I wouldn’t give the rats hay since they don’t really digest it well and it’s also often very dusty. A lot of vets don’t have updated information and you can’t fully trust everything they say sadly, even though that would be easy! As for the sneezing and porphyrin it’s very normal and almost all the rats I’ve had have had sneezing to some degree. Porphyrin is just their normal body fluid and it turns red when it meets air. Rats clean it away themselves, which is why we don’t always notice it. Respiratory infections are mostly when they have trouble breathing and they make sounds when they breathe. Plus the changed behaviours like lethargy etc. So I wouldn’t be too concerned just by them sneezing! By the way I’d give them fleece instead of towels, because when they chew towels there are a lot of loose strings that they can get stuck around their body parts and it could cut off their blood circulation. So fleece blankets is a way better and safer option. You’re a great first time rat owner, and it makes me really happy to see all the research you’ve put in before getting your babies! Keep up the good work💕
yes yes to all of this! being a rat owner is definitely an experience and you often learn as time goes on, but it’s so nice seeing more people realize how great they are as pets and better understand their care! ❤️
Hi! I just bumped into your channel via search! Porphorin (red blood like discharge) is very normal for rats. It turns red when exposed to air. It can happen due to stress, and just a new home change can cause that. Its so scary the first time you see it for sure! Sneezing is also super normal for up to 2 weeks right after bringing home new rats. They often are super sensitive to environmental changes. A vet check never hurts anything though! If on a block diet rats don’t need supplements just FYI. Complete diets are complete. They might like them as treats though! Paper bedding of any kind is really horrible for rats. It doesn’t absorb any ammonia at all. Id highly recommend changing to kiln dried pine(its proven safe by lab testing. Kiln drying removes the phenols which make raw pine unsafe) or aspen. Ammonia is one of the many reasons rats have issues with sneezing and respiratory issues. They are babies so the seeds and cheerios are ok. Fruits and veggies can cause them to get to fat, and can be too high in sugars, also can cause tummy upsets. Rats definitely don’t need hay! They don’t digest it. It can be nesting enrichment but they dont NEED it. Rats Dont need vitamin c either! They produce it on their own. They are not like guinea pigs so those treats aren’t needed at all and honestly aren’t made for rats to digest. Which is likely why they don’t like them. Just give them to guinea pigs, or toss honestly. Id encourage you to pop over to my channel or ratopedia for good science backed info. You clearly love your babies! They are well cared for! And your doing great tryin to learn and changing as you learn more. ❤️
I use a water dish that clips to the side of the cage and this works great! I have two baby rats who are still learning how to use the water bottles I have in their cage so they definitely prefer a bowl too!
Yeah my girls don't use the water bottle too often so I definitely need to keep a water bowl in there. I think I'll need to get one that clips on the side of the cage. Where did you purchase yours? Online?
that red stuff is just porphyrin a little of it is normal and they’ll just groom it off but obviously if they’re showing other symptoms of a uri take them to the vets :) also I don’t recommend ever giving them alfalfa hay since rats can’t digest it properly, and hay is not essential but a little is good enrichment. cage looks great with the new hammocks :)
@@hypnotherapycw I don't believe it's possible to get everything absolutely right, esp on the first time owning rats, and even after that. We learn from others, what we can do is share our knowledge. She loves her rats and she works with the knowledge she's getting.
Soooooo admirable that you did your reasearch...and went to the vet...ive had 4 in my life (no "exotic" vets around) and learned things all the time. The hardest part for me is that I only got to enjoy them for such a short time)....when they pass, it is just as traumatic as losing a dog or cat...but so worth the love...I just can't do it again...but good for you being such an amazing rat owner.
You're so pretty!!! Omg!!!! The ratties are so big now! I can tell you're an amazing owner!! Hope your rats are well! I'm so close to getting rats but I can't find a vet anywhere :(
Thank you so much, you always leave me the nicest comments the rats are doing much better now! It's great you are being a responsible person, I hope you can track one down!
Awww they are growing so fast. Really great to see you being alert when it comes to their health. I think you are doing this very good and taking the responsibility for these little creatures. We had the same learning with the weighing XD It is hard do control their weight sometimes. I really do not think that hay is a good idea. The dust in it will only cause more issues and it is not really part of a typical rat diet. If it is for natural enrichment I think there are better/safer alternatives. E.g. the mix we use for our rats has dried herbs and flowers in it, which are edible for them. But I am only a person online with an opinion so no critic regarding you going by what your vet says :) Love the new cage setup, the hammocks are really cute and I am excited for the bigger cage once it arrives :D
What a beautifull rats you have girl! You are doing very well with youre rats. You are so dedicated and an example for other first time rat owners. I my self have rats for 36 years now. And there still is much to learn about them. Kisses and hugs to youre 4 diva's. Hihi
I have an answer to the water question: buy a bowl that attaches to the cage bars!! You can usually find those on the bird isle of pet shops! I love your new layout!❤️
They are still trying to figure out to water bottle and much prefer the water bowl so I think that is what I'll have to do (purchase one that can attach to the cage). Thank you for the sweet comment :)
You can buy a plastic solid fence that fits together so they have a free roam space out side the cage. That will help with training them as you can have out of cage toys for them and teach them things.
Hope little rats are okay 💜 I recommend hemp bedding, thats what emiology uses for her rats. It irritates me when I put it in my littles enclosures, I have to wear a mask. But my littles have been good with it. I got it from TSC, im not sure if there's one near you but thats where I got it from. Decently priced for a big bag as well.
