| Subject | Date Asked |
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| Dumbo Rats | 11/20/2009 |
Q: I have a few question concerning dumbo rats: How long do they live? How big do they get? What do ...
A: dumbo rats are absolutely no different than top-ear ('normal') rats. They live the same 2 to 4 years ...
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| Nursing baby rats | 11/19/2009 |
Q: My rat Darcel got out of her cage while i was cleaning it, And i didn't catch her til recently, she ...
A: Eek! First of all, don't blame yourself if you lose any of them - raising orphaned babies ...
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| My rat has cold feet and a cold tail | 11/19/2009 |
Q: I noticed that my little girl rat(Eloise) has really cold feet. it is only her front feet that are ...
A: That indicates a circulatory issue. Have you noticed her favoring her back end at all, and has she ...
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| my pet rats are fighting | 11/18/2009 |
Q: i have two male fancy rats which i bought from a breeder about 6 weeks ago. ive had rats before so i ...
A: Sometimes during puberty, boys get overwhelmed and hormonal and then all chaos breaks loose. Have ...
|
| My pet rat Priscilla has been bleeding from her private area | 11/18/2009 |
Q: I need advise ASAP! I am torn! My pet rattie Priscilla started bleeding this morning from her ...
A: I'm really sorry you're going through this. :/ You make some excellent points, and all things that ...
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| My Rat Has Unknown weightloss and Habit changes.... | 11/18/2009 |
Q: I was coming to ask a question about my rat, Dumbo, named for her breed, the Dumbo Earred Rat. I had ...
A: Generally these are the first symptoms that display with the onset of pneumonia, a basic upper ...
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| breeding | 11/17/2009 |
Q: how do i make sure that my one female rat is pregnant. I am trying to start my own rattery. She is ...
A: If you have had litters before and you're very experienced; you should know that determining ...
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| allergic to rats | 11/17/2009 |
Q: Janell~ I have found this site to be such a great resource for my two ratties! I got my first rat, ...
A: Oh jeez, I'm so sorry to hear this!!! Reactions like this are so very rare, you're only the second ...
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| Fighting/playing female rats | 11/16/2009 |
Q: I have 4 Dumbo rats all female from a pet shop all from the same parents.I have had rats before this ...
A: It may be a territory thing. Do they range in age at all? Sometimes as they hit puberty they'll ...
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| My ratties | 11/16/2009 |
Q: About two days ago I purchased a female P.E.W 4-6 month old rat from a pet store. I got her as a ...
A: Odds are, she's testing you or possibly tasting you. Given that she's a PEW, they often don't see ...
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| Is it true | 11/15/2009 |
Q: Ive just read an artical on how to stop your rat biting you use vanilla essance put some on your ...
A: That's false. It doesn't matter how you smell; even if you bathe in the same scent, your rat will ...
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| MY rat is dieing | 11/14/2009 |
Q: I'll make this question short and sweet. My rat trouble is dyng. she has a large tumor. i took her ...
A: She may be in pain, which is why her attitude is deteriorating; and she finds it easier to reach ...
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| rats | 11/14/2009 |
Q: i am sick so i have a vaporizer an i am using it but i put vicks but it is a vicks vaporizer and the ...
A: How close are they to the vaporizer? If they're across the room and the vaporizer is right near ...
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| Pet rats vibrateing | 11/13/2009 |
Q: I have 2 female rats that I adopted when they were about a year old. I have had them for a few ...
A: Runny eyes how? Is the discharge red, yellow, green, clear? The vibrating is very, very normal! If ...
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| Vet cost? | 11/13/2009 |
Q: I have a 2 year old rat called Hannelore. Shes very aggressive (Always bites in a frenzy drawing ...
A: eek, I'm sorry to hear about Hannelore. I don't know what prices run in Australia; here in the ...
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| Socializing female rats | 11/12/2009 |
Q: This may be a silly question, but: currently we have one approximately 1 1/2 year old female, she is ...
A: Absolutely go with a baby. Introduce them on neutral terms, in a clean area that doesn't smell like ...
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| Tumor, blindness and lack of coordination, female | 11/11/2009 |
Q: and it may be too late for me to do anything now BUT everything is worth a try: I currently house ...
A: I apologize for my slow response. I had a funeral to attend to this week and completely forgot about ...
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| please help me with my rat | 11/9/2009 |
Q: I have 2 7 month old female rats Itsy and Bitsy,I am having alot of problems with bitsy ever since i ...
A: Rats vary in tempers and usually it has a lot to do with their genetic background. If you have tried ...
|
| Rats at Petsmart | 11/9/2009 |
Q: My last rat passed away in May and I currently am not a rat owner, I just have a general question. ...
A: PetSmart purposefully avoids accidental litters by carrying ONLY males or ONLY females depending on ...
|
| Skinny Hairless | 11/6/2009 |
Q: Louie my 2 year old hairless was recently given meds for a respiratory issue but is still breathing ...
A: Hairless are very prone to having multiple issues. The respiratory infection may well be the thing ...
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| Pet rat with possible tooth abscess? | 11/6/2009 |
Q: I am hoping you can help me with a difficult issue i am having with one of my 4 rats. I have been a ...
A: I'm sorry to hear Hookah's not doing so well :( I'm very sorry for my late response; my husband was ...
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| Dumbo rat outer ear infection | 11/6/2009 |
Q: I have 5 rats, who I recently treated with revolution for lice. The skin problems have pretty much ...
A: to me, that looks like the beginnings of sarcoptics... I'd suggest going to your local horse ...
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| Affordable SF rat vets? | 11/5/2009 |
Q: one of my girls has a tumor in her groin area and I'm searching for a reasonable vet in San ...
A: I'm over 12 hours from San Fran, so I can't honestly give you an idea of where to go. It's fairly ...
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| Introduced 2 baby girl rats to existing year and half old female | 11/4/2009 |
Q: About a month ago, one of our female rats, Nihm, died aged year and a half. Her sister Charlie was ...
A: To me, this seems like a sign of something more serious than just a tuckered out rat. I'd see about ...
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| Mammary tumor | 11/3/2009 |
Q: i have a female rat who is about 3 years old. recently she got a mushy lump on her lower abdomen ...
A: Honestly, that's one of the hardest decisions to make and only you can make it. If you feel she's ...
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| Rat bites | 11/3/2009 |
Q: I have had my two female rats for a year now and have had no problems with them. So they are ...
A: That almost sounds like a rat who is uncomfortable, injured in some way or otherwise not feeling ...
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| i don't know what's wrong with my rat :S | 11/1/2009 |
Q: i have a 3 year old female rat and until the start of summer this year she has been fine, then she ...
A: The red/pinkness around her eyes and nose is porph, basically rat tears/mucus is red and stains the ...
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| rat needs more calories | 11/1/2009 |
Q: One of my male rats, (3 litter mates about 2 yrs old), was obviously not himself today and a visit ...
A: Try adding nutri-cal to his daily diet, just offer him as much as he'd like to eat off the end of ...
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| Black teeth | 10/31/2009 |
Q: A friend of mine has 2 pet rats that she is assuming are under 3 months of age. She acquired them ...
A: Honestly, I have never heard of such a thing! I'd imagine it was from something they've eaten - was ...
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| Aggressive female rat | 10/30/2009 |
Q: First, I think its important for me to tell you that I am a first time rat owner, so all of this is ...
A: That's mighty unusual. I don't think it's her being lonely - most lonely rats are just more lovey ...
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| My hairless rat | 10/30/2009 |
Q: I'm in a bit of a panic. About a month ago I purchased a female hairless rat and she is about two ...
A: Have you trimmed her toenails? What sort of bedding do you have her on? Hairless rats are prone ...
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| my rat is sick | 10/30/2009 |
Q: my rat is losing weight and will not eat any food i provide for him. also their is a bloody color on ...
A: A coat discoloration, lethargy and lack of appetite aren't enough symptoms for me to diagnose and ...
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| biting 9 week old rat | 10/29/2009 |
Q: We have a 9 -10 week old male rat that up until the past week has been fine. we got him with his ...
A: That actually could have a lot to do with it - he may be upset thinking something 'got' his brother, ...
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| aggression: rats | 10/29/2009 |
Q: my rats show their rowdy sides a lot, but is it normal for one of the litter mates to bite its owner ...
A: Rats don't generally take to that sort of training like dogs or cats do - instead, they see it as ...
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| biting 9 week old rat | 10/29/2009 |
Q: We have a 9 -10 week old male rat that up until the past week has been fine. we got him with his ...
A: It may be that he's cage dominant now, or 'cage brave', which can stem from getting a new roommate. ...
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| Handling an injured or ill rat | 10/29/2009 |
Q: great website! Well done. I am currently undergoing Animal Health training and one question I have ...
A: Happy to be of help. Do you mean to restrain for treatment, or handling in general? The answers ...
|
| SDA | 10/28/2009 |
Q: I bought two fancy rats from a pet shop that were fine for about two weeks. One was leaving with my ...
A: I'm sorry for my delay in getting back to you - are your rats still with us? How do you know this ...
|
| Rat bleeding | 10/17/2009 |
Q: I have had my rat "Luna" for about roughly 2 years now. She has never had a health problem at all ...
A: Given the location, it's likely an estrogen based, benign tumor; so my assumption on the vaginal ...
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| Sick broken | 10/16/2009 |
Q: My hairless girl Strawberry appeared to have broken her leg/hip three weeks ago. I consulted my ...
A: I'm so sorry for my delayed response! Human strep is not the same as the zoonotic strep, and ...
|
| cuts | 10/16/2009 |
Q: upon returning home for running some errands i found one of my hairless rats to be injured. The cut ...
A: If it isn't bleeding, try just cleaning it up a bit and applying some triple antibiotic paste/cream ...
|
| sudden death | 10/14/2009 |
Q: Ive lost 4 rats today to a sudden and disturbing death. I had a mother and 7 babies... the mother ...
A: Hold your remaining babies to your ear and listen to their lungs - hear any congestion noises at ...
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| sudden death | 10/14/2009 |
Q: Ive lost 4 rats today to a sudden and disturbing death. I had a mother and 7 babies... the mother ...
A: Can you get them out of that airspace and into a different one? Maybe it's something in the room ...
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| sudden death | 10/14/2009 |
Q: Ive lost 4 rats today to a sudden and disturbing death. I had a mother and 7 babies... the mother ...
A: Did you notice any facial swelling, any wheezing, rasping, or bug-eyed appearance? Odds are they ...
|
| Baby rat's ear | 10/14/2009 |
Q: I am hand raising 2 orphaned pet rats whose mother was killed. They were about 5 days old when I ...
A: Their depth perception and focus is just beginning to hone now, and it's natural for them to be ...
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| Pet Female Rat | 10/13/2009 |
Q: We have 3 female rats all sisters at age of 6 1/2 months. 1 of them keeps falling off the solid ...
A: Without having any other symptoms, it could just be the case of a rare but clumsy rat or a case of ...
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| Feeding my pet rats | 10/13/2009 |
Q: I have 2 female rats they are around 5 months old now,i was just wondering how much fresh fruit and ...
A: I keep their kibbled/pellet diet in their cage at all times and swap it out for fresh (even if they ...
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| Baby rat's ear | 10/12/2009 |
Q: I am hand raising 2 orphaned pet rats whose mother was killed. They were about 5 days old when I ...
A: Their ears normally open within the same week as their eyes - it's very normal for one to look ...
|
| 1 year old rat with labored breathing | 10/12/2009 |
Q: I have a 1 year old non fixed female rat that is getting skinny and has labored breathing that I got ...
A: The only thing you can truly do to help her at home is to encourage her to eat with tasty, easy ...
|
| Please, help me asap, pet rat strange sounds. | 10/11/2009 |
Q: I've been rat owner for 5 days now, and today 1 of my rats (probably 3-4 weeks old maximum) started ...
A: Sounds like he's a little congested.. those are classic 'monkey' sounds and very a-typical of a ...
|
| just got a new rat | 10/9/2009 |
Q: I'm so excited I just got a new rat three days ago who was being fostered. He seems to be fitting in ...
A: Rats are pretty adaptable, and his wanting to be with you is a great sign of bonding - I wouldn't ...
|
| albino rat has orange skin and more | 10/9/2009 |
Q: Sir Edgar is 1 yr. old. He began wheezing a couple of weeks ago. He has patchy hair loss, lack of ...
A: The hair loss and lack of appetite may be entirely unrelated to the orange skin. It's actually ...
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| Orphaned Baby Rat | 10/8/2009 |
Q: My b-friend's friend found a baby wild rat and was going to give it to his snake. I begged him to ...
A: Baby rats are VERY hard to save. I use kitten and puppy milk replacer as milk subs for my orphaned ...
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| pet rat's tail | 10/5/2009 |
Q: i've got two healthy males. but one of them i've noticed a hard little clearish-whitish tip about a ...
A: Do they have any hammocks or anything with strings? He may have gotten a thread (or even human hair) ...
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| introductions of adult male | 10/5/2009 |
Q: We have a nearly 2year old male rat who we bought at about 5mths old on his own. he was on his own ...
A: It is possible to introduce them and you did right by getting two babies to play with each other - ...
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| my pet rat | 10/4/2009 |
Q: my pet rat chewed his toe's off one foot what should i put on his foot, would first aid spray work
A: You need to find out why he chewed them off. Don't use first aid spray - clean it up with a mild ...
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| WonderWall for 2 Female Rats | 10/4/2009 |
Q: I've been having a hard time working with my rats and training them, as I haven't been able to ...
A: Interesting. It seems they've been discontinued, as I can't find anything on them either; which is a ...
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| Pet Rats | 10/3/2009 |
Q: I was talking with Sandra Todd about 5-7 days ago about a suspected rat pregnancy, and it turns out ...
A: Color wise you're pretty much going to be kept to agouti, black, and if they both carry c(h); maybe ...
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| female rat spotting blood | 10/2/2009 |
Q: Janell, I have two 1 1/2 year old female rats that I adopted about a week ago. Their previous ...
A: Just like a runny nose in a person, porphyrin is usually a symptom of something else - in this case, ...
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| Breast Cancer | 10/2/2009 |
Q: I took my pet rat, Xena, who is 2 years old, to the vet as she'd suddenly developed a large lump ...
A: You're doing right to remove it now, before it gets too big! Most mammary tumors found in rats are ...
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| Paralysis | 10/1/2009 |
Q: About a week ago, I noticed one of my rats was wheezing and another had a runny nose. I took all 4 ...
A: Without knowing the cause of the paralysis with test results or what not, I can't advise you on the ...
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| female rat spotting blood | 9/30/2009 |
Q: Janell, I have two 1 1/2 year old female rats that I adopted about a week ago. Their previous ...
A: If the blood looks spattered, are you positive it's blood and not porphyin? Porph is, literally, ...
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| lillie, my albino rat | 9/29/2009 |
Q: My pet rat lillie whom is approve. 6mos. old, is very lovable and loves for me to hold her and play, ...
A: Ah, yeah, an injury would cause that. She may be stiff and still in a bit of pain - keep an eye on ...
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| pet rats | 9/29/2009 |
Q: Hi well i got a baby female rat today and at home i have two females and one is about 2 years and ...
A: Keep them separated. If the 7 month old is aggressive to the baby, obviously the baby needs to be ...
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| My two rats. | 9/29/2009 |
Q: I just got two rats, one fancy and one albino. They seem to get along great, as they have been ...
A: They just need time. Just like people, rats can be shy in new situations and probably haven't gotten ...
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| mites on humans | 9/28/2009 |
Q: My daughter has had rats for the past 3 yrs. She came home a few days ago after a vacation and found ...
A: Although it's rare, it IS possible. The two mites known to bite people on occasion are the Tropical ...
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| lillie, my albino rat | 9/27/2009 |
Q: My pet rat lillie whom is approve. 6mos. old, is very lovable and loves for me to hold her and play, ...
A: How long has this episode lasted? Is she still behaving this way, or has she lapsed back to her old ...
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| mites | 9/27/2009 |
Q: I have new ratties (dumbo dwarfs) both males, one is 5 weeks and the other is 4 weeks. They are ...
A: Mela is only a problem if you let them eat the oil straight or apply it directly (it can burn). ...
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| mites | 9/25/2009 |
Q: I have new ratties (dumbo dwarfs) both males, one is 5 weeks and the other is 4 weeks. They are ...
A: The only OTC/home remedy I recommend for babies that young is a bath. Mix one tablespoon melaluca ...
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| Introducing rats. | 9/24/2009 |
Q: I have 2 male rats around the age of 9 months old, the other day I bought another male rat he is ...
A: Although it seems a little weird, it's still very normal. Fredrik is evaluating Gurd and determining ...
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| Answer to why trimming rat's teeth important | 9/24/2009 |
Q: If a rat doesn't chew, and wear down their teeth, one of two things happen. 1) the bottom teeth ...
A: No, rat's teeth do not just automatically need to be trimmed, and it's a myth that they need to chew ...
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| My rat bites ONLY when she is up and moving. | 9/23/2009 |
Q: I have had my pet rat for about a month now, her name is Chloe. she is my first rat and I got her ...
A: She may be food aggressive/food territorial or simply cage territorial in general -- or if the cage ...
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| my rat hates me! | 9/20/2009 |
Q: About 3 weeks ago i bought 2 dumbo rats, (girls). I bought them from a large pet store. they day i ...
A: I'd imagine she will eventually come around, but whether it's while you have any fingers left is the ...
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| Rat sleeping differently | 9/19/2009 |
Q: im kinda worried about my pet rat... starting a couple days ago my rat has went from sleeping in his ...
A: I wouldn't worry about his sleeping patterns - he may have just wanted a different vantage point. ...
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| viscious rat bite | 9/18/2009 |
Q: My daughters have had 2 male rats for almost 1 1/2 years. One started aggressively attacking the ...
A: There's no way to tell if a rat will turn on you if he's turned on his buddies, really. I've been ...
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| viscious rat bite | 9/17/2009 |
Q: My daughters have had 2 male rats for almost 1 1/2 years. One started aggressively attacking the ...
A: Oh, jeez. That sounds positively HORRIBLE! I'm so sorry your daughter is going through that! I ...
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| Sick Rat | 9/16/2009 |
Q: We have two pet rats, both female 6 months old they eat a variety of things...carrots, penuts, ...
A: That's very, very strange. Well, the disorientation may have been due to a stroke or a previous ...
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| baytril burn | 9/14/2009 |
Q: i believe my male rat has baytril burn the injection site is scabbed and he also has a red cirle ...
A: Neosporin will work, and once the initial swelling/redness/pus is down/out, try to leave it alone ...
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| baytril burn | 9/14/2009 |
Q: i believe my male rat has baytril burn the injection site is scabbed and he also has a red cirle ...
A: Uck, it's pus-y already? Keep it cleaned up (I'd use a damp washcloth) and a thin coat of triple ...
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| Pregnant rat | 9/14/2009 |
Q: My rat got pregnant about 2 weeks ago. She developed a lump under her left arm a few days ago, and ...
A: Do you know the timeline for fact, or is it your best guess? A rat's gestation is about 21/22 days, ...
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| baytril burn | 9/13/2009 |
Q: i believe my male rat has baytril burn the injection site is scabbed and he also has a red cirle ...
A: Ulceration/scabbing at the injection site is really quite common, and is the reason a lot of vets ...
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| Extra docile young rat | 9/12/2009 |
Q: I bought a male rat just over a week ago, and he has settled in with my other rat in the same cage ...
A: I would say unless he has some other symptom to indicate an illness, he's probably just a very lazy, ...
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| New Buddy for Older Rat? | 9/11/2009 |
Q: I've had my male fancy rat for about a year and a half. When I got him, getting a second rat at the ...
A: Older rats normally readily accept a more submissive cagemate; which is generally a baby. I usually ...
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| feeding rats | 9/10/2009 |
Q: I have 2 male rats, Oscar and Grant. i'm not sure how old they are, but i have always wondered how ...
A: I prefer to free-feed my rats. Fill their bowl with their staple diet (if its block or a grain mix) ...
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| One rat biting the other, drawing blood and scabbing | 9/9/2009 |
Q: I have had these two rats for a couple months now, got them both at the same time, I believe they ...
A: I'm leaning toward the idea of it being overgrooming/violent grooming rather than just flat out ...
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| Gadget's lump | 9/8/2009 |
Q: My pet rat Gadget (he is a dumbo rat) is around 18months old and over the past few months has ...
A: Scar tissue is hard and sometimes feels bony - and it does gather over time, depending on the amount ...
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| Owning rats while pregnant? | 9/7/2009 |
Q: I own 4 female rats and I just found out Im pregnant. Are they safe to play around me still? Can ...
A: It's perfectly safe to own rats while pregnant. Other than perhaps a sensitivity to their smell ...
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| Depressed Rat? | 9/7/2009 |
Q: I recently had one of my rats pass away. When I removed my poor little friend from the cage ...
A: I'm sorry to hear Albireo is grieving. Grief, for rats and for people, is a tough thing. For ...
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| Help please. | 9/5/2009 |
Q: My Rat Hoodini is a medium sized hooded rat who had been carlesly bred with a fancy rat before i ...
A: I'm so sorry to hear she isn't doing well. :( The inability to move her back legs indicates either ...
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| RE: Willie | 8/26/2009 |
Q: He was born july 1st. So 8 weeks today. He's scratching and I see white flakes on him but no bugs ...
A: Hmmm he may have some dry skin due to the weather - have you ever bathed him? A gentle bath with a ...
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| RE: Willie | 8/26/2009 |
Q: No there's no coughing, weezing, or sneezing. And the red mucus has not happend again. He's not ...
A: He may just have had a runny nose that day, then! Porphin is rat snot, and just like people have ...
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| Frankie | 8/26/2009 |
Q: I got my pet rat Frankie 9 months ago, he was a half hairless rat, not a full breed.On the same day ...
A: A 'half hairless' is not a variation type. Some hairless varieties have a thin layer of coat, and ...
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| Willie | 8/25/2009 |
Q: Ok. Last night around 6pm I took out my rat Willie he licked my arm and I noticed what looked like ...
A: Lethargy and porphin (that red stuff) is a symptom of something wonky going on in his respiratory ...
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| rat wound | 8/24/2009 |
Q: i have a male hairless rat that is about 6 months old. i just noticed a few minutes ago that he has ...
A: Torn toenails happen a lot, and I honestly wouldn't worry about it too much. Keep his cage clean, ...
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| Rat colors | 8/23/2009 |
Q: I have 13 rats, I've had 26 in my lifetime, I know proper care, I handle them constantly, their all ...
A: Linebreeding is perfectly acceptable in the rat world and many breeders, like myself, practice it ...
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| Rat colors | 8/22/2009 |
Q: I have 13 rats, I've had 26 in my lifetime, I know proper care, I handle them constantly, their all ...
A: Well, the pictures don't do them any justice from the way you've described! :) Just glancing at ...
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| Seemingly contagious boils spread between pet rats | 8/22/2009 |
Q: This summer I ordered a hairless pet rat from a local pet store. When I got it, he was not very ...
A: Those sound like abscesses or cysts to me, really. Usually neither are not contagious but their ...
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| Respiratory distress | 8/21/2009 |
Q: I have a female rat, approximately 14 months old, brown/white, which has had some on and off ...
A: Trimethoprin/sulfa drug is a broad spectrum antibiotic, and it may not have been able to officially ...
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| Rat nose bleed | 8/21/2009 |
Q: I feed him every day unless his bowl is full, he gets plenty of water and gets lots of attention and ...
A: Porphin (mucus) is different from blood. Just like with people, a runny nose can be a symptom of a ...
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| Sick Mouse | 8/20/2009 |
Q: My husband brought home a small white mouse the other day. They got it to feed a pet snake at work. ...
