rat won't eat, getting skinny :(

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Maybe you can put a post in US Vet Listings asking for recommendations in your area? If you title the post well maybe a NY member will see it and be able to help.

Hopefully you can find out what's up with your little guy :(
 
Guys, it's getting worse... he won't drink the re-hydrating mixture I made, in fact he wont' drink at all... I dont' know why, maybe he has a bladder infection? the soonest vet appointment I can get is Tuesday and I think that's too far away... He sort of eats the baby food but he doesn't want it... I don't know what to do, he looks so weak... it seems to take a lot out of him just to walk up and down the cage. Sometimes he just stands with his face in the corner breathing heavily.

I feel like I'm losing him, and I dont' know what to do :cry3:

Moon said:
Maybe you can put a post in US Vet Listings asking for recommendations in your area? If you title the post well maybe a NY member will see it and be able to help.

Hopefully you can find out what's up with your little guy :(
Click to expand...
I'll try this, thank you...
 
You can make your own Magicbag, sew up a bag and put in dry uncooked rice. make sure all sides are sewn and heat up in the microwave. ALWAYS make sure the bag is wrapped in a cloth so not to burn them. for a moist heat spritz with water, now dont saturate it just a light spray.

If you have a dropper use that to help with hydrating and getting the water in him. If you dont have a dropper you can buy them at pharmacies or ask the pharmacist for a needle without the needle part just the plunger and tube. Sometimes they can sell individual needles more of a slim diabetic needle and remove the needle for you. If not buy Tempra for babies and use the dropper from that. I have done that before.

My vet today asked if my ratties tail has changed in colour, now more than likely asked as her tail was caught in a chair at her prior owners home before Jam and I took her but its a thought to see if there has been a change in his tail colour or texture.

I wish you all the luck and send you healing vibes... :heart: :hugs:
 
Good news! I've found something he will eat!!
I gave him some yogurt and he ate it for 10 minutes straight!!
Now he is resting... I am so glad to see him eat, but I'm still very concerned, as he still won't drink water :(

I think the only reason he won't eat his regular food is because he's too weak to chew it. But what could make him so weak??? I can't figure it out...

sprite71 said:
You can make your own Magicbag, sew up a bag and put in dry uncooked rice. make sure all sides are sewn and heat up in the microwave. ALWAYS make sure the bag is wrapped in a cloth so not to burn them. for a moist heat spritz with water, now dont saturate it just a light spray.

If you have a dropper use that to help with hydrating and getting the water in him. If you dont have a dropper you can buy them at pharmacies or ask the pharmacist for a needle without the needle part just the plunger and tube. Sometimes they can sell individual needles more of a slim diabetic needle and remove the needle for you. If not buy Tempra for babies and use the dropper from that. I have done that before.

My vet today asked if my ratties tail has changed in colour, now more than likely asked as her tail was caught in a chair at her prior owners home before Jam and I took her but its a thought to see if there has been a change in his tail colour or texture.

I wish you all the luck and send you healing vibes... :heart: :hugs:
Click to expand...

I happened to have dry, uncooked rice on hand so I'm making a Magicbag right now, thank you for the suggestion and the healing vibes :heart: Thank you for the tip on where to get a dropper as well. I NEED to get some water in him, hopefully this will be the way to do it.

His tail doesn't look any different that I can tell, it's just colder than usual :( Poor little guy...
 
He is 9 1/2 months old, born on April 3rd, 2009 I believe. Not even a year yet :( I'm his first owner other than lilratsy43, who I got him from when we was around 6 weeks old. Neither Jack nor Bean (who is his brother) have ever had a health problem before this.

I've been trying to force him to drink water using a syringe but he just won't swallow it :( I have been giving him yogurt every 45 minutes and he has been eating it, not a whole lot but an acceptable amount. Sometimes when we call his name he perks up and looks at us, other times he ignores us (usually he runs up to us every time when we call to him).
 
This may take 2 people but try what we do for little children. Give him some water with the syringe and rub his throat. It causes us to swallow and it may do the same for him. Don't push on the throat just lightly rub down towards the bellie so from the bottom of the jaw down towards the stomach.

Try adding some honey into the water. a little to flavor it may help. if you dont have honey I believe some sugar is ok in small amounts. Also if you have some apple juice add that to flavor it. I am thinking maybe some taste may help him drink.
 
Try get him to eat anything.

Custard, baby food, yoghurt is good and I'm glad he ate that, ice cream, digestive biscuits mushed up into warm milk, baby cereals. Just try anything, he needs some weight and something is better than nothing!
 
Yolu can also try a hydration formula sold at the pharmacy for babies ... it comes in diff. flavours.
Mine prefer the grape.
With a needless syringe you would put a drop at a time in his mouth.
When you put fluids into a rats mouth you put it into the side of their mouth as if it goes straight in it may go down into their lungs.

See if you can get him to eat baby cereal containing a lot of fluid ... you may want to add a few drops of olive oil to it to tempt him.
 
Because of your little guy's age I would guess that he is sick/trying to fight something off and he's too tired/weak to eat or drink, which is causing the sudden weight loss/dehydration. You're already going to take him to the vet, in the mean time keep him warm and hydrated. He's likely too weak to hold his blocks, which is why he wasn't eating but you can make a mush for him (using water, soup, juice - not citrus!, Ensure, etc.) if you're having trouble finding foods he will eat. Don't forget that foods like yogurt (which he seems to still get exited about) also contain water and they'll help rehydrate.

My only other piece of advice is to see if you can find a vet open Saturday and get an appointment tomorrow (er, make that today). Tell them it's an emergency (it is, rats can go downhill quite quickly) and that it can't wait until Monday. Don't be afraid to be firm/pushy, I've made that mistake in the past and it didn't have a happy ending.

Good luck! I hope Jack feels better soon. :hugs:
 
Victoria is right, with rats we have to sometimes stress the severity of the situation to vet clinics, as they do go downhill fast.

Him eating the yogurt is good, as it has a fairly high water content... I wonder if you could actually add a bit of extra hydration fluid and mix it up really well.
 
Hello everyone.

Thank you for your continued support and suggestions. This morning I woke up early and called eight different exotic pet vets... would you believe that EVERY one of them told me they were "short a doctor" and/or overbooked and couldn't fit me in even though I told them it is an immediate emergency?? I am so frustrated and upset... I don't know if this is just bad luck or what... I wish I had recognized the severity of his condition on Thursday instead of Friday, right before the weekend... but he was still able to eat his blocks on Thursday, so I thought he would be okay... I can't believe how fast his condition deteriorated.

I have a vet appointment on Monday, but he is very very weak today. I fear for the worst. Although I am trying to think positively I really don't think he can make it through the weekend... maybe not even the day....

He doesn't want to eat the yogurt anymore. I can't believe how fast this happened. I'm losing him...
 
Can you take him to a vet.
Sit in their waiting room, tell them it is am emergency and he is dying.
At the very least, they can hydrate him by giving him sub-Q fluids and show you how to do it and sell you a kit.
 

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