Also, for the supplement I'd break the 1/4 up into smaller pieces and add it to their food individually. More work but then it's not as overwhelming for them to just get a small piece here and there instead of a bigger piece in one shot.
I honestly can't believe it! 1,000 subscribers was my 2021 goal and it's happened so much quicker then I had ever imagined- mainly because this type of rat content has done tremendously well so I continue to document it haha. Thank you thank you my friend!!!
Hi, I just discovered your channel very recently and I've been going through all your rat videos :) I doubt this information is still needed but I recommend getting a cage crock if you need a water bowl that suspends on the side of the cage- you can get them inexpensively at most pet stores or online!
Thanks for giving all the information! I hope to get rats soon (double checking the allergies of my boyfriend at the moment) and these kind of videos and the info you give help a lot! Hope to see more content about you lovely furry rat friends!
My rats were sneezing a lot in the beginning too, I switched to fleece on the bottom and the shelves and my rats were much happier. I just added a sand/paper box to let them dig around in.
I use a car carrier like that for my rats vet visit. I honestly like it better than the small animal carriers because I can clip on of their water bottles onto the front.
I was surprised to see you put kaytee in the cage, idk if I just have bad luck, but I find it to be also really dusty, I’ve moved my mice to safe wood shavings, it’s the only bedding that I can make sure has no dust in it.
I have a tip on getting your rats to eat the vitamins. Basically you can dip it in peanut butter and then wipe it of. Or let it soak in fruit juice for about 10 seconds
Sorry this is so long. You inspired me. 😉 I know more about guinea pigs and rabbits, so not sure if any of this would help, but it sounds like a lot crosses over since I use the same brand bedding, treats, hay, fleece, etc. I think biggest difference is that rats are omnivores so they can eat things like eggs and insects and they can climb. Not sure if they can digest timothy hay since it’s harder (great for rabbits and guins though), but they might like orchard grass since that is softer and would be easier to nest in. There are different kinds of forages available too, but those tend to be fattening so best saved as treats. Either way some type of hay or grass would prob be good for their teeth. They are always growing so they need to chew constantly. For their nails, you might want to also put in some wood houses with a base or blocks that they can scratch. They might pee on them so they’d need to be changed or cleaned, but I’ve found with small rodents (I had gerbils for over a decade) they like to dig/scratch things that are underneath them like in a corner. Maybe look at your litter pans, the big one on the bottom of the cage, or other housings for scratch marks to see if this is the case with them too. Or if you ever hear them scratching, see what they’re using. That’ll likely be their preference in terms of shape or locations. I do wonder if they share similar habits as guins in terms of how they are willing to accept food. For example, if guins aren’t regularly fed fresh foods as babies, then it can be difficult getting them on the right diet. I’ve heard that guins would go so far as to starve themselves than try food they don’t recognize. Anyway key thing is letting them know it’s safe to eat and familiarize them with it. To do that you can either eat it in front of them and then offer them some. A “rat see, rat do” kinda situation. Or for food you can’t eat, like the vic C treats, you can leave them next to/mixed in with their normal food. Kinda like how you’d slowly change dry food brands or types. Once they grow used to the smell and associate it with safe food, they’ll be more likely to try it and eventually it’ll likely become a fave. Since a large portion of those treats are made with timothy hay, they’ll prob be more inclined to eat them once they get used to hay. It can take a few weeks to a couple months with guins to get them eating the right stuff, but not sure how long it might take with rats. Important part is to keep trying and don’t give up. In the meantime if your babies get sick again or stressed and need a vit c boost but won’t eat those treats, you can try a little orange, lemon, green bell pepper or parsley. The fruits you gotta watch the sugar content of, so veggies tend to be better on a day-to-day basis. A lot of dark green veggies have good vit c content, but they can also be too high in calcium and cause bladder stones, so it’s a balancing act. Green bell pepper generally has the best ratio since it also has high water content to flush out excess calcium. Rodents can die of URIs very fast, days to overnight if you don’t catch it in time, so very good you took them to the vet. Even if they didn’t need antibiotics at the time, if in a couple days things took a turn for the worse at night when everything was closed (which often happens) you’d at least likely be able to contact the vet through their answering service, and she’d be able to rx the meds asap since she just saw them recently versus having to wait til morn or take them to ER where there might not be an exotic vet on call who knows rats. Those few hours can make a huge difference between recovery and losing your babies. Plus once your vet gets to know you, they’ll be more inclined to trust you and your intuition and prescribe something temporary with the understanding you’ll take them in for a visit asap. So anyway, you made the right call, and it wasn’t a waste of money at all. It’s important to establish that rapport, and as you found, vets have a lot they can teach you. If they ever do need antibiotics, ask your vet about probiotics like bene-bac. I’m not sure how sensitive rats are to antibiotics or what dose they might need, but adding probiotics was a game changer for our guins. They could really only tolerate Baytril and without the probiotics they’d suffer with diarrhea and bloating which can kill a guin if left unchecked. Plus their appetite would decrease from the URI and the antibiotics. Bene-bac helped with that, and a little bit of dandelion leaf helped restore appetite. Gotta keep it to a small amount though. Dandelion can help stimulate the digestive tract, but too much can cause diarrhea too, so something to ask the vet about to get dosing for their weight. Good to have the info