Hand rearing? Urgent

[Bexler]

More babies died. There's five left and two of those five don't look so good.
Two were eager to eat and the other looks like she's going down hill too.
I really don't know what else to do. I made them as comfortable as possible.

This is really frustrating.

 

[MuffinsMum]

:cry:

It's hard following their ups and downs from a distance ... I can't even imagine being in your place.

I *so* hope they pull through!

 

[victoria]

I'm sorry you're going through this. It's extremely difficult to raise orphaned rats that are that young, they're so small and fragile and we can't replace their mother's milk.

 

[SQ]

All you can do is:
- keep them warm,
- make sure they have frequent feedings of soy infant formula (available at grocery stores and pharmacies), info re frequency in article on raising orphans
- make sure little botoms are stimulated after feeding so all waste is eliminated,
- and handle them.

The articles on raising orphans discuss these things in detail but if unsure, more detail can be given.
viewtopic.php?f=26&t=17673

Hope the remaining babies surivive.

 

[Bexler]

I got soy formula two days ago. And I've been doing all of that but there's only one baby left now.

I failed them. I feel like complete crud honestly. They were so innocent and cute but they didn't survive so I failed them.

 

[victoria]

I got soy formula two days ago. And I've been doing all of that but there's only one baby left now.

I failed them. I feel like complete crud honestly. They were so innocent and cute but they didn't survive so I failed them.

You didn't fail them. They're lucky they had you to try so hard for them. The chances of them surviving with perfect care is so unbelievably low. Missing out on the colustrum from their mom made their immune systems even weaker. Sometimes moms stop feeding their young because they know there's something wrong with them and they don't have a chance anyway. There's so much we don't understand.

 

[Bexler]

The mom actually passed on a day after she abandoned them. All of my other Ratties are in perfect health but I don't know. Maybe she passed something on to them?
It's the only thing I can think of anyway.

*Facedesk* I'm so tired.

 

[victoria]

That's a possibility. The mom could have also passed away from complications associated with the pregnancy/birth. The babies didn't stand much of a chance without mom either way.

 

[Bexler]

I just went to check on the last babe and she's going down hill too. I honestly don't think there's anything I can do for her.

This is just... I have no words for it. Maybe I should have tried harder. I mean, I have a lot of health problems but I still forced myself to get up every few hours for them. But it wasn't enough.

 

[MuffinsMum]

:hugs: :hugs: :hugs:

We'll probably never know why they couldn't make it ... but I do know that the comfort of not being alone when you're sick or in pain is overwhelming.

I'm sure each little one knows that they were loved and cared for - maybe that's the only reason they seemed to do so well for a time!

You didn't fail them. You didn't abandon them - and you wanted them to make it. I'm sure that each one of them knew that.

I'm sure you will need to grieve them - and it's healthy to feel sadness at loss, but "I wish, I should have, I didn't" can be cruel companions during an already difficult time - and after giving everything you had in this situation, I think they should stay away!

 

[SQ]

Without colustrum from mom, foster mom, or vet, they had very little chance of surviving even if everything else was ok.

I am so very sorry about the mama and the babies

 

[Bexler]

Thank you.

The really sad thing, a woman emailed me a little while ago. She had a foster momma for them.

As I said. Disaster. Clings to me like super glue and then rubs it in my face.

I really hope the babies know that despite everything they were and are loved.

 

[Joanne]

I failed them. I feel like complete crud honestly. They were so innocent and cute but they didn't survive so I failed them.

Don't ever feel like you failed them! You worked so hard to take care of them. They would have died right away if you did nothing, and then you would have felt horrible for not trying. You can rest easy and feel good about yourself knowing that you did everything you possibly could have done for them. And that makes you a good person. You will never look back and say "I shouldn't have tried to help them." It just wasn't meant to be... :hugs: