How do all you do? my name is Rhayden I have a female rat fro ma fleamarket ( a feeder rat ) she has been coughing for months I thought it may be the weather so she was moved to a warmer room but it has no helped so now I wonder if I can give her something maybe childrens cough stuff, my husband has amoixillin bt I am not sure the dose. I have read much but there is not much on how much the give. I bought her as a breeder that coulod not bread anymore and se can't she is in with a intack male I had from young she was adult when I got her so I am not sure how old she is I have never bred rats. I feed my rats a mixure of dog food, cat food, depending on what we have for dinner they get a bone to naw on and meat from the bone, meat from our meal veggies to from the meal, spaghetti, scratch feed from chckens mixed with the dog food and cat food. Sometimes cannned cat food or canned dog food, they eat seed and have stuff that a a parrot has and lot more stuff. can you tell what I can give her
rat coughing
- Thread starter Rhayden
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I don't know about the coughing, but her diet needs to change. Also, who told you she can't breed anymore? If she's not spayed (if she was used for breeding, I doubt they would have spayed her), she should not be with an intact male. Oxbow makes a rat food. It's cheaper than dog and cat food, and way more healthy. Rats should NOT be fed any of the stuff that you are feeding them. I have 6 rats, and two mice, and I go through a bag of oxbow adult rat food ($15 a bag) every month. So it should last you longer with 2 rats. Also, they can have fresh veggies, pumpkin seeds, rolled old fashion oats, and a few other things daily with their food. The food has all the protein they need, so meat isn't needed. Also, you can give a few fruits and plain cheerios as treats. Please check out the reference thread for a ton of good info, and www.ratguide.com and www.joinrats.com for health and behavior info.
jorats
Loving rats since 2002.
Sounds your little girl needs to see a vet. It might be quite serious and only meds with proper dosages from a vet will help her.
I too agree you need to change her diet. Rats require very little protein and very little fat. Please find a rat appropriate food made just for rats.
I too agree you need to change her diet. Rats require very little protein and very little fat. Please find a rat appropriate food made just for rats.
SQ
Senior Member - Vegan for the animals
Please take her to see a good vet with the experience and knowledge to treat rats asap
I too agree that your rats need to be fed a good healthy diet that has the nutrition rats require.
Rats need low protein (10%) and it is best if it comes from plant sources.
Since no one has yet come up with a good homemade diet for rats that is nutritionally complete,
it is best to feed a good quality rat block such as harlan 2014 or oxbow, or science select, plus a variety of daily vegs and occasional healthy treats such as cooked whole grains, berries, a piece of fruit, a few organic pumpkin seeds, a few cooked chick peas, a few cooked beans etc
Please see the info on diet and nutrition in the Reference Thread https://www.ratshackforum.com/threads/reference-thread-read-only.35894/
I too agree that your rats need to be fed a good healthy diet that has the nutrition rats require.
Rats need low protein (10%) and it is best if it comes from plant sources.
Since no one has yet come up with a good homemade diet for rats that is nutritionally complete,
it is best to feed a good quality rat block such as harlan 2014 or oxbow, or science select, plus a variety of daily vegs and occasional healthy treats such as cooked whole grains, berries, a piece of fruit, a few organic pumpkin seeds, a few cooked chick peas, a few cooked beans etc
Please see the info on diet and nutrition in the Reference Thread https://www.ratshackforum.com/threads/reference-thread-read-only.35894/
what is nwrong with her diet I have had rats before and had them live ti 3 one even got to 3 1/2 as understood they eat anything and I feed them anything, now I am not being smart or anything but I need to ask questions to learn. I have had about 7 rats not at the same time it is through the years all had the same diet I need know about what I am feedinh them is wrong they are not feed meat all the time but they have a bone in with them a deer bone or dog bone you know the kind thar is penut butter. they have stuff in the feed store for squirrels that id ground corn I have boke tjem up for them to have something to naw on as when deer season is in the get whole corn with their meal. I never that liked pellets do they make rat food with now pellets I recently bought for small animals this is mixed with dog food and cat food. I have given the cellery lettus carrots and other veggies but I don't want them to have the runs. My female has been in with themale for a while he has no signs of sickness and she is not able to get pregnant what is it besides the rat food you say I can feed them
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ViciousCurse
Well-Known Member
As everyone mentioned, please take your girl to see a vet and get her spayed, or get that male neutered. Just because someone told you she can't breed doesn't mean it was true. To my knowledge, not even children's medicine is safe for dogs and cats, much less our sensitive rats. Spaying the female doesn't only prevent unwanted litters, she'll be less hormonal, the male will be a bit calmer, and lowers the likelihood of tumors in her.
If the rat is coughing, it's often very serious, because a majority of rats don't cough, they sneeze. Coughing indicates shortness of breath, or a blockage in their trachea or esophagus. Either way, both of these conditions are serious to a rat's health and require antibiotics.
I saw a thread here a while ago that feeding high amounts of proteins, especially from meats, is more likely to cause tumors in rats and shorten the overall lifespan of your rat. You can give them this stuff as treats on the side (excluding high amounts of meat). Dog food and cat food are once-in-a-while treats, if at all, raw uncooked spaghetti (with no sauce) noodles are great treats. Dog food and cat food are not appropriate for rats since there are tons of rat lab blocks out there. Dog food and cat food both contain too much protein and too much fat (it fluctuates brand by brand, but some brands have very high fat content), both of which are cancer-causing agents in rats. Rats are already susceptible to tumors, we like to lower the likelihood as much as we can. I don't know too much about bones, but I still would be cautious giving them a lot of it. It's a good enrichment item, but there are other safer enrichment alternatives.
Oxbow contains low protein, low fat and should be a staple food. This is healthy for the rats and gives them all of the nutrients they need. I always have bowls of Oxbow rat food in my cage, and then they are given veggies, very few fruits, and good-for-them table scraps daily. Corn has no nutritional value, but it can still be given as a treat and enrichment for the rats. A feed store local to me (I live in Minnesota, so we have a ton of farmers markets and feed stores everywhere lol), sells Oxbow for $14. If your feed store doesn't have it, Oxbow has a website. Petsmart and Petco carry these brands as well (at least locally to me).
Also, depending on what site(s) you read, just because they say a rat can eat everything, doesn't necessarily mean they SHOULD eat everything. Rats have longer lifespans in captivity because we improve their diet, give them vet care, protect them from predators, and smother them in love. In the wild, rats live fast and die young. In captivity, they live lazily and are spoiled with good food. Wild rats live to be less than a year old, whereas pet rats can live up to three years old.
On the side, if you have a parrot or other type of bird, please avoid feeding an all-seed based diet. That leads to nutritional deficits as well. I have a green cheek conure and he's on a pellet diet, with veggies, fruits, and whatever else he can eat on the side. I don't know too much about chickens.
If the rat is coughing, it's often very serious, because a majority of rats don't cough, they sneeze. Coughing indicates shortness of breath, or a blockage in their trachea or esophagus. Either way, both of these conditions are serious to a rat's health and require antibiotics.
I saw a thread here a while ago that feeding high amounts of proteins, especially from meats, is more likely to cause tumors in rats and shorten the overall lifespan of your rat. You can give them this stuff as treats on the side (excluding high amounts of meat). Dog food and cat food are once-in-a-while treats, if at all, raw uncooked spaghetti (with no sauce) noodles are great treats. Dog food and cat food are not appropriate for rats since there are tons of rat lab blocks out there. Dog food and cat food both contain too much protein and too much fat (it fluctuates brand by brand, but some brands have very high fat content), both of which are cancer-causing agents in rats. Rats are already susceptible to tumors, we like to lower the likelihood as much as we can. I don't know too much about bones, but I still would be cautious giving them a lot of it. It's a good enrichment item, but there are other safer enrichment alternatives.
Oxbow contains low protein, low fat and should be a staple food. This is healthy for the rats and gives them all of the nutrients they need. I always have bowls of Oxbow rat food in my cage, and then they are given veggies, very few fruits, and good-for-them table scraps daily. Corn has no nutritional value, but it can still be given as a treat and enrichment for the rats. A feed store local to me (I live in Minnesota, so we have a ton of farmers markets and feed stores everywhere lol), sells Oxbow for $14. If your feed store doesn't have it, Oxbow has a website. Petsmart and Petco carry these brands as well (at least locally to me).
Also, depending on what site(s) you read, just because they say a rat can eat everything, doesn't necessarily mean they SHOULD eat everything. Rats have longer lifespans in captivity because we improve their diet, give them vet care, protect them from predators, and smother them in love. In the wild, rats live fast and die young. In captivity, they live lazily and are spoiled with good food. Wild rats live to be less than a year old, whereas pet rats can live up to three years old.
On the side, if you have a parrot or other type of bird, please avoid feeding an all-seed based diet. That leads to nutritional deficits as well. I have a green cheek conure and he's on a pellet diet, with veggies, fruits, and whatever else he can eat on the side. I don't know too much about chickens.
When I give pasta, it's the veggie kind. My rats LOVE the spinach ones! I give like a bow tie, and spiral pasta at bedtime. They go crazy for them. I also will hide a shell pasta or two in bedding, and shredded paper in parts of their cage. That way they have to forage a bit to get a treat. 
SQ
Senior Member - Vegan for the animals
As previously mentioned,
1. your rat is ill and needs to see a good vet with the knowledge and experience to treat rats as soon as possible. She likely needs medication. Untreated medical conditions can cause permanent damage or death.
2. What you are feeding will not meet all of the rat's nutritional needs, is unhealthy for rats and will harm their health - please read the threads in the reference section re recommended diet, supplements, forbidden foods list, protein etc …….
You wrote that you want to learn. The links will likely answer most of your questions and then we can answer whatever questions you still have https://www.ratshackforum.com/threads/reference-thread-read-only.35894/
3. Please spay your girl or neuter your boy if they are healthy and you have access to a good vet with the knowledge and experience to safely spay or neuter rats …. so you do not end up overwhelmed with babies and to prevent health issues in your girl https://www.ratshackforum.com/threads/why-spay-or-neuter-rats.35402/
1. your rat is ill and needs to see a good vet with the knowledge and experience to treat rats as soon as possible. She likely needs medication. Untreated medical conditions can cause permanent damage or death.
2. What you are feeding will not meet all of the rat's nutritional needs, is unhealthy for rats and will harm their health - please read the threads in the reference section re recommended diet, supplements, forbidden foods list, protein etc …….
You wrote that you want to learn. The links will likely answer most of your questions and then we can answer whatever questions you still have https://www.ratshackforum.com/threads/reference-thread-read-only.35894/
3. Please spay your girl or neuter your boy if they are healthy and you have access to a good vet with the knowledge and experience to safely spay or neuter rats …. so you do not end up overwhelmed with babies and to prevent health issues in your girl https://www.ratshackforum.com/threads/why-spay-or-neuter-rats.35402/
