miscarriage

Question
QUESTION: I have had this rat for about 5 months now, I bought her from a pet store as a companion for the female that I already had. at the time I bought her she was already pregnant, and 2 and a half weeks later gave birth to 16 babies, all of which I decided to keep. I built two massive cages for them. in the process of moving recently the cages were damaged there were some escapes and she ended up trapped in the males cage. the cages have been repaired and I have been watching her closely for sighs of pregnancy. tonight I went to take her out for a while and noticed a dark red dot in her vagina, and am now completely freaked out. I wont be able to take her to the vet till monday, what should I do for her?

ANSWER: If its blood your seeing, she may just have a little vaginal infection. Are you worried she may be pregnant or in the process of giving birth?

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

QUESTION: look like I may be worried over nothing I switched her bedding to paper towels and have seen no signs of blood or discharge. I don't know that she is pregnant but I do know for certain she mated, and there are three others I suspect, the other three have a bit of a round belly, but I can't say if there pregnant because they have a tendency to gorge. I realy hope they're not, after the first 18 I can't aford any more, and don't know what else to do.  

Answer
Oh geeze!  I feel for you, I really do.  Years back, I had 8 boys of my own but I saved two girls because a snake owner brought them back after his snake did not want them (thankfully!!!!) but the pet store did not want to accept them back. I was there buying litter for my rats and over heard the argument. The snake owner was so mad that the store refused them and said he would have to learn how to care for rats because these rats were survivors.  I told him not to worry, I would take them.  
ha!!!  A week later the younger female popped out 7 pink sausage pups and a few days after that, the smaller rat, but OLDER rat, who just so happened to be the mother of the one that just gave birth, she had FIFTEEN pups. I was officially knee deep in rats.  LOL!
I know the two moms were related because (this is a mean story, beware!) the older rat, Charlotte, was a dumbo. She gave birth and the pet store put her and her pups on display in the pet store. Everyone kept touching her and her pups so she started to bite!  Once the other rats got older, the mean store owner said they were all mean and she tossed them in a feeder bin, thus in turn, they were sold in a trio to a snake owner.  The snake took one girl but spared the two I adopted, Oreo and her mother, Charlotte.  I have their photos on my website in the ABOUT ME and my rats page.

To tell if they are pregnant, check their nipples. See if the fur has been thinning around them. Their bellies wont just get large, but swollen more like a pear than round shaped. They will also begin to nest like crazy and may have mood swings, even becoming a bit aggressive.

I would check for rat rescues in your area just in case, or let me know your area and I can find someone or TRY to find them, that is, just in case you end up with more pups.