A: I'd assume it was from his handling prior to that - or possibly from trying to get away from the ...
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| Momma Rat | 8/20/2009 |
Q: So story goes, I had a male rat who passed away in March, I got 2 females the next day, 2 days later ...
A: Nah, she's just very motherly. Eventually the other rats will get tired of this, knock her on her ...
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| Sick Mouse | 8/20/2009 |
Q: My husband brought home a small white mouse the other day. They got it to feed a pet snake at work. ...
A: Well, it could be an abscess or a tumor. I know that rats are very prone to chin abscesses, and I ...
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| breeding | 8/19/2009 |
Q: I am breeding my dumbo female and my hairless rats and just had my first litter. It looks as though ...
A: Hairless is a simple recessive, meaning you need two genes to make it - just like with dumbo. If ...
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| Sick Mouse | 8/19/2009 |
Q: My husband brought home a small white mouse the other day. They got it to feed a pet snake at work. ...
A: bump under it's neck -- where at? on it's chin/throat area? are his eyes bulging, fur standing on ...
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| Help me please | 8/19/2009 |
Q: My brothers lizard had to start eating baby rats it is so big and the lizard didnt eat ...
A: Does this rat have fur, and does it have it's eyes open? Is it mobile (walking around)? Don't use ...
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| soft green poop? | 8/17/2009 |
Q: is it normal for a baby rat to have soft green poop?
A: Stress poo is often green and very soft. If it hasn't hardened up in a day or so, you might want to ...
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| new pet rat advice | 8/17/2009 |
Q: i just bought a baby rat today from a pet store. im not sure how old she is but shes definately a ...
A: She may be lonely; but most likely she's still adjusting to being in a new place - after all, if you ...
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| How do i know my rat's in heat? | 8/16/2009 |
Q: I have an 8 month old female dumbo rat that i am wanting to breed. She is very sweet and the male ...
A: Rats come into heat every 4 days for about 12 hours. Mostly, you may notice she's more playful and ...
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| my new rat pees everywhere | 8/15/2009 |
Q: I just got a new rat after one of my pet rats died. My new girl is about a year old. She was in a ...
A: Unfortunately that's kind of a-typical of a girl. They like to run around and "mark" things they ...
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| rat's eye may be infected | 8/14/2009 |
Q: About three weeks ago i noticed my almost two year old rat, Salena, had a swollen and red eye. After ...
A: It would be my next best guess that she may have an abscess behind the eye (especially since you ...
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| Few rat questions, mostly about pregnancy | 8/13/2009 |
Q: I have a female and a male rat, Princess and Dopey, they dont live together but we do let them play ...
A: Yeah, that's usually some signs of nesting.. some rats nest without being pregnant, though; so just ...
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| Few rat questions, mostly about pregnancy | 8/13/2009 |
Q: I have a female and a male rat, Princess and Dopey, they dont live together but we do let them play ...
A: It's pretty normal for males to be ginormous compared to their sisters - they're just big in some ...
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| Bullying | 8/12/2009 |
Q: I have two female rats that I've chosen to seperate due to them fighting and one of them was picking ...
A: Are they actually arguing or is the one female just overgrooming the other? Overgrooming is usually ...
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| blood on bedding | 8/11/2009 |
Q: 2 males and 5 females. I have 2 fairly large cages that I clean thoroughly once a week. I've ...
A: Is it just spatter or a pool? Spattering is generally caused by sneezing or grooming at night, ...
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| My hairless rat's health | 8/10/2009 |
Q: my names is Adrienne Barrios. I have a hairless rat, shes about 2 1/2 years old. She has had alot of ...
A: Well whether it's cancer or mammary, it's still a tumor; and the treatment is the same: removal. As ...
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| preventation of tumors | 8/10/2009 |
Q: I have a one year old female rat that is in good health and I want her to stay that way. If she gets ...
A: Most tumors are either estrogen fueled (mammary tumors) or cancer. The only sure way to avoid tumors ...
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| Grieving Rat / Introducing New Baby Rat | 8/7/2009 |
Q: We had two female rats, one of which had a very large tumor and was rapidly declining. The younger ...
A: I wouldn't speed it up; however if they get along outside the cages and you've already cleared her ...
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| hypoallergic rats | 8/7/2009 |
Q: i am 13 years old and my parents are thinking about getting 2 rats for me and my sister. however, my ...
A: It depends on what it is that they're allergic to. If it's the dander, you could get a hairless rat ...
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| My Pet Rat | 8/5/2009 |
Q: My pet rat Penelope sneezes alot, and sometimes makes a funny noise when she is breathing. Is this ...
A: Her sneezing could be from the newspaper.. I'd suggest switching to a dye-free recycled newspaper ...
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| Mites | 8/3/2009 |
Q: Hello my rat has mites us there a home remedy to help her?
A: There is. First, how old is your rat, and is she a standard or dwarf? If she's an adult (6 mo+) ...
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| Rat noises | 8/3/2009 |
Q: We have three male rats, two of which are about 20 months old and the third maybe a year old. One ...
A: Sounds like it could be a little congestion in his chest area. Can you hear it when you place his ...
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| Porphyrin Discharge | 8/1/2009 |
Q: I recently noticed that my blue rat Meme has been turning brown, and I asked another expert and they ...
A: It COULD be, if its caused by an illness. However if she's showing no symptoms of being ill, then ...
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| Porphyrin Discharge | 8/1/2009 |
Q: I recently noticed that my blue rat Meme has been turning brown, and I asked another expert and they ...
A: If she's turning brown just around her eyes, ears and nose; across her back where she cleans herself ...
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| rats | 8/1/2009 |
Q: can you tell me why my doe rejected her litter of 15 when they were born.She did become distressed ...
A: She could have been too young, too inexperienced, the stress from having them in an ...
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| Rattie Colors | 7/30/2009 |
Q: I was wondering if you could tell me what color my rats are. I have 6 rats, and 3 that I can't ...
A: Bo may in fact be a Russian Blue.. in some of those pictures he definitely has that sort of tinge to ...
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| Rattie Colors | 7/30/2009 |
Q: I was wondering if you could tell me what color my rats are. I have 6 rats, and 3 that I can't ...
A: I would agree that Tabitha is a beige. If she's very, very light she may be a platinum, but normally ...
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| Neutered male keeps mating my female rat | 7/27/2009 |
Q: My male rat is approx 6 months old. was neutered just over 3 weeks ago. Since then I have introduced ...
A: Normally boys will leave the girls alone once they've recovered from surgery; but it seems he's a ...
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| My Male Rats SMELL! | 7/27/2009 |
Q: I have 3 male rats ranging in ages from about 4 months to 1 year. Since I got the first rat a year ...
A: It's not so much that certain foods make them smell; it's that a healthy diet promotes healthy skin ...
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| 10 week old rats | 7/26/2009 |
Q: i recently bought a pair of 10 week old male rats (both of the same litter). one of them seems to ...
A: This may be a phase; given they're so young. Try offering treats by hand, and working with the more ...
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| My Male Rats SMELL! | 7/26/2009 |
Q: I have 3 male rats ranging in ages from about 4 months to 1 year. Since I got the first rat a year ...
A: Bedding plays a huge roll in the odor, as does food and their age -- bathing DOES help with the ...
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| my pet rat, Mrs. BIbbelsworth | 7/25/2009 |
Q: I just sent a question to the other name and I forgot to include that my rat has been sneezing ...
A: That sounds like a mammary tumor as well as probably mites, which is causing the itching, which is ...
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| Degus | 7/23/2009 |
Q: We have 2 female sisters.About 2 years old now, the oldest one seams to have trouble passing stools ...
A: kay your previous question said that she would eat 'but not drink anything for about 24 hours.' If ...
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| Degus | 7/23/2009 |
Q: We have 2 female sisters.About 2 years old now, the oldest one seams to have trouble passing stools ...
A: I'll be honest, I know nothing about degus; but that's a classic case of dehydration. She needs to ...
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| Daughter-in-law Pregnant | 7/21/2009 |
Q: I had just found out my daughter-in-law is pregnant with twins & I have fought with them to get the ...
A: First, Congratulations Grandma!! Breathe easy, the rats will not hurt her or the babies, or affect ...
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| No legs? | 7/20/2009 |
Q: i was wondering if it is going to be healthy as an adult...i kind of got attatched and now want to ...
A: Well, for one, quit breeding your female. She's probably dog tired after raising that many babies! ...
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| Red/Watery Eye | 7/19/2009 |
Q: I currently own 4 rats, one of my youngest around 6 months or so has been having some red discharge ...
A: It may be an abrasion or scratch to the eye; which is what I'm leaning toward, to be honest. An eye ...
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| can rats breed through the bars? | 7/17/2009 |
Q: Ok, so I keep my girls and boys in separate cages, but i take turns letting them run around. Now ...
A: It's happened, although I consider it a rare occurrence - normally the two genders are too busy ...
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| Rats as pets | 7/17/2009 |
Q: My understanding is that all rats (except lab rats) have a bacteria that can flare up into ...
A: You are correct in that understanding. Every rat has it, but not all of them end up with myco ...
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| my rat | 7/14/2009 |
Q: i'm concerned about my rat Ralf i don't know how old he is(i think his a baby). He has been sneezing ...
A: Pffft your vet is jumping to conclusions. Most likely Ralf is not sneezing blood, he's sneezing ...
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| Male rat | 7/7/2009 |
Q: just for the sake of having one. I already have 3 females, im not intending to breed, nor will they ...
A: Males and females don't differ much on care or space requirements; and as I say that every adult rat ...
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| tumor on a rat | 7/5/2009 |
Q: we have a pet rat that we got as a gift. I believe it is around 2 years old. We have notice to me ...
A: That is entirely your decision. Tumors can and are successfully removed from rats that age and if ...
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| Releasing a weaned wild rat | 7/4/2009 |
Q: I would really appreciate your advice. Some weeks ago we came upon a baby rodent (I am unsure if it ...
A: After being raised from such an age; it's inadvisable to release him; however it can and has been ...
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| new rat old rat | 7/4/2009 |
Q: i just bought a wonderfully playful very energetic 4 month old dumbo rat. the introduction to my 1 ...
A: This is pretty normal. If they begin to fight or if your older rat begins to end up with wounds or ...
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| lame foot in pet rat | 7/2/2009 |
Q: My rat Harvey hurt his foot. I don't know how or when. It had to have happened while I was at ...
A: He may have sprained or broken it, in which case a vet can't do much anyway and the only way to help ...
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| rat lump | 7/1/2009 |
Q: ANSWER: Is the lump free-floating or connected to her chest wall? Does it move when you poke it? Is ...
A: Then it's likely a tumor, which may continue to grow until it eventually drags on the ground (which ...
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| rat lump | 6/30/2009 |
Q: hi i have a 2 yr old female rat i noticed last night when i picked her up that she had a lump under ...
A: Is the lump free-floating or connected to her chest wall? Does it move when you poke it? Is it ...
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| 1/2 of my rat's face is swollen | 6/30/2009 |
Q: HELP! I came home today to find sweet Bella with 1/2 of her face swollen! I can't find any lumps ...
A: It could be an allergic reaction; rats are normally most prone to reactions to nuts and dairy ...
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| Swollen Paws | 6/29/2009 |
Q: I've had rats for many years but one of my current rats is causing some enigmatic concern. About ...
A: I wish I could give you a definitive answer; however I really can't think of much aside from a ...
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| young rat left on his own | 6/25/2009 |
Q: I'm after some general advice! I bought two male dumbo rats from a pet shop about two months ago. ...
A: Every single rat has myco. Any breeder who tells you their rats are myco free is a liar. The only ...
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| introducing rats | 6/24/2009 |
Q: ok.. i have a pregnant femal rat.. she lives in her own cage and always has since i've had her. and ...
A: Make up your mind. Do you care nothing for the psychological torture you're inflicting on this young ...
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| introducing rats | 6/24/2009 |
Q: ok.. i have a pregnant femal rat.. she lives in her own cage and always has since i've had her. and ...
A: Is Gacy your snake? I don't know, would you be okay with someone taking a child of yours - adopted ...
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| young rat left on his own | 6/24/2009 |
Q: I'm after some general advice! I bought two male dumbo rats from a pet shop about two months ago. ...
A: Watch him for a few days and see if he's getting any worse or if it is just monkey sounds because of ...
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| What to do! My rat has an abscess behind her eye. | 6/24/2009 |
Q: I'm faced with a really hard question. I just don't know what to do. My pet rat, Rosie, is almost 2 ...
A: I'm very sorry to hear Rosie is having such troubles! Well, you need to decide what you can ...
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| introducing rats | 6/24/2009 |
Q: ok.. i have a pregnant femal rat.. she lives in her own cage and always has since i've had her. and ...
A: you answered your own question. He was attacked. Likely she'll see him as a threat because he smells ...
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| pet rat | 6/23/2009 |
Q: My rat is one years old and in the last couple of days as become very recluse and as not passed any ...
A: Not a good thing. Offer him/her soft foods to encourage him/her to eat; make sure the water is ...
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| rat question | 6/22/2009 |
Q: My rat is female, about 4 months old, I got her from a local pet store, she was the last one left. ...
A: you can use a little lotion - aim for something without perfumes or many color additives (like ...
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| rat question | 6/22/2009 |
Q: My rat is female, about 4 months old, I got her from a local pet store, she was the last one left. ...
A: Flaking skin on the tail is pretty normal. Just like our skin will peel and flake on occasion, so ...
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| rat | 6/22/2009 |
Q: my rat goes crazy when i turn my light off to sleep? my rat has a blanket around its cage and it ...
A: 1) rats are nocturnal and are awake at night, and asleep during the day. 2) rats are chewers. They ...
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| Pups breeding | 6/19/2009 |
Q: Last week I bought what I thought was 3 females from a breeder. 2 of the girls are sisters from the ...
A: Ideally the breeder should not have weaned them and certainly not sold them before 5 weeks of age. ...
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| my little mouse's update and question | 6/18/2009 |
Q: Janelle I don't know if you remember me, but I had the field mouse that I rescued and I asked you ...
A: Yay, good to hear! It must have been a food allergy then. That's absolutely bizarre, I had never ...
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| Sudden rattie death | 6/18/2009 |
Q: I was heartbroken to find my little Louie this morning dead in his cage. I am trying to find out ...
A: Louie may have had heart and lung failure, or perhaps just one or the other.. but both can be common ...
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| newborns | 6/18/2009 |
Q: I bought Clover from a petstore on June 2. She was in a tank with 4 other females & 1 male. I was ...
A: You can hold them as soon as she will let you hold them, but be aware that they do need to eat ...
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| how soon is too soon to take baby ratties away from mommy? | 6/17/2009 |
Q: Well 5 days ago I got two baby rats from a friend of a friend of mine. My friend had gotten some ...
A: Yes, it matters a LOT. It's the equivalent to weaning a 4 month old human baby directly onto table ...
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| Young rats won't eat rat food | 6/17/2009 |
Q: I have two albino pink-eyed rats, both of them young. I'm not really sure about their exact age, but ...
A: Store-bought diets are nothing but junk. They have a lot of foods that rats either can't eat (for ...
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| introducing a baby rat to adult female | 6/16/2009 |
Q: I have an adult female rat (Katy), almost 9 months old, who I got from my biology teacher. I also ...
A: The rule with rats is "no blood, no foul". Unless Katy is actually trying to hurt her little sister ...
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| My rat is missing hair and makes a weird noise | 6/14/2009 |
Q: I already went to Sandra Todd and she couldn't reply so I am hoping you can here is what I asked ...
A: Then the noise isn't anything to be concerned about, most likely. If he did it all the time, then I ...
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| Sneezes | 6/14/2009 |
Q: I bought a 1 1/2 month baby dumbo rattie . She came from a well known breeder and has a big family ...
A: Nutriphase is not a quality food. All those green pellets in it are usually alfalfa or timothy hay - ...
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| orphaned rat | 6/13/2009 |
Q: I saved a few day old rat from the neighbors dog in a bunch of pine needles. He was the last one ...
A: Well; I commend you for trying to save him, but be aware that orphan babies rarely survive without ...
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| My rat is missing hair and makes a weird noise | 6/13/2009 |
Q: I already went to Sandra Todd and she couldn't reply so I am hoping you can here is what I asked ...
A: Well it's all a little vague; the only symptoms you've told me are that he's having some breathing ...
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| Dipstick and Sprinkles. (Rats) | 6/11/2009 |
Q: I have owned Sprinkles (female) for about two days she was a gift from my moms boyfriend who is the ...
A: To clear it up; chocolate CAN be fed. It isn't harmful, but it is fattening, so just like you ...
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| rats with ringworm | 6/11/2009 |
Q: i have a friend who has two pet rats. she puts both of them up on her shoulders. she first started ...
A: I have no experience with chlorexiderm. If you can see the spots on the rat, a basic antibacterial ...
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| aquarium | 6/11/2009 |
Q: i was wondering if it was okay to keep a or two rats,I'm not sure how many i can keep in my ...
A: The problem is that the fumes from the ammonia in the urine a rat produces has no way of escaping. ...
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| Sneezes | 6/11/2009 |
Q: I bought a 1 1/2 month baby dumbo rattie . She came from a well known breeder and has a big family ...
A: Rats usually only have problems with constipation when they're not hydrated enough. Are you positive ...
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| my rat is urinating on me | 6/10/2009 |
Q: When she's crawling around she frequently urinates on my hand or arm, it seems like she does it on ...
A: She loves you! Rats dribble/mark on their owners to show love/affection; it's their way of marking ...
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| Making her tail into a pillow? | 6/10/2009 |
Q: I have a female pet rat named Oreo. She's less then a year old, I got her from Petcetera, she has a ...
A: Rats are, without a doubt, one of the cleanest animals I know of. They have immaculate grooming ...
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| rat showing me whoes boss | 6/9/2009 |
Q: I recently added a hammock to my rats cage and suddenly my one rat went berserk over the hammock as ...
A: Well, he's dominant and he was probably a little offended that you put anything new into his cage - ...
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| growth on pet rats leg | 6/8/2009 |
Q: I have a pet rat who is about a year and a half and has developed a growth on her right leg that ...
A: If there's now a hole where the growth was, my guess is she had an abscess, which was caused by a ...
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| Can i keep amoxil? | 6/8/2009 |
Q: My vet gave me 200ml of compounded amoxil (it smells like banana) and i was wondering how long i can ...
A: The recommended thought process according to pretty much every vet is to throw a leftover med out as ...
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| my rat has a runny nose/sneezing | 6/7/2009 |
Q: my pet rat totti has a runny nose she is a brown rat and at night i hear her sneezing and she has ...
A: Unfortunately the only thing she'll do on her own is stay the same or get worse. If she's super ...
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| Rat Fur loss | 6/7/2009 |
Q: First my rat had a small bump on her head (between her eyes), that looked just like a small patch of ...
A: No, do not get a flea and tick spray for them if you're unaware of whats going on! Never treat for ...
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| my rat has a runny nose/sneezing | 6/7/2009 |
Q: my pet rat totti has a runny nose she is a brown rat and at night i hear her sneezing and she has ...
A: Sounds like she has a little bit of a respiratory infection. Do you have a vet you can take her to? ...
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| Rat Fur loss | 6/6/2009 |
Q: First my rat had a small bump on her head (between her eyes), that looked just like a small patch of ...
A: First - don't worry unless it gets much worse. My guess is that she hurt herself (scraped her face ...
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| Many Q's | 6/5/2009 |
Q: I have a few questions . I have a year old dumbo female . She was living with another rat who was ...
A: if its still red it's probably a bit of an infection. Try not to worry it too much.. what are you ...
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| rats | 6/3/2009 |
Q: i will like to know if is true the pet rats can attract other rodent from the street in to your ...
A: Well, yes.. rodents tend to gravitate toward similar smelling animals, and there have been many ...
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| My new rat is sneezing and is not socializing with my older rat... | 6/2/2009 |
Q: I have had my new rat (Buddy) for just over 4 days and I am very worried about her. She doesnt stop ...
A: She may be adjusting still and if the bedding is different it may be a bit of an adjustment to the ...
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| Rat breathing | 6/2/2009 |
Q: I need to ask you a couple of questions if you don't mind. I did take my rat in to have her mammary ...
A: I don't think you need to change her meds - in my opinion doxy/baytril is pretty much top of the ...
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| My rat has what i think is mites. | 6/2/2009 |
Q: I think my rat has mites. I noticed her fur was beginning to thin alot and then she had alot of ...
A: The only definite way is to have a vet do a scraping and check. However, you can treat your pet over ...
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| mother rats and her babies | 6/1/2009 |
Q: I have a rat that I have breed about 3 times in less then a year and I have never had any problems, ...
A: This is not the case of a mama rat eating her babies -- this is the case of a dominant rat killing ...
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| rats and ringworm | 5/30/2009 |
Q: my daughter has gotten ringworm several times and her stepmom told her it was from her pet rats. she ...
A: She may in fact be getting ringworm from her rats, but it isn't through the sweat off their tails. ...
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| Dose my rat like me? | 5/29/2009 |
Q: I have had my rat for three or so months, and she is healthy and active and all that, and once I get ...
A: A rat's tail is used for balance. By stiffening her tail and wrapping it around your hand or ...
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| new rats | 5/25/2009 |
Q: i have had my two boys for 1yr now and they are fab but i recently took in 2 girls as they were ...
A: Normally young rats are much more active; but that isn't to say your little girl is sick, she may ...
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| Two new pet rats | 5/25/2009 |
Q: my name is Zach; I have two young rats and one of them has become extremely lethargic, seems ...
A: Hey Zach; Sorry for my delay getting back to you - things are crazy when you have a toddler. My ...
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| what is a trimese? | 5/23/2009 |
Q: i noted on a previous question you labelled a baby rat trimese. what exactly is that? and what ...
A: Tri-mese/Trimese is an unofficial marking -- unofficial meaning that most clubs won't recognize it ...
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| I think I may have really frightened my rat. | 5/16/2009 |
Q: I have two rats, both males about 3 months old. When I first got them I was really excited, and made ...
A: With patience and a little trust training, he will eventually come around, I'm sure. In the ...
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| Rat moms and babies. | 5/16/2009 |
Q: My rat had babies and I separated them from their mother at 5 weeks(they're now about 8 weeks) and ...
A: She may not recognize them as her babies [some do, some don't]; however usually they take to having ...
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| Rat baby color question | 5/15/2009 |
Q: I was just wondering what this litter might turn out to be. I was expecting from the breeding all ...
A: Most likely this baby is what is known as a trimese, or white marked siamese. She'll grow to be a ...
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| rat and seizures | 5/12/2009 |
Q: I have a rat that I believe may be having seizures. He was fine until about a week ago or so. He ...
A: Usually seizures including gnashing their teeth, and bouncing almost rabidly from area to area, ...
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| rat behavior | 5/10/2009 |
Q: I have a question. I have 8 rats, 2 boys and 6 girls, housed by sex. None of my rats are altered. ...
A: It's probably just territorial. Try putting up a visual barrier and see if that helps (a ...
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| Question about my baby mouse | 5/8/2009 |
Q: My name is Kim Ramsey. I found your webpage last night and thought I would ask you a question I ...
A: Good that he's still acting happy! It's my understanding that just RAW nuts are the problem, that ...
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| pet rat | 5/8/2009 |
Q: My grand daughters pet female rat is almost two, and she has a marble sized tumor/cyst on her chest ...
A: You know, I recently had an older rat (2 1/2+) develop a head tilt and he too, is entirely fine. It ...
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| Spading my Manic Rat | 5/1/2009 |
Q: I have a wonderful female Rat ('Mousekins'), one that I was tempted to release in the wild due to ...
A: I'm very glad that you and Mousekins have developed a relationship! To answer your questions; in ...
