rat dropping question

Question
Hello,

My husband and i recently adopted 2 new baby female rats. 3 days after they moved in, one of them had an upset tummy and had diarrhea. We're trying to figure out what caused it and how to fix it.

They are currently on Oxbow lab blocks. The day before her upset tummy i fed them 2 slivers of red grapes (literally 1/10th of a grape each). My rat (Olivia) is doing fine, but my husband's rat (Vivian) was the one with the upset tummy. Her droppings has gotten progressively better - it's no longer 'liquid poo' but it's still rather soft, and not a dark brown color... It's a lighter brown. It's soft, but holding its shape.

We fed them some yogurt, rice crispies and bananas yesterday and she seems to be doing better, and Olivia is still just fine.

What might have caused her to have an upset tummy? :( She's still eating, drinking and playing!

Answer
Regal rat by oxbow is reserved for rats over 4 months.  It usually says this on the package. I would change her diet for now.  Dont get me wrong, I love regal rat, but again, it may be too harsh on her system.  You need to watch out for mega colon at this age. Constipation followed by loose stools and also bloating may mean trouble.

Try giving her dried oatmeal flakes and puffed rice and change her diet some for now.  Check out my website, sandyscrittercity.com and refer to the page on diet for more info.