Cage dynamics...again

[Cityratt]

So I've noticed S slowing down a bit - which I understand as shes an older gal and that happens. Her coat is getting that "older" look about it and I've noticed her slowing a bit...

She had been sleeping alone a few times last week (which is bizzare as the girls usually all sleep together) and the other day i had her out and noticed what looked to me like a bite mark (a pair of scabs on her back) not inflamed and looked to be healing well.

Her breathing had gotten worse the past day or so - so I had been spending extra lovin time with my golden girly, today she started "motorboating" with her breathing....and I decided to take her to work. I also found another pair of scabs on her - none of the others have scabs except Maverick (who is constantly trying to establish her role as alpha girly). I put S back in her cage to make the call to work to see if they could see her while i was working, the girls sniffed her over, Maverick had a good smell and S submitted (pushed herself to the floor and laid quietly). Maverick tottered off, and S stayed there. I honestly thought she had passed on, my heart stopped, and I went to check on my baby girl...and she sprang back up *heart starts again*

Shes on a good long course of Batril, with the promise of added Deoxy if no improvement...

She still sometimes sleeps in her rattie piles with the other girls, and they all eat together...Im just worried that they may try to "thin the herd" and i dont want to see S get hurt that way....

I just dont know what to do about it. I dont want to seperate her from her family....but Im worried about her....

Any thoughts?

 

[twitch]

you know your rats best, but in my colonies over the years the sickie and the oldies were not hurt but doatted on. when pocket was on her last legs nezumi used to bring food to her. when spider was ill all the other rats still respected her as alpha and did not try to assert a new queen until after spider had passed. they would nuzzle under her neck and lay there while she breathed and no one ever tried anything with her. the same can be said for when kakushi took ill with her PT. mind you, all three that i just mentioned were queens or alphas before becoming ill.

however, i do have the foster boys right now. zen is seriously ill with a suspected heart condition. he is very lethargic. my chop suey follows him everywhere just to be near him. and notorious though rough in his handling with everyone else (walks over who ever is in his way, pushes them out of the way of the food bowl, etc.) he is very gentle with zen and will wait for him to finish with what he wants from the food and is careful where he steps when zen is around. after the first day, even ace, the king or alpha, has not bothered him though he will still pin and groom others from time to time. vandike for the most part ignores him but neither is he mean towards him either; he just doesn't seem to pay zen any special mind. the only rat i can't say has been gentle with zen is boyo but he seems to be much younger and much more active then everyone else in the cage. i have noticed that shortly after boyo picks on zen he will be pinned and groomed by either ace or notorious.

all that said i have removed sick and elderly rats from the main cage before. but this was for their own protection from themselves (determined to climb when they are too weak to do so, or unstabble on their feet) rather then because of the other rats in the cage.

 

[Cityratt]

Yea....they all still let her snuggle...i just dont think the other girls realize that they dont have to "DOMINANTE" her anymore....not that she ever posed a risk...but now she does even less than before...

Shes dozing on my shoulder now as I type...my little snuggle bunny...Its hard not to baby her more than the others, especially because shes always been so small...shes our "baby S"

 

[user 78]

From what you've said, I see no reason to separate S from the main cage. The others aren't really bullying her, and she still sounds like she's happy with her friends. If she were avoiding them, hiding from them, etc.. Then it'd be different. It sounds like they're doing just fine. Domestic rats don't really 'thin the herd' like you mean it. It's when one is severely sick or injured that they drive them off. Just because S has slowed down a bit doesn't mean they're going to tell her to pack her bags. If S has taken a new position on the totem pole since she's slowed down, there's going to be a bit of pushing and shoving as everyone resorts themselves. It should settle down once everyone understands their place again. Rats don't always want to sleep together and all that. Sometimes they just need a little of their own space. I've found this especially true as they get older.

You can take S out more often and baby her a little more than the others. She's older and needs it, anyhow.

 

[jorats]

With those scabs showing up, I think I would do a mite treatment, especially if you see behavior that is not usual with your ratties.
I wouldn't separate either.
When my guys got older they were also dotted on unless there were some very young punks in the cage.
It's so very sweet to see the rats bring food the older sick guys.

 

[Cityratt]

With those scabs showing up, I think I would do a mite treatment

Jo - would the scabs be paired though? Becuase I thought of mites, however none of the others have scabs except Maverick (who is the scrapper), and they honest-to-goodness looked like bite marks to me...but then again mine have never had mites...so i dont really know

That and Ive been woken up by some "heated" scraps with the girls screaming at one another (just momentary disputes but enough to lead me to thinking that S may have gotten in the middle of an arguement between Indi/Lilli and Maverick...coz Mav does boss the younger girls around, and most of the time they're ok with it...)

 

[jorats]

What do the scabs look like? pinpricks or curved and/or like scracthes? Where are they situated?