wet tail problem! babies

[pinkies_mama]

Hi all, Jeremy and I just brought home two 2 month old fancy rats. They are currently on oxbow 14% protein and a bit of timothy hay blocks... the wonderfully educated man at the pet store (lol i'm not being sarcastic) said that we would need a wet-tail supplement to put in their water. We haven't gotten any yet and they are pooping like mad and it really REALLY stinks. Its wet with some consistency. I am wondering 1) why he suggested the supplement 2) if it has anything to do with their age 3) if its the food, because our other girls haven't yet been on oxbow and have never had this problem. Any info is appreciated!!!

 

[lilspaz68]

oxbow regal rat is fine, but timothy hay blocks won't even be digested by them. And rats do not get wet tail, so I can roll my eyes sarcastically at your man at the pet store. :roll:

Does it stink when you hold them and they poop nice smelly poops?
These are called fear poops. Their regular poop in the cage when they aren't stressed should be fine.
Gentle socialization and time will take care of the fear pooping

 

[pinkies_mama]

they are doing fear pooping, so i suppose it might just take time. our other girls didn't have smelly + wet poops though, which is why I ask.
Should i take out the timothy hay blocks then? or would it help with some fiber issues?

 

[Moon]

Take out the timothy hay blocks.

If the babies are still pretty new, they might be getting used to their new diet, which can cause some stomach upset. And, they might just be stinky fear poopers. My girls never have stinky poos, unless they're in the carrier on the way to the vet LOL. Give them more time and fear poos should go by the wayside with work.

If you're talking full on diarrhea, you need to take a look at this, but coccidia is not so likely:
viewtopic.php?f=20&t=9299&start=0

 

[pinkies_mama]

no, its got consistency. just smelly!
they have been doing better since I cleaned out their cage when I got home an hour and a half ago... only one poopie. (i can't believe i'm talking about this!) i'll take the timothy blocks out and just leave the oxbow, since thats what they had at the pet store for them.
thank you all, i was getting pretty worried.

 

[SQ]

Agreed ... they are having fear poops ....... and get rid of the timothy blocks
Oxbow is a very good lab block for rats, but like previously said, it may take awhile for them to adjust to it if it is something new.

Like Shelagh said, rats do not get wet tail ... that is a hamster problem.

 

[Moon]

I'm still laughing about the guy suggesting a wet tail additive. You should go back to that store and inform him of his general idiocy.

 

[pinkies_mama]

I'm still laughing about the guy suggesting a wet tail additive. You should go back to that store and inform him of his general idiocy.

Next time we go back there I will have to. I've never heard of it before, so I thought it was just a nice name for wet poopies. Guess not! :doh:
They are doing a lot better now. No more fear poops! Except I did notice some dark pee. I wonder if its maybe a little transition to normal digestion...

 

[SQ]

Dark pee would mean they are not drinking enough water.
Sometimes young rats are not strong enough to get water out of a water bottle, even tho they look like they are ... so it is important to use a water dish.
However, at their age I would think they would be fine with a water bottle.

If you suppliment their diet with baby cereal, make sure it is nice and runny so they will get lots of fluids. You can aso disolve lab blocks in booiling water and cool to make mush. Fruits containing lots of fluids such as melons are good too.
That said, unless they are getting dehydrated, they are fine.