Fancy Rats Forum

How old are your boys? I find bucks go through a smelly adolescent phase, then come out the other side. Bucks do smell musky but don't go on being pungent in my experience. If they are young bucks, hang on in there, leaving them in the bathroom and following the other suggestions, and things should ...

It looks like a cyst to me too, it looks like it has burst. It's not in the right place for one of the nasty ZGT tumours, and is too dried for an abscess.

Like you, I can't see much point in having the tumour sent for analysis as knowing what it is will not help you to decide a course of action, and it will empty your purse further. Rats often recover remarkably quickly from surgery, I hope Nata does. I don't think you can look too far into the future...

It sounds to me as if she still has myco and needs a longer course of baytril so your plan to return her to the vet is the best idea. Your ratty diet seems a bit random to be making sure the rats' diet is balanced, unless the rats are getting mostly science selective nuggets (which are balanced in t...

My girl whose wound was glued after bleeding profusely has had no further problems during the past year, and is treated just the same as the other rats. The only difference it has made is that it was clear I couldn't think of breeding her, and I know to warn the vet if she does need surgery in the f...

I'd give him liver to increase his iron, and plenty of kale over the next few days. Just watch his ears, once he is getting better they should start to pink up, but it may take a few days.

Even with Red Eye Dilute varieties (like topaz) not all rats have clotting problems. Has Castiel got ruby/red eyes? If so, he may be one of the unlucky ones to have the clotting disorder. Even so, it's unlikely any of his siblings will have. I have topaz rats and although it makes me a bit extra anx...

He's telling you he's mended. He's one lucky rat that you got him to the vet in time. I'm impressed by your vet fees given the time he was there. Hang onto that vet.

Sometimes rats who have had respiratory infections are left with lung scarring. Their breathing is left noisy, but they are not actively unwell. It really doesn't sound like their problem is to do with the environment, which sounds lovely for them. If the boys have lung scarring, they will always ha...

If your vet is reasonably confident that your ratty's myco problems do not severely compromise her, and the vet uses inhalable anaesthesia, I'd definitely go for surgery, the sooner the better as the op will be quicker (and cheaper) therefore easier on both of you. It is awful to have to make a deci...

I've used tubular bandage with holes cut for legs- if you use this you need to leave a cuff of several cms around the rats neck, or the bandage digs in around the front legs. I used one with a rat who had a total tail amputation and he had to wear one (changed daily) for about a month until his tail...

It's difficult to say... could you post some pictures? Sorry not to be more helpful.

It may be worth getting hold of a copy of the NFRS handbook 'Common diseases of the Fancy Rat' written by Ann Storey (or 2 and giving one to your vet practice) for the future. Hope Samwise continues to improve.

update 13 days on: Just 2 kittens survived with their foster mother (who was only rearing two 2 1/2 week old kittens previously). The others 'disappeared' in the first few days. The difference in age between the kittens, 2 at 4 weeks, 2 at 2 weeks doesn't seem to phase Sable the foster mother, and t...

This afternoon I have found my dear Mercedes dead, with rigor mortis set in. Eleven mewing kittens together, and one very cold kitten outside the nest area. Mercedes had not even made a proper nest, and had not fed the kittens. At 11.30 Mercedes looked fine and fat, at 3.30 she'd been dead some time...