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| New rat behavior | 4/30/2009 |
Q: I HAVE TWO FEMALE RATS THAT ARE 1 AND 1/2 YEARS OLD. RECENTLY ,ONE OF THEM HAS BEGUN TO BEHAVE ...
A: Have you noticed her breathing is labored or heavy (or rapid)? Is the bald patch slightly reddish, ...
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| Please help me with my ratty! | 4/28/2009 |
Q: I recently rescued two baby girl rats from Petland's feeder tank. I understand that they are not ...
A: It may be that she had a severe head tilt and rolling the first day because she had a pretty nasty ...
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| normal pet rat noises or.... | 4/27/2009 |
Q: my rat snowy jerks his head all the time like he is sneezing and makes a sneezing noise, but does ...
A: Move slowly but confidently when you reach for him, be sure your hands are clean and dry, and talk ...
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| Rat won't pee on beding | 4/27/2009 |
Q: my rats name is Sophie. ever since I got her she has been using her carefresh bedding. even at the ...
A: You might want to try getting her a litter box with a little bit of bedding in it and put it up ...
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| Baby Rat | 4/26/2009 |
Q: Our girls found a baby rat in our backyard and brought it in to "help" it. It's very small, with ...
A: If you're going to release this animal, I recommend NOT handling it as much as possible. Keep ...
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| Unhappy new home | 4/26/2009 |
Q: I just recently bought a new rat. She is a dumbo and she is very young! I brought her home just ...
A: To begin with, and I hate to sound all stuffy on you, but you really should review and adhere to ...
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| neutered male rats | 4/25/2009 |
Q: I will soon have 2 male rats, 1 older than the other, they will inhabit the same cage, not neutered, ...
A: Generally once neutered and given a chance to relax and those hormones begin to decrease, even ...
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| My Rat's Wound is Not Healing | 4/22/2009 |
Q: My pet rat is about 2-3 years old he was bred from my own pet rat's. He has been healthy for a ...
A: Do not use any kind of hydrogen peroxide or HP dilute on rats .. it kills off healthy tissue and can ...
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| Rat Behavior | 4/22/2009 |
Q: I just brought two young sister rats yesterday from a petstore that were hosed with a male. One of ...
A: Well, your second female may be pregnant, or she may just be territorial. Are they fighting? I would ...
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| Lump on rat's neck | 4/21/2009 |
Q: One of my pet rats is a male who's about a year old. When he was around 6 months old he got a lump ...
A: Antibiotics treated it, so that indicates to me it was probably an abscess the last two times and ...
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| baby rat | 4/21/2009 |
Q: I found a baby rat in the yard...it may have been dropped by a crow, as one leg seems injured. ...
A: That sort of depends on where you're at - if it's wooded and pleasant in the more rural areas, I'd ...
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| baby rat | 4/20/2009 |
Q: I found a baby rat in the yard...it may have been dropped by a crow, as one leg seems injured. ...
A: angelfinx@hotmail.com you can send me a photo - just title it AllExperts so I don't delete the ...
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| grain mites | 4/20/2009 |
Q: are grain mites harmful to humans and how do i get rid of them?
A: They're only harmful if you're allergic to them... they may cause itchiness and such, but usually it ...
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| Poorly Rat | 4/19/2009 |
Q: My rattie is nearly 3 years old. He lost his cage mate 8 months ago but has seemed fine until very ...
A: The tail turning black bit sounds like there is something cutting off blood circulation.. which ...
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| baby rat | 4/19/2009 |
Q: I found a baby rat in the yard...it may have been dropped by a crow, as one leg seems injured. ...
A: Eyes open, furry, moving around by herself? or eyes closed, little to no fur? If you can send me a ...
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| My rat seems to have an ear infection! | 4/18/2009 |
Q: and she has a head tilt. I seen she was unbalenced and I thought ear infection! I only have about ...
A: It may not be an ear infection, it may "just" be a head tilt. Maybe from a birth defect or from a ...
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| Mattie's Tumor | 4/18/2009 |
Q: My pet rat is 2 and a half years old and over the past 4 months she has developed a tumor that has ...
A: If removing the tumor isn't an option, all you can do is wait for the tumor to get "too big" and ...
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| questions about my hamster! | 4/18/2009 |
Q: already bought three hamster(teddy bear hamster) and only one of them survive, they died because of ...
A: Yes, hamsters are usually pretty solitary creatures and don't take well to roommates unless they're ...
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| normal pet rat noises or.... | 4/17/2009 |
Q: my rat snowy jerks his head all the time like he is sneezing and makes a sneezing noise, but does ...
A: As long as his nose and eyes aren't running and he isn't acting tired all the time, I wouldn't worry ...
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| pet rat may be dying - brother attacked him. is this normal? | 4/17/2009 |
Q: We are sorry, but Sandra Todd wasn't able to answer yourHe was gasping for breath, is deathly skinny ...
A: Often rats change behavior when their roommate(s) are suffering; and often it's because they know ...
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| Rats eyes | 4/16/2009 |
Q: We have a white rat and we noticed today that his left eye ball is swollen. There is no blood or pus ...
A: Is this recent, or has it been happening for awhile? Is his eye becoming milky, or does he act as if ...
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| My rat seems to have an ear infection! | 4/16/2009 |
Q: and she has a head tilt. I seen she was unbalenced and I thought ear infection! I only have about ...
A: Unfortunately to the best of my knowledge there is no over the counter safe treatment for a rat's ...
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| Rat handling | 4/16/2009 |
Q: I had 2 rats who were sisters, Bonnie and Clyde, and recently Bonnie passed away during the night, ...
A: Are you 100% sure that Bonnie died of natural causes, or did Clyde kill her? Does she have any other ...
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| normal pet rat noises or.... | 4/15/2009 |
Q: my rat snowy jerks his head all the time like he is sneezing and makes a sneezing noise, but does ...
A: What type of rat is Snowy? Color, type? Where did you buy him (pet store, breeder?) and how old is ...
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| Sick rats | 4/15/2009 |
Q: I have 2 pet rats, originally started with one until I decided to get a companion rat. That one ...
A: I don't think your CURRENT rat has anything, no, rather that you're getting these companions that ...
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| 1 year old male rat has lump | 4/15/2009 |
Q: my 1 year old male rat, Winston, has developed a soft, moveable lump on his right side, near the ...
A: If its a tumor, I would think it would be benign, as I find most malignant tumors to be hard (or at ...
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| My 2 pet rats passing. | 4/14/2009 |
Q: unfortunately yesterday I lost two of my pet rats, Ori and Kenny. They were both about 2 years 4 ...
A: The swelling is what concerns me, as swelling of the face (particularly, throat & jaw) is a huge ...
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| Found a baby rat | 4/14/2009 |
Q: My neighbor found a 'mouse' this morning and called me. She had him trapped under a planter. It is ...
A: Aww poor little guy! Do you have any dry cereal in the house? Cheerios, wheat germ, anything like ...
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| female rats :playing or fighting???? | 4/13/2009 |
Q: Well i got my 1st rat about a month ago, (mini) and about a week later i got a younger one ,(Tootie) ...
A: If you haven't seen any battle wounds on either of them, they may just be goofing off. Since rats ...
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| help me buying a hamster | 4/13/2009 |
Q: already bought three hamster(teddy bear hamster) and only one of them survive, they died because of ...
A: Wet tail is very very common in hamsters, unfortunately, and even a healthy hamster can get it when ...
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| Rat Tumor | 4/12/2009 |
Q: Today on April, 11 I noticed my pet rat had a bulge around her armpit. Now I assumed it was a ...
A: No, the catfood probably didn't (although it isn't the healthiest thing in the world -- you are ...
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| Skin flakes on rat | 4/11/2009 |
Q: I came home from school one day and I took my rat out to play. Next thing I know he's got an orange ...
A: Are you 100% positive this wasn't there before and you simply didn't notice it? Orange skin on male ...
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| Rat kept away from Babies | 4/11/2009 |
Q: I have 2 rats in a cage, and ones the mom. I caught them playing tug of war so removed to non-mom, ...
A: I would wait until you've weaned and removed the babies. Generally nursing moms (or weaning moms) ...
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| Lump On Baby Rat's Heel? | 4/10/2009 |
Q: Greetings, I purchased a baby male bershire rat the other day. He seemed like his brothers and ...
A: It may be the beginning of bumblefoot. Is it red and inflamed looking? Kinda like a blister? Try to ...
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| Seven Dust Follow-up Question | 4/9/2009 |
Q: Saw your wonderful post in December about using Seven Dust to treat mites, lice, etc on rats. Just ...
A: I recommend using sevin-dust only after you've (or if you can't afford to treat with) treated them ...
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| infestation on my rat | 4/9/2009 |
Q: Recently on one of my rats, i have noticed him constantly scratching under his chin and around his ...
A: Sounds like lice or mites (generally you can see lice, so I'm going to say it's mites). You need to ...
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| Rat with flakey tail | 4/7/2009 |
Q: We have a male rat approximately 1 year old who has developed very flakey skin on his entire tail. ...
A: Well, first; get him OFF the pine. Pine and Cedar are extremely bad for rats - they contain aromatic ...
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| Not eating | 4/5/2009 |
Q: Over the past few days, our hairless rat is not eating. She has been dry heaving, making a lot of ...
A: Gagging, or struggling to breathe? If she has a lot of noise coming from her chest area, she may be ...
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| problem biting | 4/4/2009 |
Q: We have two male dumbo rats, Vic and Bob, that we got from a pet shop. Bob is very well behaved and ...
A: It might explain it. He isn't doing this aggressively, though, for sure? Are you sure that you ...
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| Rats | 4/4/2009 |
Q: I have 2 female rats and 1 male rat. 1 is an albino and she is about 1 year and 3 months old. The ...
A: Wait for the babies to be weaned at 5 weeks before you do ANY introductions; and then of course ...
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| lump under rats eye. | 4/3/2009 |
Q: hay, um my albino male rat, ratbag has a pinkish lump under his eye, but it also has some brownish ...
A: I need something more to it than that - what consistency is the lump? soft? hard? wrinkled? flakey? ...
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| Inhumane Euthanasia | 4/2/2009 |
Q: I am doing a persuasive speech on why Euthanasia is inhumane. If you have any information it would ...
A: Although I'm not as zealous as some "Freedom or Death" advocates; and I certainly don't think ...
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| New Mom's nest | 4/1/2009 |
Q: My rattie gave birth 3 days ago (it was expected) to a litter of 12. The only problem is where she ...
A: Sounds like she's a good mama! She may just be on the relaxed side, which is fine, as long as she's ...
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| skinny baby rat | 4/1/2009 |
Q: My six weel old baby rat has gone from being a healthy weight to not eating and being really bony. I ...
A: Try offering her SOFT foods and see if she'll eat that (yogurt, pudding, baby food, watered down lab ...
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| my pet rat gave birth to only one baby? | 4/1/2009 |
Q: My pet rat had gone into labor, being a proud grandma I stayed to male sure everything went ...
A: Refusing, flat out? Oh dear, not a good sign. Keep the baby warm (but not hot). I suggest a ...
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| New Mom's nest | 3/31/2009 |
Q: My rattie gave birth 3 days ago (it was expected) to a litter of 12. The only problem is where she ...
A: Any way for you to remove the top shelf? This happens often with does and their hammocks, also. I ...
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| breeding gerbils and mice | 3/31/2009 |
Q: i have three female white mice and one brown male gerbil, the gerbil was very unhappy by himself so ...
A: No, it's not possible. But I still don't recommend housing gerbils with mice. Nearly every other ...
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| Adopted a Sick Rat! | 3/31/2009 |
Q: Today I brought home a young female rat (aprox. 5-6 months) as a companion for my neutered ...
A: Yeah smoking isn't very good for rats - it's not even good for people to be around second-hand ...
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| my rat sounds like a pigeon | 3/30/2009 |
Q: hey, i have a pet rat, a buck aged around seven months. recently, and this may ound weird, but hes ...
A: In his throat? If you pick him up and press his chest against your ear, do you hear it inside his ...
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| is my rat ill? | 3/29/2009 |
Q: i bought 2 pet rats today and have noticed that one of them keep making strange noises. is sounds ...
A: the teeth grinding (bruxing) is normal.. it's usually a sign made while a rat is anxious or content, ...
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| my rats a little complicated please help me before i get rid of a pet i really wanna keep | 3/29/2009 |
Q: i heard rats from pet stores are normally inbred is there a way u can tell by the color and ...
A: No, inbreeding cannot be "seen" by just looking at a rat. Inbreeding itself is not a problem unless ...
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| Odd behavior | 3/28/2009 |
Q: I have a female rex, who is about 2 years old (give or take). I noticed today she was acting sort of ...
A: Is this continuous, or coming and going in fits? It sounds as if she may have stroked, or if this ...
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| urgent question on safety of pups | 3/28/2009 |
Q: I want to ask about my two female rats. They have BOTH conveniently given birth today, (one litter ...
A: If they're continuing to get along okay, yes, you can house them together - if they begin to tiff or ...
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| Please help me my rat has gone from fit to critcaly Ill in an instant | 3/27/2009 |
Q: rat pepper was totally fine earlier this evening but after doing his usual patroling the house ...
A: Oh dear, that doesn't sound good. Any chance he may have gotten into anything (and ate something ...
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| Orphaned Mice | 3/26/2009 |
Q: I have a few questions :) i have 2 orphaned field mice. i think they are about 6 days old now. my ...
A: No, you should still be able to see the milkband if they're pink; although on mice it's usually ...
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| rat tumor or abcess? | 3/24/2009 |
Q: my female rat is only five months old and I have been to the vets twice with her she had a lump just ...
A: Is the lump squishy, hard, semi-hard? If its soft or semi-hard, that doesn't sound like a tumor to ...
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| tumour and parasite | 3/24/2009 |
Q: I have a pet rat who is about 1 1/2 years old and he recently developed a tumour on his neck, I ...
A: Bathe him well to remove the most immediate bugs, and see a vet to have them prescribe ivermectrin. ...
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| My rat seems sick | 3/23/2009 |
Q: "Hi I got a baby hooded rat from a nearby pet store. I already have two medium sized rats each about ...
A: I don't think your bedding is to blame, I think he may just have a touch of a respiratory problem ...
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| Scabby ear and lump on body | 3/22/2009 |
Q: I have a male rat named Brody. He is just over two years old. A few months ago i noticed a hard lump ...
A: So.. the lump is unrelated (seemingly) to whats going on with his ear, correct? It seems that way to ...
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| Sudden Illness With Young Rat | 3/21/2009 |
Q: I have a "fancy" rat that I rescued from a tank of feeders in the back of an Uncle Bill's pet store. ...
A: Two ways of doing this: Go to your vet, have them do a fecal, wait two days or so for the results, ...
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| Rat Respitory Infection | 3/21/2009 |
Q: So my baby dumbo rat has been on meds for her respitory infection. She's on doxycicline and baytril ...
A: Does this vet routinely see rats? Do you trust that he knows what he's doing? If not.. stop giving ...
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| Blood in Urine | 3/21/2009 |
Q: I'm a bit concerned with one of my young female rats, Lilly. I just had all my gals in the bathroom ...
A: I'm sorry for the delay getting back to you; I've had the flu. To me it sounds like either a UTI or ...
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| Rats at war | 3/20/2009 |
Q: I have 2 female rats.I have a large cage and all but the one was born feb 10,09 (its now 3/20/09)and ...
A: I'm sorry for the delay responding, I've been sick with the flu. If your little one is in fact ...
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| aggressive behaviour? | 3/20/2009 |
Q: Last week I brought home a group of 5 male rats from my local animal rescue centre. All was quiet ...
A: I'm sorry for my delay getting back to you; I've had the flu. I would separate them and yes I would ...
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| Rat's eating eachother | 3/19/2009 |
Q: I have a friend that had two hamsters (I know they're different, but anyway) and they were both ...
A: I'm sorry for the delay getting back to you; I've been out with the flu. So you're "supposing" the ...
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| My rat seems sick | 3/18/2009 |
Q: "Hi I got a baby hooded rat from a nearby pet store. I already have two medium sized rats each about ...
A: I apologize for my delay getting back to you; I've been sick with the flu. So... you're telling me ...
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| pet rat | 3/18/2009 |
Q: I'm hopeing you can help me try and identify what is happening with our new pet rat. He is only ...
A: I apologize for the delay getting back to you - my toddler and I have had the flu! First and ...
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| Aggressive Female Rat | 3/17/2009 |
Q: I just took in two new rats. I originally had two before, so now I have four rats. The new rats, ...
A: I apologize for the delay getting back to you - my toddler and I have had the flu! Usually if rats ...
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| Stressed rat | 3/16/2009 |
Q: I have a pet rat who is about 4 months old. We have cats in our house, but keep the rat in my room ...
A: I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you - my toddler and I have had the flu, it's been ...
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| Rat eye infection? | 3/16/2009 |
Q: my male hairless rat About a year old as god some bad looking eye what might it be? it just happened ...
A: Over the counter (at home, no vet treatment, no antibiotics), you can't do much to help him, no. ...
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| Rat eye infection? | 3/15/2009 |
Q: my male hairless rat About a year old as god some bad looking eye what might it be? it just happened
A: Yeah thats definitely an eye infection.. I'd say take him to the vet and get some good antibiotics, ...
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| weather | 3/15/2009 |
Q: What should the temperature be before I take my pet rat outside?
A: Well, that depends. Are you going to go outside and hang out, or are you going outside, to the car, ...
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| pet rat skin | 3/14/2009 |
Q: I adopted Gus three weeks ago. He had been kept with a few other females. I noticed right away he ...
A: If there's no noticeable infection at this time; try to keep the area somewhat clean (free of ...
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| I feel ur pain | 3/13/2009 |
Q: Today March 12,09 i came home only to discover my pet rat Rocket lying dead right next to the water ...
A: Please read this article on myco - I think it will clear up a lot of what you're talking about. ...
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| cause of rat's death? | 3/12/2009 |
Q: I raised this baby roof rat until he was about nine months old or so. I took excellent care of him ...
A: Heart disease usually displays with cyanotic feet and tails (blue skin), and I've seen a few bleed ...
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| cause of rat's death? | 3/11/2009 |
Q: I raised this baby roof rat until he was about nine months old or so. I took excellent care of him ...
A: That bald spot with the scab in the center was probably ringworm. That's what it sounds like to me. ...
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| Porphyrin out of 1 eye? | 3/11/2009 |
Q: My little baby boy, Shadow, is about 2/3 years old and I'm worried about his porphyrin. It's only ...
A: If he's honestly 2-3 years old, he may be just getting that old-man porph. A lot of older rats begin ...
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| hair falling | 3/10/2009 |
Q: i have a male rat his hairs are faaling and are yellow from the bottom and also has yellow spots on ...
A: bathing itself doesn't help.. you'd need to treat him with an anti-parasitical-type medication if he ...
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| Nipping rat | 3/10/2009 |
Q: My 12 month old female rat bites me when she feels cornered or afraid. It only started to happen ...
A: Well that rules out eyesight for the most part. But I'd still work on trust training. If you google ...
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| Pet Rat Abcess | 3/10/2009 |
Q: My pet rat is 18 months old and he developed an abcess on his face 3 weeks ago. It has been removed ...
A: If you can, find out what type of antibiotics. That's a good place to start, to know if you're ...
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| Pet Rat Abcess | 3/9/2009 |
Q: My pet rat is 18 months old and he developed an abcess on his face 3 weeks ago. It has been removed ...
A: Is he on antibiotics? If so, what type, what dosage, and for how long? If not - why not? Does your ...
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| red mucus and loss of balance | 3/8/2009 |
Q: We have a 1yr. old patchwork rat that has in 2 days time developed tears of red mucus and has ...
A: The red mucus is normal for a rat who doesn't feel well; and generally considered an unrelated ...
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| Can male rats get along together | 3/7/2009 |
Q: I am getting ready to purchase two rats and they are both males. Do males get along better together ...
A: It really depends on the individual; but honestly I've had male pairs be just as sweet and kissy ...
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| Nipping rat | 3/5/2009 |
Q: My 12 month old female rat bites me when she feels cornered or afraid. It only started to happen ...
A: Any chance her eyesight may be failing? I notice this happens a lot when rats begin to go blind - ...
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| head tilt in rat | 3/5/2009 |
Q: I have a young female rat, about 4 months old. She lives with 4 other females, all who have mild ...
A: I would separate them. When a rat goes for another rats groin, his intention is to kill them; and if ...
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| Moogle Weight Loss | 3/5/2009 |
Q: My pet rat Moogle is a white rat with red eyes. Shes about 5 months old and lives with her female ...
A: First things first, have you checked her teeth? If she has malocclusion, that would cause her to ...
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| Cage mate death, what to do? | 3/4/2009 |
Q: In October of 2007 I bought two rats, sisters, who were approximately 7 weeks old at the time. Last ...
A: If I were you, I'd get her a much younger cagemate (think just weaned). Babies are naturally ...
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| My rat is losing weight | 3/1/2009 |
Q: I own two female rats that I have had for about a year. One of the females seems to be losing weight ...
A: Well; she's probably sick, it may be something related to mycoplasmosis but it could be something ...
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| Purplish spots on skin and hair loss | 3/1/2009 |
Q: I have recently discovered purplish spots on my rats skin and he has lost a lot of fur. I haven't ...
A: I'm guessing this is stemming from an ectoparasite - have you tested or treated him for parasites ...
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| Rat behavior | 2/28/2009 |
Q: ) - I have 2 female rats I believe they are about 4 months old (Daisy and Bluebell) that I got ...
A: My guess is the reason you're noticing fighting at night is because rats are nocturnal and most ...
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| head tilt in rat | 2/27/2009 |
Q: I have a young female rat, about 4 months old. She lives with 4 other females, all who have mild ...
A: She may have a head tilt for life, yes -- you really won't know when she's better other than to ...
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| My new baby has a lump | 2/27/2009 |
Q: Roughly an hour ago I discovered a hard lump in my baby rats throat, and recently i checked and it ...
A: It is - or was - an abscess. Clean it very well and watch for any inflammation or swelling, or any ...
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| Rat squeaking/Wheezing | 2/25/2009 |
Q: hey! i love your articles ive been reseaching and you have some great input! i have a question about ...
A: Does Brendan seem to be having excessive nasal discharge, or discharge from the corners of his eyes ...
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| rat tumor | 2/24/2009 |
Q: I have a two year old female dumbo rat. I got her from a small pet store when she was a baby. She ...
A: Does it have a crusty spot on it that could be a scab? I think it may be an abscess, where she ...
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| socializing pet rats | 2/23/2009 |
Q: wondering how you socialized your rats. to socialize i put the cage in my bathroom the most rat ...
A: If they're not so hard to pick up and have no history of fear biting, I'd just pick them up and make ...
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| dumbo Rats | 2/22/2009 |
Q: I have a dumbo rat who is now 8 months old. I breed her with my male Dumbo mix about or almost a ...
A: She may have reabsorbed the litter at an earlier time. I just had a doe do this -- she got chunky, ...
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| Baytril side effects | 2/21/2009 |
Q: I just got two female rats two weeks ago. They both sneezed a lot at first, but the smaller one was ...
A: If she were having a reaction to the baytril it would have metabolized and been through her system ...
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| my baby rats are very sick! | 2/21/2009 |
Q: Ok let me just explain what has been going on, I bought two baby girl rats. Shortly after my son got ...
A: NO! You did NOT give them anything. Rats can't catch human viruses. Although its commonly thought ...
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| rat losing fur | 2/20/2009 |
Q: would like to know why rat is losing fur
A: How old is your rat? What do you feed it? Male or female? What bedding do you use? What coat ...
