# Lethargic Baby Rat



## portkeytonowhere (Dec 24, 2007)

I just got 2 baby rats about 2 weeks ago when they were a month old. Everything was fine until I woke up this morning. One of the rats James is normal like he normally is very hyper. But sirius well when I woke up I didn't even think he was alive. He's moved about a tiny bit and even let me pick him up which he never lets me do because hes usually so wiggly. They also have this brown stuff around their eyes. Is there anything I can do to make him feel better? I just lost my job so I don't have the means to take him to the vet.


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## Stace87 (Jun 24, 2008)

There's not really a lot you can do apart from the vets. You can keep him hydrated, keep him warm and hand feed if necessary, but I doubt that's going to cure him. With him being a baby especially, I'd have thought he may be pretty unwell to be so lethargic. Rats can go downhill very quickly. Perhaps someone could lend you some money to pay for the vets for the time being, or maybe this would be an option. I've heard of people mentioning that card before. 

The stuff you mention around the eyes is porphyrin and excessive amounts can indicate illness or stress. So that would explain why the unwell boy has it around his eyes. Does the other boy have constant porphyrin? A small amount can be normal, for example, when they wake up until they wash it off. 

Are there any other symptoms apart from the lethargy and porphyrin? Any noisy breathing or anything?


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## portkeytonowhere (Dec 24, 2007)

They seem to have washed the one stuff off. James is doing great and Sirius perked up a bit some. Now he's gone back to sleeping I suppose. Sirius has very rapid breathing though. I'm just afraid if I keep james in the cage with him and he gets really sick that James will too. I have an adult cage but they're so tiny they were getting through the bars on the cage so they're in a hamster cage right now. They're just a tiny bit bigger than a hamster.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Both babies are well exposed so don't remove the healthy brother. Offer him warmed baby cereal, if you can pick up Ensure or Boost at the store try that (mine only drink strawberry adn vanila)...this will give him extra calories when he is having so much trouble breathing. With the rapid breathing and not many lung sounds, I am worried its pneumonia. Warm, hydrated, fed as best as you can and start begging people for money to take him to a vet. OR I am not saying it will happen for sure, but start preparing yourself for his death just in case. It sounds like they were weaned too young, and babies often succumb quickly


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## portkeytonowhere (Dec 24, 2007)

Yeah I was really surprised when I got them because at the pet store theyre always so much bigger when you buy them. These are my first hand raised rats my other 2 I bought at petsmart. One was a wonderful rat and cocoa well he just wasnt handled as a baby enough. I changed their bedding as it was due for a change and he seems to have perked up some. I put in some fresh veggies carrots and they like them. They were even wrestling earlier (they often do this the most I ever hear is squeaks ironically enough they're doing it again so this must be a good sign. I put vitamins in their water like usual. *Vitamins for rats* I'm still worried about Sirius but James seems to be doing great he was even sitting on my shoulder the entire time I was looking through the site and writing my above reply.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

vitamins in their water is actually useless, it breaks down and is gone in 24 hours. And the bottle needs to be scrubbed everyday as bacteria can form. The best way to provide vitamins and nutrients is through a good staple diet and supplementing with veg and a little fruit etc.


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## Spider (Mar 19, 2007)

Theres this supplement called ferretvite at petco, its a tasty syrup with alot of vitamins.
Spider


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## portkeytonowhere (Dec 24, 2007)

Both boys seem to be doing great now I have no clue why Sirius was so lethargic I was really worried about him. But now they just seem to be doing their thing and they're even back to play fighting


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