2 Rats in 3 weeks. BEWARE OF PAULMACS IN BRANTFORD

I have a list of complaints to let this pet store know about. when buying these rats they make it so difficult to the point where it honestly seemed like they didn't want to sell them to me.

The first thing was the fact they had about 10 rats in a 9.5 litre fish tank, they have the "feeders" separate from them in yet another small tank.
OH and of course the have wood chips, the first little girl i got by herself because they cant guarantee the gender and they where apparently to small to tell. I didn't want to have babies. so i just got one and waited a week before going back to get another one. so that week goes by and we try to figure out the gender of this little girl is so we can go get her a friend. so half way through that we we stop in to see if the pet store could help us. I find it easier to tell boy and girl when there side by side.

Stupid me, when i bought my first girl i had never actually asked how old they where. So we go back in to ask. they tell me that they have no clue they ask about 5 other employee's that also have no clue. Then they all start to say AT least 2 month's.

Now that makes no sense to me, at 5 weeks old its very clear when a male is a male and a female is a female. Also they start to breed around then. How could they have 10 rats that are 2 months old and have the genders mixed. Then the girl lets me in on a secret and say's. All the rats come in as feeder's and we separate them by looks and what one's they think people will buy.

They both must have came home with the illness because Caesar had that "snot" stuck in the nose sound when she would breath.

These where my first 2 rat's. Im glad that i bought them so a little kid who actually wants a friend and pet to love didn't get to experience this.

Needless to say, ive had 1 rat die already and the second one is just to far gone. im really sad about this seeing as ive only had them for 3 weeks and there both gone. They were amazing girls R.I.P Caesar

I will be calling the pet store just to see what they say.

These Kind's of pet stores are the reason's rats get "downgraded" as amazing fun pet's. it also makes it EXTREMELY difficult to try and get into being a rat owner. I still couldn't imagine being 12 and having this kind of thing happen.

What happened to your other girl? I thought she was healthy and now she is on death's door?

Unfortunately, pet stores are always a bad place to adopt a rat from. Hopefully you can go to a rescue or adopt from someone who needs to rehome their pets next time. I think if you get a rat from a pet store again, it would be in your best interest to have him or her vet checked within the first week. Many times, they are already ill when you bring them home.
Hopefully, 12 year olds will have responsible parents who help them research where to get their rats from first. There is a lot of information out there about how bad pet stores treat their rats nowadays. Pet stores just treat all rats horribly because no matter what they advertise, they are always thinking of them as "food" before "pets".

Yea she was fine but now she's starting to fail, lost so much weight and became lethargic really fast. and yea i really didnt expect it from pet stores. Its bitter sweet because now i do know all this information for the next time. but it sucks there has to be a next time. thanks for all your guy's help.

All rats get ill and need immediate vet care and meds from the vet when they do.

Please immediately take your girl to a good vet experienced in successfully treating rats.
She likely needs to be immediately started on oral baytril and azithromycin (10 mg/Ib) by prescription from a pharmacy, orally, twice a day for 6 weeks or longer if it helps.
Respiratory infections need to be treated immediately and aggressively.

She is losing weight because it is hard to breath and eat at the same time.
She may be dehydrated - which can kill
She may also have fluid building up in her lungs - if so she will need to be put on Lasix and you will need to watch out for dehydration

You can try feeding her organic soy infant formula thickened with baby cereal

Otherwise, please see http://www.ratshackforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7652

She is suffering terribly

Yes, please get your sick girl to the vet ASAP.
You've already seen what happens when a sick rat isn't brought to a vet.
There is a very big chance that the vet can save your girl.
You can't get a rat from anywhere, pet store or not, that will survive not being brought to a vet when it is ill.

Can you get your little girl to a vet asap?
Unfortunately, pretty much all pet stores don't really care for their small animals and many are left sick.

The vet told me it will cost me $100 just to see her, plus they only take them on tuesday's and thursdays and my of course there full

Thanks SQ im looking into all my options

Are there any other vets in your area? Even if they aren't experienced with rats they should be willing to follow the instructions in the link from SQ and at least end her suffering.