ahead of time for when you’ll eventually need it. One other thing to ask the vet: should you keep some type of critical care on hand in case you ever need to feed them if they stop eating when sick? I don’t know if they’d eat the same Oxbow Critical Care as guins or if there’s a different kind specifically for rats. But knowing your rats are picky eaters, you may want to familiarize them with it in case you ever need it. Smaller pets do tend to cost more bc of the need for an exotic vet who has far more training. A lot of med doses are too high so they have to be specially compounded for small animals. Equipment is usually too large as well, and the smaller the animal the harder it is to operate, so surgery can get expensive fast. Some of my guins’ vet visits were over $2K which included exams, blood or urine testing, x-rays, ultrasounds, surgery, and recovery. You may want to set up a health savings account for them or look into something like Care Credit which can give 6 months no interest at some vets. One last thing to note, again not sure how much of this translates to rats, but having space to run and zoomy/binky is really important for guins and rabbits. Rats can climb vertically, but they likely still need horizontal space to just run freely, so you may want to expand to letting them free roam in your room more. Not just floor/bed time, but like leaving their cage open while you’re home and able to watch over them. Not sure if that might need to wait until they are more used to you, but they’re called pocket puppies for a reason. They’re smart and will grow attached to you, greet you when you get home, jump to you and ride around on your shoulders, etc. The more they can freely interact with you on their terms, the closer you’ll get. Anyway, good luck! I love seeing these cuties! Looking forward to more vids with them. 😊
Omg! I saw you cutting up lettuce and I’m pretty sure that can be toxic to rats! Other than that I’m getting rats in November (3rd on a waiting list) and your channel has helped me so much even though these are older videos they are so helpful for first time rat owners thank you so much!!!!
My baby rat has the same thing going on right now. What's going on is an upper respiratory infection. Normally it goes away on its own but it's always a good idea to see a vet. 👍 Celery carrots peas all great things to help. You could also add vit c drops (1-2 per 2,oz's) to there water. ☺I hope there doing better and looking forward to updates. ❤ side note. Don't use wood chips for bedding. They tend to chew it and it could build up in there stomach and cause problems. Best thing to use is "care fresh" It's made from really good stuff that is very low in dust and safe if they chew it plus it absorbs better. I'm also turning on the bell so I am not late lol
Take a look on IsamuRatCare on UA-cam. Jemma has a lot of quality information on rat care :) Don't give them the c vit tables tho 🙈 the first ingredient is hay... 🙈 Rats can't digest hay... 🙈 They are not herbivores like rabbits, they are omnivores 🙈😅 I don't know why a lot of vets recommend oxbow... When oxbow is hay based... And that's not good for rats 🙈
I get uber soft paper bedding I really like it and it is dust free it absorbs pretty good seems like my rats like it I have three females maybe you should try it..
What I have to do to give my babies their daily vitamin is shred it into a powder and put it on treats they will eat! So you could get something like baby food and mix the powder in and they're completely unaware it's even there
Hi I love you videos , just want to let you know that the red coming out of their nose is just there snot and when it is in contact with air it turn red nothing to worry about , it all way happens to my rats and I just wipe it off ❤
not sure if anyone else has mentioned this or if you still even use those shower rings to hold the hammocks from etsy up, but i have unfortunately heard horror stories of rats getting stuck in the narrow end and suffocating to death, many people use them with no problem but personally i wouldn't want to risk it, just letting u know so you can keep an eye out !
I personally would recommend you to take your rats to the vets at least every 2 months. Just to check up on them, they’re very prone to infections and if the vet will pick it up sooner it will be easier to treat. Also having something to protect the carrier from the elements when you’re taking them to and from the vets is great too . Good luck ! ❤️
That amount is unnecessary, tracking weight, watching habits, how much they eat, putting your ear up to them to learn and track their breathing and taking them to the vet only when needed or for yearly checkups is perfectly adequate.
Have you considered making your own mix? It's so much better and actually much more enjoyable for them. Pellets tend to be linked with the growth of tumours. If they're sneezing at that young age, it could very well be parasitic bronchitis. That can easily be treated with lice/mite treatment. If you've only recently gotten them, it could be new home sneezes and they also sneeze a little during season changes.
The thing around their little snoots is just porphyrin. It’s not blood and it will go away. That’s happened before. So don’t freak out! Have a great day! Also good job on being aware but yeah! 😅
Any rat keepers have any advice for me .. I had 2 brother rats who got a respiratory infection and unfortunately I didn’t notice in time I had booked a vet appointment for tomorrow and one of my rats Lobo died today :( he had severely puffy eyes and was super lethargic and lots of that red substance around his nose. He has now passed away; so I fully disinfected the cage and switched from pine (I know now it’s bad) to towels , now my rat Ziggy is probably super lonely , he has no discharge around his nose and has clear eyes, I’m listening for sneezing but don’t think I can hear any (will check again shortly) I’ll be monitoring him for the next couple of weeks and I will change his bedding frequently , if he shows zero signs of respiratory could I try to safely introduce another buddy in the future ?
One of my girl ratty's is currently poorly and i mix her medication in a bit of banana as that is her favourite fruit 🥰🐀🐁🐾 as a treat every now & then i give mine small animal's dried pea flakes xx
I know a lot of people mention using felt but I always strayed away from it because Emiology has mentioned it does not allow enrichment from their natural foraging behaviour digging around for their food.
