milk based or soy based infant formula?

[ChrisK]

I would like to start giving my old girl food supplements, and am thinking of using infant formula. If I recall properly, whether or not they're spayed makes a difference.. Can someone clarify which is better for spayed and for unspayed rats?

In my case, Skittles got the implant in October last year. It's supposed to be good for one year. So in her case, I'm not quite sure how to treat this (it's almost one year now). Also, just fyi , in her case it seems the implant did not work, as she developed multiple tumors since the implant.

Thanks!

 

[jorats]

For unspayed rats, I'd definitely do the soy formula. The estrogen in the soy replaces the natural estrogen in the rat's body which is suppose to lessen the growth of mammary tumours.

 

[ChrisK]

Are there any issues with giving milk-based formulas to rats that have been spayed?

I thought I'd read somewhere that this was not good for them (spayed? or unspayed?), but I can't locate any info on it..

Thanks!

 

[jorats]

It has been said that rats don't tolerate lactose very well. That's the only thing I know about milk.

 

[Unepuce]

Also, just fyi , in her case it seems the implant did not work, as she developed multiple tumors since the implant.

I was discussing implants with Victoria a few months back, and she told me that her experience was that most of her female rats that got an implant and had no tumors at the time actually developed some after the implant. Seems once again to be a trend...

 

[victoria]

Also, just fyi , in her case it seems the implant did not work, as she developed multiple tumors since the implant.

I was discussing implants with Victoria a few months back, and she told me that her experience was that most of her female rats that got an implant and had no tumors at the time actually developed some after the implant. Seems once again to be a trend...

The older rats I got implanted (18 months +) that had no tumours developed ones shortly afterward. That may be because there's an initial surge of hormones right after the implant and it sped ones already forming along. Oreo's turned out to be really aggressive and needed to be removed but Bandit's is still only almond sized nine months later and I doubt she will ever be healthy enough for removal.

Of the rats that already had tumours (4), only one developed more tumours and that was Sophie. Those tumours were malignant mammary tumours that are not common in rats but she never developed another benign mammary tumour that she had removed. (I had them all tested.)

I've also had spayed rats develop mammary tumours, so there's never a sure bet solution, although spaying very young is quite effective, which is why I'm spaying everyone right away from now on unless there's a good reason not to. I also got my male implanted instead of a surgical neuter and that has worked beautifully (I can breathe again!) and so much easier than having to deal with post op pain or possible abscesses. The vet said they now think it lasts form 18 months up to 2 or even 3 years, which is pretty much the life expectancy of a 6 month old rat.

 

[ChrisK]

This is interesting.. thanks for sharing that experience.

In my case, Skittles had the implant in October 2010 a few days after a tumor popped up. That tumor was removed finally in January, but four weeks after her surgery, she got another tumor. And then a few weeks after that a second tumor, and so on.. Now she's got three large tumors and one small one. So in her case, I don't think it was an initial surge of hormones that produced the tumors.

 

[SQ]

As Jorats said, rats don't tolerate milk well.
Go with the soy formula, not the milk based one.