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| My pet rat | 2/19/2009 |
Q: I breed my rat Sophie to do a project on Genetics. I worked long and hard learning every thing I ...
A: Do you know absolutely positively that Sophie wasn't lactating; or did she simply not take care of ...
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| Am I Condeming my Rat to Death? | 2/19/2009 |
Q: I have a rat, Beanie - he's not fancy, he's just my big bundle of joy! Recently he got an eye ...
A: I don't know his medical history obviously - from what you say, his respiratory symptoms aren't ...
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| head tilt in rat | 2/18/2009 |
Q: I have a young female rat, about 4 months old. She lives with 4 other females, all who have mild ...
A: Ear infections themselves are not infectious; no.. its usually caused by a virus or bacterium and ...
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| my rat is bitting me | 2/17/2009 |
Q: Christohper ANSWER: The aggressive bite seems as if he was being territorial.. the others may just ...
A: If you're going to introduce a new rat; do it now - and get a newly weaned baby boy, instead of an ...
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| behavior | 2/17/2009 |
Q: I am new to owning pet rats. I purchased two females around the same time and we have had them for ...
A: Spaying probably won't help aggression toward each other - were they raised together? Its odd they ...
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| rat jelousy | 2/15/2009 |
Q: I have had pet dumbo rats for the past 5 years. i started with 2 girls and then latedr adoped ...
A: First things first, what are you feeding them, and is your cage large enough? Territory spats in a ...
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| baby rat eye popped out | 2/15/2009 |
Q: our rats littered a few weeks ago and one "kitten" has recently, possibly even today, had it's eye ...
A: I'm sorry it took me awhile to get back to you - I hope your baby is still with us? Most likely if ...
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| my rat is bitting me | 2/14/2009 |
Q: Christohper
A: The aggressive bite seems as if he was being territorial.. the others may just be 'testing' the ...
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| Colors and variations of my brats | 2/13/2009 |
Q: I've been here before and Totally LoVe this site. Anyways, I have a few questions on colors of my ...
A: It could be due to the hairless gene.. although generally if their color is changing and its related ...
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| Colors and variations of my brats | 2/13/2009 |
Q: I've been here before and Totally LoVe this site. Anyways, I have a few questions on colors of my ...
A: That's very odd about your agoutis.. Hmmm.. Does the coat seem different (softer, shorter, thicker) ...
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| Colors and variations of my brats | 2/13/2009 |
Q: I've been here before and Totally LoVe this site. Anyways, I have a few questions on colors of my ...
A: Jobie is a silvered black, yes. Zena is a standard agouti -- melanistics have big patches of rust on ...
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| Joey's behavior | 2/12/2009 |
Q: I just got two rats on Sunday 2/9/09 Joey ( a fancy blue male) and Jack (a black and white dumbo ...
A: The frequent sneezing; is it accompanied by any kind of nasal or ocular (nose or eye) discharge? ...
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| Mystery white clump in rattie's pee? | 2/12/2009 |
Q: I have two little ratty boys. About a month ago, I noticed one of the boys was working on ...
A: Most likely its just a little penis plug.. Very very common in boys. Its basically a build up of ...
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| Nibbler | 2/11/2009 |
Q: I own a young adult male dumbo rat. I got him from a local pet store and he is neutered. I've had ...
A: This is pretty common for young males. Next time he bites down on you and you've reached that "this ...
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| Very shy baby rat | 2/11/2009 |
Q: I recently bought two baby female rats from PetsMart. They are both young, but one is SO young and ...
A: No, thats very normal at this point. It may take her a couple days to calm down and realize you're ...
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| Very shy baby rat | 2/10/2009 |
Q: I recently bought two baby female rats from PetsMart. They are both young, but one is SO young and ...
A: I'm not real popular with a lot of people on my views of socializing babies. Being a breeder myself ...
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| My rat's tail | 2/10/2009 |
Q: I would like to know how to take care of my rat's tail. It's rotting & keeps getting blacker. She's ...
A: Did she have a trauma to her tail that could cause this? Tail rot is generally seen in reptiles; and ...
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| platinum color rats....rare or not so rare? | 2/9/2009 |
Q: I just acquired 3 more rats (which brings my numbers to 19 and all are loved greatly) one is a fawn ...
A: Although there are varying degrees of platinum, as there are in blue; there are two distinct types: ...
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| I think my rat has a tumor. | 2/9/2009 |
Q: I have a 2 and half year old rat, Shiloh. Recently I noticed she has developed a lump above her ...
A: Mammary tumors are usually benign and while removing them is always the very best option; I ...
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| The age of my three rats | 2/8/2009 |
Q: I got my rat scorpious last year, I estimate on 9-25-09. earlier this week i got two new baby rats, ...
A: I'd say you're probably pretty accurate on age; give or take a couple weeks. The base of the tail ...
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| ant-social rat | 2/8/2009 |
Q: i own 2 female rats that are coming up to one year now since i had them and they were babys when i ...
A: That may just be her now; sometimes they do funny things after losing a cagemate. You could try ...
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| adopting young rats | 2/8/2009 |
Q: I am about to adopt 4 wk old today rats from a breeder. I am concerned that she might be letting ...
A: I firmly and strongly recommend ALL babies stay with mom for at least 5 weeks. In my opinion, 4 ...
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| My male rat has sores from his neck down | 2/7/2009 |
Q: My male rat has sores on his face and also on his front legs under the hair on his body. Is there a ...
A: Have you witnessed him doing this to himself, is that what you mean by "he does this without the ...
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| Hairless rats | 2/6/2009 |
Q: My two female rats seem to be having a problem with their babies. 1 had two litters and none ...
A: What background are all of these rats from? How old? Do you know if the hairless rat is from a ...
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| snowy my rat | 2/6/2009 |
Q: snowy has been dealing with a runny yellish dischargy nose for six months, iv gone to vet and they ...
A: Yellow discharge is generally an infection of some sort; so baytril SHOULD have helped.. however you ...
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| One of my rats has died | 2/4/2009 |
Q: I am 12 years old and I have 2 male (un-neutered) pet rats which I have had for about 18 months from ...
A: You CAN get him a buddy; but I recommend a much younger friend (just weaned, preferably) and follow ...
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| rat variations | 2/3/2009 |
Q: I have two mink point siamese fro the same litter, and I have a female blue hooded from the sam ...
A: I'm just breaking this down to be sure I have this correct -- please let me know if I interpreted it ...
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| Nato Rats? | 2/2/2009 |
Q: I have been shopping around for a baby rat for my daughter. I had rats when I was a kid and love ...
A: Natal Rats are also known as African Soft Furred rats. I know they're very common in the herp ...
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| Male African Soft Furs Rats and problems living together | 2/1/2009 |
Q: I took on ONE female African soft fur rat who was abandoned. (I have hamsters and know nothing about ...
A: Ahh.. well I know of a few of us who would love them however we're all over here in CA (where we ...
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| Male African Soft Furs Rats and problems living together | 2/1/2009 |
Q: I took on ONE female African soft fur rat who was abandoned. (I have hamsters and know nothing about ...
A: I honestly don't know much about ASFs, but if they're like "regular" domestic rats, males can live ...
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| is my rat pregnant??? | 1/31/2009 |
Q: i have been keeping rescued rats for about 7 years now, so i am fairly experiened and know most ...
A: She looks as if she could be; but do the math on it with your specific dates to see if its possible ...
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| new mom | 1/30/2009 |
Q: I rescued a pregnant rat from a pet store (she was being housed in a filthy cage with 6-10 male ...
A: In a few days they won't be so squeaky; however as they grow, they'll begin making more noise as ...
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| Lethargy and food | 1/29/2009 |
Q: My female rat is approx 2 years old. Last night she didn't want to sleep in her house for the first ...
A: that's pretty vague to base anything off of, so I think your best line of defense right now is just ...
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| First Rat. Pee questions | 1/29/2009 |
Q: So! I finally got a pet rat. I'm afraid you will think these are silly unimportant questions. He is ...
A: Congratulations!!! As soon as you can put him in that wire cage. Aquariums, when large enough and ...
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| Trying to figure this out | 1/29/2009 |
Q: I came home tonight and found one of my two female rats dead. I bought them together in a pair ...
A: I'm in no position to answer this being as I have no vet training; so without symptoms I'm pretty ...
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| baby with unknown health concern | 1/27/2009 |
Q: A while back i got two young baby rats, and a few days later, one seemed very lethargic, and when ...
A: You know, I wouldn't even know where to begin with this, as I have very little experience with young ...
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| Sneezing pet rat | 1/27/2009 |
Q: My Boyfriend and I are new Rat Parents. We bought Brandi C on Jan 16 from a PetCo in Vallejo, CA and ...
A: first and foremost; I'd change their housing situation. Aquariums are really not the best thing for ...
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| Introducting new rat friend after partner's death | 1/25/2009 |
Q: I have a female rat called Ziggy (approximately 1.5 years old). Her mother and father came from a ...
A: Unfortunately Ziggy displayed the very worst behavior a rat can have toward a new roommate - blood ...
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| fighting rats | 1/25/2009 |
Q: I currently have 4 male rats. I purchased one from a local Petco at about 18 weeks old. The other ...
A: Sounds like they've all hit puberty and are now picking on the odd-man-out. Have you considered ...
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| High White | 1/24/2009 |
Q: it wouldn't let me do one more follow-up! (Thanks for all your help so far, by the way =)) Anyway, ...
A: Naah I think they'll be fine... that looks like a pretty a-typical litter despite that I can't see ...
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| Breeding | 1/24/2009 |
Q: If you bred a male dumbo with a female rex, what traits would be present in the babies? In other ...
A: dumbo requires two inheirtances to display whereas rex displays but does not carry. So, assuming ...
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| Accidental conception with high white | 1/23/2009 |
Q: I have several female rats and one male, in separate cages, in separate rooms, and didn't plan on ...
A: ehh I don't see a blaze, but I DO see the headspot. I still don't think you have much to worry ...
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| Accidental conception with high white | 1/23/2009 |
Q: I have several female rats and one male, in separate cages, in separate rooms, and didn't plan on ...
A: I don't think he's high white at all. Unless the pictures aren't picking up a facial marking ...
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| pairing opposite sex rats | 1/22/2009 |
Q: I'm 27 and my bf and I have just gotten a 5 week old female rat, Chai, who we adore. She is spoiled ...
A: There are many many many benefits to altering both as opposed to just one (and less chance for ...
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| vertebrates | 1/22/2009 |
Q: Do rats have vertebrates or skeletal systems? Can they flatten themselves to manuever under door?
A: Yes; rats have vertebraes and a skeletal system.. they're bone, muscle, tendon and ligaments just ...
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| Rat's teeth | 1/22/2009 |
Q: I have a unaltered male who should be about 4 months old, obtained from a pet store. I use linens ...
A: Yes, the looseness is normal. Rat teeth move! Freaked me out the first time I saw it myself; but I ...
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| Color Identification (With URL This Time) | 1/21/2009 |
Q: I am posting this for a friend who has six female rats. She asked me to find someone who would know ...
A: Keep in mind these are just by looking -- to know a rats "real" color you have to know their ...
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| Rats and fleas | 1/21/2009 |
Q: I have a number of rats and also have cats. One of my cats is an inside/outside cat who insists in ...
A: Unless her eye is bulging, red-rimmed, and the discharge is beginning to look green or yellow I ...
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| Accidental conception with high white | 1/20/2009 |
Q: I have several female rats and one male, in separate cages, in separate rooms, and didn't plan on ...
A: Yep; Badger is high white. Luckily these babies probably WON'T have any issues being that daddy is a ...
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| Could my rat have allergies? | 1/19/2009 |
Q: We have 6 female rats that are approximately 3 months old. We recently noticed one of our rats ...
A: Be sure you clean the cage often -- ammonia can lead to sneezing. If you can smell it, it's time to ...
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| rat urinating on me! | 1/19/2009 |
Q: i bought a rat who is in his juivinille stages of his life. he has been peeing on me and only me ...
A: Well since peeing little trails on you is a sign of possession and pretty much all rats do it; there ...
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| abused rattie | 1/18/2009 |
Q: I recently obtained a rat that was suppose to be a feeder, and she was in decent health but I think ...
A: She probably was never abused, moreover she was simply never handled.. so she has no idea what to ...
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| Tame rat and housemouse together | 1/17/2009 |
Q: My name is Oscar Rat and I'm a famous fiction writer. Being a virtual rat, I talked my human ...
A: Rats participate in a behavior known as muricide -- that is, they routinely find and kill mice in a ...
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| Our new pet rats... | 1/15/2009 |
Q: Me and my boyfriend recently purchased 2 domestic dumbo rats from a local petsmart. We notices 2 ...
A: Is it flush with the skin and under the fur or is it a raised scab? If its flush under the fur ...
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| new cage! | 1/15/2009 |
Q: i finally upgraded my rat's cage. i got a ferret nation. my ratties are adults and medium sized. i ...
A: I know several people who keep rats in the FN cage and their adults can't slip out of it, but ...
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| Vaginal bleeding in my pet rat Misty | 1/14/2009 |
Q: "Hi Janell, I am really worried about my rat Misty. She is 2 at the end of February. Misty has ...
A: Rachel; If I had to guess I'd say yes, most of her issues are related to mycoplasmosis -- she more ...
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| hermaphrodite rat? | 1/13/2009 |
Q: I bought a cute little girl rat a couple weeks ago at about six weeks, I noticed just about a week ...
A: I'd love to give you a simple answer but honestly without looking at her myself it's hard to tell. ...
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| Rat bedding | 1/13/2009 |
Q: i have heard that many rat beddings like cedar, pine, aspen,etc. cause respiratory illness in rats. ...
A: Pine and cedar are the bad beddings - they contain harmful essential oils. However, Aspen and Hemp ...
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| head-tilt | 1/12/2009 |
Q: I have an 8 month old female (non-spayed) rat that developed a head tilt on 1/1/09. She has no ...
A: No, you're not over-reacting. A head tilt can be indicative of a lot of different, sometimes very ...
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| first pet rat (eye discharge) | 1/11/2009 |
Q: My daughter with her Christmas money bought a pet rat (he is hairless). As of tomorrow we will have ...
A: First, thank you for your congratulations =) and second, congratulations on your Rufus! This is ...
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| Rats | 1/10/2009 |
Q: I am very worried about my pet rat Tango. I have been finding dry blood around his nose! At first I ...
A: Its not a bite, or even blood. Its a substance called porphin, sometimes spelled porphyin, and its ...
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| cyst | 1/10/2009 |
Q: i gave my hairless rat a bath last week and i went to give her another one today and i noticed a ...
A: I'm guessing its an abcess. An abcess is a localized collection of pus surrounded by inflamed ...
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| Girl Rats Having a Hard Life | 1/9/2009 |
Q: My biggest concern at this given point is their happiness. When I bought them, the girl at the Pet ...
A: That's big enough, but in the same instance that our homes/apartments/condos/etc. are big enough for ...
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| my rat is sick | 1/7/2009 |
Q: i have a baby hairless dumbo rat that keeps sneezing and has little snot bubbles coming out of her ...
A: If she begins to get lethargic, cool off, and go off her dinner, yes, you need to see a vet ...
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| injured rat | 1/5/2009 |
Q: My dog tried to kill my rat today. Fortunately, I'd wired the cage to the base so he couldn't get in ...
A: Unless she begins rolling, head-tilting, or spinning circles (or showing other signs of obvious ...
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| heart disease | 1/5/2009 |
Q: Recently our rat passed away from heart disease we had no idea she had until after her death. It ...
A: I have heard of people who have discussed using beta blockers with their rats; but to what extent, I ...
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| Bathing a Rat | 1/4/2009 |
Q: I recently brought home a rat from the local pet store, and she's wonderful except for her smell. ...
A: If you like the smell of tea-tree oil or melaluca, you can use a little bit of that essential oil ...
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| heart disease | 1/4/2009 |
Q: Recently our rat passed away from heart disease we had no idea she had until after her death. It ...
A: Heart disease is REALLY common in rats, believe it or not, especially in overweight and older rats. ...
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| Parasites on my rat | 1/4/2009 |
Q: I have had my rat for going on two and a half years. When I had adopted jables and his brother cage ...
A: if they're moving, definitely is, and I'd skip this step). Have the vet prescribe, or go to your ...
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| Rats | 1/1/2009 |
Q: I have 3 rats that turned 2 years on Christmas Eve they are blue boy ratties :) Unfortunately ...
A: I'm sorry for your loss.. I wish I had seen this a bit earlier; I'm sorry, life has been nuts here. ...
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| rat itches | 12/31/2008 |
Q: this morning i noticed my rat is losing hair under its ears and has like sores and lil black dots ...
A: Probably mites. You never see the bug; just the aftermath (the fussiness, scratching at himself, ...
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| rat oncology/illness | 12/31/2008 |
Q: We have 4 beautiful rats, one of whom has lost significant weight in the last 2 months. in the last ...
A: The question is - did the chin lump come before or after the bite? Abcesses can form really quickly ...
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| my rat is sick! | 12/31/2008 |
Q: i have a almost two year old black and white female rat. she has lost weight to the point i can feel ...
A: Well she definitely doesn't feel good. As she shown any other signs of illness? I'd recommend ...
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| Cleaning cage around babies | 12/29/2008 |
Q: a very quick question - Shirley, one of my rats, was rehomed to us while she was pregnant. We were ...
A: Provided Shirley is okay with you moving the babies, you're safe to clean the cage within 48 hours - ...
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| Help! My rat is sick... | 12/28/2008 |
Q: Help. I have just come home from visiting my family. My rats are in really bad shape. Their cage ...
A: You need to offer your weak rat (Boo?) some soft, appetizing foods - I like using baby food or ...
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| my ferret is very aggresive | 12/28/2008 |
Q: Everytime I go to reach for my ferret he runs from me. Sometimes he even bites. He isn't lonely ...
A: How old is your ferret? Where did you buy him (small pet store, large pet store, small breeder, ...
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| My new pet rat is fighting with my existing one! | 12/27/2008 |
Q: I have had an albino fancy rat for five months and her name is Daisy, she is very lovable. I made ...
A: I think you mean two months, not two weeks - at two weeks a baby is barely able to toddle and have ...
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| ? | 12/27/2008 |
Q: I have 11 babies rats they are 2 weeks old i don't know how to tell the sex apart. I really don't ...
A: Males and females can be hard to distinguish until males' testicles drop between 3 and 4 weeks, ...
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| new Rats | 12/25/2008 |
Q: i Just got 2 young rats and i already had a full grown Rat. I at some point will allow them to be ...
A: I really doubt your adult is scared - if anything she may be threatening them subtley, or perhaps ...
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| Female Rat Discharge | 12/23/2008 |
Q: I saw that you had asked a prior question regarding your female rat and some slightly smelly, light ...
A: I was probably asked that, but to be honest, I can't remember the outcome. Yellow discharge ...
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| Rats and fleas | 12/22/2008 |
Q: I have a number of rats and also have cats. One of my cats is an inside/outside cat who insists in ...
A: It will work on cats, just let her sit longer in it rather than just the few minutes for the rats (I ...
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| Rats and fleas | 12/22/2008 |
Q: I have a number of rats and also have cats. One of my cats is an inside/outside cat who insists in ...
A: There are two type of fleas (or so I've been told.. not sure how true that is.. I've been emersed in ...
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| strange behavior of a hairless rattie | 12/19/2008 |
Q: I have two female hairless rats, Bianca is 9 months and Bailey is 8 months. They are both intact and ...
A: They love you! Female rats have the annoying and often disgusting habit of peeing on people to make ...
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| dumbo rats | 12/18/2008 |
Q: i got 2 dumbo rats 3 years ago for a christmas present about 5 months ago one of them died got up ...
A: Rest assured he did not chew his thumbs off - rats only have a little nub there to begin with. ...
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| Fighting in my rat colony | 12/18/2008 |
Q: There has been a lot of little quarrels and bullying going on in my rat colony lately. I think my ...
A: You could most certainly try putting the boys and girls in separate rooms to see if its the close ...
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| Breeding rats.. | 12/17/2008 |
Q: My Rat just had 6 babies this past Sunday. They all are good and healthy. The male rat has been ...
A: Rats come into heat every four (4) days and can be impregnated again directly after giving birth. ...
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| Lump PLZ help | 12/17/2008 |
Q: I just got home from a trip and I was feeding my rat when I saw a huge lump on her shoulder and was ...
A: Might be a tumor, or it could be an abcess. My guess is probably a tumor, but I'm no vet. Either one ...
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| My rat Sammy has a rapid breathing and heart rate! | 12/16/2008 |
Q: I am worried sick about my pet rat Sammy. I thought that he was a little quiet yesterday but other ...
A: Will Sammy take any treats? Start by offering him a piece of chocolate - milk or dark, avoid white. ...
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| Are Exercise Balls Unsafe for Pet Rats? | 12/15/2008 |
Q: I hope you are well. Last week, I adopted two pet rats from my local animal shelter (I named that ...
A: In my opinion, yes, exercise balls are unsafe, its difficult for an animal as large as a rat to ...
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| keeping one rat | 12/13/2008 |
Q: I hope you can help me with a difficult decision. We were keeping two pet female rats. One died ...
A: The answer to this question depends greatly on your rat.. Does she seem happy currently? I see ...
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| agouti | 12/12/2008 |
Q: I have an agouti, and i was thinking that as he is a large rodent, he may be classfied in the same ...
A: I wish I could help -- however I know NOTHING about Agoutis. I would assume that he's having either ...
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| Sick rats! | 12/10/2008 |
Q: I've got five sick little rats and I can't figure out what's wrong. I've got four girls and a boy ...
A: If it were me I'd put them on baytril for a 14 day period -- once a day is okay, twice a day is even ...
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| Sick rats! | 12/9/2008 |
Q: I've got five sick little rats and I can't figure out what's wrong. I've got four girls and a boy ...
A: Any swelling of their neck or throat? I'd say they may all have caught an upper respiratory ...
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| New young rat | 12/9/2008 |
Q: I just brought home a new baby rat Phyllis, age unknown, to be a companion for a 6 month old female, ...
A: sounds like Phyllis was weaned a bit early. Have you considered supplementing her with a little bit ...
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| fat rat | 12/8/2008 |
Q: I have two rats, Alphonse and Louis. Since winter started, they have been gaining a lot of fat. They ...
A: I'd cut back on the treats. Limit their seeds, most are very fatty. Do they have a base/block diet, ...
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| handling mother and babies | 12/7/2008 |
Q: glenn
A: You can handle Mama and Babies as soon as she'll permit you. Sometimes mamas are never OK with it ...
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| Mycoplasma | 12/6/2008 |
Q: .. So I recently went to see a vet, and he said that it is likely that my baby-girl Avery (14 weeks) ...
A: I had one rat with chronic myco flares live to be almost 2 and I've known others who have squeezed 2 ...
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| sick rattie | 12/6/2008 |
Q: Yesterday my 6 month old female dumbo rat was fine. Tonight, she wouldn't move from behind the rat ...
A: I'm soooo sorry for my delay in answering! Is your rat still with us? If shes laboring to breathe, ...
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| Rats and cigarette smoke | 12/3/2008 |
Q: I have 2 male rats. One is about a month old and the other is about 8 months old. My boyfriend and ...
A: Secondhand smoke is as harmful to rats as to infants. If he's going to smoke around the rats you ...
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| inner ear infection? | 11/29/2008 |
Q: My rat biscuit is 4 or 5 months old. She had the head tilt thing and weird balance so i took her to ...
A: She should be out of pain by now. She needs to be rechecked and evaluated for possible infection ...
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| My Rat Harpo | 11/29/2008 |
Q: They are 2 males named Harpo and Groucho. Harpo has always been a smaller then Groucho. But about ...