I recently had to take my rat to the vet for a foot injury and respiratory infection, he had been sneezing for like a month. The vet said he was healthy, but he got medicine for his foot.
you can put NATURAL peanut butter on the waffers. use a small about, smear it in.... and then wipe the majority of it off. The smell/residue should be enough to entice eating without extra fat and sugars. (It has to be natural though)
I dont currently have rats but I know when my cats need a nutraceutical supplement (a food or part of a food that has health benefits beyond simple nutrition) and they arent into it as a treat I will grind it up and add it to meat babyfood without spices or onions etc. For rats I would imagine a fruit babyfood or veggie babyfood could work
I just got 2 little girls about 3 days ago and i just found your videos and their helping me alot!!! Your ratties are tooo cutee one of my little girls makes noises and sneezes when we handle her and take her out the cage she doesnt have and red around her nose or eyes. Do you think you know what it could be?
I really recommend watching isamu rat care and reading there website online, the red your seeing on your rats is called Porphyrin and is completely normal! Not blood or anything bad. Your girls sneezing could just be due to the stress of moving to a new environment I wouldn’t worry about it too much unless it perseveres or you see any other signs of a uri.
that is not blood, it is a red substance like snot, it is very normal for them especially in the mornings. But if the substance comes in large amounts that is a sign of a respritory infection.
Rats are so sensitive to fragrances such as air fresheners, room deodorizers, scented laundry detergent and dryer sheets etc. One of my rats had a severe reaction to a glade plug in and was sneezing porphyrin everywhere, it looked like a crime scene in the cage and only the one rat was reacting. All I did was remove the offending deodorizer and my rat recovered immediately.
You're doing a great job. I did notice one of your rats is swaying its head side to side. That's usually a sign of poor eyesight. It probably doesn't need a vet visit but it's good to keep an eye on it.
OMG i would be sooo scared if my boys had a respiratory infection, i thought my rats had it but, fun fact rats have red tears! so if there stressed the will be a red residue around there eyes but there is nothing to worry about.
Rats are not the same as other critters….almost all bedding is terrible for mites which can become a problem with rats. My opinion and what I use is cloth material only. And also another tad bit advice is corn husk litter. The best 💯 For respiratory can be caused from ANY scent! Laundry soaps perfumes plug in air fresheners as well as essential oils are all s NO NO for a rats respiratory. Hope this helps
I wouldn’t give the rats hay since they don’t really digest it well and it’s also often very dusty. A lot of vets don’t have updated information and you can’t fully trust everything they say sadly, even though that would be easy! As for the sneezing and porphyrin it’s very normal and almost all the rats I’ve had have had sneezing to some degree. Porphyrin is just their normal body fluid and it turns red when it meets air. Rats clean it away themselves, which is why we don’t always notice it. Respiratory infections are mostly when they have trouble breathing and they make sounds when they breathe. Plus the changed behaviours like lethargy etc. So I wouldn’t be too concerned just by them sneezing! By the way I’d give them fleece instead of towels, because when they chew towels there are a lot of loose strings that they can get stuck around their body parts and it could cut off their blood circulation. So fleece blankets is a way better and safer option. You’re a great first time rat owner, and it makes me really happy to see all the research you’ve put in before getting your babies! Keep up the good work💕
yes yes to all of this! being a rat owner is definitely an experience and you often learn as time goes on, but it’s so nice seeing more people realize how great they are as pets and better understand their care! ❤️
They only thing that sucks about owning rats are they don't live long
Great tip on the fleece instead of towels!
@@Timothysharp11234 💯 truth!
Your dedication to your rats really warms my heart!!
Aw thank you, I want to make sure they are happy and provide them the best life I can :)
@@alexandrastott Beautiful asf 🙌🏽
Hi! I just bumped into your channel via search!
Porphorin (red blood like discharge) is very normal for rats. It turns red when exposed to air.
It can happen due to stress, and just a new home change can cause that.
Its so scary the first time you see it for sure!
Sneezing is also super normal for up to 2 weeks right after bringing home new rats. They often are super sensitive to environmental changes.
A vet check never hurts anything though!
If on a block diet rats don’t need supplements just FYI. Complete diets are complete. They might like them as treats though!
Paper bedding of any kind is really horrible for rats. It doesn’t absorb any ammonia at all. Id highly recommend changing to kiln dried pine(its proven safe by lab testing. Kiln drying removes the phenols which make raw pine unsafe) or aspen. Ammonia is one of the many reasons rats have issues with sneezing and respiratory issues.
They are babies so the seeds and cheerios are ok. Fruits and veggies can cause them to get to fat, and can be too high in sugars, also can cause tummy upsets.
Rats definitely don’t need hay! They don’t digest it. It can be nesting enrichment but they dont NEED it.
Rats Dont need vitamin c either! They produce it on their own. They are not like guinea pigs so those treats aren’t needed at all and honestly aren’t made for rats to digest. Which is likely why they don’t like them. Just give them to guinea pigs, or toss honestly.
Id encourage you to pop over to my channel or ratopedia for good science backed info.
You clearly love your babies! They are well cared for! And your doing great tryin to learn and changing as you learn more. ❤️
I had a rat who died from kiln pine bedding. Dust-free shredded paper is way safer.
@@andrewheavenridge7955 im so sorry for ur loss.
Tip for getting them to eat that, you could grind it up and mix it in with baby food. Its messy but they will love it👍
I would have never thought of that, thank you!!
