# What should I do?? Please HELP!!



## Jolecerve (Sep 1, 2011)

So I got 3 babies Hairless rat's yesterday. I was told they were 5 weeks old but I am worried that they may be younger than that. 
What concerns me is they are almost never awake. They sleep all day and all night the only time they are not asleep is when they are eating 
which is only once or twice a day. 

I called my local pet shop and they told me to offer kitten milk if they drank it then they were to young and still needed milk. So I went and got some and
offered it to them and one did drink a little bit but not to much the other two were not interested in it at all. 

I know I have only had them a day so it may just be them getting used to there new environment but I am worried about them does anyone have any advice as 
to what I should do? 

The pictures are of the girls in there way to big for them school bus they are the size of mice that's how small they are..


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Jolecerve said:


> So I got 3 babies Hairless rat's yesterday. I was told they were 5 weeks old but I am worried that they may be younger than that.
> What concerns me is they are almost never awake. They sleep all day and all night the only time they are not asleep is when they are eating
> which is only once or twice a day.
> 
> ...



mice range in size so its not a good comparison. Your pics don't give us any size references so I am unable to tell. Is one girl bigger than the other girl?

If they are sleeping all the time, no playing or exploring, just sleep, then you might have some very sick and probably too young babies on your handa.

Can you take other pics, can you weigh them with some sort of digital scale? do they feel plump to you or scrawny? Are their eyes wide open, or squinty and half-closed. 

I would put down a dish of soft food like watery baby cereal, and a small shallow bowl for water. What are you feeding them?


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## TGQ (Dec 26, 2010)

Is that plastic thing their cage? If it is, the small amount of space could be why they're so inactive. A plastic school bus is not suitable housing for a rat. It's not suitable housing for anything probably. It looks like it has no ventilation. You'll want a wire cage with 1/2 inch bar spacing. The cage could have a depth of at least 14 inches, and the total cubic feet of the cage should be 2 cu feet per rat. They don't stay small forever and even for their size that looks too small. I hope that's just something they traveled in.
Before you get a cage, check the dimensions here http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/information/guides/cagecalculator/
A good size cage new will cost 80 and up. You can check craigslist for used ones. Martins is a good brand, but you don't want anything smaller than the 680. If that's just a carrier, ignore that paragraph.

Now, for their activity level.. What are you feeding them? If they're having a hard time with hard food (they should be on either a block diet or a Suebee style mix. Never seed mix), you could try mixing up lab blocks with water. Have you been feeding the kitten milk with a syringe? How much are they eating when they eat? Are they drinking?


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## ratjes (Mar 26, 2011)

Call th eone who sold them to you and demand their birth date. never go back there again. Good luck, I hope they make it.


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## Jolecerve (Sep 1, 2011)

I did not want to disturb them to much that's why I took the pictures in the bus. They are 3 different sizes the little one is the one that was up and about in the picture. 
I will take more pictures when they get up to eat again. 
They are on a block diet I have been breaking the blocks up for them so they are easier for them to eat. They are having bowl movements and urinating. They do not feel to scrawny but I would not call them plump somewhere in the middle.. They are eating the blocks and drinking water fine. There eyes are wide open for the most part except when they first wake up then they are squinty and half closed like in the picture.


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## Jolecerve (Sep 1, 2011)

They are not housed in the Bus they are in a 3 story rat Cage. I just took the picture of them in the bus because they were sleeping


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## smesyna (Nov 22, 2010)

Rats can eat solid food at three weeks but that is too young.

Glad they are not living in the bus lol.

Be sure to put an object like a coke can in the pic for size.


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## Jolecerve (Sep 1, 2011)

Ok newest picks the one with the soda can is the smallest one they go up in size so I have a small medium and bigger one I wouldn't call any of them large


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## phoebe (Nov 22, 2010)

Wow... those rats are not 5 weeks old. I would guess 3.5 weeks or maybe 4 weeks.... I have had 5 week old rats and they were twice that size. They also look too skinny. I would try to get them to eat some high calorie foods like ensure, avocado, meat flavor baby foods, etc. If you are feeding them lab blocks, soak a few in some ensure and then mash it up together. My rats always go CRAZY for ensure. They like Strawberry and Butter Pecan the best. Its about $8 for 6 bottles at walmart.


