Help! My rat is sick...

Question
Help.  I have just come home from visiting my family.  My rats are in really bad shape.  Their cage had not been cleaned for a very long time and I just gave them food and water.  My room mate said that he didnt clean the cage, but fed and watered them, however im not sure how often they got fed or watered.  Anyway, both my girls look horrid, like they havent had food for weeks and are both super weak... one of my girls looks like she is going to make it.  She is moving and eating and drinking water, but my other girl, (her name is boo...) wont move at all, drink or eat any food im giving her.  She cant walk at all and when she does, its like she cant move all of her limbs. Im scared that she wont eat and will die soon.... i have no money for going to a vet... help!

Answer
You need to offer your weak rat (Boo?) some soft, appetizing foods - I like using baby food or blended table food (or even canned cat and/or dog food) mixed with a bit of kitten milk replacer formula or pedialyte. Try to encourage her to eat by hand-feeding her or spoon feeding her, and offer her water. Don't force it, because forcing fluids tends to lead to aspiration (where they breathe the fluid in rather than swallow it) and can lead to nasty lung infections.

Make sure they're at a decent temperature - not too hot or not too cold - and clean their bedding pronto. Dirty bedding just worsens the situation. Throw the high calorie foods at them as much as you can; calories are a GOOD thing right now. If you can get to a pet shop, look for a paste known as Nutri-Cal (I don't know if they have it in your area, but google it if you can and check) to blend with the soft food for Boo.

Hopefully with luck she'll perk up quickly. I wish you the best, please keep me updated.