pregnant hairless rat - Paw Talk

Jubilee · #1 05-28-2005, 08:21 PM

I recently got a hairless rat from a pet store and now she is pregnant. i have been doing research on them and sadly have come up with multiple sites saying hairless rats are prone to bad mothering and lactating problems. i am hopeing that she will be a lucky one and be ok but i do want to be prepared just in case. so i have a few questions:
if she cant lactate or not well i plan on makeing a fake rat and putting small bottles with nipple sized tops in it. i can get these things at a close pet store. this will be for the babies when im not home ( i am in middle school right now so im not home all the time) and i will hand feed them when i get home. Does this sound like a resonable plan? if not feel free to tell me that it is a stupid idea and wont work. any suggestions would be great.
if the mother cant lactate and i use the above plan can i still leave the mother in with the babies?
what is a good milk replacement for baby rats?
i know that baby rats cant go to the bathroom on their own. how many times a day do i need to....um.....help them? how long will i have to do this for?
im going to see if it is possible for me to find a nursing mother but im not sure that i will and if i cant i will have to hand rase them. so answers to my questions, any other suggestions, and some prayers that my rat will end up being a great mother and not have any problems would be really appreciated. thanks!

Padfoot · #2 05-29-2005, 01:28 AM

Well.. I think the best bet is to find a breeder in your area that might have a litter around the time your rat has hers, so she can foster the babies...

I don't know if the fake rat will work.... I think they guide themselves to the mom by scent and heat... and a fake rat will have none... plus if you leave mom rat with them they will go to the real mom and not the fake rat. What I understand about the problems with hairless rats is that their mammary glands don't work, so they don't produce milk... they will have the same motherly instinct as any rat... just that they won't produce milk. Also, I would be afraid of leaving the milk out for such a long time... Don't you have anyone that can take care of them during the day while you are at school?

When they are born, you'll have to leave them with the mom and check their bellies constantly to make sure that they have milk. Their skin is semi-transparent and you'll see a white spot on it... that's milk.

About the milk, you'll have to get KMR, kitty milk replacement, which is sold at petstores or with a vet, and feed them every 2 hours. With a damp cloth or paper towel, rub their genital area before and after the meal for them to pee and poo. I don't know if there are bottles small enough for baby rats, but a dropper will do, just don't force the drop into their mouths. Let them suck it, cause if you force it you could accidentally drown them. They'll be furry in a couple of days and after a week and a half, leave some rolled oats with them for them to nibble. I think that they open their eyes at 2 weeks, but don't quote me on that cause I haven't bred rats. continue to leave the rolled oats and put a water bottle for them, you can also leave cheerios and a bit of seed mix or rat blocks for them to eat when they open their eyes, but you still have to bottle feed them for 1-2 more weeks, just less... start feeding them every 3 hours, then every 4 hours and keep adding more hours between feedings till you completely wean them of the milk, but make sure that they are eating their solid food and drinking their water. Raising a litter is extremely hard work... your best bet really is to find a foster mom for them, so start searching and calling breeders around from now!

Jubilee · #3 05-29-2005, 10:13 AM

thanks that was a lot of help. i should of thought about the milk going bad thing but o well. i unfortanitaly dont have any breeders around me but im going to go to the pet store (ugg i know) and see if they have any nursing moms (they always do) but if for some reason i cant get a nursing mom they i will have to hand feed them. luckily my mom works at home so i will see if she can help me. it just so happens that my mom is a vet and has a clinic in our downstairs but she mainly does cats and dogs, not rats. im working on getting her to take care of them tho.
ok so i just want to make sure i know what im gunna have to be doing. i will try to get a nursing mom but if i cant i will get some KMR and feed them with a suringe every two hours for the first two weeks? and then 3 hours, then 4, etc. and i will help them go to the bathroom after every meal. when will they be able to go on their own?

ninja_smurtles · #4 05-29-2005, 02:49 PM

Have no info but good luck with them

Padfoot · #5 05-29-2005, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jubilee


	ok so i just want to make sure i know what im gunna have to be doing. i will try to get a nursing mom but if i cant i will get some KMR and feed them with a suringe every two hours for the first two weeks? and then 3 hours, then 4, etc. and i will help them go to the bathroom after every meal. when will they be able to go on their own?

Yup. that's about it. First, make sure that mom doesn't has milk... if she does, it's better to keep them with her. If not and you can't also find a substitute mom, then keep them in a warm, soft nest. You can set up a small tank with shredded paper towels or toilet papers for them and put a lamp and a reptile termometer on it to make sure it doesn't gets too hot. The every 2 hours, include the night... that's why I told you that raising a litter is a very hard job. I raised one 1-week old puppy like that, while also working and I was exausted when he was weaned. They will be able to go on their own around the same time they are weaned.
Let us know what happens. 8)

Jubilee · #6 05-29-2005, 05:17 PM

i was getting really worried about having to hand raise them all by myself but luckily i found a nursing momma rat!

Jubilee · #7 05-30-2005, 08:29 AM

i have babies! she gave birth to the first one at 6:40 and i dont know if she is done or not yet. I have counted at least three but i think there are more than that. How long should i wait to see if they have milk bellies untill i decide wether or not i should let the other rat adopt them?