Advice needed......

[Dahlas]

Well not long ago I received a beautiful little girl rattie that was taken in to the vet to be put to sleep ...... I named this little girl Piper and I have been having a great time getting to know her. Her and my other rat Sydney have become best friends.......life is good in the rattie world

The people who took Piper into the vet didn't give any past history, age, reason for not wanting her...nothing. All they said was that they didn't want her anymore. I don't know her age but I guessed it to be around 4 to 5 months based on her size.........
I have had Piper for exactly 20 days today.......and in the last few days I have noticed a big increase in weight!!!!
As first I laughed and thought all the great food she was getting was just making her "fill out" But this morning I looked over at my not so little girl and I am sure she is bigger then yesterday.......Is it possible that she could be pregnant!!!!!!!
I will post a few pictures that I took this morning...they are not the best but you can see how tubby she is..
Please let me know what you guys think and what should I do now......
anything...nothing......wait......move her to a small cage?....

I called my hubby at work and told him what I was thinking and he just said not to panic.......that we could keep all the babies...if there are babies........

Okay I need to take a deep breath...maybe she is just fat.......
Because doesn't it seem unlikely that she would have gotten pregnant a few days before I got her.......unless that is why they took her to be PTS.....if they had a male and they got in together they might have decided to get rid of her in case.........my mind is racing.....
Anyway here are the pictures.....

I love the look on her face in this one...."let me go".....

 

[lilspaz68]

IMHO? Preggy.

Do you have an aquarium you could put her in? Bed her down on flleece or quality white paper towel? NO toilet paper, it sticks to babies, and sometimes carefresh does too.

If you have a smallish cage with a deep plastic base and the cage part sits above the base that is good too!

Start supplementing like crazy...lots of regular food, veggies, higher protein (eggs,etc).

I would assume they panicked and dumped her. I think my Bronwen was let go outside because she was found in with a boy.

 

[Dahlas]

Thank you lilspaz68 for the fast reply....I will move her today........I feel as nervous as when I had my own children....oh my goodness......she is drinking lots of water.. but I don't see any nesting....she is just lying close to where ever I happen to sit and looking at me........I have been feeding her lots of extra goodies because I thought where she was young and IMO a bit thin she needed them...that is why I didn't think much of the big tummy but today is noticeable....

 

[Melissa]

She looks pregnant for sure.

Be prepared for an experience. Ratty babies are so amazing. I just hope everything goes well from a health stand point.

 

[Willow Bean]

I agree! That's a pregnant tum if I ever saw one! Congratulations Grandma! be sure to post lots of pictures when the babies arrive!

 

[Dahlas]

I hope everything goes okay....I love her already very much and I don't want anything to happen to her...plus I have no idea of the father.........

Since I work at an animal shelter we "assume" all unspayed dogs and cats that come in are pregnant and get them spayed immediately......
and I thought about it briefly about this girl but then I thought "well the people only brought in one rat to the vet....and never made any mention of having any others so they probably only had one rat........"

More deep breaths.........I am close to my vet if she needs to go in a hurry but his knowledge of rats is very limited....I think I will call him now and give him a heads up that I might need help so start finding things out if he doesn't know......he is good that way.....
and he is used to me. LOL

Going to go get the cage ready now....

 

[Dahlas]

Willow Bean my heart flipped when you said "Congratulations Grandma"
My first grand babies.......oh my....another deep breath......
I called my hubby again...he is laughing at me......asked me if I was sure I wasn't the one having babies.........he asked "how does Piper look" I said Oh she is asleep and I am running around the house like a wild rattie.......I bet he is still laughing.......
Got to go get ready.......I will be back...thanks everyone.

 

[jorats]

Personally those pics don't confirm a pregnancy. She could be pregnant or just plain fat.

But... if she does end up having eepers, she's in the best place ever to have them. To have a hubby assure you that all is ok, not to panic, we'll keep all the babies... well, he deserves the best husband award!!

 

[jorats]

Wanted to add, since you've had her 20 days, she would be almost ready to pop, so that means you should be able to palpate the babies.

 

[Dahlas]

Up until today that is what I have been thinking...she is just getting plump.....but this morning she looks like a thin rat who swallowed a ball.......I wish i would have been weighing her but it never crossed my mind after the first initial thought. My hubby is great he knows how much my babies mean to me.....I do a lot of fostering for our shelter and that is so difficult finding great homes........
Well I should know in a few days so keeping her in her own cage won't hurt for now....right?
I do tend to feed my girls a lot of goodies (all healthy).......so maybe she is just tubby......
I took a few pictures of her in her temporary cage.....she is a fatty that is for sure.......
If she is not pregnant I am going to have to get her a treadmill.....
I will keep everyone posted.....I feel calmer now.....thanks everyone.

