Baby Belly Bulge????

[Catibrie]

One of the babies has a really huge bulge problem. It gets scarily big when she wiggles her arms and legs (I say her) the other babies also have them but it is just a little bubble. I don't know if it is gas she has not been able to get rid of... or something we should be worried about. I have a picture but it is really hard to get a good one of her belly with her moving about. Any ideas??? What's wrong with her??

 

[lilspaz68]

Hard to tell but it looks like an umbilical hernia, I'll have to research it a bit, but I think they will resolve on their own

 

[Dahlas]

That is what I would have said if we were talking about a puppy but I wasn't sure about baby ratties.....puppies usually need them fixed.....and it is done when they get spayed or neutered......

 

[lilspaz68]

It seems that they are often left to see if the rat will grow out of it or that if it doesn't cause problems (grow bigger, give them issues with pooping, etc) it is often left alone. For girls you can get it done when they are spayed, but it would be a surgery.

 

[Dahlas]

That is good to know...so just leave them and wait and see if they cause any problems? Can they resolve themselves...?

 

[lilspaz68]

Here are responses from;

a highly knowledgeable person on Goose
Depending on how severe it is, the vet may opt to wait an see if it fixes itself. The other option is surgery to close up the hole in the abdominal wall. Your vet should be able to tell you what the best and safest option is, as treatment varies greatly from case to case. Smiley

And someone I don't know well, but went through it
I had a rattie with a hernia (exact same area on the belly).

She was a she though. After her spay (which of course cuts that general area), she no longer has one. Unless the hernia is causing difficulty pottying, it is best to just leave it (or so my vet says.). Smiley

 

[Catibrie]

OK thanks for the info. we will watch it, and her... then a visit to the Dr. if it does not resolve. I thought at frist is was a gas pocket, as it is clear in colour. Would never have guessed a hernia. Thank you again.

 

[lilspaz68]

I think its a resolve with time deal, not a day or so.

I was googling away and found this article...I have to type it out, since its interesting and not copyable

Offspring of Vitamin A deficient rats show many abnormalities including craniofacial defects, microphthalmia, umbilical hernia, edema, and spongy tissue structures of the liver, heart and thymus (Morriss Kay & Sokolava, 1996)

 

[Catibrie]

lol ok I will wait. I am so used to human babies and their problems, I never thought I would be in that 'new mommy' syndrome again, I keep looking at them and worrying maybe thay are not moving enough so they are sick... or they are squirming to much and they are uncomfortable or something lol
I honestly think I would be climbing the walls if not for this forum to read and ask questions from all of you.
Thank you so very much.

 

[ratsnbuns]

I don't know if it's the same thing but my one girl Ella had something similar to that when she was about 12 weeks old. The vet had thought at first it was an umbilical hernia, but then the bulge just kept getting bigger. Turned out it was an umbilical abscess, they figured she'd been born with the infection but that the antibiotics she was on at 7 weeks (when she lost her eye) kept the infection down.

She had to stay on the antibiotics for nearly 8 weeks before the infection and bump went away for good. She's about 20 months old now and is perfectly healthy.