# will dark chocolate and powerade actually help till get to the vet?



## pigletxdobbyxbuttons (Feb 15, 2014)

I thought a noise that I'd occasionally hear my boys making was hiccuping or something, it's a chirp/peep it goes on for about a minute, lately the noise has been getting more frequent, and I've heard it from all of my boys, Buttons the most, Piglet second most, and sometimes Dobby. Now Buttons is also starting to sneeze more often and so are my other boys. I heard Buttons make an odd noise that sounded maybe like wheezing. The vets won't see us tommorow, they need a $100 down payment first, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to get a ride until Saturday again. Should I buy dark chocolate and powerade until we get to the vet. Or should I take just Buttons tommorow and the other boys Saturday? They will see just one rat without a down payment. He is still playing, eating, and drinking, but I know he is getting sick. Should I not risk the wait? either way if dark chocolate and powerade work I will get it for them regardless, do I dilute the powerade? Thank you in advance for your help. And best wishes for Buttons, and my other boys please. I hope the vet will give us the right meds and diagnose them right, only 3 vets anywhere remotely close to me will take rats, I hope this place is good.


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## pigletxdobbyxbuttons (Feb 15, 2014)

And do all rats get sick this often? my boys are only 3 months


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Are there no better vets?

No powerade unless they're not drinking. Go for dark chocolate (70%+) and raw honey. Give them a chip each or melt it over a treat. The raw honey should be tempting enough for them to eat off a spoon but they won't like it on their hands or whiskers. 


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## thenightgoddess (Apr 2, 2014)

Well what bedding do you have them on, what kind of cage are they in, how often are you cleaning it, and where did you get them from? Also I don't think you need powerade if they seem to be drinking and pooping the same as normal and I am pretty sure you shouldn't give more then one chip of dark chocolate per a week. If all three are sick then all three do need to see the vet but they will probably be ok till saturday. Rats arent healthy pets and will usually need to go to the vet at least a few times but where you buy them from and how you keep them can effect that.


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## pigletxdobbyxbuttons (Feb 15, 2014)

Thank you guys, i wont give them powerade, but I bought 90% dark chocolate, ill only give them a chip each. And I'll give them some honey on a spoon never heard of honey helping thanks for the info!

And I have them in a ferret cage, its about 4 feet tall, and pretty wide. I was using repurposed wood pulp for a couple weeks, instead of fleece because i dont get too the laundromat too often, but I bought 4 sets of fleece and towels, so I can use that again even if I can't go to the laundromat every week, 
we've been using fleece and towels again for a week now. 
I got them from a co-worker he bought two females from a pet store, one was pregnant. 
Until I got my boys he was keeping all 10 rats in a small tank . 
And I pick up the poop every day, wipe down the stairs, etc. And I'm gonna be changing the fleece once a week.. Hopefully they will be litter trained soon. 
I really hope they are okay, I love them so much. 
And unfortunately no, they are no better vets:/ rats are a very uncommon pet in my area.. people all the time think im crazy for keeping rats as pets, they are just uninformed and obviously do not treat all animals as equals..


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## pigletxdobbyxbuttons (Feb 15, 2014)

I think all of his rats died besides the boys I took... very sad


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

The "wood pulp" is not helping matters. Get back to fleece ASAP.

And a vet that needs a down payment before seeing an animal? Of $100? I'd laugh that vet right out of town. WOW!

Make sure the honey is RAW honey. The honey from the grocery store is heat-treated until all of the goodness is cooked right out.


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## pigletxdobbyxbuttons (Feb 15, 2014)

Yup switched back to fleece a week ago, was stupid of me to ever use something else. And thank you ill go to the health food store tommorow I'm sure they have raw honey there


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