[mlkpookie]

I bought 2 male rats a litttle over month ago. Shortlt after we got them they had to be treared for a respitory infection. Their diet is "LM Animal Farms Classic Mouse and Rat food". We use the "Carefresh Pet Bedding" that all our local stores use for rats.

They recuperated and grew to nearly double their size, everything has been fine.

Today I noticed one was passing bloody urine and several hours later I noticed it seemed to be purely blood coming from his genitalia. At this point we began to frantically find a vet to treat him. Within several minutes he passed a cream colored lump from his genital and then died.

I am at a loss right now. Our other rat seems fine we were recommended to keep the dead rat and take both of them to a vet tommorro to be checked out. Is this what we should do?

I am also unsure what to do about another friend for our surviving rat. I am under the impression that they were from the same litter, and they havn't been seperated until now, nor have they been around other rats since we bought them.

Will our rat become deppressed? Do we get a new rat to keep him company? If so how quickly should we do this? How do we introduce them to each other?

Any other information would be appreciated. Thank you

 

[Forensic]

Sounds almost like a penis plug or perhaps a kidney stone (not sure if rats get those)...

Only the necropsy (autopsy) can tell you if it was a tumor or something catching, so in my opinion you should bring the rat in to be checked, and your healthy rat to make sure they are healthy.

Your rat could become depressed. Spend a lot of time with them. Rats shouldn't be alone, but if and when you get a new rat, the new rat ought to be quarantined for three weeks to make sure they don't have anything catching to give to your old rat. So you'll have to give the boy lots of time.

 

[mlkpookie]

thank you

 

[renay]

wow, sorry for your loss, could it possibly have been blatter stones that caused some sort of infection? Other than that, I'm at a loss as well, Forensic i'm not sure if kidney stones are possible in rats but i know they are in cats and such, but that sounds possible to.

 

[lilspaz68]

It sounds like a penis plug to me, they can do a lot of damage blocking up the flow of urine, which causes a UTI (urinary tract infection) of which one sign is bloody urine.

If you are planning on a necropsy for your rat (autopsy for animals) then the body needs to be in the fridge. Not left out or in the freezer. You only have 24 hours or thereabouts to perform the necropsy.

good luck.

Yeah he needs a new friend, but QT is important as well. Read up on male to male intro's in the meantime, and your surviving boy is going to need a lot of distraction and TLC. Sorry for your loss

 

[mlkpookie]

What is QT? quiet time?

 

[Sparker]

No... Basically, it was what Forensic was referring to when she said:

Rats shouldn't be alone, but if and when you get a new rat, the new rat ought to be quarantined for three weeks to make sure they don't have anything catching to give to your old rat.

There are a lot of threads on this forum, as well as great info on different websites, about how to do this the right way.

 

[crapola]

What is QT? quiet time?

so sorry for your loss
qt is short for quarantine.

 

[mlkpookie]

Thank you for all your responses. I am a new member and havn't yet posted an introduction. I will get around to it shortly and keep you posted with our remainig rat undertaker and our progress finding a tank mate.

R.I.P. Kane

 

[renay]

i know its sad, but try to think positively, you're going to open up your home to a new friend.