# docile or sick?



## zoologist (Nov 17, 2008)

Tabitha, my albino dumbo rat, is very very docile for a female. i know females are customarily rambuncious and love to explore, but it seems that Tabitha is a snuggle bug. Not that i'm complaining, it just seems weird.

So i am wondering if she is just unique or sick.

Tabitha sleeps what seems like a lot. I always see her during the day curled up in a corner of the cage while Kida (her cagemate) is running rampate vying for our attention. When she is out during play time she sits on my shoulder and grooms, or sits in my lap and grooms, or squeezes herself into a dark, warm place to sleep (right now she is curled up in my shirt). Her eyes seem very bright, there is no discharge from her nose or anything, however she has been having a problem with runny stools. i equate that to us getting them about 2-3 days ago. she's either grooming or sleeping... hardly ever exploring. She does chatter her teeth a lot though while on my shoulder, hiding beneath my hair (i heard that is a sign of contentment?) and she groomed my boyfriend's shoulder and hair today which was very sweet.

So rat experts, what is it? I've included all of the details i can think of, but please ask questions if i havent come across clear with anything. I want the best for Tabs, and if a vet visit is in order i will willingly do so.


----------



## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

How old is your girl? Older rats sleep a lot but rats with a low-grade infection can as well.
So absolutely no breath sounds? How about cool or cold feet, tails etc?


----------



## zoologist (Nov 17, 2008)

She is still young. I'm not sure of the age but the petstore had her for about a month and she is smaller than Kida.

No, her tail/feet are not cool or cold to the touch.

She makes no noise when she breathes, the only sounds i hear are her chattering her teeth. She will shiver every once in a while, but is that because she is scared?


----------



## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

If she's new the shivering is most likely nerves. If the chattering is loud and grinding that could also be from stress. She sounds healthy enough, but as I said if she's new she's not relaxed enough to be Herself yet. 

She sounds lovely though, and I have some very sweet cuddly docile females here


----------



## naturetable (Aug 12, 2008)

Is cold feet a bad sign??
I've had 2 boys for 11 months and 2 newbies for a couple of weeks, and they've all got cold feet.
I thought it was just a little rat quirk? ...or the Irish weather...
They're all fit as fiddles otherwise - constantly investigating and boggling away...


----------



## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

naturetable said:


> Is cold feet a bad sign??
> I've had 2 boys for 11 months and 2 newbies for a couple of weeks, and they've all got cold feet.
> I thought it was just a little rat quirk? ...or the Irish weather...
> They're all fit as fiddles otherwise - constantly investigating and boggling away...


lethargy, cold feet, sometimes swelling of the extremeties, etc can be signs of CHF (congestive heart failure) which can be managed with certain meds. It can mimic respiratory as well, but doesn't respond to antibiotics. If your boys are active and alert they are probably just fine.


----------



## viral013 (Nov 19, 2008)

Your rat is fine. My rat Piper is calm too. Some rats are just that way. Unless she is isn't eating, drinking plenty of water and using the bathroom often, i dont think you have anything to worry about. keep us updated if you have any concerns.


----------



## zoologist (Nov 17, 2008)

Thanks  i'm glad she is a cuddle bug

She seems to be eating and drinking. However she does have diarreha  what can i do about that?


----------



## zoe9 (Oct 3, 2007)

Is she still fairly new? Upset tummies are quite common when you first bring a rat home because the change can be stressful, plus they need time to adjust to their new diet. You do need to be careful though - diarrhoea can be dangerous for rats as they do dehydrate quickly.

Can I ask what you are feeding them?


----------



## zoologist (Nov 17, 2008)

She is very new. It hasn't been a week yet. I sorta expected her to be stressed, but Kida's poo is very normal compared to Tabitha.

The petstore was feeding them reggie rat : and Kaytee Forti-diet lab blocks. We took them off the reggie rat, but kept them on the kaytee. We both wanted to get them mazauri, but the petstore only carried it for hamsters, not rats :-\


----------



## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

hmmm

mazuri makes rodent blocks not hamster blocks...I will check it out later on...gotta run to work!