I use a water dish that clips to the side of the cage and this works great! I have two baby rats who are still learning how to use the water bottles I have in their cage so they definitely prefer a bowl too!
Yeah my girls don't use the water bottle too often so I definitely need to keep a water bowl in there. I think I'll need to get one that clips on the side of the cage. Where did you purchase yours? Online?
you are one of my fav youtubers and im getting rat soon and you advice has been so helpfull tahnks alot!
that red stuff is just porphyrin a little of it is normal and they’ll just groom it off but obviously if they’re showing other symptoms of a uri take them to the vets :)
also I don’t recommend ever giving them alfalfa hay since rats can’t digest it properly, and hay is not essential but a little is good enrichment. cage looks great with the new hammocks :)
right!!! about both.
she CLAIMS that she's done research about rats and makes two MAJOR rookie foolish mistakes.
Yea I know this from another video of rats
@@hypnotherapycw to be fair you can research until the cows come home and theres so many differing information out there for everything rat.
@@hypnotherapycw I don't believe it's possible to get everything absolutely right, esp on the first time owning rats, and even after that. We learn from others, what we can do is share our knowledge. She loves her rats and she works with the knowledge she's getting.
Soooooo admirable that you did your reasearch...and went to the vet...ive had 4 in my life (no "exotic" vets around) and learned things all the time. The hardest part for me is that I only got to enjoy them for such a short time)....when they pass, it is just as traumatic as losing a dog or cat...but so worth the love...I just can't do it again...but good for you being such an amazing rat owner.
Your passionate love and care for your rats touches my heart deeply!
You're so pretty!!! Omg!!!! The ratties are so big now! I can tell you're an amazing owner!! Hope your rats are well! I'm so close to getting rats but I can't find a vet anywhere :(
Thank you so much, you always leave me the nicest comments the rats are doing much better now! It's great you are being a responsible person, I hope you can track one down!
Me too plus I'll get my Dumbo rat once we move into the new house
You’re such a good pet owner. I love seeing how caring you are. I know this video was a year ago but I’ve only just come across your channel. 💕
Hope your rats will be okay your such a great rat mom !!! Always enjoy your videos!!!!🐀🤩🙏❤
Thanks a lot, I really appreciate that! ❤️
I can’t get over how cute they are 🥺💕 their little nose twitches 😍
Their cute tiny face gets me every time!!
Awww they are growing so fast. Really great to see you being alert when it comes to their health. I think you are doing this very good and taking the responsibility for these little creatures. We had the same learning with the weighing XD It is hard do control their weight sometimes.
I really do not think that hay is a good idea. The dust in it will only cause more issues and it is not really part of a typical rat diet. If it is for natural enrichment I think there are better/safer alternatives. E.g. the mix we use for our rats has dried herbs and flowers in it, which are edible for them. But I am only a person online with an opinion so no critic regarding you going by what your vet says :)
Love the new cage setup, the hammocks are really cute and I am excited for the bigger cage once it arrives :D
omggg theyre so cute!! AND THE HAMMOCK OMGGG ADORABLE
I'm obsessed, I think everything they do is so adorable haha
Things like coop cups work great for water bowls because they attach to the side of the cage. I use the ones from Walmart they work great as well.
For the water bottle issue you have you can buy a hanging water bowl and since you said you have some room on the side you can hang it there
For vitamin C intake, you could offer them dried cranberries as a treat (though there's lots of sugar so use sparingly.)
What a beautifull rats you have girl! You are doing very well with youre rats. You are so dedicated and an example for other first time rat owners. I my self have rats for 36 years now. And there still is much to learn about them. Kisses and hugs to youre 4 diva's. Hihi
I'm glad Sprout is doing good ...such a good owner💕
Love your channel! I have guinea pigs, but I really would love rats, they're AMAZING pets!! They're ABSOLUTELY PRECIOUS! You're a great owner!
You are adorable! I am getting rats for my granddaughter, so I am watching a lot of videos. You are my favorite!
I have an answer to the water question: buy a bowl that attaches to the cage bars!! You can usually find those on the bird isle of pet shops! I love your new layout!❤️
They are still trying to figure out to water bottle and much prefer the water bowl so I think that is what I'll have to do (purchase one that can attach to the cage). Thank you for the sweet comment :)
You can buy a plastic solid fence that fits together so they have a free roam space out side the cage. That will help with training them as you can have out of cage toys for them and teach them things.
Hope little rats are okay 💜 I recommend hemp bedding, thats what emiology uses for her rats. It irritates me when I put it in my littles enclosures, I have to wear a mask. But my littles have been good with it. I got it from TSC, im not sure if there's one near you but thats where I got it from. Decently priced for a big bag as well.
Also, for the supplement I'd break the 1/4 up into smaller pieces and add it to their food individually. More work but then it's not as overwhelming for them to just get a small piece here and there instead of a bigger piece in one shot.
You are so cute, a good speaker, and care for your pets so much!!!💋🥰
Thanks a lot💗
Love your Chanel !!!! Im subsidiering now !! Berit from Norway !! Love to se your videos and your cut rats omg cuter than suger
You’re soooo close to 1K subs!! And their New cage looks so cool! You’re an amazing rat mama
I honestly can't believe it! 1,000 subscribers was my 2021 goal and it's happened so much quicker then I had ever imagined- mainly because this type of rat content has done tremendously well so I continue to document it haha. Thank you thank you my friend!!!
Awww, sprout! II hope your little one feels better soon! Idk who was drinking the water but UGH THE CUTENESS!!
