lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
Is she drinking yet? Its dehydration which is much worse than starvation. I have brought back some pretty skeletal rats to full health a few times
Injured Young Rat
- Thread starter sonnyvincent
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sonnyvincent
Well-Known Member
no, they gave her fluids today. how often should i try giving her water? I read they should consume 10-12 ml/per 100 grams, which would put her around 9 ml/day. which would put me giving her .3 cc drinks... 27 times a day? about 2 X an hour during the day? is that right?
lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
Have you tried just giving her a low dish of baby cereal and ensure, made fairly liquidy? See if she will eat on her own?
sonnyvincent
Well-Known Member
wait, strike that, she actually just accepted a drink from the bottle. she grabbed the end with her hands and pulled it down and took a drink while lying on her back??? poor baby. i'll keep offering it to her.
ETA: She won't accept anything I offer her. She finally took from the water bottle but besides the small piece of strawberry treat she had yesterday, she hasn't wanted anything.
ETA: She won't accept anything I offer her. She finally took from the water bottle but besides the small piece of strawberry treat she had yesterday, she hasn't wanted anything.
lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
Just leave a small dish in there with her, she can lick it at her own leisure, no stress involved. Her friend will probably dive in and it will encourage her to eat.
sonnyvincent
Well-Known Member
she took a very long drink again just now, hopefully it won't upset her breathing. the whole time she's drinking, her sister is running up and down my arm making it very difficult lol but we managed. i will definitely leave a dish out for them. thanks so much for all the help.
lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
Just hook up the bottle like normal but put it much lower so she doesn't have to lift her head much, put out the dish and hope she eats and drinks on her own tonight.
dspch911
Senior Member
Watch those tiny glass bottles I find they stop working all the time.... I have no idea why the bigger ones are just fine. I rub my finger over them and as long as I see bubbles go up I know its still working.
lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
Or give her a small bowl of water to drink from...make sure its got a heavy base so she cannot tip it over.
sonnyvincent
Well-Known Member
Olivia won't drink today again. Should I see if I can take her to the vet again tomorrow for fluids? I don't have a problem taking her every day if that's what i need to do, I just don't want them to think I'm being ridiculous.
She won't eat or drink out of a dish or bottle. Even yesterday when she was drinking, I had to bring the bottle to her and that's the only way she'd drink, even though it's placed low enough in the cage.
I can literally only get .4 cc's of anything into her at a time. It's stressful for her but it doesn't cause the breathing issues if I limit it. But is it futile doing it, even 2 X an hour during the day, because that will only really equal out to 4 cc's a day when she should have at least twice that to drink let alone the food requirements. I'll do it if it will actually make a different though. She absolutely will not eat or drink on her own.
She won't eat or drink out of a dish or bottle. Even yesterday when she was drinking, I had to bring the bottle to her and that's the only way she'd drink, even though it's placed low enough in the cage.
I can literally only get .4 cc's of anything into her at a time. It's stressful for her but it doesn't cause the breathing issues if I limit it. But is it futile doing it, even 2 X an hour during the day, because that will only really equal out to 4 cc's a day when she should have at least twice that to drink let alone the food requirements. I'll do it if it will actually make a different though. She absolutely will not eat or drink on her own.
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lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
Oh hun. How long now since she was injured? Can you smell her neck? See if it smells infected? Is she still lethargic?
Can you get pics of her for us, especially her body language and eyes, not so much the wound.
sonnyvincent
Well-Known Member
She was injured Monday. She doesn't smell at all and her scab isn't bigger today than yesterday, it looks the same. She's not very active but if I take her out of the hut she will move around, and she has climbed on top of the hut a couple of times today and the sides of the cage. The video is as good a shot as I could get of her eyes and body.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV6u9OVMeG8[/ame]
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV6u9OVMeG8[/ame]
lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
She doesn't look dehydrated to me...her eyes are very bright (they get very dull), she's not healthy though as she wobbles around, but she looks a LOT better than she sounded.
What is the skin pinch test telling you? I think she's drinking when you are not around. Just keep going, don't stress over how much you get into her. She's still with her sister/cagemate right?
