Somethings Not Right....

[Bundyrats]

Hi,
Over the past two to three days my girls have been acting differently, just slightly but I know there is something not right.
Rosie who is usually boisterous, can't wait to get out of her cage and when she does get let out, runs down the hall to her room and hides under the sofa to sort her nuts, is now climbing on top of the cage and just sitting there looking down at us in the kitchen. The top of the cage is usually Sheba's spot and so now Sheba has been running around on the floor which is fine but since yesterday, she has taken up residence in the PVC rat tube which is on the ground. Then Meesha who usually just sniffs around under the table has just been plopping on the floor a lot of the time. Her belly has gotten big in the last week or so but I think she's just eating too much. I felt her belly and can't feel anything abnormal. But last night during free-ranging time, Meesha went back to bed! During free-ranging time! I got her up again and then she was fine.
They're eating fine and drinking and going to the toilet. They're personalities are still the same, still inquisitve and happy for cuddles but it's all topsy turvey, like they've swapped favourite positions.
I can't quite put my finger on it but something just doesn't seem right....
Has anyone else seen something like this before?

 

[Dazzle87]

How old are they? How long have you had them? What colors/markings do they have? Are their chest and sinuses clear? Do you have males? Can you post a pic of the belly?

 

[jorats]

I'll wait for the answers to Dazzle's questions before commenting.

 

[Bundyrats]

I took the girls home from a pet store last year (see avatar photo). Sheba (the white one, hooded) and Meesha (black hooded) came home on May 15th 2010. They were about 6 weeks old. So I am guestimating their birthday is beginning of April 2010. Then I bought Rosie in July 2010 but she was older, maybe 10 weeks, so her first birthday will probably be mid May. Rosie is a berkshire and I am still trying to decide if she's a mink or an agouti. I don't have any males, just the three girls.

I have noticed that Rosie has been sneezing a bit but it seems to happen when she sticks her nose in a dusty spot so that would make sense. Meesha, the black one has a definate noise most of the time, it's hard to explain, like a small green tree frog sound. Not a wheezing soung I don't think. She makes it when she's sniffing about. I would almost say that it just a vocal thing for her...? None of them are labouring for breath or distressed. I've noticed that Rosie has had a tiny bit of Porph from her nose on and off but she had a bit than usual more this morning. It is never dried around the nose but when I picked her up this morning a small spot went on my shirt. Then she sneezed in the sink and some landed on the ceramic edge, so it's always fresh stuff with her. I will take a pic tonight of Meesha's belly.

 

[jorats]

Anything new around the rats? Anyone smoke around the rats or any other fragrances?

 

[Bundyrats]

No we don't smoke, no new fragrances either. It been hot here lately and yesterday I left the air conditioner on for them all day, today also. Prior to that it was hot but not danerously so for them and they had the fan on them all the time.
I have just started Debbie Ducommon's rat diet though. I made the bulk of it up on Monday night and gave them a little bit. Then last night I added the tofu and yeast flakes and gave them that. About half and half with their normal food which is also homemade.

Sheba my white one has been sick in the past (she is good now) so I know what sick looks like. They are not puffed up and there isn't any discharge coming from nose or eyes. They're not limp or lethargic although they're just not getting around much. A bit of sneezing here and there....

Here are some pics of Meesha's belly.

 

[Bundyrats]

How do I make the pictures big - like your CN pics, Dazzle.

 

[Bundyrats]

Oh gosh, I think I know what could be the cause. We bought a new TV on Saturday and I put the box on the ground for the rats to play in and around and Meesha started chewing on the white foam and shredding it up. You know the hard foam that holds the item in place and packs around it. Oh how STUPID of me. Do you think she swallowed some? That stuff would be poisonous. I only cleaned up and threw it out yesterday (Tues), I think Rosie had a nibble too. OH NO. Sheeba is the only one who didn't take much interest and she is the one who has been acting fairly normally.
But as I write this they all seem to be back to normal. I made a point to take Meesha into the bathroom with me while a took a shower this morning because she ALWAYS does a poo in the corner (!) and so I knew it would be a good chance to check that she is pooping properly because I was worried about her belly. Her poos were fine - firm, just the right moisture and good colour (stinky too!).
If this is the problem, can that stuff get caught in their gut? I will monitor and go to the vet if required but she's still eating fine (gnawing on a macadamia nut shell right now, skritch, skritch, skritch).
It couldn't be the Ran Fan Club diet could it? It must be the foam.
St*pid St*pid St*pid me. :gaah:

 

[jorats]

Honestly, I really can't see it being the foam. Rats will chew but not swallow.
It could be the change in diet, not that it's a bad thing, just something they need to get used too. And since you said they are acting normal again, that might be it.
Meesha's belly looks big but not bad. How does it feel? firm, squishy, can you palpate any hard lumps in it?