Hi, I just discovered your channel very recently and I've been going through all your rat videos :) I doubt this information is still needed but I recommend getting a cage crock if you need a water bowl that suspends on the side of the cage- you can get them inexpensively at most pet stores or online!
I love seeing them! They are so cute!! I'm glad she's okay!!! You are such a good rat mama!! Love it ❤️🥰
I'm so glad, thank you! She is doing much better now- no more porphyrin. I really appreciate your comments and support💕
I love how much you love your rats ❤
Aww thank you! They are just so incredible and cute🥺
To help you feed them the vitamins you can put some multi vitamin paste on top
First! I'm just at the start of the video so I hope your rats are OK :)
aww thank you! spoiler alert: they are okay :)
Thanks for giving all the information! I hope to get rats soon (double checking the allergies of my boyfriend at the moment) and these kind of videos and the info you give help a lot!
Hope to see more content about you lovely furry rat friends!
We need an update! How are all of your rats doing?
My rats were sneezing a lot in the beginning too, I switched to fleece on the bottom and the shelves and my rats were much happier. I just added a sand/paper box to let them dig around in.
Dont use sand, it can irritate their lungs badly. Coco soil is a good alternative :-)
I use a car carrier like that for my rats vet visit. I honestly like it better than the small animal carriers because I can clip on of their water bottles onto the front.
I was surprised to see you put kaytee in the cage, idk if I just have bad luck, but I find it to be also really dusty, I’ve moved my mice to safe wood shavings, it’s the only bedding that I can make sure has no dust in it.
An occasional soft boiled egg is good but only start the peeling of the shell , one egg is enough between them , but make sure the yoke is runny
You could always try to crush them and put it into a little bit of meat baby food! Also, your little babies are SO cute! Such a good mommy!🥰
You seem like such a sweet, responsible girl.... Your parenst must be very proud of you!!
That means so much, you're so kind, thank you!
You should talk to your vet about getting them fixed. They will live longer as well. Love these girls.
You can try to put baby food on the vitamin, my rat named Loki loves baby food
I have a tip on getting your rats to eat the vitamins. Basically you can dip it in peanut butter and then wipe it of. Or let it soak in fruit juice for about 10 seconds
Sorry this is so long. You inspired me. 😉
I know more about guinea pigs and rabbits, so not sure if any of this would help, but it sounds like a lot crosses over since I use the same brand bedding, treats, hay, fleece, etc. I think biggest difference is that rats are omnivores so they can eat things like eggs and insects and they can climb.
Not sure if they can digest timothy hay since it’s harder (great for rabbits and guins though), but they might like orchard grass since that is softer and would be easier to nest in. There are different kinds of forages available too, but those tend to be fattening so best saved as treats. Either way some type of hay or grass would prob be good for their teeth. They are always growing so they need to chew constantly.
For their nails, you might want to also put in some wood houses with a base or blocks that they can scratch. They might pee on them so they’d need to be changed or cleaned, but I’ve found with small rodents (I had gerbils for over a decade) they like to dig/scratch things that are underneath them like in a corner. Maybe look at your litter pans, the big one on the bottom of the cage, or other housings for scratch marks to see if this is the case with them too. Or if you ever hear them scratching, see what they’re using. That’ll likely be their preference in terms of shape or locations.
I do wonder if they share similar habits as guins in terms of how they are willing to accept food. For example, if guins aren’t regularly fed fresh foods as babies, then it can be difficult getting them on the right diet. I’ve heard that guins would go so far as to starve themselves than try food they don’t recognize. Anyway key thing is letting them know it’s safe to eat and familiarize them with it. To do that you can either eat it in front of them and then offer them some. A “rat see, rat do” kinda situation. Or for food you can’t eat, like the vic C treats, you can leave them next to/mixed in with their normal food. Kinda like how you’d slowly change dry food brands or types. Once they grow used to the smell and associate it with safe food, they’ll be more likely to try it and eventually it’ll likely become a fave. Since a large portion of those treats are made with timothy hay, they’ll prob be more inclined to eat them once they get used to hay. It can take a few weeks to a couple months with guins to get them eating the right stuff, but not sure how long it might take with rats. Important part is to keep trying and don’t give up.
In the meantime if your babies get sick again or stressed and need a vit c boost but won’t eat those treats, you can try a little orange, lemon, green bell pepper or parsley. The fruits you gotta watch the sugar content of, so veggies tend to be better on a day-to-day basis. A lot of dark green veggies have good vit c content, but they can also be too high in calcium and cause bladder stones, so it’s a balancing act. Green bell pepper generally has the best ratio since it also has high water content to flush out excess calcium.
Rodents can die of URIs very fast, days to overnight if you don’t catch it in time, so very good you took them to the vet. Even if they didn’t need antibiotics at the time, if in a couple days things took a turn for the worse at night when everything was closed (which often happens) you’d at least likely be able to contact the vet through their answering service, and she’d be able to rx the meds asap since she just saw them recently versus having to wait til morn or take them to ER where there might not be an exotic vet on call who knows rats. Those few hours can make a huge difference between recovery and losing your babies. Plus once your vet gets to know you, they’ll be more inclined to trust you and your intuition and prescribe something temporary with the understanding you’ll take them in for a visit asap. So anyway, you made the right call, and it wasn’t a waste of money at all. It’s important to establish that rapport, and as you found, vets have a lot they can teach you.