A: My first guess would be perhaps an upper respiratory infection - however have you taken him to see a ...
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| Shy new rat! | 11/28/2008 |
Q: I bought a 3-month-old boy (Patrick) from a pet shop about a month ago, and just recently got him a ...
A: Rats are like people; and often their personalities - shy, outgoing, etc - are genetically inclined ...
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| Bacterial Infections | 11/25/2008 |
Q: My family rescued a 3 pack of rat sisters this weekend. They are 2 yrs old. They are in bad shape ...
A: The concept of developing an immunity to it is a little odd -- it's like an antibacterial soap; so I ...
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| our new rat | 11/23/2008 |
Q: I recently brought home a new female Dumbo, and like typical female rats she was very active. The ...
A: The coloration is normal. She's a trimese. Trimeses often begin life as a beige hooded or beige ...
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| Is my rat ill? | 11/21/2008 |
Q: I have two pet rats and the youngest one who is normally very bubbly and running round everywhere ...
A: Any chance your garage has other rodents infesting it, where she may have gotten sick? To me that ...
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| Introducing New Rats | 11/20/2008 |
Q: I have recently received two rats from a friend who can no longer keep them. 1 male and 1 female. ...
A: Most rats get along just fine on neutral territory, so to let them play together should be just ...
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| Color and kind of ears baby rattie | 11/19/2008 |
Q: ) I have some adorable baby ratties, 11 altogether, one beautiful black berkshire that I know for ...
A: You know; the lighter baby there could be Amber. That could come from a Fawn/Agouti/Black litter; ...
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| Female Pet Rat | 11/18/2008 |
Q: I have no idea if this forum is still active, but I will write to see. I have a female rat, almost ...
A: I don't know if it was a head trauma, but thats definitely brain issues. She may have had a stroke ...
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| Bacterial Infections | 11/17/2008 |
Q: My family rescued a 3 pack of rat sisters this weekend. They are 2 yrs old. They are in bad shape ...
A: Sounds like bumblefoot. Bumblefoot is basically a staph infection when a sore/pressure point on the ...
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| Treatment for Rat Hair Loss | 11/17/2008 |
Q: My family bought 2 female, white rats in Nov 2007 from a pet store for our 3 children. They are ...
A: If I can suggest one thing - get them out of an aquarium! You have a much higher rate for ...
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| how long can mom be seperated from babies | 11/16/2008 |
Q: Two of our rats escaped from their cage and got into the boys cage. Both got pregnant and had ...
A: Mamas tend to go stir crazy after awhile.. but I still only recommend giving Mama about an hour away ...
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| My rat is getting extremely fat in her belly just here recently | 11/16/2008 |
Q: Well, our female rat 'Daphne' is getting very VERY fat here recently in her tummy and we are ...
A: I'm so sorry it took me a few days to get back to you. I wanted adequate time to respond ...
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| Color and kind of ears baby rattie | 11/15/2008 |
Q: ) I have some adorable baby ratties, 11 altogether, one beautiful black berkshire that I know for ...
A: Great picture! Looking at these babies I'd say your lighter babies - the less golden - could still ...
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| Color and kind of ears baby rattie | 11/14/2008 |
Q: ) I have some adorable baby ratties, 11 altogether, one beautiful black berkshire that I know for ...
A: That's an odd angle but I'd say the baby looks dumbo (her ears are even with and slightly below her ...
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| extremely shy rat | 11/14/2008 |
Q: I recently purchased a new rat from the petstore. I couldn't stand to see such a pretty girl become ...
A: She may eventually get better; it'll just take work. Just keep handling her and being very gentle ...
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| bullying | 11/11/2008 |
Q: Upon observing their behaviour i have noticed the shyer of the two rats tends to bully the more ...
A: That's a dominant/submissive behavior, for sure, but it doesn't sound like they're hurting each ...
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| the odd rat out | 11/11/2008 |
Q: i have 3 unneutered males. they are about a year old and they all live in the same (large) cage. two ...
A: Some rats are born with a mistrust of people, and that is no fault of yours. Try handling him more ...
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| Sick rat | 11/11/2008 |
Q: I've had Jimmy (my rat) for two years. We got him when he was only about two weeks old because he ...
A: Have you seen a vet yet and had him checked for the usual suspects? If I had to guess, my first ...
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| Rat with respitory problem | 11/10/2008 |
Q: I have 2 female rats both about 1 yr 8 months. I have had them since they were very small. At about ...
A: Your vet isn't exactly correct. Most likely your rat keeps getting infections due to a weak immune ...
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| bony tumor | 11/10/2008 |
Q: My husband noticed a lump on the right hind leg of our male rat, Dusty. He is about a a year and a ...
A: Rats do VERY well without a limb - they are very adaptable creatures and I've never known an injury ...
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| introducing a new rat | 11/7/2008 |
Q: i have a one year old, male, unaltered rat. I wanted to get another male for a companion for him. he ...
A: Hamsters and rats DO NOT LIKE EACH OTHER! Wild rats often even kill wild mice; and domestic rats ...
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| Can my sick rat get my cats sick? | 11/7/2008 |
Q: My rat is on medicine for an upper respitory infection. It could be something else if the medicine ...
A: Nope, rat viruses and infections are species specific and I believe they can only really be shared ...
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| HELP, Rats and Poisen | 11/7/2008 |
Q: i recently have a giant paper due on the animal of my choosing and as u pobably already know i chose ...
A: Since rats are so small there are a ton of poisons rats can get into; so it would be better if you ...
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| Strange death | 11/7/2008 |
Q: My family recently bought two female rats from petsmart and one blue rat one fancy rat both are or ...
A: Unfortunately most pet stores - especially larger ones - get their rats from a warehouse breeder, ...
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| Rat Babies | 11/6/2008 |
Q: One of my girls (I have 2, both almost 10 weeks old now) had babies last week. I took her and her 9 ...
A: As long as you watch them closely for the first night to be sure the other adult (ok - older ...
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| rats | 11/6/2008 |
Q: Can you help? P.S congrats on the baby girl
A: As long as your ratties are in good health, there is nothing to do other than love them and enjoy ...
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| Ratty pregnancy | 11/6/2008 |
Q: about 3-4 months ago i purchased 2 male rats which i have 4 females already so far one has have 4 ...
A: No, that's not natural. And the fact that they had worms in them is highly curious and I'd venture ...
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| Nibbling clothes (and sometimes skin!) | 11/5/2008 |
Q: We were given two female rats 6 months ago when they were 7 months old and my son and I absolutley ...
A: Just like dogs/cats/birds/etc, often in rattie curiosity, they taste-test us and they don't mean for ...
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| porphing but not acting out of the ordinary | 11/5/2008 |
Q: I recently (a week ago tomorrow) got two female rats. They're my first pets other than goldfish so ...
A: Same rats porph more than others - so try not to freak out! It can be very normal. Then again if you ...
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| Your opinion please?? (Of Death) | 11/5/2008 |
Q: Our 1 year old male rat just died.(Found dead in cage)Let me tell you a couple of out of the ...
A: I honestly doubt that the recent occurances had anything to do with his death; however he may have ...
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| Possible rat allergy. | 11/3/2008 |
Q: Good afternoon, Ms. McMorran. Just a small question, to clear up some doubt. My boyfriend owns a ...
A: Sounds like an allergy to me! Try taking an antihistimine about 20 to 30 minutes before exposure to ...
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| Rats! post-op swelling | 11/3/2008 |
Q: My darling rat Kusschen has just had a mammary tumour removed last Wednesday and i've noticed ...
A: Swelling when not accompanied with fever, heat from the incision, extreme redness or discharge ...
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| New pet rats | 10/31/2008 |
Q: About two weeks ago I bought two female fancy rats and then 2 days after that I saw they had nose ...
A: It isn't you; it's them. The pet store has poor stock, otherwise they wouldn't have been porphing ...
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| Orphaned Infant Rat | 10/31/2008 |
Q: I found an orphaned infant rat in my garden the other day and decided to care for him (I am ...
A: Being not only a rat owner and a mom of a 4 month old human baby as well; I'd say its pretty normal. ...
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| lots of questions | 10/29/2008 |
Q: Wow where do I start? I first got my rat pup when it was about oh 3 or 4 days old maybe. I was to ...
A: Ohhh Kelly bless your heart. Seriously; that is so sweet. I raised two rat-food pups also; but I was ...
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| Please read urgent!!! rat has huge tumor | 10/29/2008 |
Q: My about 2 and a half year old rat has a huge tumor in her breast(1.5 inches) under arm. she has ...
A: She needs rat food - not guinea pig food. They have rat diets; I suggest switching her. Guinea pig ...
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| rat fleas. | 10/28/2008 |
Q: How can I tell if my rat has got fleas? And if she does have fleas what is the treatment? Thanks - ...
A: You will see fleas physically crawling on your pet rat. They are exactly the same as dog and cat ...
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| roof rat help | 10/28/2008 |
Q: Please help me if you can. I love and respect all living creatures, but am married to a man who is ...
A: From what I've seen, Peppermint oil doesn't always do the trick, but Peppermint EXTRACT does - I ...
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| Mother rat being aggressive | 10/27/2008 |
Q: My rat, Salena (I have asked you questions about her before), has been a great mother so far. She ...
A: At 5 weeks you need to call it quits and separate babies from Mama. At that point, they're done, and ...
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| Templeton won't cuddle anymore | 10/27/2008 |
Q: I got Templeton at a big chain pet store in August 2007. He was my first and only rat. He is a gray ...
A: Templeton does still love you I'm SURE -- you sound like a great rat mom -- but I think he learned ...
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| INTRODUCING RATS | 10/27/2008 |
Q: ANOTHER FEMALE TO LIVE WITH MY 8 MONTH OLD ADULT FEMALE WOULD THIS BE A GOOD IDEA AND CAN YOU TELL ...
A: I suggest getting a PAIR of babies -- that way when your older rat passes on, the younger still has ...
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| I don't think I'm doing a good job.... | 10/27/2008 |
Q: I have 2 boy dumbo eared rats aged about 6 months old. I bought them from a pet store and they are ...
A: I'm so sorry you've been sick. My best advice about smell is to be sure they're on an absorbant, ...
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| Blindness, possibly eye infection ? | 10/24/2008 |
Q: Okay, I've got a two year old albino rat. I got him from a large pet store (Petland in St. ...
A: Sounds like cataracts to me! It's fairly common in white rats and especially of that age. Your ...
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| newborn ratties | 10/24/2008 |
Q: One of my girlies, Bashful, is a Houdini and manages to get out of the tightest of bars. We moved ...
A: Provided she cares for them (nurses, cleans, etc.); the babies should be fine. Usually ...
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| teeth grinding and terrible poo =/ | 10/22/2008 |
Q: i have 2 female rats and am extremely new to owning the fascinating creature. I'm not sure how old ...
A: The poo is normal - she's stressed, and thats a-typical 'stress-poo' as almost everyone calls it. ...
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| rat injury URGENT | 10/22/2008 |
Q: I have a rat that is a little older than three weeks. I was letting her run around in my bathroom ...
A: That sounds like a pretty bad injury.. despite that she didn't put all her weight on her, she still ...
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| pet rat | 10/21/2008 |
Q: Our pet rat, Gooma has a very swollen ear. I'm thinking my 5 year old could have bumped it while ...
A: Not unless you can get ahold of baytril or another similar antibiotic and some steroids.. which can ...
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| pet rat | 10/21/2008 |
Q: Our pet rat, Gooma has a very swollen ear. I'm thinking my 5 year old could have bumped it while ...
A: Nasty nasty sounding!! I'm guessing its an infection (sounds like cauliflower ear to me actually!) ...
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| pet rat and there urine | 10/18/2008 |
Q: Do you know if pet rats urine can cause eye burning and eye pain in humans. My daughter has had pet ...
A: The smell might if its really strong; but if its that bad, I suggest bumping up the cage cleaning to ...
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| mother rat | 10/18/2008 |
Q: My rat Salena is currently raising a litter of 13 baby rats. They are now almost 3 weeks old and are ...
A: Feed her a TON! Give her LOTS of high calorie foods like NutriCal, watered down peanut butter, ...
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| stroke, tumors and old age of rats | 10/16/2008 |
Q: my mom has a rat who is now over 5years old. He was a wild rat who came into her house after the ...
A: 5 is.. amazing. Plain and simple. By all accounts, he should be dead now. (Sorry to be frank; but ...
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| Rat Hernia | 10/16/2008 |
Q: My rat had surgery to remove a fatty tumor about a little over a month ago, and I noticed almost ...
A: Hernias are fairly common and provided there isn't an abcess or infection behind the hernia, they ...
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| Rat Eye Problems | 10/15/2008 |
Q: i have a 10-12 week old Rat I got him Last week and he was energetic and always climbing the cage. ...
A: No. Pneumonia is species specific and although every species can get pneumonia you cannot transfer ...
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| My rat bit me! | 10/14/2008 |
Q: Ok well I've had my rat for maybe a year or so and they have always been so nice and I took them out ...
A: Good; I'm glad you have homes for them already.. thats half the battle when it comes to litters. ...
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| introduction | 10/14/2008 |
Q: hey, I have an older female rat of two and a half years old. today I introduced an younger female. ...
A: you might have some problems introducing them -- try it in a neutral, rat-smell-free area (like a ...
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| owner to-be | 10/14/2008 |
Q: I am yet to adopt my two female kittens, but plan to do so when I have their homing sorted out. I am ...
A: That's kinda your decision.. yes, they usually do end up with tumors; however the location, size, ...
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| Accidental litter | 10/14/2008 |
Q: I have a bareback with a spot on her back beautiful girl rattie. One of my boys had gotten out of ...
A: Girls can be so BUSY that I've noticed some specific bloodlines of mine are a bit more chatty than ...
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| My rat bit me! | 10/13/2008 |
Q: Ok well I've had my rat for maybe a year or so and they have always been so nice and I took them out ...
A: You said it. If they're pregnant, yeah, they're probably getting cage aggressive due to their ...
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| Accidental litter | 10/13/2008 |
Q: I have a bareback with a spot on her back beautiful girl rattie. One of my boys had gotten out of ...
A: Well Naomi; some ratties aren't ready to be parents. Sounds like something happened with Joey that ...
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| NEWBORN RATS | 10/12/2008 |
Q: I HAVE A FEMALE RAT AND I PURCHASED ANOTHER FEMALE ABOUT THREE DAYS AGO. I KNEW SHE WAS PREGNANT ...
A: Nope, I wouldn't introduce the other female back in with the mama until after the babies are weaned ...
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| Severe Myco / respiratory distress | 10/10/2008 |
Q: "Hi Janell, Please help me, my rat Bluebell seems to be seriously unwell! Bluebell is one year and 7 ...
A: . I'm so sorry Bluebell isn't feeling well. It sounds like myco flares to me; and for that, I ...
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| 2 jumbos and 1 fancy | 10/10/2008 |
Q: I have 2 jumbo rats, male and female. and 1 fancy rat, female. i wanted to make sure the jumbo male ...
A: All domesticated rats are fancy, no matter what a pet store labels them. Fancy is fancy is fancy, be ...
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| Need help with aggressive and nervous rats :[ | 10/10/2008 |
Q: I just took in two male rats from someone who didn't take very good care of them. I moved them from ...
A: 0Girl, I totally don't blame you for being cautious. Rat bites HURT!!! It's no picnic, for sure. It ...
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| Found Baby Wild Rat | 10/8/2008 |
Q: I live in Chicago, IL and this morning I found quite a handsome or possbily pretty (not sure if it's ...
A: I actually raised some wild rats from infancy to mid-adolescent; and it can be rather difficult. ...
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| Pasteurella Pneumotropica | 10/8/2008 |
Q: I have been asking many rat lovers, vets and experts about this problem... I'm looking for a second ...
A: To be a million percent honest; I'm not sure. I agree with the combined treatment ...
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| Breeding Rats | 10/7/2008 |
Q: Alright.. I plan on breeding rats so that I have snake food at a lower cost. I know many people do ...
A: I don't care if rats are bred for food so much as they aren't my pedigreed lines, that the breeder ...
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| Hairless rats? | 10/7/2008 |
Q: I recently saw a hairless rat in the local PetSmart, which I thought was the most adorable and ...
A: Hairless rats only differ slightly from furred rats. Mostly; because they're hairless, you will see ...
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| New mother rat | 10/4/2008 |
Q: my rat, Salena, gave birth last night. From what i can see theres a healthy litter of at least six. ...
A: I'm seeing capped, bareback, broken hooded, and you've got agouti and black there. Denali is a ...
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| Depressed Rat | 9/30/2008 |
Q: Hes only about a year old and has always been quite timid but he just wants to sleep all the time. ...
A: Instead of depression, he may in fact be sick with an upper or lower respiratory infection. It often ...
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| New mother rat | 9/30/2008 |
Q: my rat, Salena, gave birth last night. From what i can see theres a healthy litter of at least six. ...
A: Wait until Salena is ready for you to handle the pups. You need to be insistent and begin demanding ...
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| breeding rats | 9/30/2008 |
Q: . many thanks marc ANSWER: You can; and the pups will be otherwise ok.. however you have to ...
A: Probably; but you run the risk of the new mom not being happy having another female rat so close to ...
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| breeding rats | 9/29/2008 |
Q: . many thanks marc
A: You can; and the pups will be otherwise ok.. however you have to consier that any ill-traits papa ...
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| Leg Injury | 9/29/2008 |
Q: Yesterday I moved our rat into a luxurious new cage with all of the toys he could ever wish for. ...
A: Well the only thing you can really do for him now is to offer him pain relievers -- but ratties ...
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| Baby Rat possibly dieing | 9/28/2008 |
Q: I have a four and a half to five week old baby rat, male. He has been getting rounder and rounder ...
A: Well if you don't have the money to put him down, you probably won't have the money for continuous ...
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| Mother attacked baby - Now have an orphan | 9/27/2008 |
Q: Our female rat gave birth to 3 babies (I didn't even realise she was pregnant) As soon as I saw the ...
A: Luckily at 4 weeks old, babies can safely be without mom if they need to. Continue to offer formula ...
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| Baby Rat possibly dieing | 9/26/2008 |
Q: I have a four and a half to five week old baby rat, male. He has been getting rounder and rounder ...
A: Sounds like megacolon or wasting syndrome. Unfortunately the wisest thing to do would be to have him ...
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| pregnant rat | 9/25/2008 |
Q: god please help me iv bin on holiday for 3weeks and come bk picked my ras up from my mums house .. ...
A: Yes, he will re-breed her, and its possible he'll hurt the litter and mama or mama will hurt him in ...
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| Black Eyed White? | 9/21/2008 |
Q: I was wondering what I would need to breed in order to get a BEW. I've heard these are really rare, ...
A: There are several different ways to get a BEW. They ALL take a lot of work. A BEW can be a black ...
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| I think my male rat attacked the female | 9/21/2008 |
Q: Can male rats show aggression to females and vice versa? I brought my male rat about a month ago and ...
A: Why did you put a male and a female together? Do you realize you're going to have babies? Yes, ...
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| Daughter's pet rat. | 9/21/2008 |
Q: My 11 year old daughter has had a male hairless rat since 12/2006 and tonight he looked different so ...
A: I wouldn't keep a window open, personally; the draft would be detrimental if its too extreme. ...
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| rats health | 9/19/2008 |
Q: Im sure this is a pretty common question to be asked by people.My 2 rats,1 of each sex are both ...
A: Try upping their vitamin c intake for now and see if that helps. What kind of bedding do you have ...
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| Don't really know whats wrong | 9/18/2008 |
Q: I have a 6 month old female who has just had her 3rd litter. She had 17 babies this time round and ...
A: Why has she had 3 litters? Females shouldn't be bred, for health reasons, until 4 months of age. I'd ...
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| pet rat going potty near food and water | 9/17/2008 |
Q: Our new pet rat just started going poop and pee right where his food and water is. His cage has a ...
A: Try moving the food and water down to a different level; he may like that particular ledge to poop ...
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| mites | 9/16/2008 |
Q: my rat is 1and half male, he in a cage alone and the last few weeks he has been scratching and has ...
A: Yes, its mites. You need to either go to the vet, or treat him yourself at home -- go to your local ...
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| behavior | 9/13/2008 |
Q: two weeks ago we enquired some female rats who were already pregent. the owner of these rats was ...
A: That is false. Meat will not make rats mean, and dog food is not good for them due to the high ...
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| Female Pair - One Squeaking A LOT | 9/11/2008 |
Q: I have two 10-11 week old girl rats that we made part of our family 3 weeks ago. They are not ...
A: Since you mentioned that her squeaking sounds labored; it may be that Fuzzy isn't feeling well.. she ...
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| Weird behavior from time less spent? Such a thing? | 9/10/2008 |
Q: First off let me say, I LOVE my rats. But sadly one my rats is acting very cold to me. She is five ...
A: You know; I really hate to say that animals hold grudges because primarily our pets really don't; ...
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| nesting and biting | 9/7/2008 |
Q: Well, I've been having problems with my eight month old. She's albino and lives in a large cage with ...
A: That's very odd.. I honestly don't know how to broach this behavior. How do you react, when she ...
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| Newer rats (2) had 32 babies! | 9/7/2008 |
Q: about 15 days ago I purchased 2 female rats from a local pet store. The worker said they were both ...
A: First of all, you are a VERY giving person! Many people would have given up and you did not! It ...
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| my rat has an infection | 9/3/2008 |
Q: my rat recently got into a fight with another rat. i wasnt to conserned about the wound, so i ...
A: Offer soft foods - mashed up banana, high protein baby food, softened kibble or lab block, etc. - ...
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| Rat agression/depression | 9/2/2008 |
Q: I got my ratty, Roger (male), almost 2 years ago, making him about a year and 11 months old. He ...
A: Basically, being around the younger male caused a huge testosterone surge and he went through ...
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| hairless rats | 9/1/2008 |
Q: I want a a hairless rat but my husband wants a regular rat, my question is can hairless rats and ...
A: Hairless and furred can live together; you just have to address that a hairless rat has a few more ...
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| What pervcentage of protein and fat should I be feeding my rat? | 8/31/2008 |
Q: I am the mother of a 12 year old who recently lost her two gerbils who lived to be a little over 5 ...
A: Nutriphase's main ingredients are hay - timothy and alfalfa -- which rats can't and won't eat. (They ...
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| Could you help me please? | 8/30/2008 |
Q: Hey, I have just got some pet rats...my first, Dana, is 9 weeks old and I got her on Thurs. She had ...
A: She may be a bit more mature; but usually babies of the same basic age (within 4 weeks of each ...
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| TROUBLE INTEGRATING NEW RATS WITH OLD RAT | 8/29/2008 |
Q: Up until a couple of months ago we had two rats, one sadly passed away, unfortunately he was the ...
A: No, I wouldn't try. If your older rat was younger - just over a year or so - I would try it. But ...
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| rat breeding | 8/29/2008 |
Q: In two weeks i am breeding my female rat. Dont worry, i have an experienced breeder helping me out, ...
A: Glad you've done your homework! Kudos on that. Well if your male carries blue you can potentially ...
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| Sneezing/runny nose? | 8/27/2008 |
Q: I've had my pet rat for a couple days now, and I've noticed that most of the time, I can hear ...
A: Pine is HORRIBLE for rat respiratory systems. Change to a hemp, aspen, or recycled newspaper bedding ...
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| Sterile? | 8/27/2008 |
Q: Alright so I'm really curious. This all seemed a bit strange and I wanted to assure that my rats ...
A: Females of either species will frequently nest even without concieving -- its a fairly normal ...
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| Is my rat sick? | 8/26/2008 |
Q: My male, black hooded rat, 4 months old, Dexter... Has been sneezing costantly and making hooting ...