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## smesyna (Nov 22, 2010)

Wow they are really tiny! I'd guess three weeks but hopefully someone who has baby experience can give their opinion too. I would definitely supplement them.


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## Jolecerve (Sep 1, 2011)

I will give that a try Phoebe Thank you.. The lady I got them from said they have been away from there mom for a week already this may be why they are so skinny. I thought they were to small to be 5 weeks old. I hope they will be ok I can't stand the thought of loosing any of them they are so precious.. 
Should I put them in a smaller cage/container until they put on some weight and get bigger?


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## Ruairidh (Aug 29, 2011)

As others have said, get some baby cereal, and some high-calorie foods. Avocado is a good idea. Mine love coconut oil on toast, if you can get a hold of it. Also, would you mind telling us where you got these babies? It would be nice to know whether you got them from a breeder or a pet shop, and if you got them from a breeder, which one and where? Mostly just so that those who are in the know can put them on the watch list for unscrupulous breeders, or something like that.


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## phoebe (Nov 22, 2010)

Jolecerve said:


> I will give that a try Phoebe Thank you.. The lady I got them from said they have been away from there mom for a week already this may be why they are so skinny. I thought they were to small to be 5 weeks old. I hope they will be ok I can't stand the thought of loosing any of them they are so precious..
> Should I put them in a smaller cage/container until they put on some weight and get bigger?


I think something is really wrong if they are 5 weeks old. Are they using the bathroom OK? Diarrhea? If they had already been away from mom for a week before you got them, then that would mean she separated at 2-3 weeks (based on how old they look)? 

Do you have a picture of the cage? I'm sure its fine, as long as they seem to be doing well in it and can't escape. I would just make sure they have some nice soft fleece to cuddle and stay warm in.


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## phoebe (Nov 22, 2010)

Also, in that one picture, it looks like the cage floor (or shelf) has a wire bottom? I would cover that ASAP with some fleece, a towel, something. It looks dangerous to little rats, especially some this tiny. I would also make sure they are not dehydrated. Are they able to drink from a water bottle without trouble?

One more thing, do they have any high white markings? I doubt you would end up with 3 rats with megacolon, but that could explain the failure to thrive if they are really 5 weeks old. 

http://www.spoiledratten.com/highwhitecont.html

http://ratguide.com/health/digestive/megacolon.php 

check out those links and see if that could be a possibility.


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## TGQ (Dec 26, 2010)

Oh wow. They are tiny. I'd keep feeding the kitten milk with the syringe, and as someone suggested, rats love Ensure. Not much else I can suggest. My thoughts go to them though.


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## Jolecerve (Sep 1, 2011)

No high white marks at all.. The floor on the cage is covered with a clear plastic this was the first thing I did before I got them to make sure no one got hurt because I was told even large rats can get injured in such a cage. 

I did go ahead and take them out of that cage though and put them in a 10 gal aquarium with a screen lid on it, and gave them some coconut oil soaked bread and crushed one of there blocks into a powder and put that on the bread (they love it). I keep extra virgin coconut oil in the house to cook with. 

Since I moved them to the aquarium they have been getting out of the bus and running around eating everything in sight. I think they were to cold in the other cage this may be why they stayed in there bus. They are in the process of loosing there fine fur and will eventually be completely hairless or have a very fine rex coat. 

I was told they would drink from a water bottle but I just put a frosting lid with water in it in there for them. 
I have been watching them for the last 30 min or so and they all have been going to there water dish every few min after eating. 

I hope this behavior keeps up and they start gaining weight once they get bigger I will put them back in there big cage so they can climb and play like a ratty should be able to. I just want to make sure they are as healthy as they can be before I try putting them back in there to soon.. I will go get them some Ensure tomorrow and try making them a hash with there blocks and see if they will eat that as well. 