----------



## viral013 (Nov 19, 2008)

Diarrhea can be caused by feeding an unbalanced diet, such as too many fresh fruits and vegetables, or as a side effect of some drugs, or even a gastro-intestinal bacterial infection such as pinworms or other parasites. So you should consult a vet about this if it is not something simple like feeding too much lettuce.
Make sure your rat is getting plenty of water (dehydration can happen very quickly with diarrhea). Feed a plain, bland diet such as rodent block, baby foods, or rice while the diarrhea is a problem. Check your rat and make sure it is not going into shock. Check your rat's skin elasticity-- if the skin over its shoulders feels stiff and doesn't slip back in place easily and your rat seems very lethargic and unresponsive, your rat will need immediate medical attention.


----------



## zoologist (Nov 17, 2008)

She is very active.

She has constant access to a water bottle that is changed daily

She is being fed only those labblocks.



The mazauri had a label on it for hamsters and gerbils. no mice or rats were mentioned and a hamster was on the bag, so we didnt want to take a chance.


----------



## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Can you look around for Living World Extrusion for Hamsters?....believe it or not its actually decent for rats


----------



## zoologist (Nov 17, 2008)

because of the  face i can't tell if you are kidding or not...? lol sorry

so is the mazauri ok for them?


----------



## zoologist (Nov 17, 2008)

Tabitha is sneezing a lot. Should i be worried?

Also, i noticed that the tip of her muzzle is turning brown, sorta like the very base of her tail. I find this weird since she is a PEW. 


Am i just being a worried momma?


----------



## zoe9 (Oct 3, 2007)

Has she just started sneezing or has this been going on since you got her?

New home sneezing is common. Is she showing any other symptoms of illness (diarrhoea aside) besides the sneezing?

As for the brown, not sure about that. Some white rats do have brown on them in places - it could just be her adult colour starting to show. I'll leave someone else to answer that one.


----------



## zoologist (Nov 17, 2008)

the sneezing has been going on since i got her, it seems. I wish i could remember if she was sneezing when i held her that first time.

other then the diarehha she hasnt been doing anything but sleeping a lot. she's pretty uncordinated compared to Kida. She has trouble climbing and keeping her balance.


----------



## zoe9 (Oct 3, 2007)

It could be an inner-ear infection as that will affect balance and make a rat appear clumsy. 

To be honest I think it's time she went to the vet for a once over.

While it's normal to have an upset tummy and to sneeze when first brought home it's not normal for a baby in particular to be inactive and it's certainly not normal for them to have coordination issues.

If it is an ear infection antibiotics should clear it up nicely.



_Edited to add: The sneezing could be because she is still adjusting to her new home or it could be a sign she has a respiratory infection. These infections start in the upper respiratory system and can involve the ears, so this would explain both the sneezing and the apparent lack of coordination. Antibiotics will help both. The below link should answer any questions about respiratory disease._


http://bruxnboggle.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=265


----------



## zoologist (Nov 17, 2008)

Thank you. I too agree that a vet visit is in order... i just need to get the funds together (my vet tends to charge me excessively for simple things. Very annoying.) and we will head off!

She came to petsmart with me when i went supply shopping and we talked to a nice lady with 17 rats! She took one look at Tabs and said she was a himalian. Hm. Never heard of that coloration, but i guess it explains the brown base of her tail and the brown/gray patch on her nose


----------



## zoe9 (Oct 3, 2007)

I was actually wondering if she might be a Himalayan. I don't know how common they are but I know some of the members here have them. Pretty things. They always remind me of the Siamese cats we had when I was little.

Meanwhile good luck with the vet visit. Let us know how that goes.

One last thing I feel obliged to mention, and apologies if I'm repeating myself because I said a similar thing in your dominance thread, but it concerns that visit to petsmart. I assume this petsmart has rats, yes?

In the other thread I mentioned the importance of quarantining a new rat before introducing them to Kida and Tabs. Only when you were convinced they were healthy would you proceed with introductions.

However by taking Tabs into petsmart you are exposing her to rats who could have come from anywhere and have any manner of communicable illnesses.

Best to avoid pet shop trips totally I reckon, unless the pet shop doesn't sell live animals.

Cheers,
Zoe


----------