If they ever do need antibiotics, ask your vet about probiotics like bene-bac. I’m not sure how sensitive rats are to antibiotics or what dose they might need, but adding probiotics was a game changer for our guins. They could really only tolerate Baytril and without the probiotics they’d suffer with diarrhea and bloating which can kill a guin if left unchecked. Plus their appetite would decrease from the URI and the antibiotics. Bene-bac helped with that, and a little bit of dandelion leaf helped restore appetite. Gotta keep it to a small amount though. Dandelion can help stimulate the digestive tract, but too much can cause diarrhea too, so something to ask the vet about to get dosing for their weight. Good to have the info ahead of time for when you’ll eventually need it.
One other thing to ask the vet: should you keep some type of critical care on hand in case you ever need to feed them if they stop eating when sick? I don’t know if they’d eat the same Oxbow Critical Care as guins or if there’s a different kind specifically for rats. But knowing your rats are picky eaters, you may want to familiarize them with it in case you ever need it.
Smaller pets do tend to cost more bc of the need for an exotic vet who has far more training. A lot of med doses are too high so they have to be specially compounded for small animals. Equipment is usually too large as well, and the smaller the animal the harder it is to operate, so surgery can get expensive fast. Some of my guins’ vet visits were over $2K which included exams, blood or urine testing, x-rays, ultrasounds, surgery, and recovery. You may want to set up a health savings account for them or look into something like Care Credit which can give 6 months no interest at some vets.
One last thing to note, again not sure how much of this translates to rats, but having space to run and zoomy/binky is really important for guins and rabbits. Rats can climb vertically, but they likely still need horizontal space to just run freely, so you may want to expand to letting them free roam in your room more. Not just floor/bed time, but like leaving their cage open while you’re home and able to watch over them. Not sure if that might need to wait until they are more used to you, but they’re called pocket puppies for a reason. They’re smart and will grow attached to you, greet you when you get home, jump to you and ride around on your shoulders, etc. The more they can freely interact with you on their terms, the closer you’ll get.
Anyway, good luck! I love seeing these cuties! Looking forward to more vids with them. 😊
Omg! I saw you cutting up lettuce and I’m pretty sure that can be toxic to rats! Other than that I’m getting rats in November (3rd on a waiting list) and your channel has helped me so much even though these are older videos they are so helpful for first time rat owners thank you so much!!!!
I'm pretty sure only iceberg lettuce is unsafe, hopefully she was cutting up a different type
@@krystalfox5224 Oh okay I didn’t know that everywhere I did research it just said lettuce. Thank you!
My baby rat has the same thing going on right now. What's going on is an upper respiratory infection. Normally it goes away on its own but it's always a good idea to see a vet. 👍 Celery carrots peas all great things to help. You could also add vit c drops (1-2 per 2,oz's) to there water. ☺I hope there doing better and looking forward to updates. ❤ side note. Don't use wood chips for bedding. They tend to chew it and it could build up in there stomach and cause problems. Best thing to use is "care fresh" It's made from really good stuff that is very low in dust and safe if they chew it plus it absorbs better. I'm also turning on the bell so I am not late lol
No care fresh bedding! It will caused sneezing.
Take a look on IsamuRatCare on UA-cam. Jemma has a lot of quality information on rat care :)
Don't give them the c vit tables tho 🙈 the first ingredient is hay... 🙈 Rats can't digest hay... 🙈 They are not herbivores like rabbits, they are omnivores 🙈😅 I don't know why a lot of vets recommend oxbow... When oxbow is hay based... And that's not good for rats 🙈
A mirror with a bell is good
Love your commitment :)
Wow thank you!
I get uber soft paper bedding I really like it and it is dust free it absorbs pretty good seems like my rats like it I have three females maybe you should try it..
Have you braking it up smaller and putting it In no surger apple sauce
What I have to do to give my babies their daily vitamin is shred it into a powder and put it on treats they will eat! So you could get something like baby food and mix the powder in and they're completely unaware it's even there
Here you go: it’s ✨S N O T✨
Oh gosh they are so darn cute!
I know right, they amaze me!
Hi I love you videos , just want to let you know that the red coming out of their nose is just there snot and when it is in contact with air it turn red nothing to worry about , it all way happens to my rats and I just wipe it off ❤
not sure if anyone else has mentioned this or if you still even use those shower rings to hold the hammocks from etsy up, but i have unfortunately heard horror stories of rats getting stuck in the narrow end and suffocating to death, many people use them with no problem but personally i wouldn't want to risk it, just letting u know so you can keep an eye out !
I personally would recommend you to take your rats to the vets at least every 2 months. Just to check up on them, they’re very prone to infections and if the vet will pick it up sooner it will be easier to treat. Also having something to protect the carrier from the elements when you’re taking them to and from the vets is great too . Good luck ! ❤️
That amount is unnecessary, tracking weight, watching habits, how much they eat, putting your ear up to them to learn and track their breathing and taking them to the vet only when needed or for yearly checkups is perfectly adequate.
that is very expensive
Way to much stress for the rats
Red mucus is super common in rats btw.
You are so brave fam, here watching. Stay up.lik
Please ratty moms/ dads use a Shunamite diet.
I know in U.S its tricky but pellets are crap
Have you considered making your own mix? It's so much better and actually much more enjoyable for them. Pellets tend to be linked with the growth of tumours.
