# My newest female isn't growing!



## Alexc844 (Sep 8, 2008)

I adopted a brother and sister pair a while back. The brother has no exceeded Higgins in size, making him my biggest rat at the moment. His sister, however, hasn't grown much at all since I adopted her. I believe they were about 5 weeks old when I adopted them. Could she be a dwarf?


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## hshelton (Feb 23, 2010)

I would think its possible but a picture would probably help out a lot.


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## TamSmith (Mar 1, 2010)

Males grow bigger and faster than females so you can't really compare her to him. Was she on any antibiotics at a young age? One of my girls had her growth stunted because she was given baytril too young. She could just be a little small and she might get bigger as she gets older. One of my girls was very small and young looking until she hit 18 months and now shes a huge fuzz ball.


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## lilangel (Mar 26, 2009)

I also have many small type girls weighing in at around 200g normal weight for them being they are small.

Mine are not dwarfs though they were just very poorly bred and sometimes that is what happens when you stick any rat together to breed.

And Males do tend to grow faster and bigger then females


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## Capistrono (Apr 12, 2010)

I have two males and they are TINY. I don't know their weight or anything, but they're like..half the size of my biggest rat maybe. I think some are just small.


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## Alexc844 (Sep 8, 2008)

Well, here is a picture of her on a yogie lid. The lid is a little under 3.5 in in diameter. Not sure if that helps anyone gauge her size...


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## toby (May 11, 2009)

ive had small girls in the past, maybe she just naturally little.


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## ema-leigh (Jan 24, 2010)

The males in the litter will always grow much bigger than the females. Shes not a dwarf - just likely a tad on the small size.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Tam if your baby was put on baytril, she was likely sick and that is what stunted her growth not the baytril. Babies use all their growing energy to fight their illness and they often stay smaller.


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## TamSmith (Mar 1, 2010)

lilspaz68 said:


> Tam if your baby was put on baytril, she was likely sick and that is what stunted her growth not the baytril. Babies use all their growing energy to fight their illness and they often stay smaller.


She was VERY sick but I was told giving baytril at a young age can stunt the growth. It could very possibly have been what you suggested though. She's very small but she is as healthy as the rest of my rats now ant that is pretty amazing since she was the sickest rat I've ever seen. I was sure she was going to die.

OP, your girl looks about the same size of a few of my females a few months ago. She probably seems small because you see how big her brother is getting. Once my girl hit 6 months, they all blew up though haha they are going on a diet now because they went beyond normal growth and are getting quite fat.


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## Alexc844 (Sep 8, 2008)

Alright, thanks everyone


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Giving baytril to very sick babies often saves their life. I do it everytime. If its mild I go with the pediatric abs like amoxicillin or zithromax, but if its serious you jump on it guns a'blazing. I gave a very sick stunted 4 week baby boy, baytril, doxy and steroids, and he grew up to be a lovely big boy 

The stunting of growth is not proven in rats, it is just _assumed_ since it can affect puppies like this. Just like chocolate and grapes aren't toxic to rats like dogs, this is another parallel that may just be bunk :lol:


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