Ask the Veterinarian/Depressed rat

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Expert: - 12/9/2009


Question
My girls are worried about a friend's rat.  The sister rat died recently at 3 1/2 yrs old and the remaining rat is very depressed.  She is not eating well, sleeping where her sister died and not acting herself.  My girls would like to help so we were wondering if you have any advice.

Answer
This is so very sweet of your girls. Unfortunately, Natasha, this rat is probably going to die soon herself. If they were sisters, and the other one was 3 1/2 years old, they are about the equivalent of a 90 yr old person. Rats rarely live past 3 years old.

I really don't know what they could do except play with her and handle her a lot. That might help her get past this. I am not sure if getting her another rat would hurt or help at this point.  

I really don't know, maybe it would cheer her up as long as it was a young female. I have only had one rat at a time, so I am not much help I am afraid.

Please brace these wonderful girls of yours to expect that this rat might not be around much longer herself. That is about all you can do at this point.

thanks for writing.

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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