 

[Exodog]

Meesha, the black one has a definate noise most of the time, it's hard to explain, like a small green tree frog sound. Not a wheezing soung I don't think. She makes it when she's sniffing about. I would almost say that it just a vocal thing for her...?

Grurder was much the same. She was always a big "talker" her whole life. She had slightly different noises for different things/people/situations. I love vocal rats; they're so cute!

 

[Rattus]

Sometimes my maggie is A L0T lazier some days then others. she'll run like crazy for a week.. and then for a few days she wants to sleep even during her out time.. it used to scare me real bad! I thought she was getting sick and Id check on her every few minutes..but then randomly she'd be hyper a day or 2 afterwards and it seems shes just doing this all the time now.. so I figure its just her being strange maggie lol

If its a grunting like when shes breathing and it sounds like a stuffy nose Id watch it.. my boy constantine had that and then he got sick. he'd only make the sound when he was sniffing around

 

[jorats]

Rats don't make noise, they can't be talkers unless they are squeaking.
Any other noise and I'd be carefully watching them or getting them to a vet for a complete check up and meds.

 

[Dazzle87]

I am not sure how to make them bigger, I think the place you uploaded them to must have resized them. Can see from the pics, I was worried her stomach would look much worse. Unfortunately I do knot know what's up, but her stomach isn't very bloated. Hopefully it is the new diet (that's a big change for their digestive system for sure!)

 

[jorats]

If you click on the pic it will show up with the larger image.

 

[Exodog]

Rats don't make noise, they can't be talkers unless they are squeaking.
Any other noise and I'd be carefully watching them or getting them to a vet for a complete check up and meds.

Really? I guess Grurder was just strange then. From the first night the girls came home she was 'talkative'. She seemed really scared, and made what I can only describe as the ratty equivalent to a 'crying' type sound for a few hours. From then on in she was always chipping in your ear on your shoulder, or snuffling through the bars of the cage when you walked by. I thought it was a lung thing at first too, but I checked her frequently for any signs of breathing distress and she always sounded perfectly clear. Maybe some rats are just different than others, since it was something she did her entire life. *shrugs*

 

[Exodog]

Also, how are your kids doing? Behaviour still all askew, or are they back to themselves?

 

[Bundyrats]

Meesha's belly looks big but not bad. How does it feel? firm, squishy, can you palpate any hard lumps in it?

Her belly is softish, not squishy. Compared to the others it's probably a little firmer but no lumps that I can feel.
One minute I think things are back to normal and then they will do something totally out of the ordinary, it seems that at the beginning of the night they are weird and then slowly get back to their usual selves so that when I put them to bed they are ok.

 

[Bundyrats]

Sometimes my maggie is A L0T lazier some days then others. she'll run like crazy for a week.. and then for a few days she wants to sleep even during her out time.. it used to scare me real bad! I thought she was getting sick and Id check on her every few minutes..but then randomly she'd be hyper a day or 2 afterwards and it seems shes just doing this all the time now.. so I figure its just her being strange maggie lol

Thanks Rattus, that does make me feel a bit better but I will keep a close eye on things and see what happens.

 

[jorats]

Meesha's belly looks big but not bad. How does it feel? firm, squishy, can you palpate any hard lumps in it?

Her belly is softish, not squishy. Compared to the others it's probably a little firmer but no lumps that I can feel.
One minute I think things are back to normal and then they will do something totally out of the ordinary, it seems that at the beginning of the night they are weird and then slowly get back to their usual selves so that when I put them to bed they are ok.

Sometimes rats get spooked. Good that the tummy feels normal. But if you are really worried or something is just not sitting right with you, no harm in bringing them to a vet for a full check up. :thumbup: