HELP! I think my baby has Megacolon!

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Riot!

Riot!

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2011
Messages
171
Location
Virginia
I saved a little baby (5ish weeks old) from being snake food today. I posted some pictures on my blog and someone mentioned he looked swollen and said something about Megacolon I'm on my phone so I can't post the picture right now
But I googled it and from what I've read he might have it
He's bloated
He's not pooping much
When he did (on my bed -.-) it was large odd shaped and smelled really bad
I'm not sure what to do!
I took him in today thinking he most likely wasn't going to make it due to being so young
I just wanted to make his last few days happy
Now reading it's a slow painful death
I'm thinking it would have been better to just have left him
Snake food normally dies quick
 
Riot! said:
I saved a little baby (5ish weeks old) from being snake food today. I posted some pictures on my blog and someone mentioned he looked swollen and said something about Megacolon I'm on my phone so I can't post the picture right now
But I googled it and from what I've read he might have it
He's bloated
He's not pooping much
When he did (on my bed -.-) it was large odd shaped and smelled really bad
I'm not sure what to do!
I took him in today thinking he most likely wasn't going to make it due to being so young
I just wanted to make his last few days happy
Now reading it's a slow painful death
I'm thinking it would have been better to just have left him
Snake food normally dies quick
Click to expand...

Can you link to your blog or put up pics?
 
OK found the pics, he's much older than you think...probably 4-4.5 weeks, so he should have no problem surviving. Its when they are 3ish weeks you can often lose them.

The poop thing may not be megacolon, it could be his prior diet was just awful. What goes in, must come out. For all you know they were feeding him high protein dog food.

Is he eating?

He's probably been weaned for a bit and this is when early onset MC hits...the baby bloats up, they have irregular shaped poops, they have diarrhea as well as the body tries anything it can to get the food through.

The shaking could be fear....he's a wee little man, all alone in the big bad world.

Can you get a video?
 
I was told he was legit just weaned, I've had more than on d person say now from the picture it looks like it I'm scaring the hell outta me honestly (I'll post the picture in like half an hour after I finish my work) He's eating a little bit I got him to take a treat too I'll try and get a video the shaking it's really weird he's not acting scared but I also noticed he will not sleep I've been up all night working I check on him every 10 minutes wide awake only time I got him to sleep was when I put him on my lap which is when I noticed his strange poop
 
Riot! said:
I was told he was legit just weaned, I've had more than on d person say now from the picture it looks like it I'm scaring the hell outta me honestly (I'll post the picture in like half an hour after I finish my work) He's eating a little bit I got him to take a treat too I'll try and get a video the shaking it's really weird he's not acting scared but I also noticed he will not sleep I've been up all night working I check on him every 10 minutes wide awake only time I got him to sleep was when I put him on my lap which is when I noticed his strange poop
Click to expand...

Babies start tasting solid foods soon after their eyes open at 14-17 days old. After that Mom they still nurse off of, but they continue to eat solids more and more.

Have you seen pics of babies with full blown megacolon?

Here's the page on ratguide explaining it

http://ratguide.com/health/digestive/megacolon.php

a case history with a 4 week old baby

http://ratguide.com/health/figures/megacolon_figure_1a.php

This one is upsetting, and I personally think it was abuse to let a rat get this far without euthanizing :(

http://ratguide.com/health/figures/megacolon_figure_1c.php
 
i've been looking at pictures and reading all night :(which is probably why i havent gotten any work done..
his back feet and butt are all covered in poop now i just checked on him and his tail
everything ive read said that not all cases look as bad as the pictures which is what scares me
I cant imagine letting him get like that
s3znrq.jpg

the picture im getting messages about

9hs5k0.jpg

just took this one
 
he squeaks when i touch his belly. no lumps i can feel his ribs then the parts that bloated it doesnt feel hard like a big lump would its more squishy but then again i wouldnt be the best judge
hes climbing on the bars of the cage now he walks kind of like a drunk
 
Riot! said:
he squeaks when i touch his belly. no lumps i can feel his ribs then the parts that bloated it doesnt feel hard like a big lump would its more squishy but then again i wouldnt be the best judge
hes climbing on the bars of the cage now he walks kind of like a drunk
Click to expand...


He's in pain. Sadly you need to get him to a competent vet. They will likely put him to sleep if they find MC. Its a horribly painful way to die.
 
The only vet that would see him is over a hour away and charged me 370 dollars last time just to look at my rat (legit didn't even touch him) and put him down I don't know what I'm gonna do
 
I'm a half hour south of richmond im askin people on local groups and things to maybe i can find a better vet or something
 
When you take any animal in you must make sure you have a vet willing to see them. Sometimes we have to put the ones to sleep that we take in and it is the best thing to do. Megacolon can be a very painful death if they are a little older. They hurt from their bellies being all bound up. I would also call the store and let them know what happened. Raise the roof a bit that shouldnt be allowed. He will probably pass but he needs a vet to help him so he dont suffer.
 
Exactly. Call/go to the store and make a scene. MC is often caused by inhumane breeding to achieve specific markings of "high white" rats, which get this problem very commonly. D:
 

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