Rat Cage

Question
QUESTION: Hi Sandra,

I used to own 3 male brother rats but due to illnesses now only 1 of them remains. He is quite happy on his own and after a period of being sad he has perked back up again to his usual self. I did contemplate buying a couple more rats for companions for him, but decided against this as I am not sure I can deal with the heartache of their short little lives, and Gadget is ok on his own.


The only problem I am having is they used to have a massive 3 story cage when they were all here, but now that gadget is on his own he seems quite lost in it and doesn't move above the ground floor at all. I have had him in my room in a cat carrier at night and he seems to prefer the smaller space and being nearer me. However, it is much too small for him to live in permanently and I am looking to buy him a new house which is smaller than the 3 story but obviously big enough for him to live happily in (in my bedroom if at all possible - depending on size#. What size would you recommend for him as I am finding it quite hard to find a decent sized one on the Internet which also does not cost a fortune as well!

He has also had quite a few operations recently #removing cancerous lumps - and part of his rib taken away as the lump had fractured it) and is currently on steroids to try and prevent the lump re-growing again, so I want to try and make him as comfortable as possible!

Thank You

Anderley


Petsmart cage   ANSWER: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3074864

This cage is from Petsmart online. I would guess you can find it in the store too.



A roomy single story cage like this would be ideal esp if he no longer can climb.  Do you prefer single story for him or does he still continue to  climb ramps and ladders?

Rats that are still very active should have 2 cubic feet per rat for healthy living space. However, a rat that no longer is able to climb can be kept in a roomy single story cage. When using a single story cage, however, it is not very healthy for any rat to sleep in their own waste so do not put litter all over the entire bottom of the cage. This applies ONLY if he is not litter box trained.  If he is, thats great. If he is not, it will be a snap to get him to use it so dont worry.  Simply isolate the litter to a litter pan only. Trust me, he will prefer to poop in the litter because rats like to dig around before they go to the bathroom.  He may    pee in his bed as many males do, but the pooping should take place in the litter pan. He wont need a large one either.  I use one for three boys and its nothing more than a plastic tray from Walmart whos purpose is to be used to organize this and that in a drawer.  Its about 6 inches wide and 8 inches long and a few inches deep.  I simply dump out the litter daily and add new and their cage is super clean. You can line the entire floor of the cage with either fleece or if he still pees everywhere, line it with thick layers of newspaper and on top of that, put down plastic needle point canvas. The tiny holes in the plastic canvas will allow urine to drain into the holes and the paper absorbs the urine. Change it out daily or as needed when it gets too many urine spots.  You dont want odor of course.  

Hopefully this helps your little guy. Is he on  antibiotics while on the steroid therapy?


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

QUESTION: Hi Sandra,

Thank you for the advice and cage recommendation. He was on antibiotics (metacam) for about 2 weeks following his surgery and when they stopped the steriods (prednisolone tablets) started - giving him half a tablet a day, which I crush up and mix in with a little bit a yoghurt in the morning.

Should he also be on antibiotics as well then? I hope the steriods do work he has had 4 ops in total for the reoccuring lump! He is absolutley fine in himself though and always bounces back - bless him!

Thanks again

ANSWER: Well, the bad news is that your little one is NOT on antibiotics. Metacam is not an antibiotic. It is for inflammation and is pretty much along the same line as ibuprofen or motrin.  In fact, it is called MOBIC in human medicine and is used to treat arthritis.  Long term use causes kidney damage.   I myself do not like metacam and think too many vets use it for everything and its not a very good pain killer for rats after surgery either.  I think that I would want something stronger than motrin if I had surgery and pain at the surgical site.  Rats burn through medication so fast that metacam is not good for pain relief.  I know this has nothing to do with your rat but I cringe when I read when vets use it for everything.
Your rat needs to be on antibiotics while on prednisone. This is to prevent any infection that may set in if the immune system is indeed compromised, although that wont happen over night, either.  It usually is more commonly seen during long term steroid therapy....more like a few months rather than  10 days.

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

QUESTION: Really? which antibiotic would you recommend he goes on? (I don't really know anything about medication for them# and the steroids will hopefully be long term #as long as they work# so he will def need the antibiotics. I have emailed my vet #as he is over an hour away) with this information.

Thanks

Anderley

Answer
The best drug to use long term with steroids would be a daily dose of baytril. I hope this doctor is educated enough to know the importance of an antibiotic to protect the rat from infection from the steroids compromising the immune system with long term use.