What is the skin pinch test telling you? I think she's drinking when you are not around. Just keep going, don't stress over how much you get into her. She's still with her sister/cagemate right?
Joanne
Well-Known Member
She looks like she has some energy - she's not just laying there. I think you should keep trying with her. She is young and has her whole life ahead of her if she can get over this hurdle.
I think it would be a good idea to get a postage scale if you don't already have one, and weigh her every day around the same time. Then you can track her weight trend accurately.
Perhaps it might be a good idea to gas her down to assess her mouth and throat. Does this new vet have magnification like loupes to help with teeny creatures?
I think it would be a good idea to get a postage scale if you don't already have one, and weigh her every day around the same time. Then you can track her weight trend accurately.
Perhaps it might be a good idea to gas her down to assess her mouth and throat. Does this new vet have magnification like loupes to help with teeny creatures?
sonnyvincent
Well-Known Member
She's still with her sister, her sister sleeps with her and cleans her. The skin seemed to go back to normal fairly quickly. So maybe she is drinking when I don't see, but her cage is next to me at all times. Maybe it's while I'm sleeping.
The vet did mention taking a look at her mouth and throat but she didn't say anything else about it. Would it be too risky at her age and size? I said ok when she brought it up but she looked doubtful as to whether it would be a good idea.
I'm giving her some ensure periodically in a small syringe, just to get something in her. She won't take much but I suppose it's something.
The vet did mention taking a look at her mouth and throat but she didn't say anything else about it. Would it be too risky at her age and size? I said ok when she brought it up but she looked doubtful as to whether it would be a good idea.
I'm giving her some ensure periodically in a small syringe, just to get something in her. She won't take much but I suppose it's something.
sonnyvincent
Well-Known Member
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvLKoaPuz4c[/ame]
Can't do the test where the scab is so I did it there.
Can't do the test where the scab is so I did it there.
lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
She also could be a very quiet drinker...some are. She's NOT dehydrated. 
Just give her time to feel better.
Just give her time to feel better.Carol Weekes
Well-Known Member
In your videos she looks to have very good energy to move around. It suggests that she's taking in at least adequate nourishment to feel good enough to expend that kind of energy, otherwise she'd be more lethargic. She may be feeling more skittish when the day is active and perhaps taking bits of food and drink when the atmosphere around her is very quiet, such as at night when everyone's sleeping. And if you're managing to get small, regular amounts of Ensure into her, it's only going to help. Sometimes sticking your finger into slightly warmed baby foods can entice them to lick a little bit. Try bits of different things like a bit of yogurt, a tiny piece of cheese, bits of soft cooked pasta or cooked rice, etc. Sometimes one thing will catch their attention more than others. They also like rice Pablum mixed watery with a bit of rice milk or water. I think she'll pick up as the days go on; her energy seems very positive. She's had a fright and an injury that has rattled her and she might be nervous/reluctant for a bit until enough time passes for her to relax again.
NeeNee
Junior Member
This is true, I have two boys who drink so quietly, that if I hadn't witnessed it with my own eyes, I would have never known at all - then there are the rest who are so loud at the bottle, its like they are trying to permanently move the bloody ball
She actually looks pretty good to me (though admittedly my experience with rats and illness is extremely lacking). But I have worked with animals for over a decade and can know a recovering, hydrated animal when I see one.
sonnyvincent
Well-Known Member
Update:
She'd been drinking the last couple of days but still not eating. Early this morning her breathing started sounding very very congested. It's a scratch and clicking sound when she breathes, I made a video but it's louder than this usually.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtezfQMbh1o[/ame]
Would the vet have anything to help her breathe? I can take her back if that's what is recommended. She seems very uncomfortable again.
She'd been drinking the last couple of days but still not eating. Early this morning her breathing started sounding very very congested. It's a scratch and clicking sound when she breathes, I made a video but it's louder than this usually.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtezfQMbh1o[/ame]
Would the vet have anything to help her breathe? I can take her back if that's what is recommended. She seems very uncomfortable again.
