor tells me that this makes it better for someone who is dehydrated (I get dehydrated a lot, myself).  

If he/she will not drink that, you may need to get a syringe (or an eyedropper) and force him/her to drink.  You can try water, the gatorade/water mix, or you can try KMR (which is what I use).

There is a dehydration test which you can do.  I believe that you just need to gently pull up a pinch of skin at the skruff of their neck.  If it falls back into place, the rattie is okay.  If it stays up, however, your rattie is dehyrated.  

I'm sure that someone else could stated this better.