Thank you all so much for all of the great advice and help and I will defiantly keep everyone posted as to how they are doing on a day to day or week to week basis. If things don't start looking up I will be taking them over to KS to see the closest Vet in my area that will treat rats.


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## phoebe (Nov 22, 2010)

Jolecerve said:


> No high white marks at all.. The floor on the cage is covered with a clear plastic this was the first thing I did before I got them to make sure no one got hurt because I was told even large rats can get injured in such a cage.
> 
> I did go ahead and take them out of that cage though and put them in a 10 gal aquarium with a screen lid on it, and gave them some coconut oil soaked bread and crushed one of there blocks into a powder and put that on the bread (they love it). I keep extra virgin coconut oil in the house to cook with.
> 
> ...


Yay! I am glad they are not high white. I think it's just a case of being separated wayyyyyy to young from mommy. You seem to be doing a great job, so I think they will be fine! I will keep my fingers crossed that they will gain some weight and grow up to be big, strong, healthy ratties! 

You can also just put the ensure in a little dish (I use a heavy, shallow dish so they can't tip it) and they will lap it up... its totally adorable!


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## ratjes (Mar 26, 2011)

That sounds all hopeful. Keep us posted.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

smesyna said:


> Wow they are really tiny! I'd guess three weeks but hopefully someone who has baby experience can give their opinion too. I would definitely supplement them.


3 - 3.5 weeks old...nakies always look a big scrawnier than their furry siblings but they have the giant heads and skinny bodies of baby rats that are way too young. The wee-est one is either the runt or from a younger litter (that one is for sure 3 weeks, the other may be a little older).

Pretend their mom died and they need your help. soak lab blocks, feed them baby cereal and formula or Ensure with a bit of water. For veggies they can have frozen thawed mixed veggies (like peas, corn and carrots), small pieces they can pick up. Offer them bits of cooked egg to get extra proteins. Grains are good as well, but it would be best to find a good staple lab block for later.

You need to pick up each of these wee girls and put their teeny sides to your ear and listen to their breathing. (both sides). Listen for any rough sounds, crackling, wheezing, gurgling. Watch their activity levels...babies have 2 modes, Crazy On and Full Stop (sleep). How much are you able to observe them?

You are also going to have to look into finding a vet that will treat rats (most cat and dog vets won't...dont' have the training). Nakies are cute but can often have issues with their eyes and skin, and these young'uns may need a vet if they get or are sick.


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## Jolecerve (Sep 1, 2011)

The babies are getting around much better, playing more, and they are gaining a little weight. Cream the campaign colored one has been sneezing and has a small rattle in her chest so I am giving all three of them Doxycycline to clear it up and to make sure the other girls don't get it. I will take some pictures next week so everyone can see how much they have grown


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## Ratsanctuary (Mar 24, 2011)

Aww they are soo cute, good luck with them


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## 3NakedLadies (Jan 27, 2011)

Hi, not sure if anyone else has said this ( i can't be bothered reading every post) I have 3 naked girls, i got them at 5 weeks old, they only had fuzzy fur left and abit of fluff on their face! To be that furry for a hairless 5 week old rat is not right! I would guess at 3 weeks old maybe a bit older. Also I used the same type of bedding as you when i got my rats and just thought i'd give you a heads up that when they start to lose most of their fur that bedding really irritates their skin and eyes, i've found it best to just put in old socks and jumpers (soft ones, not wool). otherwise there eyes get very swollen I hope they soldier on been taken away from their mummy so young! xxxx

this is a picture of when i first got my 5 week old hairless rats.


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## Jolecerve (Sep 1, 2011)

Quick update I took a quick picture of peaches the smallest of the three same one pictured with the soda can before she has gotten so big it's
hard to believe she is the same little ratty.. The other two cream and Pep are doing well I will try to get some pictures of them but it is so hard to get them to 
sit still for even a second. Thank you all again for all of your help


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## Maltey (Jun 26, 2011)

Wow they've grown so much bigger- you've done a fantastic job with them!


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