URGENTdying rat!!!!!!!

Question
QUESTION: I have an orphaned baby rat. He is a fuzzy. He is not going to the bathroom at all after feeding even though I'm massaging his lower belly!!! Also, he shakes very often. Is he cold? How do i house him? How do i keep him warm? Is puppy or baby formula better? My research didn't answer any of these questions.

P.S. I DO NOT have a foster mom for him.

ANSWER: You do NOT message his belly, you must message his genital area.  Please do this now. Wet your finger and message this area.  Are his eyes open?

Here is a site to use for proper info on raising baby rats, although you do not have to be as in depth at this point since its urgent he gets the right stuff going now.
You will want to use soy baby forumula for that baby and to keep him warm you can use either a reptile light a few feet from above the baby or a heating pad placed UNDER the cage or tank kept on low and allow there to be a place he can go if he gets too warm.  Check to be sure its not HOT under him.  Give him felt to nest with and use aspen litter, not cedar or pine.  

Here is the URl  Please let me know when you get this:


http://ratfanclub.org/orphans.html


Also, where are you? I may be able to find a wild life rehabber that will take the pup from you and raise him.   I do prefer that you KEEP this rat should he survive rather than return it to the wild.  A hand raised rat is a great pet, despite what websites say, including the site I am sending you to for info.  I have raised wild rats myself and they are awesome pets, very smart.  Once they get used to humans, its a big problem to release them. They wont survive more than a few weeks, dying from a predator usually.

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Little Fuzzy   QUESTION: His eyes are not open yet. I live in San Diego, CA. Do I massage the genital area right after I feed him?

Also, does he look more like a mouse to you in the picture?

ANSWER: Thats a baby rat.....a baby mouse would be much smaller.....


Try this number below

619 225 9202

If they suggest to leave the animal there as a drop off with nobody there, dont do it.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: My orphan rat is lying on it's side twitching!!! What do I do??? I'm not sure there's much a veterinarian can do, please help!!!

P.S. One of it's eyes is slightly starting to open but the other one is not at all opening.

Answer
Did you call the numbers I gave you?  There are many vets that will see your rat in San Diego and may help.

The numbers I gave you will help you. I am worried now that its too late. I gave you those numbers a few days ago. They are open 24 hrs a day.

There isnt much I can do 5000 miles away from you. I wish I could help more, but the only thing I can do is suggest how to care for it (using the URL above) or call the wild life places in San Diego.