Nursing mother died

[Kelheehee]

My rat who just had a litter died



So recently I saw an ad on craigslist for two female rats. When I got the rats the owner said that they were new to owning rats so I immediately feared that these rats were store bought rats. One of the rats got pregnant in the day she had her babies her sister died. Without warning I found her in her cage stiff and lifeless. 10 days later I found the baby rats nursing off of their dead mom. I feel absolutely horrible I feel like it’s my fault. I have suspicion that they died of pneumonia since almost all feeder rats or store-bought rats die from respiratory infection. Should I be concerned with my other rats, could they have caught her pneumonia?

 

[lilspaz68]

OK lets start with the babies...how old are they? Once I know how old they are we can help you figure out a plan of keeping them going without their mom.

Next, how old were the 2 girls supposed to be? What symptoms did you see with them? Any noisy or laboured breathing, excessive sneezing etc? Pneumonia is not usually a contagious thing on its own but if the girls had someting like Sendai virus or SDA virus then its highly contagious

 

[Kelheehee]

The bab

OK lets start with the babies...how old are they? Once I know how old they are we can help you figure out a plan of keeping them going without their mom.

Next, how old were the 2 girls supposed to be? What symptoms did you see with them? Any noisy or laboured breathing, excessive sneezing etc? Pneumonia is not usually a contagious thing on its own but if the girls had someting like Sendai virus or SDA virus then its highly contagious

the babies as of now are 12 days old. I’m hand feeding them and voiding. My girls were only 4-7 months and showed no symptoms whatsoever.

 

[lilspaz68]

hand feed until those wee eyes open, then start introducing soft foods like baby cereal mixed with their formula...glad they weren't a lot younger!!

 

[lilspaz68]

Keep an eye on all your other rats for any sneezing that starts up out of the blue. I'm sorry about your new girls

 

[Kelheehee]

Keep an eye on all your other rats for any sneezing that starts up out of the blue. I'm sorry about your new girls

Thank you so much The father of this litter has allergies and is sensitive so sneezing isn’t unusual for him. He only really sneezes when out of the cage due to my softer I use on my bed and what not. The babies don’t sneeze and are quite zoomy, but they’re pretty skinny, like their rear is thin. Tummies are soft but their just skinny. Every night I give them watered down Gatorade so they don’t dehydrate. But orphaned babies are usually skinny right?

 

[lilspaz68]

can you post pics?

 

[Kelheehee]

can you post pics?

 

[lilspaz68]

they don't look the healthiest but if mom was sick or had ingested something it would've passed to them in her milk. Just do your best and hopefully they catch up once solids are introduced. What formula are you using? Human or puppy?

 

[Kelheehee]

they don't look the healthiest but if mom was sick or had ingested something it would've passed to them in her milk. Just do your best and hopefully they catch up once solids are introduced. What formula are you using? Human or puppy?

I’m using human, should I introduce formula soaked rat block early? They turn two weeks tomorrow so should I slowly introduce it then? This is my first orphan litter, I’d be damned if they died.

 

[Kelheehee]

they don't look the healthiest but if mom was sick or had ingested something it would've passed to them in her milk. Just do your best and hopefully they catch up once solids are introduced. What formula are you using? Human or puppy?

One just passed away

 

[lilspaz68]

damn, i am so sorry use the human formula until their eyes open, then you can start to slowly introduce more solid food.

 

[Kelheehee]

damn, i am so sorry use the human formula until their eyes open, then you can start to slowly introduce more solid food.

Do you think there’s hope for them? They move really well(besides one that seems to going to be passing away)

 

[lilspaz68]

where there is life, there is hope.

 

[Kelheehee]

where there is life, there is hope.

Thank you so much for the help. I really appreciate it