 

[user 78]

She has quite the pear shape going on, and not the classic Fat look all over. Most rats that you see that are just tubby have fatter faces, double chins, maybe a love handle or 3, hehe. She seems pretty fit and trim overall, except for that big tummy.

As was suggested, I'd go ahead and assume she's pregnant. If you've had her 20 days, that means she should pop in the next 2-3 days. Follow everyone's good advice so far and prepare as best you can. If you do a search on the forum here, you can find lots of good info on pregnancy, babies, and how to take care of everyone.

If she hasn't had eepers by the end of this week, I would take her in to your vet and get her checked over very thoroughly. While I think it's most likely she's preggo, there have been cases where pyometra [deep infection of the uterus], masses, and other health issues have made a female just look fat and/or pregnant. Give her until the end of this week before you consider that as an option! If you and your vet are willing/able you can even try and get some x rays to see if anything shows up.

 

[Dahlas]

Well now I hope she is pregnant.......Oh my goodness.....wouldn't there be other symptoms if she had pyometra [deep infection of the uterus], or masses, or other health issues? besides this huge belly she is eating and drinking and active...She has a very shinny coat and bright eyes......But I will certainly take her in to the vet if nothing happens by Friday........
I have been reading over everything I can find on pregnant rats and babies...

 

[user 78]

I've just heard of a few cases where the girl was thought to be pregnant and it turned out to be something else. Those rats didn't show much in the way of symptoms, just a little tired which can easily be associated with pregnancy. That's why I said if she's past due, it may be something else. Don't worry about it until atleast Friday, though! I'm 90% sure she's preggo.

 

[SQ]

Congrats!!

Also baby cereal mixed with water, soy milk or soy baby formula would be good for Piper.

Don't put any bedding containing threads in with her as threads can get wrapped around young babies. The purple litter box hanging at the top of your cage is the same as what we used as nest boxes for moms with babies. Kept the babies contained and safe until they were a couple of weeks old.

Gestation is normally 21.5 to 22 days so will be soon if she is pregnant.
We are all waiting anxiously with you.

edit: thanks for the correction Shelagh 21 to 23 days.

 

[Dahlas]

Thanks everyone for the advice so far.......
Sorry I missed your call SQ I took my dogs out for a run...the freezing rain has stopped so I wanted to get them out before it turned cold.....I would appreciate any and all help.....I have been reading and so I think I am ready.....if she is pregnant........
I have Soy baby formula and I will get some cereal tonight......
I will keep everyone posted......

 

[Godmother]

Oh, my. Piper's tummy looks awfully like Corrie's did. (... just when we thought we were out of the woods, we found out about delayed implantation in new mamas who get pregnant just after giving birth)

So, Grandma & Grandpa, time to get a box of cigars and start scrambling some eggs! It's such a relief for you to know that you can keep them all if necessary.

Once you get over the shock, you will probably love the experience. Baby ratties are so wonderful. I hope that Shadow gets to enjoy being an auntie.

 

[Dahlas]

Well....nothing yet this morning...I got up twice through the night and checked on her she was sleeping away......I took a few new pictures today...I would say she is either pregnant or she has something really wrong with her...She looks like she swallowed an egg......
I have had her 21 days today....

 

[lilspaz68]

21-23 days gestation.

That girl is gonna pop!! You look at them and wonder how much bigger they can possibly get. :roll:

Bronny was a beached whale at the end. LOL

 

[Dahlas]

I have to admit I am getting a bit excited.......this is my first litter of babies that I didn't have to share with anyone and adopt out....I foster dogs and cats and last February we had a momma lab who had 10 puppies...It was an incredible experience but she was at my friends house and even though I went there everyday for 4 hours to help with the babies and then brought Mom and babies here everyday while my friend worked after they started eating solids and then we shared the litter, I kept them here overnight on days she worked and she took them days she didn't until they finally got adopted they where never all mine....... and of course I couldn't keep any...I already have three dogs...my friend did keep one and I still look after her while she works.
But these babies will be all mine and Pipers and we can keep them all
I will try and be the best grandmother I can be.......Come on Piper...momma is ready...I hope :lol:

When I called my husband yesterday he was laughing..."oh she is just a tubby like Sydney" I said no wait till you come home and see her today......
He was shocked.....so last night we where talking cages and moving furniture to make more room for our new family..... :lol:
All my friends and family already think I am crazy...this will finally convince them......

Oh and I just thought of the best thing of all....my mother-in-law hates rats and she always said she isn't coming in the house if I get anymore....she already won't come on this side of the living room and shudders every-time Sydney looked at her..........hahahaha no more mother-in-law.

 

[jorats]

Can you palpate the babies?