A: Well ALL rats have mycoplasmosis... they're born with it. It's kinda like the chicken pox.. the ...
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| too hard to handle | 8/22/2008 |
Q: I absolutely love my new baby boy rats, They are beautiful an di adore them! Problem is they are ...
A: Honestly, you have to just keep working with them. I suggest taking them both out of the cage, ...
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| I think my baby rat is sick. | 8/22/2008 |
Q: I recently (within a week) bought a baby rat, around 8 months old. I didn't notice anything odd when ...
A: Watch his symptoms. If they get worse in the next few days, he's legitimately sick and it isn't just ...
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| rat color | 8/19/2008 |
Q: I have been wondering this for a long time, what color/marking is my rat? I know she is agouti, but ...
A: Oh she's sooo cute... She's technically a mismarked cap-stripe with a lightning blaze.. but she ...
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| Rat babies | 8/18/2008 |
Q: Two of my girl rats were pregnant, and expected to deliver on the same day or so. They are sisters ...
A: It's not uncommon for females to cannibalize another female's litter. Unfortunately, whomever told ...
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| my dads pet green iguana lizerd | 8/17/2008 |
Q: my pet rat right be for she died her head was on the side and all i am asking is why because i had ...
A: Most likely it's metabolic bone disease, but it could be something else. Metabolic Bone Disease is ...
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| Sick rattie | 8/14/2008 |
Q: I just adopted two male baby rats two days ago and am very happy to have them. I am an experienced ...
A: Honestly it'd be best to bite the bullet and go in to get medications.. most likely Skunk won't ...
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| older rat and younger rat... | 8/13/2008 |
Q: as you may have a better answer,ok here it goes.. ive several rats ive owned rats for over 10 years ...
A: I wouldn't worry. Most likely the one baby who was mutilated, it happened after he died of natural ...
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| New baby rats - couple questions | 8/12/2008 |
Q: I just adopted two male baby rats two days ago and am very happy to have them. I am an experienced ...
A: Just watch for other symptoms - poor coat quality, runny eyes, runny nose (any discharge other than ...
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| swollen throat | 8/12/2008 |
Q: I did a google search on "pet rat swollen throat", which brought me to the swollen lymph gland ...
A: oh good lord. That needs to be lanced and removed! Find a new vet. If it's continuing to swell, it ...
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| New baby rats - couple questions | 8/11/2008 |
Q: I just adopted two male baby rats two days ago and am very happy to have them. I am an experienced ...
A: you sound like a GREAT rat mom! Congratulations on bringing your new kids home. I wouldn't worry ...
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| fur mites. | 8/11/2008 |
Q: my rat has fur mites i'm guessing, is what it looks like, and it's sick and it's suffering, and it's ...
A: Oh yes, mites are very easy to get rid of! Go to your local tack/feed store and buy ivermectrin ...
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| my pet rat right be for she died | 8/11/2008 |
Q: my pet rat right be for she died her head was on the side and all i am asking is why because i had ...
A: A head tilt indicates head truma or an inner ear infection. Left untreated, an ear infection can ...
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| baby rat sinus problem | 8/10/2008 |
Q: Look I have a problem and I don’t know who to talk to who knows how to help me. I have a 2 1/2 week ...
A: To me; it sounds as if he has a lung issue -- perhaps he aspirated on formula (or even on mother's ...
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| baby rats | 8/9/2008 |
Q: My rat had babies 3 weeks ago tomorrow. They've finally opened their eyes, they're crawling around, ...
A: oh wow, that's so rare! I've never heard of a doe doing that to her 3 week olds.. Supplement them ...
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| Baby Ratties | 8/9/2008 |
Q: They are both black and white, and under a year old. My girl is getting big and they should be here ...
A: You'll probably only get black and white, but the potential for agouti, blue, and siamese is high ...
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| baby rat care | 8/9/2008 |
Q: i have unexpectedly picked out a pregnant rat at the pet store and i was wondering when do the baby ...
A: I'd keep it to 20 minute increments.. I usually only get them out to play with them when they're ...
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| baby rat care | 8/6/2008 |
Q: i have unexpectedly picked out a pregnant rat at the pet store and i was wondering when do the baby ...
A: There is no need to wash your hands to remove scent (it wouldn't work anyway, to answer your ...
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| molting | 8/4/2008 |
Q: my rat Stuart is getting old now, he's reaching 3 years, but he has started molting and i want to ...
A: If nothing else has changed in his behavior, food/water intake or obvious health; it's probably just ...
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| pregnant pat | 8/4/2008 |
Q: my rat is pregnant and wanted to know if it will still be ok to keep the male in with her when she ...
A: NO.. remove the male immediately. Not only will they fight (sometimes to the death!), often one or ...
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| my rats breathing | 8/1/2008 |
Q: He has always ate very well he is a fatty ratty but lately all medication the vet has given him he ...
A: Most likely the prednisone will help.. it's a steroid and it sounds like he's suffering from ...
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| female rat | 7/29/2008 |
Q: My daughters 2 yr old female rat had what seems like tissue protruding from her vagina..she is also ...
A: Sounds like a prolapsing or massive infection -- there really isn't anything you can do for her ...
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| yellow vaginal discharge | 7/27/2008 |
Q: My beloved rat female rat Lili who has never been pregnant and has no chronic breathing problems or ...
A: It's really not a normal discharge and if I were you; I'd be worried. I'd suggest a vet visit to ...
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| Worried about my rat | 7/25/2008 |
Q: I wrote earlier this week asking about my new rat Baley who was breathing a little funny. It seems ...
A: Perhaps its the food. What kind of food is this? Brand name? Main ingredients? If the pellets are ...
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| My Rats Hurt Foot | 7/25/2008 |
Q: Last night I came home to one of my rats (Katie) was sticking half way out of her new cage between ...
A: Even if she doesn't ever regain the use of her food; rats learn to adapt and can function with a ...
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| Newborns! | 7/24/2008 |
Q: I have two female rats (Simone and Maurice). Simone is pretty small for a rat her age; she's over ...
A: I think she's just a little rat with a small litter. I had one average size doe who routinely threw ...
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| My rat, Google | 7/23/2008 |
Q: Greetings from St. Louis, Missouri, Hello, my name is Lisa and my family and I have a small male rat ...
A: Well, make sure you complete a quarantine with your new young male. Try to aim for a male YOUNGER ...
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| My rat, Google | 7/23/2008 |
Q: Greetings from St. Louis, Missouri, Hello, my name is Lisa and my family and I have a small male rat ...
A: I think you should get him a friend. Even though you play with him for at least an hour a day; rats ...
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| My rat escaped! | 7/22/2008 |
Q: Over the weekend, I adopted 2 female rats who are both about 2 months old. Although they are ...
A: Systematically search your home, room by room. When you have exhausted ALL areas in each room ...
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| Heavy Breathing | 7/21/2008 |
Q: I just bought my baby rat Baley from Petsmart two days ago. At the store he was running around and ...
A: I'd worry about it. Most likely he has a little stress cold (that is literally as it sounds - a cold ...
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| IMPORTANT URGENT! need HELP! | 7/15/2008 |
Q: My Rat She is white and black, has jusst given birth and when i found out few minutes ago i went to ...
A: Gruesome. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do for the injured baby; they're much too small to ...
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| Funny colour skin | 7/14/2008 |
Q: my male blue dumbo rat has some funny looking skin on his back going down to his tail, it looks like ...
A: Nope, most likely its rusting due to his buck grease. Buck grease is very normal and just part of ...
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| Socialization problem | 7/14/2008 |
Q: I have a male large rat. I adopted him from the pet store when we was roughly 8 weeks old. I took ...
A: After a standard quarantine time, the two rats will be able to live together just fine - and a wire ...
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| Pet Rat Making Clucking Noise | 7/13/2008 |
Q: Help!!! I've had a rescue rat for 3 months. I was told he was about one year old at the time. He ...
A: its not silly really at all :) Many people remark about a personality difference between dumbos and ...
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| Pet Rat Making Clucking Noise | 7/13/2008 |
Q: Help!!! I've had a rescue rat for 3 months. I was told he was about one year old at the time. He ...
A: frequent, persistant sneezing in a young rat is never usually just "the breed". Dumbos differ from ...
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| female rats | 7/13/2008 |
Q: I have previously only kept male rats, but i recently got 2 females. I understand that when first ...
A: I find it best to sit in an enclosed room (bathroom, walk-in shower, etc.) and take their cage with ...
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| Starving rat | 7/12/2008 |
Q: I adopted 2 female rats in April of this year that were just weaned. They had been purchased from a ...
A: From the sounds of it, her sister had either cancer or megacolon. I'd assume its something related ...
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| Socialization problem | 7/11/2008 |
Q: I have a male large rat. I adopted him from the pet store when we was roughly 8 weeks old. I took ...
A: Well your first problem is you bought him from a pet store. The first 5 weeks of a rat's life are ...
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| playtime | 7/11/2008 |
Q: I wanted to thank you. You answered one of my questions when I went to your already answered ...
A: Toys are great, as well as hiding some treats here and there.. I'd suggest investing in some sturdy ...
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| Rescue rat with protruding penis | 7/10/2008 |
Q: I run a rat rescue, and I have seen many things over the years, but this is something I've never ...
A: It's called prolapsing. Honestly, I have NO idea why young boys can have this happen; however I ...
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| my pet rat attacked me | 7/9/2008 |
Q: I have three female pet rats. One of the rats I got about 2-3 weeks ago and she turned out to be ...
A: I'm sorry to hear you got bitten; however that's very common for lactating/nursing does to be ...
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| Female pet rat | 7/8/2008 |
Q: My female pet rat is about 3 months old and scratches quite a bit. I've noticed that the fur on her ...
A: first things first, take her to the vet and have her checked for mites or lice. DO NOT use a spray ...
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| My pregnant rat is hoarding food and items in her nesting box | 7/8/2008 |
Q: Why is my pet rat hoarding food and tissues and all types of things in her nesting box? She started ...
A: I'm assuming you did absolutely no research on the subject of breeding rats before you tossed the ...
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| red discharge | 7/7/2008 |
Q: My pet rat has recently started getting a burgundy/red like discharge around his eyes, it's almost ...
A: Rat tears are red, and just as with people, it can be common for some rats to develop a bunch of ...
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| my 2 girl rats are fighting and now it got worse | 7/6/2008 |
Q: i have 2 girl rats that are around 1 or less, their names are babe and pepper. about a month or 2 ...
A: If left untreated; yes, any infection has potential to be deadly.. however if you get her to the vet ...
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| rat discharge | 7/6/2008 |
Q: I have a 1 1/2 year old male dumbo rat. There is a discharge that appears to be pale pink. I can't ...
A: Well.. as long as his personality hasn't changed, I wouldn't worry about it. It could just be some ...
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| fuzzy seems to have trouble breathing | 7/6/2008 |
Q: I recently saved an orphaned rat from the demise of a feed shed cleaning. Ive had him since monday ...
A: Most likely yes, he inhaled some formula while he was eating and aspirated - its very possible and ...
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| my 2 girl rats are fighting and now it got worse | 7/6/2008 |
Q: i have 2 girl rats that are around 1 or less, their names are babe and pepper. about a month or 2 ...
A: They were being dominant with each other and unless she was bleeding from her neck where Babe was ...
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| How do I introduce, safely, my new 7 week old | 7/5/2008 |
Q: I have 6 other females, two ages 1 1/2, 2 ages 8 months, and 2 aged 5 months. I just got a 7 week ...
A: young babies are generally easily accepted by the populous because they're naturally submissive. I ...
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| another question | 7/3/2008 |
Q: Hey, My rat has recently started to gnaw on my skin; usually my arms or my belly. It doesn't hurt or ...
A: Maybe. Is it the same sex as your rat? Is your cage big enough to house two? If the cage isn't big ...
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| rat | 7/2/2008 |
Q: my son's 2 1/2 to 3 year old female rat has two lumps on either side of her underbelly. They are ...
A: Not all mammary tumors are extremely firm, some are softer. These lumps may also be an abcess or ...
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| i think i have a girl rat .. with a boy rat | 7/1/2008 |
Q: ok, so about a month ago i got my first rat, hes a all white albino rat, and hes is the nicest pet ...
A: Look for nipples on your suspected girl rat.. do you see any? If so, yes, it's a girl, and most ...
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| "stray rat" | 6/30/2008 |
Q: We have a barn and 2 horses andabout 6 days ago a black and white rat showed up and has made a home ...
A: It's impossible for a real wild rat to be black and white. More than likely he was a stray, a feeder ...
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| Very poorly rattie! | 6/5/2008 |
Q: Please help me! I am worried sick about my rat Rosie. She has not been herself for a few weeks but ...
A: Rachel; Most likely her tumors are mammary tumors and not the cause of her poor health now by any ...
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| pet rat biting | 6/4/2008 |
Q: I have a pet rat, we have had her for about 3 months now. She used to be very social and would lay ...
A: She's being cage aggressive.. has anything changed recently? As she been acting different regarding ...
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| Bleeding rat :( | 6/4/2008 |
Q: We have 3 vets in our town and none of them are very familiar with rats. Zip 80487 if you can ...
A: At 9 to 11 weeks you SHOULD see testicles... by 5 weeks testicles are obvious. The blood on the ...
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| my rats | 6/2/2008 |
Q: i found my baby boy rat over the winter we saved him and him and i have been very attached he comes ...
A: WHY did you want your rat to breed? He has no known pedigree, you have no idea whats in his medical ...
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| Rex Rat & bloody nose | 6/1/2008 |
Q: We cleaned it up with a small q-tip. I was wondering if this is something common, or should we take ...
A: Most likely it wasn't blood, but instead porphin - rat snot! It's red tinged and resembles dark ...
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| lump | 6/1/2008 |
Q: Well I have a pet rat and he's been alive for about 1 1/2 years. And I love to play with him. And ...
A: Look for a point of entry on the lump - it'll probably be very small and scabby. If you find one, ...
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| 2-year-old PEW not oxygenating well? | 5/31/2008 |
Q: We saved our PEW from the middle of our street -- we think it was escaped (or liberated) snake ...
A: the sounds of it, she either has an advanced myco flare or she may be suffering from heart disease, ...
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| eye health | 5/30/2008 |
Q: We have 2 male rats, about 6-7 months old. Both have been in good health & are well cared for. In ...
A: could this be a birth defect you never noticed before? I have a little girl who has two different ...
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| agression in newly adopted rat | 5/29/2008 |
Q: I own quite a mischief right now, and recently adopted a trio of rats from a friend's mother who ...
A: Sounds like Sora is cage brave, possibly even territorial over what she deems is "HER" locale. I've ...
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| rat fight after 6 months | 5/28/2008 |
Q: Apologies for the essay.... i wanted to check something: i have two un-neutered male rats (5-6months ...
A: they've hit puberty and obviously you have a personality clash. My suggestion is to have both of ...
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| Sibling Rivalry? | 5/25/2008 |
Q: Hey! I'm sure you get questions to this effect a lot --I've read some of them by googling--I just ...
A: Forgive my answer for being more brief than your question :) I'm 9 months pregnant and I find it ...
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| I suspect my rat has an allergy or infection, but I'm new to the rat community. | 5/22/2008 |
Q: When I brought home my two male rats, it only took a day or two for their personalities to develop. ...
A: Well, you said it yourself. No wheezing, runny eyes/nose, loss of appetite or lethargy. If his coat ...
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| Ear infection? | 5/20/2008 |
Q: I have a 2 year old rat named gekko, she is a fancy rat that i bought from a petco (she was in the ...
A: If this is an ear infection, it won't clear on its own, antibiotics are necessary to prevent the ...
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| losing fur | 5/20/2008 |
Q: he is losing his fur on his back and both his shoulder's and his mouth. Im starting to worry about ...
A: Take him to a vet. Hair loss can be nutritional, behavioral, physical health or cage condition ...
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| got bit by my rat | 5/18/2008 |
Q: so we were trying to introduce my 8 week old puppy with one of my rats and my rat bit my boyfriend ...
A: Nope, he won't catch anything. Absolute worst case scenario is that if you don't keep it clean it ...
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| pet rat with a tumor or something else,pls help | 5/16/2008 |
Q: I took my pet rat Nermal into the vets today,because in the past two days I noticed a small flesh ...
A: Metacam is a pain killer. Does she appear to be in pain? Puffy coat, acting lethargic or different? ...
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| HELP | 5/8/2008 |
Q: i bought 2 feeder rats and kept them in a 20 gallon long aquarium. one of my girls died and i got ...
A: First, get them OUT of the aquarium if you still have the girls in there. They have horrible air ...
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| Am I feeding my rat the right food? | 5/6/2008 |
Q: I feed my rats the kaytee blocks (Forti-diet) because everyone at the pet stores, my vet, and many ...
A: Kaytee blocks are low-end lab blocks and therefore not as good to feed as a higher quality block ...
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| tumor/cyst | 5/5/2008 |
Q: i am away at college and while visiting home my mom told me my rat Bliss had a huge pink sack ...
A: Typical surgery prices vary from location to location and by the size of the tumor; all I can tell ...
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| Rescued a Pet Rat today---now what?? | 5/3/2008 |
Q: my children (Ages 9 and 11) have wanted a pet rat for a while. Today at the pet store we found a ...
A: First off; good for you for adopting an older rattie! Rats are brilliant pets for children and I ...
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| rat behavior | 5/1/2008 |
Q: My pet rat had a seizure or a stroke the other morning, and she lost a lot of weight and she seems ...
A: you said it. She had a seizure or stroke. The only thing you can do at this point is take her to a ...
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| Rat Urine | 4/29/2008 |
Q: I have had two female dumbo rats for almost one year, and their urine does not smell. I only clean ...
A: That's odd. My suggestion would be that it was her kidney function or her diet - which is why I ...
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| EYE HEALTH + BEDDING | 4/29/2008 |
Q: PLZ HELP SOON! HELLO MY NAME IS DESTINY && MY RAT IS HOMEY..HE IS APPRX. 1 & 1/2 YO M.HOMEY HAS AN ...
A: Well, calm down a lot! You're doing everything right for his eye and I don't recommend anything else ...
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| upper respiratory infection? | 4/27/2008 |
Q: I purchased 2 adorable rats from a pet store about 24 hours ago. Allie seems fine, but Kate seems to ...
A: ohhh boy. Where to begin. First of all, get both of them off the pine bedding. Pine is HORRIBLE for ...
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| Mourning Rat | 4/26/2008 |
Q: I had two male pet rats that came from the same litter. They were together since their birth. Sadly, ...
A: Well then the only thing you can do is keep him company as much as possible. I feel for you in your ...
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| Mourning Rat | 4/26/2008 |
Q: I had two male pet rats that came from the same litter. They were together since their birth. Sadly, ...
A: How old is this rat? There are alternatives to getting babies; namely, an older rat of about his ...
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| "Problem" Rat Training | 4/25/2008 |
Q: I've recently adopted two new rats, each with different problems, to join our third "widowed" rat. ...
A: I could give you MY answer on this, but a better, in-depth answer would come from Sandra Todd. Sandy ...
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| Injured foot | 4/25/2008 |
Q: We have a 2 female ratties that we bought from a breeder about a year ago when they were just ...
A: Sounds like she's broken it; or at least very badly sprained it. Really the only thing you can do is ...
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| I'm not sure if my rat is stressed or ill? | 4/24/2008 |
Q: I got a dumbo rat just over a month ago to be a companion to my fancy rat. Since taking her home ...
A: Your younger rat should be over any stress sniffles by now. She may just be a sneezy rat (just as ...
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| ratties eyes look poorly :( | 4/22/2008 |
Q: ( could you advise please p.s. the other girl rat breathes really hard all the time and is a noisy ...
A: Excessive porphin (the red stuff in her eyes) can be normal for some rats, but if you've noticed the ...
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| Small rat | 4/21/2008 |
Q: I purchased two rats from a large chain pet store. They were described as "small common rat" ...
A: I think they're standard. Dwarves have a more short, compact face, with large, baby-like eyes their ...
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| Small rat | 4/21/2008 |
Q: I purchased two rats from a large chain pet store. They were described as "small common rat" ...
A: Depends on the breeding.. some females get to be 8 inches (body length, nose tip to base of tail), ...
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| I found a little rat | 4/18/2008 |
Q: The other day I found an all white rat that is blind and what I believe to be around 5 or less weeks ...
A: If this rat is WHITE, it is not wild. Perhaps feral. But not wild. The likelihood of it being sick ...
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| I think my rat is in the early stages of labour | 4/17/2008 |
Q: I purchased a rat from a pet store last week and i know suspect she is pregnant, she has put on an ...
A: you know, I'd say don't worry too much about it unless she looks visibly uncomfortable or ill for ...
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| allergies and behavior | 4/16/2008 |
Q: I just purchased a 4.5 mth old male dumbo. I've been told rats get allergies. Do rats get allergies ...
A: Yes, rats can have allergies to airborne pollens and dust. Some are just sneezy individuals. HIS ...
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| SNEEZING RATS | 4/16/2008 |
Q: My rat is sneezing more than usual but she isn't acting tired or have a red substance coming form ...
A: If she's still sneezing frequently, you didn't get rid of it completely with antibiotics. It's ...
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| My 1 year old hairless female rat has little bumps/sores on her tail and 2 other ?'s | 4/16/2008 |
Q: I have been noticing that my female hairless rat who is just over a year old started getting little ...
A: Ok, I think I covered everything :) Let me know if I missed something: 1) Sounds like rat acne to ...
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| house temp with pet rats | 4/14/2008 |
Q: My husband and I have two pet rats. They are both boys aged 4-5 months. My husband worries so much ...
A: I have to side with you Ashley. Rats do better in cold than hot temperatures. I prefer to keep my ...
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| rats | 4/12/2008 |
Q: my pet rat died and right before he died he held his head up on the cage. does that mean that he ...
A: It may be that he was having issues breathing, or that he was severely dysmorphic.. meaning he ...
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| strange hard tumor under chin | 4/9/2008 |
Q: We have had Pinkie for almost 2 years, he is a hairless dumbo rat. A few weeks ago we were worried ...
A: Well I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but Pinkie won't live forever. Of course, you know that. ...
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| My rex rat | 4/9/2008 |
Q: I took my pet rat to the vet. He received an antibiotic shot that made him quite unhappy for a bit. ...
A: Did the vet tell you what your rat had, what the antibiotic was, and did they give you any follow up ...
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| Babies | 4/9/2008 |
Q: My name is Sarah. About 2 Months ago my brother and I went to a pet shop and each bought a pet ...
A: Sarah; More than likely Eddie is already pregnant again. YOU NEED TO SEPARATE THEM! Once Murphy has ...
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| My poor Larry............ | 4/7/2008 |
Q: This morning I went down to check on our 3 friendly, sweet male rats (Larry Curly and Moe), only to ...
A: Oh my gosh! I'm sorry honey! Nope, your cats won't get it, guaranteed. The two species have no ...
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| strange noise | 4/6/2008 |
Q: Janell, I have three little rattie girls who are absolutely wonderful. My one girl Ginny has seemed ...
A: Her coat looks fine, her water intake is fine? No improper behavior, or unusual behavior for her? ...
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| Breeding | 4/5/2008 |
Q: I am considering breeding a litter of rats. I have a 12 month old hooded agouti dumbo rat. I am ...
A: I would not breed your doe. Is she from documented bloodlines, easily traced back multiple ...
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| Handling babies | 4/3/2008 |
Q: I have a couple more questions - thank you so much for answering my last ones about my Oops babies! ...
A: What people are telling you (about her eating her young) is VERY rare. I've only had one doe flip ...
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| Condi | 4/3/2008 |
Q: My pet rat's name is Condi and she is about a year old and she is black, with a lot of brown running ...
