[jamesReid]

So today Hector has been very lazy all day.. which is not normal.. Normally if we put him on the bed with us he runs and explores all over. Today.. very little of that and I was just cuddeling with him next to my ear and when he started his little hiccup like thing he does i kinda heard a churp type noise come out.


What are some signs that Hector the rat may be sick?

Ps.. When I gave him dinner he only nibbled then lied down.. a bit later i picked him up and while holding him he ate a bit.


What do you all think?

 

[Nibbler]

maybe contact a vet, and bring him there, its hard to diagnoise over the internet.

 

[breyer08]

Keep an eye on him tomorrow, and listen to his lungs closely by putting your ear on each of his sides. If you hear anything abnormal, and if he is making any kinds of sounds or still seems unlike himself, call the vet first thing on Monday morning just to be sure he isn't getting a URI.

 

[jamesReid]

UPDATE: All is good... Being new to rats when Hector started acting very lazy.. and didnt eat much.. Then i heard him kinda chirp with those hiccups he gets.. so we said lets go.. off to the emergency vet...

Well $102 bucks later.. and Hector has an upset belly.. had BAD gas (even farted in the car on the way to the vet) and some bacteria in the intertine.

So the vet gave his the look over and felf his belly and stuff.. ended up giving us some "SULFATRIM ORAL SUSPENSION."


It seems Tonya & I are just still NooBS!!!! When it comes to rats. We fed him something that gave him gas.. We just need to watch what he eats.


Thanks for reading..

 

[Nibbler]

im glad ur little guy is doing better

 

[ets930]

So glad Hector is ok! I know exactly how you feel being a newbie!!

 

[lilspaz68]

What gives people gas often gives rats the same. Too much broccoli, asparagus etc.

Bacteria in his urine would be more of a UTI, and the sulfatrim should fix him right up. That would cause him to act this way, but keep an eye on any noises while breathing, make sure they get better and don't worsen.

$102 at an E-vet? That is a miracle!

 

[Vladina]

So happy and relieved that Hector is okay! You and Tonya must be relieved too. Whew! I know how it is when your baby is not acting right..it can be very scary and worrisome. We have all been through that. Very cool that you paid such close attention to him and were able to tell right away that something was not right. Otherwise Hector would still be laying around with gas and not feeling good. I am so glad he got some medicine from the vet, great! Yeah, as Lilspaz said, there are so many similarities between humans and rats that often the same kinds of foods that cause upset tummies and gas in people is the same for our rodent family members! Broccoli is the first thing that comes to mind...my boys loved chilled raw brocolli (or cooked) but we had to be very careful and just give them a teeny bit only now and then, as we heard it could cause upset tummy and uncomfortable gas.

You and Tonya should not worry about being newbies...you are already so on top of things with Hector and so attentive to his actions that you got him to a vet right away. Well done! I am sure he will be feeling better very soon now!

 

[breyer08]

Glad to hear he's going to be all better soon! You guys did a great job by taking him to the vet.

 

[jamesReid]

And this morning Hector pooed on the bed.. which he normally does not do.. like 7 or 8 droppings.. and they had a dark dark green tint to them. So something we fed him must have played a number on his belly..

But he is back to normal today.. running around and exploring!!! YEA!!!

 

[breyer08]

What I always do before giving my rats anything new to eat, is to always double-check the list of A-Z safe veggies/fruits for rats. That way, I know for sure if it is something they can safely eat.

 

[jamesReid]

Thanks B... But everything we have fed him is on that list... Except I just thought.. I let Hector lick some ice cream off my fingers.. not a lot.. but maybe that was enough to make his belly upset..

 

[breyer08]

That could be... what flavor was it? If it was chocolate, then there's a good chance it might have upset his tummy a bit, but even in general, dairy products don't tend to sit too well with rats. Some yogurt every now and then is fine, but I'd probably avoid ice cream in the future.

 

[jamesReid]

No it was butter pecan.. So whats your stance on chocolate? Tonya said she has read both that they can and cant have it.. Just wondering..

 

[Vladina]

The theories on whether or not chocolate is not good for rats seems to go on, depending on whose opinion you are listening to and it seems to be a controversial one. I have seen arguments on the forum about this. I have also read different articles from the internet saying either, "Chocolate is dangerous and a no-no for rats" and also, "Chocolate is not good for dogs but it is not harmful to rats" and so forth. So that is a hard one! I used to just play it safe and keep my boys away from junk food and sugar in general. For sweet treats, I kept it to a slice of banana, a frozen blueberry, things like that, trying to keep their treats healthy. Better safe than sorry was the motto I went by.

(Frozen blueberries were always a fun treat, especially in the summer. Like a little frozen blueberry ratty popsicle! )

 

[breyer08]

It seems that the only situation that chocolate can actually be somewhat good for a rat is in times of respiratory distress. Giving a rat in distress a small bite of pure chocolate (like a chocolate chip) can help to open their airways a bit, because chocolate is a bronchodilator.

In general, like Vlad said, it's just easier and safer to only give healthy snacks to rats. And, actually, since I've had my boys, I've started to eat much healthier, too! I think we need to patent a new diet regimen for people: the rat-owner's diet!

 

[lilspaz68]

It seems that the only situation that chocolate can actually be somewhat good for a rat is in times of respiratory distress. Giving a rat in distress a small bite of pure chocolate (like a chocolate chip) can help to open their airways a bit, because chocolate is a bronchodilator.

In general, like Vlad said, it's just easier and safer to only give healthy snacks to rats. And, actually, since I've had my boys, I've started to eat much healthier, too! I think we need to patent a new diet regimen for people: the rat-owner's diet!

Just to add what Breyer said, the chocolate has to be very dark for the theobromine in it to act as a bronchodilator during times of respiratory distress.

As for being bad for them? Its fat, sugar, oils etc...so its fattening but not dangerous.

 

[jamesReid]

I like the better safe than sorry theory.. Thanks for all the good replies...

 

[luvboyrats]

I'm glad he's better. I'm sure he took a few years off of your life, they sure can make you panic. I agree with the better safe than sorry philosophy. I have two dogs, two parrots, and now rats. And I'm pretty sure I'm putting my vet's kids through college because I take them all in any time they look at me funny. I can't tell you how many times I've taken one of my kids to the vet so that Dr. Russell can tell me, no he's fine, that's normal!

 

[Vladina]

Ha ha, I am sure your vet's kids will attend good colleges, eh? Well, that just shows you are a good animal mommy though. I used to do the same with my gerbil boys and rat boys, so I know what you mean.