# momma rat running out of milk! what can i do?



## rat resqr (Apr 26, 2009)

i rescue rats and often times have pregnant females. this one was no different, but when i took her i knew the minute i looked at her i knew she was pregnant. dispite my friend saying there was no way because she had just had a litter of babies two months ago, i knew better. well, as i expected she had 13 babies just like her last litter. the last litter had no problem, but this litter she is running out of milk and the babies are getting skinny. they have started to open their eyes and are trying new foods, but they are no where near weaned. i am trying to get them to eat anything: bread softened in kitten replacement milk, baby food, crickets, wet cat food....anything that i know is safe. i have never had this problem, but i have bottle fed baby rats before. i am using the kitten replacement milk like i did with the last orphaned litter, but they won't drink it. i guess because these are older than the last litter they aren't used to it. i am not sure, but does any one have any ideas for what i could feed momma to help her produce more milk? i have never had this problem before so i know it is not her diet. she eats plenty and the vet can not find anything wrong with her. i am stuck and looking for any helpful advice.....please help! ???


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## Stace87 (Jun 24, 2008)

Be careful giving bread - rats can choke on it quite easily. Good luck with the babies.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

You can feed her milk formula, Ensure, Boost, Soy milk and baby cereal...get her to eat, its all part of it. Make sure she has access to lots of liquids/water. I know a little momma who wasn't supplemented and started to dry off and the babies got small and sickly.

the babies are about 16 days old? If you can get them to 3 weeks you are home safe!


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## rat resqr (Apr 26, 2009)

Stace87 said:


> Be careful giving bread - rats can choke on it quite easily. Good luck with the babies.


 oops, i should have made that clearer. i have always heard that bread could choke a rat, so i use the middle of the whole wheat hamburger buns, so it is very soft. i soak it in milk for about 10 minutes or so and it is really mushy, but so far momma has been eating more of it than the babies. i figured the calcium is good for her, so i don't try to stop her. i have also been giving her crushed egg shells and she dives right into them along with her scrambled eggs  thanks for the info/tips. if any one has any other advice, i welcome it with open arms. i really want to save these young'uns


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## marshmallowfriend (Apr 16, 2009)

Are the babies getting too much solid food and not nursing enough? I'm no expert on rat milk production but I know that with humans milk production works on a supply and demand principle. The more baby nurses, the more milk is made. This is because the milk is actually made _during_ feedings.


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## rat resqr (Apr 26, 2009)

the babies were not eating solid food until they were starving and finally gave in to my constant trying to get them to eat. these babies were never the right size from day one. they never gained weight like my others did either. a friend told me to cull them, but i could not do it. i could not decided who lived and who died. i figured since i had hand fed babies before i could do it again, but my babies now are a lot older than the other litter i hand fed and they would not take to the replacement milk. the mother was terribly skinny when i got her and i have done everything i know to fatten her up and gave her everything the vet said. she is putting on wieght nicely, but the babies weren't. i do not know their genes becuase they are rescues, so i didn't know if something was wrong, but i was going to do everything in my power to save them. because they would not take the replacement milk, my vet said to try weaning them early (they were two weeks old). so i started giving them soft foods that the vet recommended and some suggestions from here, after checking with my vet. They are doing a ton better now and all are still living. they have mostly weaned from mom and are a little small, but they should catch up. thank you for your concern. i have realy appreciated all the help that i have recieved on this forum!!! ;D


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

It sounds like a case of Failure to Thrive...they just don't grow and develop the way they should. Some should make it though, so keep trying


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## rat resqr (Apr 26, 2009)

a few people have said that to me. maybe it happened because she was so run down and weak? i am not sure. failure to thrive is not a genetic condition, so hopefully whatever babies do make it will be ok. i have a female from her last litter of thirteen and she is completely normal. i think she was just too far gone by the time i got her to rebuild her strength and milk for the babies. so far all of them are hanging on.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

rat resqr said:


> a few people have said that to me. maybe it happened because she was so run down and weak? i am not sure. failure to thrive is not a genetic condition, so hopefully whatever babies do make it will be ok. i have a female from her last litter of thirteen and she is completely normal. i think she was just too far gone by the time i got her to rebuild her strength and milk for the babies. so far all of them are hanging on.


No one is sure why Failure to Thrive happens, it could be genetic, it could be teh mom wasn't able to nourish her babies as well as she should've been able to. Some babies die, some will grow up and be unthrifty adults and others will grow up just fine. Just like when little eepers die unexpectedly, we cannot know what is wrong with them physiologically. 

I wish your remaining babies much luck.


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## rat resqr (Apr 26, 2009)

true, it may be genetic. i think her case isn't a genetic issue because she has had 3 litters with this male before i took her. the first litter was 14 babies , the 2nd-13, and the 3rd-13. These litters were all back to back and she had more litters with another breeder before that breeder got a hold of her. whisper, the momma, is old and had three large litters back to back, so i believe she was just worn out, plain and simple. her other two litters are fine. the breeder still has babies from both litters and i have one from the last litter. if i felt there was anything genetically wrong i would have had them all put to sleep, but i don't think there is. i could be wrong, but we will just have to see. i will probably be keeping a few of the babies. The original reason i posted my question was to get ideas of good things she could eat to keep her milk longer and feed the babies as long as possible


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## begoodtoanimals (Dec 6, 2007)

It sounds like the mom has been exhausted from having litters and is no longer able to supply for her babies. In nature it's the mother who needs to survive so the babies will suffer if she is depleted.


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## rat resqr (Apr 26, 2009)

well, i have good news. surprisingly i did not loose any babies, though i did loose a lot of sleep.  all the little ones are doing well, though they are way smaller than they should be. i will be giving them to friends and family to be kept as pets and never bred. thanks for all the help guys and gals. i really appreciate it ;D


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## AMJ087 (Aug 27, 2008)

Momma needs lots of protein like yougart, that may help


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## rat resqr (Apr 26, 2009)

i had been giving her yogurt for the calcium, but i did not know it had protein in it too. I found out she likes strawberry and blueberry.


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