# How can you tell if a baby rat has megacolon?



## kindhearted (Aug 4, 2011)

I posted a thread under the title "help nursing 2 orphan rats". One of the babies didn't make it, I think it was due to megacolon I have pictures up under that topic. The brother survived and is almost 2 weeks old now, I'm noticing that his stomach is enlarged just like his sisters was...however he is still peeing and pooing. I'm still worried though. Is there anyway he could have megacolon?


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

kindhearted said:


> I posted a thread under the title "help nursing 2 orphan rats". One of the babies didn't make it, I think it was due to megacolon I have pictures up under that topic. The brother survived and is almost 2 weeks old now, I'm noticing that his stomach is enlarged just like his sisters was...however he is still peeing and pooing. I'm still worried though. Is there anyway he could have megacolon?


Bloating with megacolon usually happens with the babies are starting to wean off milk, and go onto solids...failure to thrive is an early symptom of MC though, but I wouldn't say its MC for this boy yet...he's just too young. Is he not pooping/peeing well anymore?


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## kindhearted (Aug 4, 2011)

lilspaz68 said:


> Bloating with megacolon usually happens with the babies are starting to wean off milk, and go onto solids...failure to thrive is an early symptom of MC though, but I wouldn't say its MC for this boy yet...he's just too young. Is he not pooping/peeing well anymore?


So you can't really tell until they eat solids then? Oh he's peeing/pooping fine i'm just worried about his belly bulging out like his sisters. Do you think it could be due to him drinking the milk to fast? I push the syringe slowly but he always seems to gulp it all down! I'll take a pic of his stomach soon. The pic below is him sleeping, soo adorable.


http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/850/imag01851.jpg/


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## TobyRat (May 24, 2011)

He could just be gulping air as he feeds. I'd try not to worry so soon. 

Love the pic of him sleeping!


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## kindhearted (Aug 4, 2011)

Thank you!


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