If they're sneezing at that young age, it could very well be parasitic bronchitis. That can easily be treated with lice/mite treatment. If you've only recently gotten them, it could be new home sneezes and they also sneeze a little during season changes.
A lot of vets don't have up to date info and I think the care in the US is quite different to the UK
Hope everything’s okay ❤️
The thing around their little snoots is just porphyrin. It’s not blood and it will go away. That’s happened before. So don’t freak out! Have a great day! Also good job on being aware but yeah! 😅
Any rat keepers have any advice for me .. I had 2 brother rats who got a respiratory infection and unfortunately I didn’t notice in time I had booked a vet appointment for tomorrow and one of my rats Lobo died today :( he had severely puffy eyes and was super lethargic and lots of that red substance around his nose. He has now passed away; so I fully disinfected the cage and switched from pine (I know now it’s bad) to towels , now my rat Ziggy is probably super lonely , he has no discharge around his nose and has clear eyes, I’m listening for sneezing but don’t think I can hear any (will check again shortly) I’ll be monitoring him for the next couple of weeks and I will change his bedding frequently , if he shows zero signs of respiratory could I try to safely introduce another buddy in the future ?
hey i live near you, if you don’t mind, can you tell me what vet you went too? One of my rats is making a whistling sound :(
I will put the green thing and wrap it around the medicine
One of my girl ratty's is currently poorly and i mix her medication in a bit of banana as that is her favourite fruit 🥰🐀🐁🐾 as a treat every now & then i give mine small animal's dried pea flakes xx
Yeah respiratory infections really suck, best of luck!!
I have a hook that I can slide Ona nd off and it can attach to the cage
Before you get dehydrated bananas make sure they’re super soft because I bought some for my chinchillas and they were so hard
I use zero bedding in my DCN. Felt only..
TWO URI in three years.
I know a lot of people mention using felt but I always strayed away from it because Emiology has mentioned it does not allow enrichment from their natural foraging behaviour digging around for their food.
I recently had to take my rat to the vet for a foot injury and respiratory infection, he had been sneezing for like a month. The vet said he was healthy, but he got medicine for his foot.
MALT PASTE will help with the tablet things
I like your rat videos. Any plans to continue these?
you can put NATURAL peanut butter on the waffers. use a small about, smear it in.... and then wipe the majority of it off. The smell/residue should be enough to entice eating without extra fat and sugars. (It has to be natural though)
That is a great idea, thank you. I though I should put it in some food but wasn't sure what to use. I'll make sure it is natural!
I dont currently have rats but I know when my cats need a nutraceutical supplement (a food or part of a food that has health benefits beyond simple nutrition) and they arent into it as a treat I will grind it up and add it to meat babyfood without spices or onions etc. For rats I would imagine a fruit babyfood or veggie babyfood could work
Wrap the medicine things with their veggies or put it in like strawberry that they're eating or something and they'll just eat it with a barrier
I just got 2 little girls about 3 days ago and i just found your videos and their helping me alot!!! Your ratties are tooo cutee one of my little girls makes noises and sneezes when we handle her and take her out the cage she doesnt have and red around her nose or eyes. Do you think you know what it could be?
I really recommend watching isamu rat care and reading there website online, the red your seeing on your rats is called Porphyrin and is completely normal! Not blood or anything bad. Your girls sneezing could just be due to the stress of moving to a new environment I wouldn’t worry about it too much unless it perseveres or you see any other signs of a uri.
Ôi bé chuột đẹp quá dễ thương đáng yêu. Ve ry good cute ve ry nice
youre a great pet rat owner! love your videos. and youre cute so thats a plus. lol
I'm trying my best to be, thanks for watching :)
Can you do a video how they trick 🙏
that is not blood, it is a red substance like snot, it is very normal for them especially in the mornings. But if the substance comes in large amounts that is a sign of a respritory infection.
Rats are so sensitive to fragrances such as air fresheners, room deodorizers, scented laundry detergent and dryer sheets etc. One of my rats had a severe reaction to a glade plug in and was sneezing porphyrin everywhere, it looked like a crime scene in the cage and only the one rat was reacting. All I did was remove the offending deodorizer and my rat recovered immediately.
Use fleas maerial/blankets or shredded paper
do you still have rats
You're doing a great job. I did notice one of your rats is swaying its head side to side. That's usually a sign of poor eyesight. It probably doesn't need a vet visit but it's good to keep an eye on it.
I'll definitely keep an eye on that, thank you! I really appreciate the comment ❤️
My rat recently passed because of respiratory infection
OMG i would be sooo scared if my boys had a respiratory infection, i thought my rats had it but, fun fact rats have red tears! so if there stressed the will be a red residue around there eyes but there is nothing to worry about.
the red stuff isn't blood it's just some discharge
do you ssteel have 4 rats
cute
and
best
I figured out after a while that there noses bleed when they have just woke up
You could crush the pills up and put them in with some fruit puree.
Rats are not the same as other critters….almost all bedding is terrible for mites which can become a problem with rats. My opinion and what I use is cloth material only. And also another tad bit advice is corn husk litter. The best 💯 For respiratory can be caused from ANY scent! Laundry soaps perfumes plug in air fresheners as well as essential oils are all s NO NO for a rats respiratory. Hope this helps
Rats naturally have red snot so I wouldn't worry unless they are lethargic and breathing heavily
i think i like you more than Emiology
We're you not scared at rats?
It’s not blood around their nose it’s their mucus. Rats mucus is naturally red so it looks like blood.