by Hi everyone!! I'm so very sorry I haven't had a chance to post the last few
days.. I have been trying to read the threads I started, but by the time I'm
done I usually need to sleep, or run off to take care of a pet. ;P
I've been busy and stressed and it's been hard to think about other people's
rats right now, as mine are still sick, and one of them has managed to progress
to pneumonia.. :( Today, for the first time, I *finally* managed to get my Vet
to see the ratties, after first trying a week and a day ago! First she was on
vacation, then she just wasn't around, etc, etc. ::growl:: ANYWAY..
My baby is on Baytril now, instead of Bactrim, and my husband's boy was on
Baytril as well, but seemed to have an allergic reaction to it, (his whole face
swelled up!) so now he's on a different antibiotic. (That's the third we've
tried. :P) My hubby's rat, Saidin, is the more sick of the two. Mine, Saidar,
seems to have perked up, and according to the Doc, his lungs sounded pretty
good, while Saidin sounds so bad that the Vet is convinced he has pneumonia. :(
Right now we need a lot of positive energy and well wishes.
Since I haven't had time, and probably won't for a while, to respond to posts
separately, I'm going to respond to each thread here with a general post.. I'm
sorry folks, and I hope you understand that I really, really appreciate all of
the advice and help.. I just don't have the time or energy to respond to
everything right now. :(
Here we go..
Re: Cage questions!
After reading what everyone had to say, and poking around everywhere online and
in the "real" world.. we decided on the second largest rat cage on
martinscages.com. Model #R-690, with the powder coating. We ordered it on Monday
and they said to expect it on or around the following Monday, so hopefully we
will have it soon! We'll probably try covering the wire with the cross stitch
netting and/or cardboard if it seems needed.. thank you for the suggestions,
everyone! :)
The boys have been moved from the aquarium into a small crate that our puppy
outgrew. We became so worried about the ventilation problems of the aquarium
making things worse, that we decided to put up with the fact that the boys can
get OUT of the crate. :P If we cannot be watching them, then we put the crate in
the bathtub, so that if they DO climb out through the bars, they can't go very
far. Luckily the bathroom is heated just like the rest of the house, and they
never actually try to climb out unless they smell chicken, so it's worked pretty
well so far. It's also easier to clean, as I can take it apart and scrub it
every couple of days.
I tried paper towel bedding for a while, but even though it worked okay, they
did tend to clear it off most of the floor, so in an effort to keep them warmer,
I put Carefresh in the bottom. I think they may be sneezing and scratching more
now however, so we will probably either go back to paper towels, or use rabbit
food, as someone on a mailing list suggested. I think I may also give them a
couple of rags.. anything to keep the really sick boy warmer.
~~~~~~~
Re: Feeding/illness questions
Okay.. right now they are still getting a staple diet of lab block, vit
supplement pellets, grain, and safflower seeds. They've actually started eating
everything in the bowl now, including lab blocks! (Yay!) Also, sometime during
the day, usually early afternoon, they get a large plate of thawed frozen
veggies, out of which I pick every single piece of corn, in case Saidin is
allergic to THAT, and NOT the Baytril. Birdie bread is also in the mix, though
I'm running out rapidly, so will have to make a new batch soon! I also give them
a bit of what I eat at dinner.. tonight they got pizza crust and chicken pieces.
They also get baby food twice a day, when I medicate them. Currently I have
sweet potatoes and chicken, plain sweet potatoes, and a rice/fruit mix. We're
buying only the organic kind, with no added salt, sugar, or preservatives, and
we watch the protein intake carefully. Thankfully this system has made it MUCH
easier to medicate them, as all we have to do is draw the dosage into the
syringe, then some baby food, shake it up, add a little more baby food, and then
stick the syringe up to their noses. They both stand on their hind legs and
cling to the syringe with their front feet while they gobble it down. So cute!
:)
If anyone has any more suggestions I'd love to hear them.. just please bear in
mind that I may not be able to respond quickly, if at all. :P I will post
updates if anything else happens.. If Saidin gets better I'm sure you'll get a
very, very e***d message, and if not.. well.. hopefully my message won't make
anyone cry.. I'm sure it will me, however. :(
Thanks again everyone! If I forgot to respond to anything specific, please
e-mail me. ::hugs::
~Sarah and Zoo