Failure to thrive?

Question
Hi Sandra,
Thanks in advance for your time. We are new to rats, my daughters purchased 2 female rats from the pet store about a week and a half ago. We are guessing they are around 6-8 weeks old now. They were both roughly the same size when we got them but now one is growing well and one seems smaller than when we got her. You can feel all her bones when you touch her. She is eating and alert when we play with her but sleeps most of the time and seems to have labored breathing. We are feeding them Forti-diet rat pellets, Kaytee Fiesta mix and a few veggies/fruits (apples, carrots, melon whatever we have) for a treat at night.
I am worried about the one that is so skinny, she is white with a tiny bit of grey with black eyes.
Any help to get her healthy again would be appreciated.
Thank you,
Courtnay

Answer
SOrry for the delay in responding. I have been unwell myself and just found that I have to have two new valves on my heart (fun fun!!) but I am feeling tons better today so here I am...back to answering rattie stuff just like I love to do!


Anyhow, the little rat...each rat grows differently but I do not like the labored breathing at all.  Compare the two rats and see what you see. Let me know exactly what you see. I wont tell you what to see for fear you may "think" you see it. Ignorance is bliss they say and it is OH so true, I have found!! Let me know how fast they both seem to be breathing and also if their sides seem to sink in hard when they breathe.

Also, check out my pages on proper diet for rats. They need low protein diets to avoid kidney disease which is the third leading cause of death in pet rats. SOunds like your doing ok with their diet with the pellets but I would toss the fiesta mix. You will see why when you check out my website.

Also with the baby rat, I will ask you to do a "virtual" exam for me. CHEck her eyes and nose for any porphyrin discharge which is the red mucus that looks like blood but it isnt, it is simply mucus produced by a gland (the harderian gland) located behind the rats eyes. This gland produces more porphyrin during stress or stress from illness.

Feel for any bumps or lumps or sores. Try to check her teeth. ALthough young, it is possible she has a malocclusion and her teeth are not aligned. THis can be from a birth defect and it will cause her to stop eating.

How are her stools and does she urinate ok?

Does she drink alot?

One tip...always check the water bottle each day. Sometimes the little ball gets stuck and no water can come out. A rat will dehydrate fast and this can cause a drastic drop in weight right off.

You said she is eating ok...but she sleeps more. Baby rats do sleep alot but is she sleeping more than the other rat does?

DO you notice her belly is swollen or any swelling anywhere else on her body?

Any odor or discharge in the ears?

Sneezing?

Wheezing?

Please let me know all of these things so I can further advise.

Sandra