NO! not another rat...

[Predator]

I woke up earlier today and noticed our other pet rat has died. I cant figure out what is going on. They are fine one moment then just drop dead the next. Now I did notice that this one had a bit of a breathing problem. She seemed to be breathing a little hard all the time. The one before though never even let out a sneeze and I seen nothing wrong with her. My girlfriend will be home in about 30 min and she is going to be crushed. I dont know if maybe its the pet store I got them from. They just have them in a bin in the back as feeder rats. They are the cleanest pet shop I have around here. I dont know if we should buy another or not. We have spent over $100 in caging and things for them but I cant keep having them drop dead without knowing what the cause is. This sucks :wall:

 

[Imegnixs_Cinder]

Im really sorry your having such bad luck lately
Im thinking maybe either genetic defect or infection in lungs, if they were feeders they probably wern't taken great care of in the pet store.
I would deffo get another one, but get one from either a differnt shop or look around for a rat breeder near you. Its not at all the norm for them to die so young, they are usually pretty hardy pets. May I also suggest if you do get another, try and get one around 8 - 10 weeks old, they tend to be a bit hardier then than at 6 weeks and the extra weeks with their litter mates makes them a bit more sociable. Good Luck!

 

[Predator]

Yea im done buying them there. I know Petco sells them as pets and not feeders but all they have I think are adult males. Im really not a fan of their store either. I guess im just going to have to look around.

 

[atavuss]

IME rats are tough buggers. I have them in a detached shed that gets up to 100 degrees inside. granted the rats will all be laying around and not doing much but they still keep going. they seem to do better at cooler temps, they will all huddle to stay warm, and the babies are always very warm to the touch in cold weather. I keep plenty of fresh clean water and food for them at all times.
what are you using for food, substrate, etc.?

 

[Predator]

Right now for food we are using Sun seed Vita Rat and mouse formula. My girlfriend feeds them treats like cheese, rice crispys, and an occasional peanut. We also have some treats we bought from the pet store for rats. We used pine bedding but switched over to newspaper since the bedding was a little dusty. We did go get another one today so I hope things go much better.

 

[Imegnixs_Cinder]

Did you get a male or a female? Any piccies?
Females tend to be less aggressive when keeping a single rat, males can get a bit nippy when they reach puberty unless they are handled a lot.
Please post a pic

 

[MyNameHere]

wow, that DOES suck something huge!

Perhaps it varies by region, but I've always heard that rats are prone to respiratory problems. Domestic rats were originally bred for their relatively docile temperament to use in "rat terrier vs rat" debacles, then, of course, to be used as feeders.

basically, nowhere in these breeding programs was anyone paying particular attention to health or longevity of these creatures.

your absolute best bet is going to be to find a local breeder of FANCY rats. They're pretty much the same as the feeders you've been buying--except maybe w/more interesting colors--but a fancy rat breeder is breeding for pets or showing, so they pay more attention to health for their breeding lines.

short of that I'd try to maybe find a pet store that specializes in small animals, or at least one that doesn't sell rats as feeders. They're more likely to be more knowledgeable about the health of their animals, too.

Good luck, and don't give up!

 

[Predator]

Right now all we have is 2 females. The first 2 were females also. So far they have been very gentle and havent had a single bite from a rat. Since these two are new they still have the fear poops but so far they dont seem interested in biting. I did have to get another from the same pet store since the other one only had the white rats with red eyes. The ones we have now both have black heads with the white bodies. I will try and get some pics up later.

 

[Imegnixs_Cinder]

Sounds like you have hooded rats
Females in pairs rarely bite

 

[Lunatia]

Right now for food we are using Sun seed Vita Rat and mouse formula. My girlfriend feeds them treats like cheese, rice crispys, and an occasional peanut. We also have some treats we bought from the pet store for rats. We used pine bedding but switched over to newspaper since the bedding was a little dusty. We did go get another one today so I hope things go much better.

Cedar and pine beddings are toxic for rodents/rats , they damage the respiratory system. So i guess the 2 females you had may have died because of that, but i'm not sure tho. Anyway i'm sorry to hear about your loss but i hope you can find lots of new joy with the 2 black hoods

 

[Herps&Inverts]

If you're wanting pet rats that are actually healthy, you might go for a pet rat breeder. I've got a friend in Oklahoma City that breeds them (www.okcrattery.com) and has wonderful animals. Some of the rats I've bred are living upto 5 years. You really need to be careful where your genetics are coming from, that's the first thing that'll knock rats off. Also, male rats live longer than females because they're less prone to mammary tumors. Try getting two freshly-weaned males, they'll grow up letting you spoil them (so you get finger lickers instead of finger biters) and probably far surpass the lifespan of the females.

As far as substrate goes, you need to use something almost completely dust free. CareFresh, Yesterdays News or Newspaper works the best. If you notice a red discharge coming from your rats nose and/or eyes, s/he needs to see the vet. Its a good indication of a respiratory infection. You might also consider mixing your own food. Oxbow makes a great supplemental heart-shaped rat food that is a great staple. You can add trailmix, nuts, dried berries/fruits, yogurt drops, etc. Rats thrive on a varied diet.

Above all, Petco/Petsmart/chain stores are simply breeding rats as cage-fillers. They're the ones living 4-9 months instead of 2-5 years.

Sam

 

[Imegnixs_Cinder]

I have kept my rats on woodshavings for 15 yrs and never once had a rat die of anything related to its bedding, neither have I had a rat with asthma or bad lungs due to it, in fact 95% of all my rats have lived long past the expected life span of a rat.
A lot of pet stores are now advising to use cat litter as bedding, however what they don't tell you is if its not 100% paper based cat litter it can be toxic.
Personally I don't beleive pine and cedar are toxic to rats, but there is some concern over the dust caused by it but its never caused me a problem.
In regards to bedding, please see the following article http://www.ratz.co.uk/ratbedding.html
Like I said before, I have used sawdust for 15 yrs with no ill effects, but it is possible the pet store I buy it from doesnt use cedar or pine, sadly it doesn't say on tha packaging what wood it is.