Nursing Rat Question

[OldsGal]

Ok so you would think after 4 litters in a row I would know that answer to this but I guess I never really paid close attention combined with the fact that I work during the day so I am not home to really tell. How many times a day do you think a newborn rat needs to nurse? How long? Then tappering off as they get older obviously.

Staci

 

[jorats]

I would think several times an hour... Have you noticed a change? A problem?

 

[lilspaz68]

when you are raising an orphan you are to feed every 2 hours in the beginning so I would imagine some of that time when mom is "feeding" them, the babies have fallen asleep with full tums at the "trough" LOL

 

[OldsGal]

Nope no problems with me personally. Just helping out a friend. Thanks for the quick replies. I was thinking the same thing as Shelagh but wasn't sure.

 

[jorats]

RMCA has a chart so newborns should be fed anywhere from 1 hour to 2.5 hours. There should be 6 to 8 feedings. But this is if you are feeding the babes.

http://www.rmca.org/Articles/orphans.htm

 

[OldsGal]

Thanks Jo...

Well this has just escalated. Again I am just helping out someone who has 2-3 day old babies at home. The momma rat has stopped lactating. Now what? Is there some way to get momma lactating again? She put the momma rat in a critter keeper which forced the momma to sit on top of the babies. She had them in there for well over an hour and witnessed the babies latched on but the babies do not have milk bands at all. Speculation is that the momma isn't lactating.

I am at a loss. I am not sure what to do now. This isn't a local person otherwise I would offer up Maisey to help even though she is exhausted too.

Staci

 

[jorats]

Mama could have mastitis.
Any chance of finding another mom rat?

 

[OldsGal]

Ya that is what we have been discussing doing. But it is night of course when she discovers this. We have to get these bubs through the night and then in the morning she is going to call around to find a surrogate mommy.

 

[lilspaz68]

newborn...sigh

I always thought I would follow this website if I ever was in that situation.
http://www.afrma.org/rminfo8.htm

 

[jorats]

On that RMCA link, it says what you should feed the babies and how to do it. Oh boy... I hope she's up for a lot of work.

 

[lilspaz68]

Yep I love that one too

*Shelagh bookmarks*