A: Robyn; Take her back to the vet and request another round of antibiotics. She is still sick, most ...
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| hairless rats | 4/2/2008 |
Q: hey do you know anything about hairless rats .......well if you do can you tell what they eat and ...
A: Basically, they have a faster metabolism than furred rats. More protein! Other than that, they're ...
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| Are Pet Rats Dangerous | 4/2/2008 |
Q: As I'm sure you are aware wild rats pose a serious health risk and have been known to carry a number ...
A: Nope, not true for domestic rats. Rats are actually even safer than cats, especially for pregnant ...
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| Weird Noise | 4/2/2008 |
Q: I just got her and this is the first time she's made it, I'm not sure but her stomach feels a little ...
A: Is she drooling while she does this little gagging thing? If so, she's choking.. as long as she's ...
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| Babies | 3/30/2008 |
Q: My name is Sarah. About 2 Months ago my brother and I went to a pet shop and each bought a pet ...
A: Well, rats are pretty easy keepers. Don't panic, they're easy to raise. First of all, make sure ...
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| Defaults rear leg - broken? | 3/29/2008 |
Q: I feel very guilty - default was jumping off a blank canvas that was hanging on the wall and right ...
A: Hey Paul; Don't beat yourself up... ratties hurt themselves, just like kids, and sometimes its ...
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| my two ratties | 3/28/2008 |
Q: i have a rat called bailey and he is aged 1yr and a half and i have another rat who is a dumbo eared ...
A: Well, right now Bear is probably coming into his own regarding puberty and his hormones are ...
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| My sick rat | 3/28/2008 |
Q: My rat is acting weird, he's always running around playing with the other rats.But tonight he has ...
A: I'm guessing its a respiratory problem but it could also be the early signs of heart disease --- or ...
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| hairless rat | 3/28/2008 |
Q: A friend of mine has a hairless rat, about 1 1/2 years old...she has a large (about the size of a ...
A: Look the lump over for any entry point at all, probably a scabbed over little hole. I'm guessing its ...
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| Oops babies | 3/27/2008 |
Q: Due to household/traveling issues, I had to house my girl and boy together not quite a month ago for ...
A: Well, rats are pretty easy keepers. Kudos for learning all you can, and I'm glad to see this wasn't ...
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| my rat mochi | 3/27/2008 |
Q: recently my rat has started draging his back legs around. He still very playful and doesn't seem to ...
A: This can happen with old age. It could be a compressed nerve or spinal injury, arthritis, or even a ...
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| My rat has really bad pneumonia | 3/27/2008 |
Q: hi my rat has pneumonia really bad and were worried he wont make it much longer he is on baytril and ...
A: How long has he had pneumonia, and how long has he been on meds? Sometimes it takes them awhile to ...
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| Curiostiy Question | 3/26/2008 |
Q: I've had my pet rat for about a month and a half now. My boyfriend bought him for me at a pet store ...
A: Is it JUST on his nose? If so, I'm betting he's a "tri-mese", which is a siamese rat essentially. In ...
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| rat's eye appears bloody | 3/26/2008 |
Q: I have a grey-hooded dumbo eared rat, male about 1 year and a half. He seems to be acting normal, ...
A: Elise; Hrrrrrrm .. the swollen bit has me concerned. I'd say possibly an abcess behind the eye or ...
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| Rat with nose bleed | 3/25/2008 |
Q: Our pet rat scratchy is a un-neutered male about 6 months old and we have noticed occasionaly that ...
A: It's not blood, its porphyin, which is rattie mucus.. probably due to a mirage of things, mostly ...
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| Boy rats | 3/25/2008 |
Q: We have a boy rat, he's about 1 year old. In September of 07' I asked a question,actually I'm re ...
A: My boys average between 450 grams and 650 grams - I've known of some larger. My boy JT went under ...
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| can i put 2 male rats and two female rats in 1 cage | 3/24/2008 |
Q:
A: Well... yes.... you COULD. But why would you want to? Do you realize that female rats can have up to ...
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| my pet rat | 3/24/2008 |
Q: i have got a female rat she is about 1 year old and just lately she has started bleeding i think its ...
A: Sounds like it could be endrometriosis, a bladder infection, or even a severe urinary tract ...
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| Can you guess her age? | 3/24/2008 |
Q: I bought boo boo at a pet store (in Canada), i asked for her age but no one knew her exact age, all ...
A: Rusting can happen at any age, I've seen rusting on 12 week old babies. Rats can and will continue ...
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| Boy rats | 3/23/2008 |
Q: We have a boy rat, he's about 1 year old. In September of 07' I asked a question,actually I'm re ...
A: How overweight is he (or is he overweight, or just LARGE in general)? I had several large rescue ...
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| tumor :( very scared | 3/22/2008 |
Q: i recently found a huge lump on my 2 and a half year old female rat. it is about the size of two ...
A: Sounds like a mammary tumor. Mammary tumors are easily removed and are pretty easy to recover from. ...
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| Deteriorating Ear | 3/21/2008 |
Q: I have a baby female rat she may be 2 months old but that would be the oldest. I got her from a pet ...
A: Ok, well, I'm going to take some guesses but don't hold me to it - I'm no vet and I haven't seen any ...
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| Nova RIP 2007 | 3/21/2008 |
Q: I had a albino rat last year that got sick and unfortunately died but it was rather odd the way she ...
A: I don't know what would've caused her to chew off her own feet - that is beyond bizarre -- however I ...
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| Death of pet rat | 3/20/2008 |
Q: I have been babysitting for a week now two pet rats my friend purchased from a pet store 6 mo's ago. ...
A: Rats go through a grieving process just as we do - so yes, shower the lone rat with attention and ...
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| Changes in color of fur! | 3/20/2008 |
Q: I have owned my rat Templeton (Big Boy) for about almost a year, about a couple of weeks ago, I ...
A: First, have him checked out at the vet for external and internal parasites, as that is the most ...
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| Boy rats | 3/19/2008 |
Q: We have a boy rat, he's about 1 year old. In September of 07' I asked a question,actually I'm re ...
A: I agree with Melissa (and yes, I know who you're talking about - I know her quite well), you can get ...
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| Rats suddenly seem sick (cold-like symptoms) | 3/19/2008 |
Q: I've had my two pet rats for several months now. I got Priscilla last year in December. She was ...
A: Well, I'd say yes, it sounds like the onset of a URI (upper respiratory infection)... so I'd ...
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| handling | 3/16/2008 |
Q: Ive had one of my boys 1wk and the other 2wk, both from same litter but brought home seperatly. ...
A: Were these boys never handled prior? My babies have never so much as flinched at pair hands or ...
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| weird clicks,hickups,and whispers.. | 3/16/2008 |
Q: I have had my pet rat Meeshii (female siamese)for 9 months now.She was totally white when we got ...
A: Half brown... as in... her bottom? Or? Describe how her color is changing. I'd say her noises are ...
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| mites? also, porphyrin..? | 3/15/2008 |
Q: My fiance and I have many ratties both with hair and hairless. In one large cage we have Mr. Pimbz ...
A: Well, good news and bad news. Good news: Pimbs is completely normal. By completely normal, I mean ...
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| where can I find dumbo rat breeder | 3/14/2008 |
Q: I was wondering where I could find a dumbo rat breeder in my area I live in New Hampshire and I've ...
A: Well a quick search tells me there aren't any active ratteries in New Hamp; however there is one in ...
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| Mammory Tummors. | 3/14/2008 |
Q: I am a vet nurse (unqualified) and have had rats for about 7 years now. my current rat is 2 now and ...
A: Amber; If the lumps are small and not encompassing any major arteries (or too near to the heart or ...
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| Switching diets? | 3/14/2008 |
Q: I'm in the process of switching my rats to a lab block diet. The vet said that rats aren't exactly ...
A: I like the supplement my lab block with other things... they have an alloted amount that they can ...
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| My male rat | 3/13/2008 |
Q: I have three female rats and one male rat they are all about 7 to 8 months old. I got them from at ...
A: Kudos to you for standing up for what you believe in, even at an employment loss! I'm thinking its ...
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| eye discharge | 3/12/2008 |
Q: Info: Rain is a female originally acquired from a pet store as a companion for Snow, another rat. ...
A: You know, it could just be that she's slowing down; but I'd almost guess she has some sort of upper ...
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| Hairless Male Rat "Squeaking"? | 3/12/2008 |
Q: Now, I'm a pretty experienced Rat Mommy. My newest hairless rat, Benjamin, is pretty young, and has ...
A: She's not grooming him while he does this? If he seems to be jumping, popcorning or twitching, he ...
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| lil red | 3/10/2008 |
Q: i bought 2 rats at a pet store one hairless and the other not. there were cage mates. the hairless ...
A: Without seeing the scab/wound, I really can't diagnose it. I'd need to know bedding type, food type, ...
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| Breeding? | 3/9/2008 |
Q: I have them under a heat lamp and i am keeping the accurate heat for breeding but i heard that they ...
A: Ummm... I've been breeding for years and I've never used a heat lamp unless its the dead middle of ...
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| Rat Breeders | 3/8/2008 |
Q: I will be moving to Ontario, Canada in 6months and i will be taking my hooded dumbo with me. This ...
A: I honestly don't know of ANY breeders in Canada, but I suggest checking ratseek (www.ratseek.com) ...
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| Overgrown Tooth | 3/8/2008 |
Q: I have a 2 year old female rat and she is looking/getting really old i noticed the other day that ...
A: It's fairly rare for a rat to just suddenly develop a malloclusion (where the teeth don't align ...
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| Nutrition | 3/6/2008 |
Q: I have been looking for complete nutrition for my adult dumbo. I live in a small town so the only ...
A: Honestly, although I love the idea of cooking or preparing such healthy and wholesome meals for our ...
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| Socializing | 3/6/2008 |
Q: We recently got a female rat, about a year old (maybe a little less) who is very bold, independent, ...
A: As long as she doesn't screech, bite or act defensive while being held - that's just her, and you ...
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| Fighting rats | 3/6/2008 |
Q: I have two female dumbo eared rats. I got them together about 14 months ago. One of the rats is ...
A: I'm guessing its a dominance thing. Unfortunately with girls its very hard to curb that sort of ...
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| death of my rat | 3/4/2008 |
Q: I just lost my wonderful loving pet rat. She had tumors removed and became very ill about 3 weeks ...
A: Unfortunately, all we can do is kinda estimate how long they'll live. I know that at the moment, it ...
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| CUJO rat | 3/3/2008 |
Q: I have a 7 mo. old male rat. He recently has bitten me 2 times and drew blood. He is usally very ...
A: Michelle, I think you're probably experiencing some testosterone issues due to the fact that he's ...
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| bites | 3/2/2008 |
Q: one of my girls (about 6 months old) bit me very hard, through my fingernail, she is housed with 2 ...
A: OUCH!!!! Rat bites hurt. I'm so sorry you and your daughter were bitten, that is never any fun. It ...
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| Is this normal? | 3/2/2008 |
Q: I just bought two female rats. One keeps sneezing but I heard that's normal seeing as I just got the ...
A: Do you see any other symptoms of mites, like scabs or white nits on the end of their hair shaft? Do ...
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| sores on my rat | 3/1/2008 |
Q: my pet rat has scabby sores on his foot and by his genital area, the one by the genital area is ...
A: Sounds like an abcess or some sort of infection.. possibly an on-going skin thing. I'd recommend you ...
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| unhandled 6 week old pet rats | 3/1/2008 |
Q: im getting two female pet rats from my local pet shop which were bred but they have not ever been ...
A: Nibbling is fine - biting is not. Make sure you don't let them bite down too hard, even accidently. ...
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| lazy rat | 2/28/2008 |
Q: i just adopted 4 rats from someone who couldnt take care of it any longer. the largest one seems to ...
A: Are the scabs just up by her head and neck or are they further down her body? It could be that the ...
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| red dandruff | 2/26/2008 |
Q: My male rat has red flakes on his back that look a lot like dandruff. The severity comes and goes. ...
A: Is it right along his spine? If so, its probably 'buck grease', which is entirely normal. If there's ...
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| rat snacks | 2/26/2008 |
Q: My boyfriend and I bought 2 female rats about 2 weeks ago. They never tried biting us and behaved ...
A: Stop giving them treats through the bars AT ALL. Its hard to break them of this habit once they ...
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| pet rat toys | 2/25/2008 |
Q: I am a new rat owner and I was just wondering what kind of toys I can give them? and if they need ...
A: They will chew on just about anything if they happen to be chewers - some rats aren't. I know quite ...
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| Info about Pet Rats | 2/25/2008 |
Q: My pet budgie just passed away, and now I'm looking for a new companion. I'm interested in getting a ...
A: Chantal; Rats should not (ever) be kept in Aquariums/Tanks, always in a wire-sided/fronted, solid ...
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| Infections and honesty | 2/23/2008 |
Q: I've had my rat a month and he's been sneezing the whole time. I took him to my vet who said the rat ...
A: Ok - forgive my bluntness. I really DO NOT want to offend you, but it has to be said: Your vet is a ...
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| My rats ears are cracking and crusty | 2/22/2008 |
Q: When i brought my rats home a few weeks ago they had small little white spots on their ears. i ...
A: Ummmm, well, if the spots were black or off-white I'd say possibly mange. Rare, but it happens. But ...
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| tail amputation? | 2/22/2008 |
Q: My Norbert (6 month's old) recently had a fall and damaged the nerve's in the base of his tail, the ...
A: I've never seen an adult rat lose his ENTIRE tail so I can't tell you exactly how it'll effect him, ...
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| My pet rat is sick | 2/21/2008 |
Q: as of now i have a white rat named Lucy who is a little over a year and a half years old. She has ...
A: Well Brooke, I'm happy to see you love little Lucy so much.. and unfortunately I can't give you the ...
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| Mites or just overgrooming? | 2/20/2008 |
Q: I have had rats for 5 years and currently I have 7-- 3 females (2 of which are together and being ...
A: Generally if you're going to see scabbing from mites it'll be around the head and shoulders, not the ...
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| New Rat | 2/19/2008 |
Q: I recently bought a new pet rat. I have only had her for a few days, and want to know what to do to ...
A: Sometimes babies haven't been handled well, especially if you bought them from someone who had no ...
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| rats | 2/18/2008 |
Q: what do i do if my pet rat has babies
A: They pretty much take care of them themselves - feed her a healthy balanced diet a bit more often to ...
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| CAGES | 2/15/2008 |
Q: I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU KNOW ANY SUTABLE CAGES FOR A RAT(PET)
A: I know of several. Find something a minimum of one square foot per rat you plan on housing, ...
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| What caused the sudden, unexpected death of my 8-week old albino rat? | 2/15/2008 |
Q: I bought 2 rats. Baby and Spazz. A week later Baby is less than half the size she was when I got ...
A: What caused it? I have no idea. You bought them from a Pet Store. That was your first problem. Pet ...
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| How do I tell if my new pet rat is male or female? | 2/14/2008 |
Q: I am an inexperienced rat owner, and I just recently bought a rat. The lady that sold me the rat ...
A: A male baby, even if sucking his testicles in, will have a little protruding penis not quite halfway ...
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| pet rat | 2/13/2008 |
Q: i was wondering why every time i hold my rat or touch him he squeaks as loud as he can? it kinda ...
A: He may be shy or unaccustomed to being handled. The sores are probably because of his own toenails, ...
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| Pregnant or Problems? | 2/13/2008 |
Q: My doe Grim had a bit of an encounter with my Siamese buck about 26 days ago. A simple accident led ...
A: In my years of breeding (and owning hundres of rats and raising oh so many litters), I've never seen ...
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| allergetic rat. | 2/12/2008 |
Q: um yes i have a 2 year old Russian blue fancy rat. he is very skinny and i don't know why? he ...
A: Your rat isn't allergic to anything.. HE'S SICK! And he's older. 2 is the age most rats begin to ...
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| squeaking ratty | 2/12/2008 |
Q: I got my second rat about 2 months ago, and I'm not sure what to make of her constant ...
A: Is she acting healthy? Coat, eyes and ears look normal/healthy/fine? If she's acting fine, still ...
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| rat | 2/12/2008 |
Q: my brown rat constantly has his head tilted to one side all the time. even when he walks, one side ...
A: Sounds like an ear infection. A vet will be able to determine if that is correct and get him on ...
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| Pregnant or Problems? | 2/12/2008 |
Q: My doe Grim had a bit of an encounter with my Siamese buck about 26 days ago. A simple accident led ...
A: Well, if she was showing all the obvious signs and she's this far overdue, if she was pregnant she ...
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| mammary tumors & the use of Lupron | 2/12/2008 |
Q: You mentioned in a previous response concerning an inoperable mammary tumor about the successful use ...
A: Although I know "of" Lupron I've never used it myself as I've been very lucky and had very few rats ...
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| Cloudy eyes | 2/12/2008 |
Q: My mother has a 3 month old, female blue dumbo rat (Kit) who has been in good health from day one. ...
A: Sounds like an eye infection. I'd take her to the vet and have them look at her. If it is just a ...
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| Rat Genetics | 2/12/2008 |
Q: What are the outcomes if you breed; A Double Rex to a Double Velveteen. A Double Rex to a ...
A: You're welcome! I'm glad to see you're so thankful for my last answer. These are basically homework ...
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| Rat Genetics | 2/11/2008 |
Q: What are the outcomes if you breed; A Double Rex to a Double Velveteen. A Double Rex to a ...
A: I don't know much about velveteen genetics simply because most breeders standard of a velveteen is a ...
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| my rat has changed his behaviour. | 2/10/2008 |
Q: at first he was very shy and skittish however i soon over came this and he became very cuddly, ...
A: First, how old was he, and can you ascertain that this was a random behavior change? Or did your pet ...
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| sick rat please help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | 2/9/2008 |
Q: my rat is very sick, she is normally energetic and lively and now is very sluggish. her right eye ...
A: If your rat is this sick, this suddenly, why would you want to give her a bath? And yes, amoxicillin ...
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| is my new baby rat sick? | 2/8/2008 |
Q: My husband brought me home a baby black and white hooded rat 2 days ago. He ordered him through a ...
A: Well if you see no testicles, Dexter is probably a Dexterette.. they don't usually hide their little ...
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| is my new baby rat sick? | 2/7/2008 |
Q: My husband brought me home a baby black and white hooded rat 2 days ago. He ordered him through a ...
A: I mix my own foods, but if you're going to use anything from a store, I suggest using the Mazuri lab ...
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| rats | 2/6/2008 |
Q: My questions are- How large do pet rats get? What are the species of pet rats, and which ones are ...
A: I already answered the hutch question. No, do not keep them outside. The weather changes are too ...
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| is my new baby rat sick? | 2/5/2008 |
Q: My husband brought me home a baby black and white hooded rat 2 days ago. He ordered him through a ...
A: I suggest a vet visit. He more than likely has a bit of an upper respiratory infection and its ...
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| Dumbo Rat Tail | 2/5/2008 |
Q: Our Dumbo Rat's tail is crooked, my son came home from school yesterday and she was squeaking. ...
A: Sounds like she broke it somehow. Painful and inflamed, but it will eventually begin to calm down ...
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| Rat with foreleg paralysis | 2/5/2008 |
Q: I have two female hairless rats who are the best pets I've ever owned. Unfortunately, Rose has ...
A: Well.. could be tumors.. could be a nerve injury or a fracture preventing her from using it. Also ...
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| Hairless rats eyes | 2/4/2008 |
Q: My hairless rat "Belle" has this red eye boogers if i must call it that, iu dont know exactlly what ...
A: red eye goop on any rat is called porphin, and is a symptom, not a condition. You need to address if ...
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| Introducing a lone male | 2/3/2008 |
Q: My big buck (about 11 months or so) has been a lone rat for at least 3 months. I adopted him from my ...
A: I'd have Napoleon neutered and try again. The thing is an OLDER buck like that has his own way of ...
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| new rat won't eat | 2/3/2008 |
Q: I have a 1 month old rat. He was just taken away from his mother and siblings. He won't eat ...
A: 4 weeks is a bit too young to wean in my opinion, try offering him some watered down lab block. He ...
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| Half toe missing & Bleeding | 2/2/2008 |
Q: I have a rat named Chip she is all white I got her maybe 4 months ago she was a fat rat but I then ...
A: If you know beyond a doubt that the other rat did it, I suggest perhaps getting her a less ...
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| My sick pet rat | 2/1/2008 |
Q: I am an experienced rat owner, but this one has me baffled. My male rat (Esau), approx 15-16 months ...
A: Michele, Forgive my quick answer as I'm walking out the door as I type this, but I wanted to be sure ...
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| rasing babys | 2/1/2008 |
Q: hey i recently adopted 5 kits i feed them every 2 1/2 hours(even during night), I'm feeding them ...
A: No - you don't need to rub their belly, you need to rub their genital area with a cotton q-tip or ...
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| Raising orphan rat | 1/31/2008 |
Q: My father was mowing on his rural block when he mowed across a rat nest :(. One of the babies ...
A: Well generally when a rat is orphaned its for a reason - the baby was already sick and Mama KNEW it ...
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| the right litter | 1/31/2008 |
Q: I'm going to get a pet rat soon and i was wondering what kind of litter is good to put in the cage, ...
A: Carefresh, Aspen, Hemp, Shredded/Dried/Sanitized Coconut Husk (i.e; NatureSubstrate), EcoFresh, ...
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| Stopping tasting of fingers | 1/31/2008 |
Q: Is there any way to get my rat to stop "tasting" my fingers? My rat has a habit of periodically ...
A: Honestly its a natural behavior and generally a sign of affection, so I don't discourage my rats ...
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| My "mature" rats have back problems | 1/30/2008 |
Q: First off can I say thank you for all the time and help that you give to people. I have two male ...
A: Paul, 3 is a good age to reach for a rat. It's a nice, long life, and I applaud you for doing so ...
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| Hi | 1/30/2008 |
Q: I've noticed since he has been home he keeps making strange noises the only way i can explain it is ...
A: As for wood, no pine or cedar. I'm not sure about the different "nut" woods (walnut, almond, etc.) ...
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| 5wk rat intro to 4mo rat | 1/29/2008 |
Q: I just got some pet rats, from different pet stores. One is a 5 wk baby and the other is much larger ...
A: They are the same gender, right? DOUBLE CHECK! If you see testicles on one and not the other DO NOT ...
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| adult female rat 'drove out' her cagemate | 1/28/2008 |
Q: I recently bought two female rats, who I thought were "buddies" (they were cuddled up together in ...
A: Well, its a likely idea, unless you have another pet that may have hurt your little escapee rattie. ...
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| Raising orphan rat | 1/28/2008 |
Q: My father was mowing on his rural block when he mowed across a rat nest :(. One of the babies ...
A: That temp is just fine. Provided she's nursing OK and isn't inhaling the milk a possum nipple is ...
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| Pet rat has red specks in fur | 1/28/2008 |
Q: I have noticed my pet dumbo rat has been shedding and has some red specks in her fur. There is not ...
A: If they came off, its probably just pigment. I wouldn't worry about it too much unless there's a TON ...
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| hutches? | 1/27/2008 |
Q: my question is, can you keep rats in hutches? The hutch is made of steel and is quite large, there ...
A: I suppose you could.. but ouch! How sterile and cold. I don't suggest keeping rats on wire anyhow, ...
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| Raising orphan rat | 1/26/2008 |
Q: My father was mowing on his rural block when he mowed across a rat nest :(. One of the babies ...
A: Well I hope things continue to go well! It sounds like you're doing everything very well - make sure ...
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| Aggressive Hairless Female | 1/25/2008 |
Q: .. I have two females, I got them in July, so I'm not exactly sure how old they are. Cupcake is a ...
A: Honestly for aggressive females the best thing to do is give it time and patience and keep working ...
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| growth on the outer inner flap of my rats ear | 1/23/2008 |
Q: my almost 2 year old male pet rat has developed a brown growth on the outer inside flap of the ear. ...
A: If it just "developed" it's not a birth mark. Could be a tumor, but whether or not its serious, the ...
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| bugs associatede with domestic rats | 1/21/2008 |
Q: Our white rat had babies 4 weeks ago, were preparing them to start being weaned. After replacing her ...
A: It's either mites or lice - I can't really tell you without seeing them myself, however both have an ...
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| Complicated room and frightened rat! | 1/21/2008 |
Q: I didn't know the dangers of reaching in to get my rat from the cage until today (about 5 days after ...
A: I wouldn't let him loose in the dorm room by any means.. I don't let my rats loose in my entire ...
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| My Pet Rat's Health | 1/21/2008 |
Q: I bought a Dumbo rat from a pet shop, i knew she had the respitory infection that is impossible to ...
A: Even so, I'd watch her weight. That is VERY large for the average female. I have seen some hefty ...
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| My Pet Rat's Health | 1/20/2008 |
Q: I bought a Dumbo rat from a pet shop, i knew she had the respitory infection that is impossible to ...
A: Well to be a full pound, that's a little porky, so my suggestion is to cut back on the fatty foods ...
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| rat stuff! | 1/20/2008 |
Q: i was wondering if you can help.our adored rat has been acting a little strange in the last few ...
A: Kneill, Get your rattie to a vet. Sounds like he probably has a bit of an upper respiratory ...
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| My Rat | 1/17/2008 |
Q: I am new to the "rat world". I rescued my female white rat in September from a friend who was going ...
A: Well I'm sorry to hear of your little girl's health issues! Most tumors, especially on the chest ...
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| Rat | 1/13/2008 |
Q: I'm sorry, this isn't a very nice question! I have a 2 year old male rat who lately has started ...
A: I'd try to encourage him to eat and drink... that seems to be his only issue, and that could be due ...
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| my rat is really sick | 1/12/2008 |
Q: Wednesday my rat has developed just more than sneezing now seems like : *some red discharge has ...
A: DO NOT GIVE HER ANY MORE AVOCADO! Avocado is DEADLY to rats. Some people say to use a selective ...
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| female rat -tumor? | 1/11/2008 |
Q: My daugher has 2 oneyr old female rats, and they live in thesame cage and get along fine-have always ...
A: It could be a uterine tumor or it could (and most likely is) a prolapsed uterus or something related ...
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| Head Tilt Treatment | 1/10/2008 |
Q: How long on Baytril until he gains his balance back? And how do I know if the Baytril is working, or ...
A: Have you discussed this with me before? If so, can you give me the run down on what was discussed? ...
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| Upper respritory infection | 1/6/2008 |
Q: I've just brought two 6-8 week old rats, and of course coming from a pet store they are sneezing all ...
A: there is benefit and I would definately do so if you're comfortable basing it on weight - HOWEVER - ...
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| Worried about my pet rat | 1/5/2008 |
Q: I have two young rats, one of whom has become lethargic, his hair sticks up when he's at rest and ...
A: Well - he's sick - for sure. But from what I couldn't tell you unless I could listen to him for ...
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| nursing babies | 1/3/2008 |
Q: I've been a rat owner for a few years now, love them! awesome pets! it started with my first rat ...
A: Mike; Sorry to hear your mama won't nurse her litter. Unfortunately, that happens, too often really. ...
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| Introducing rats to other rats | 1/3/2008 |
Q: We've had 2 female pet rats for about 4 months now. They seem happy and healthy and they get along ...
A: Very rarely do I have issues introducing my ratties to new ratties -- but to be on the safe side, ...
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| Ratty hormones. | 1/2/2008 |
Q: I was just wondering if you could help me, I am a 16 year old girl who owns two male rats. A black ...
A: How old are these boys? To me it sounds as if they're having hormonal issues due to puberty.. in ...
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| breeding female & wild rat relations | 1/1/2008 |
Q: 2nd Her being a female will she incourage male wild rat to enter my home to meet her while she is ...
A: No. Rats come into heat every 4 days and remain in for 12 hours.. during which time, if there is ...
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| training and female pet rat | 1/1/2008 |
Q: 1st I heard you can liter break a rat is this true? And How Do I go about training her? What other ...
A: Yes, you can litter train a rat - normally they teach themselves, provided you clean up after them ...
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| Hairless Rat | 12/31/2007 |
Q: .let me know thank you ---Tasha
A: My first hairless, Velcro, had a little sweater she wore only when she was out and about with me. I ...
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| Sneezing and Hiccuping | 12/28/2007 |
Q: I got my little Stargirl for Christmas just 4 days ago from Petsmart. As soon as she got home she ...
A: Absolutely! If you need help on who or where to contact PetSmart (particularly headquarters for your ...
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| New rat, I think she's sick... | 12/28/2007 |
Q: I purchases a rat from a pet store about 5 days ago, and I was told she is about 6 weeks old. At ...
A: Honestly I never consider having to "tame" a rat unless it was COMPLETELY and entirely unhandled - ...
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| Gasping or gagging rat - distressed | 12/27/2007 |
Q: I currently have three rats, a blind black-eyed white and two much younger brown-hooded rats. The ...
A: Check out this website for vet references: http://members.aol.com/ratrehome/rats/vets.htm I'm in ...
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| Sneezing and Hiccuping | 12/27/2007 |
Q: I got my little Stargirl for Christmas just 4 days ago from Petsmart. As soon as she got home she ...
A: I don't think its hiccups. Hiccups are definately just hiccups -- their body jumps a bit and they ...
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| Introducing a baby rat to an adult. | 12/24/2007 |
Q: Hey there! I have had a male rat called Merlin living on his own since I got him, he is now 2 years ...
A: I think the first problem you ran into is that you kept changing their location. Once the ...
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| My rat sneezes :( | 12/21/2007 |
Q: I just got this young female rat from the local Petco petstore on Tuesday (18th) and she seemed to ...
A: Susan, Get your rattie off the pine ASAP!! Pine perpetuates and worsens respiratory problems. If she ...
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| hamsters and rats | 12/20/2007 |
Q: My 2 dwarf hamsters will be going to the baby sitter over the holidays while I am out of town. I am ...
A: I had a prior roommate who had rats and hamsters housed in the same room and nobody was stressed. ...
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| rats | 12/19/2007 |
Q: my rat is breathing odd what is this and can i help him? he is also 3 weeks old and making a ...
A: Tara, 3 weeks old is MUCH MUCH MUCH!!!! too early to be away from Mom. Is he still with her? Also, ...
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| worried about my rat | 12/19/2007 |
Q: I made an appointment early yesterday for "Frankie" to see the vet, he sneezes alot and I found out ...
A: How great! I'm glad he's doing well. Most rats really really like their medications and sometimes ...
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| Pinkies!! | 12/19/2007 |
Q: My rat Aspen just had her babies and i was wondering when would it be ok to start handling them and ...
A: The babies will not die just by you handling them. I handle my pinkies once a day provided Mom is ...
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| Rat had 7 babies and 6 died why?? | 12/18/2007 |
Q: My female rat got out of her cage when my boys were out about 23 days ago and when I came in they ...
A: A three day labor is abnormally long and more than likely the babies were stuck and/or dying in ...
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| Pinkies!! | 12/17/2007 |
Q: My rat Aspen just had her babies and i was wondering when would it be ok to start handling them and ...
A: If MOM is ok with you handling the babies, go for it! Be very gentle and respectful though, and be ...
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| how old and telling what sex a rat is | 12/16/2007 |
Q: I just bought a baby rat today from a pet store. There was baby a couple different sizes. no adults. ...
A: Babies leave Mom at 5 weeks old. Some breeders wean as early as 4 weeks but I prefer to leave them ...
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| maybe a sick rat | 12/16/2007 |
Q: My rat is 1 and 1/2 years old she has a medium size bump on the left side above the left leg(mammary ...
A: The tumors and the other symptoms may be related or they could be totally unrelated.. I can't tell ...
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| help me please! | 12/14/2007 |
Q: i got my first rat (female)like around the last week of february or first week of march (of 2007) ...
A: You need to take a step back and read about rat behavior and introductions. I answer questions like ...
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| teeth | 12/14/2007 |
Q: someone before said that if the rat chatters its teeth a lot when its on you, it means shes happy. ...
A: Bruxing and chittering are different.. bruxing is grinding their teeth together with a closed mouth ...
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| Rat hair loss | 12/10/2007 |
Q: I have two pet rats both female about four months old. Just today I have noticed a bald patch about ...
A: It could be allergies, skin issues, mite issues, or even ringworm. Without doing a skin culture I ...
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| rat | 12/8/2007 |
Q: my name is cindy and my pet rat Marilyn has been making weird squeaking sounds. Like when you pick ...
A: Well Cindy I think you directed your question to the wrong person, as Sandra is the gal above me, ...
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| health question | 12/8/2007 |
Q: I have a female rat approximately a year and three months old who since I rescued her 5 months ago I ...
A: It's probably dried porphyin. See, rats tears and errr, snot, is red colored, like blood. ...
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| Babies | 12/7/2007 |
Q: My Hairless rat was pregnant when we bought her I guess, But my question is- How long does she need ...
A: She needs to keep her babies with her for 5 weeks. At which point, you need to separate the babies ...
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| What's wrong with her? | 12/7/2007 |
Q: I have a hairless rat (almost two years old) who has always been skinny, but never as skinny as ...
A: Hairless metabolisms differ greatly from furred and I'll be completely honest with ya, I don't know ...
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| How much should rats eat?! | 12/6/2007 |
Q: I have recently rescued 2 8 month old male rats (they're brothers & get along great). I have had ...
A: Why does the food have to come out? Are you feeding fresh foods? If they're eating all their food in ...
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| Head-tilt, loss of balance, circling, etc. | 12/5/2007 |
Q: I have a male hooded rat who’s three months old now. I bought him from a pet store when he was ten ...
A: When the risks outweigh the benefits I prefer not to use baytril because yes, it can cause some ...
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| Head-tilt, loss of balance, circling, etc. | 12/5/2007 |
Q: I have a male hooded rat who’s three months old now. I bought him from a pet store when he was ten ...
A: I would say Lupin probably has some severe mycoplasmosis issues, an organism that causes infections ...
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| fur loss | 12/5/2007 |
Q: We have a pet female rat that had a litter of babies less than 2 weeks ago. She is still friendly ...
A: I can almost bet you this is due to a parasite such as mites or lice. Which, however, I can't be ...
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| rat acting wierd | 12/4/2007 |
Q: my rat amy is about 6 months old sence of yesterday she has been "acting" wierd. she seems normal as ...
A: Amy probably has an inner ear infection, and a severe one at that. Get her to the vet immediately ...
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| problems with rat birth | 12/4/2007 |
Q: My rat went into labor at around 12:15. It is 2:30 and she has only delivered 4 babies, with the ...
A: Rats have a "horned" uterus, meaning it has two sides that contract independently and hold half the ...
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| New Rattie | 12/4/2007 |
Q: I've had my two hooded girls since August, they are about 20 weeks old (sisters). They are pet store ...
A: Well, first off, I'm very happy you've researched the conditions of your local pet store. Many ...
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| Green on the tail | 11/29/2007 |
Q: My pet rat Charlie has developed some green spots on her tail. She doesn't appear to be irritated by ...
A: Just police her reaction. If she's way aggitated by it, don't worry about it and just keep an eye on ...
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| worried about my rat | 11/29/2007 |
Q: I made an appointment early yesterday for "Frankie" to see the vet, he sneezes alot and I found out ...
A: Rolling is when their head tilt and dizziness gets to the point where they can no longer stay ...
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| worried about my rat | 11/29/2007 |
Q: I made an appointment early yesterday for "Frankie" to see the vet, he sneezes alot and I found out ...
A: If its related to his URI, he may be okay until Friday... however if it's neurological or inner-ear ...
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| Green on the tail | 11/29/2007 |
Q: My pet rat Charlie has developed some green spots on her tail. She doesn't appear to be irritated by ...
A: Without seeing it, I can't really give you a solid answer. Try washing her tail with a soft ...
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| My Rat has a sore toe. | 11/26/2007 |
Q: I recently bought a female rat from a petstore. I noticed that she had a missing toe. Now she has a ...
A: I wouldn't think so, but if she has an infection that spreads from toe to toe (or a blood ...
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| Depressed/Scared rat? | 11/24/2007 |
Q: My girlfriend and I have had our rat for about two weeks now. We bought him (Lloyd) from a local pet ...
A: He may be stressed. Despite that your cat didn't do anything to him, rats are by nature a prey ...
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| Sick Rat | 11/24/2007 |
Q: my female pet rat is 1.5 years old. She has not been spayed. I got her from a pet store. She has a ...
A: A URI is an Upper Respiratory Infection. Your rats respiratory (breathing) symptoms and runny nose ...
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| overgrown teeth and eating | 11/23/2007 |
Q: my rat was sick and she was given an antibiotic. I didn't think she would make it and expected her ...
A: I'm glad your rat is feeling better, but I think you may have a more underlying issue at hand. Rats ...
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| Sick Rat | 11/22/2007 |
Q: my female pet rat is 1.5 years old. She has not been spayed. I got her from a pet store. She has a ...
A: Your rattie has a classic case of bumblefoot and what sounds like the beginnings of a URI. ...
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| rat? | 11/21/2007 |
Q: ANSWER: A pinky is 0 to 4 days old. Fuzzies have begun to grow fur and usually that begins at day 5. ...
A: A hopper is about 2 weeks old. Any attempt to "save" a feeder-bred baby is usually futile. The ...
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| rat? | 11/20/2007 |
Q: hi i want to know how old a pinky rat/mouse is when you get it? I want to get for a pet except i ...
A: A pinky is 0 to 4 days old. Fuzzies have begun to grow fur and usually that begins at day 5. If ...
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| baby rat. | 11/17/2007 |
Q: I rehomed a young female rat a couple of weeks ago and have been trying to get her a little friend ...
A: I wouldn't be worried so much about her being pregnant rather her being wormy. How does she look, ...
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| Home remedies for mites | 11/17/2007 |
Q: My daughter's pet rat just returned from a 4 month stay with a vet/animal control...he's been home ...
A: There are three different mites that bother rats - the fur mite, the burrowing mite, and the ...
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| my rat | 11/16/2007 |
Q: I had both (2) of my rat for about a year, I got them together when they where babies and the have ...
A: I think getting a second rat is a GREAT idea! Your first rat will appreciate it. I do recommend you ...
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| Home remedies for mites | 11/15/2007 |
Q: My daughter's pet rat just returned from a 4 month stay with a vet/animal control...he's been home ...
A: Mites that attack rats are generally species specific, although there are a few that can/will spread ...
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| rat question | 11/14/2007 |
Q: I recently asked a question about my sick rat, but I accidentally gave you the wrong email address ...
A: There are several things that could cause her breathing issues -- you said she sits bunched up... is ...
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| rat question | 11/13/2007 |
Q: I recently asked a question about my sick rat, but I accidentally gave you the wrong email address ...
A: Trembling can occur when your rat is nervous/upset or sometimes just excited. I have several that ...
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| Biting | 11/12/2007 |
Q: My pet rat leonardo has always been sooo nice. He has a rat mate named donatelo. I think Donatelo ...
A: Leonardo has begun biting? How old are these rats? They may have reached that age where their ...
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| rat question | 11/12/2007 |
Q: I recently asked a question about my sick rat, but I accidentally gave you the wrong email address ...
A: Lindsey, the e-mail addresses are kept anonymous and there is no way for me to revisit them. There ...
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| HELP!!! My little rat is sick | 11/11/2007 |
Q: I just found my pet rat in her tunnel, she lives with two other female rats who are prefectly fine. ...
A: It's hard to say... if she doesn't seem sick other than just having the tar beat out of her, the ...
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| Rat Question | 11/11/2007 |
Q: I have a young female rat, about 6 to 8 months. Im not completely sure of her age. She lives in a ...
A: Trembling can occur when your rat is nervous/upset or sometimes just excited. I have several that ...
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| What to expect from a pet rat if her cage mate has died | 11/11/2007 |
Q: Gilly is taking her final breathes and I'm very worried about Pinky. I'm not sure how she will react ...
A: Rats bond very closely, so its very likely Pinky will be sad and lonely. Try to give her more ...
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| dropper? | 11/9/2007 |
Q: yes i recently asked a question to another expert stating my albino 1 and 11 month year old rat, he ...
A: You don't want to force your rat to drink obviously, but if you need to get fluids in him, you can ...
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| thanks | 11/9/2007 |
Q: um i'm new to the rat world and we're the rat is still a baby how many times a day will I have to ...
A: Babies *can* be weaned earlier than 5 weeks but it really isn't recommended. It's a huge part of ...
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| thanks | 11/7/2007 |
Q: um i'm new to the rat world and we're the rat is still a baby how many times a day will I have to ...
A: Rats are 5 weeks when weaned. They should not be left any longer than 6 weeks or females could be ...
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| Baytril reaction. | 11/7/2007 |
Q: I just adopted a new hairless rat from the pet store yesterday. They had given it to me in ...
A: Oh my lord. Your vet shouldn't have even started you on medications if she didn't give you a full ...
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| Baytril reaction. | 11/7/2007 |
Q: I just adopted a new hairless rat from the pet store yesterday. They had given it to me in ...
A: I find it astounding that your vet went for an injectable dose of baytril rather than just starting ...
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| Poor big red | 11/6/2007 |
Q: one of my rats Big red has pink eyes and has poor eye sight, he is very nervous and skittish ...
A: Well, other than letting him know he can always trust you (offer him treats, try to move more slowly ...
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| taking rats to vet | 11/6/2007 |
Q: HEY! I AM TAKING MY RATS TO THE VET. I DON'T THINK THEY ARE SICK BUT WANT TO BE SURE OF WHAT THEY ...
A: Non-powder coated (galvanized) cages tend to absorb the uriney smell after awhile and overall just ...
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| thanks | 11/6/2007 |
Q: um i'm new to the rat world and we're the rat is still a baby how many times a day will I have to ...
A: I would make sure you interact with your rattie at least once or twice a day, preferably as much as ...
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| Finding a pet shop that won't sell my babies as feeders!! | 11/4/2007 |
Q: I have several baby rats and I simply cannot keep them. I am desperate to find a pet shop that will ...
A: I can't help you with the pet shop situation. I'm in California and I have no idea what the TN ...
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| biting | 11/3/2007 |
Q: McMorran, Our neighbor passed away and we've taken in her pet hairless rat last week. I started ...
A: Sexing a rat is fairly simple unless the rat has been altered. See testicles? They're huge and hard ...
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| taking rats to vet | 11/3/2007 |
Q: HEY! I AM TAKING MY RATS TO THE VET. I DON'T THINK THEY ARE SICK BUT WANT TO BE SURE OF WHAT THEY ...
A: Ask your vet exactly what you asked me - if its normal for them to be doing those things. I can tell ...
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| My Rats Died unexpectingly | 11/1/2007 |
Q: I have 3 rats; Rattypatty, a female albino rat about a 16 months old, Grim a male is lik 14months ...
A: Ah I'm sorry for your loss.. honestly though.. I couldn't tell you without having a necropsy ...
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| old rat with paralyis? | 10/28/2007 |
Q: My daughter has a male rat about 2 years old. He has been losing weight and has extremely dry and ...
A: Normal aging varies depending on the breeding behind a particular rat. He may have a spinal tumor ...
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| rat has one large red eye | 10/17/2007 |
Q: I had just adopted a 3 week female dumbo rat. when i got her i knew one eye was big and the other ...
A: If by hematoma you mean it being an orbital hematoma (a rattie black eye!), you're probably not ...
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| after the babies | 10/14/2007 |
Q: I think this is a small simple question.But,I'm thinking about breeding my rat and I have been ...
A: Well, first let me address the whole situation. Is your rat pedigreed/from a breeder, with a known ...
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| orfen baby rats | 10/13/2007 |
Q: they where born Sept 26 and theres only 3 left out of the 5 she had i want to save them they have ...
A: Denise; In the future, when you have a litter born, separate Mama from the other female to avoid ...
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| raising a rat | 10/12/2007 |
Q: i just got two rats both two months old and also both boys i got a 2 levil cage with a plastic huge ...
A: Yay, rat babies! Pretty much anything for them to hide, destroy, stash or play on is fun stuff for ...
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| rats | 10/11/2007 |
Q: My kids and I are suffering the loss of our pet rat. We got 2 female pet rats from Petsmart. They ...
A: Cheryl; first of all, let me tell you how sorry I am you lost your one girly. That is a tough loss, ...
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| Rat left Outside | 10/8/2007 |
Q: My pet rat, LuLu, is about 9-10 months old. She likes to wander out on my patio while I am watching ...
A: Easy way to check if the 'hotels' have poison in them: it has to be listed on the outside of the ...
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| Help!!!!! | 9/30/2007 |
Q: What do you recommend for bedding. Someone told me pellets work well. I am using paper. Someone told ...
A: Paper is fine if its clean/new computer paper, soy-based newspaper, paper towel, or eco-fresh paper. ...
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| possible illness | 9/26/2007 |
Q: My roommate and I just bought our first pet rat, Frankie (We know you are supposed to buy more than ...
A: Normally rats adjusting to new surroundings may be a little sneezy and its no big deal; but if its ...
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| Bald Patches On Tail. | 9/26/2007 |
Q: My younger male rat; Stinky, seems to be developing bald patches on his tail. The skin underneath is ...
A: Bald from hair (as there is already very little on the tail), or does it look as though the skin is ...
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| My rat isnt moving | 9/24/2007 |
Q: i have a rat named ronney and she loves climbing but when i found her she wont move and she wont eat ...
A: I can't help you a whole lot without seeing Ronney, but I can tell you that if she's generally very ...
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| poorly rat | 9/23/2007 |
Q: my rat mavis has got a large lump between her 2 from legs, she also has one my her bum and that one ...
A: This question is a little vague. These lumps - are they cysts, abcesses, or tumors? Are they soft ...
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| rats | 9/21/2007 |
Q: my poor new baby rat, Lola, has got a lump directly the center of her chest, what can it be? how can ...
A: Boy do I understand working on a budget! Of course a vet is always the recommended course of action, ...
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| My male rat is bleeding | 9/19/2007 |
Q: I recently have been given 2 male rats that are from the same litter, they are just over a year old. ...
A: So this bleeding has been going on for a year with no veterinary attention? Yeek! Rectal or ...
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| Diet | 9/16/2007 |
Q: I have read many things written on this site about rat care and see the other experts are suggesting ...
A: Like everyone else, I don't suggest a pet store diet either. I myself feed a home mixed grain/cereal ...
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| Very Very Sick Hairless Rat | 9/16/2007 |
Q: She is approximately 3 months old. She looks slightly smaller than her sisters whom we saw in the ...
A: I'm sorry to hear your rat is so sick! Unfortunately without getting her to the vet, I seriously ...
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| fungus in lungs | 9/14/2007 |
Q: My rat got sick last month and had trouble with pneumonia coming and going till finally we put him ...
A: Ahh, I see, yes, that would have been a different story -- thats basically a yeast infection. ...
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| fungus in lungs | 9/14/2007 |
Q: My rat got sick last month and had trouble with pneumonia coming and going till finally we put him ...
A: First of all, let me tell you how sorry I am you lost your rattie. It can be really rough to make ...
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| rats | 9/13/2007 |
Q: I have 5 rats I tried so many tricks they know their names. They just don't come .But,The only ...
A: Nose and teeth picking are a favorite with rats. I assume -- although your question is a little ...
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