The BRODENTS! Rodent Enthusiast Thread!

[gamorasass]

Used corrugated plastic to make my ratties a new tray for their Double Critter Nation. Fleece is starting to drive me nuts. It would be easier if I could keep ratties in a C&C, but that's not really possible haha. So I made new trays to switch from fleece to loose bedding (yesterday's news).

Also, thinking of getting some Skinny Pigs. My mother and I LOVE guinea pigs, but she's allergic to their dander. So since Skinny pigs have no hair, therefore no dander, we might be getting some! Mom had pigs in aspen shavings when she was younger as well, and I'm very allergic to any kind of shavings, so I'm betting that was triggering her allergies as well.

[jade,]

Hi fellow rodent lovers c: I recently got a new hamster, and I decided to name her Nutmeg! She is a winter white dwarf hamster, and she is brown with a black stripe on her spine, with a white belly. She looks almost exactly like one of my hamsters, Cocoa, who died recently xc Rip forever cocoa! you will forever be missed.

Other than that, I just want to welcome Nutmeg as one of the newest member of my hamster family! You will be loved and cared for as much as any other of my babies! Welcome, Nutmeg! ♡♡

[gamorasass]

hi! my rats ran out of their food (oxbow) and i don't have anything to give them atm???? i ordered some food online but i have no idea when it'll get here. is it ok if they eat some hamster food in the meantime (seed mix)? thank you!

No. You should go to the pet store and buy some proper food.

[Angelus Gaston]

hi! my rats ran out of their food (oxbow) and i don't have anything to give them atm???? i ordered some food online but i have no idea when it'll get here. is it ok if they eat some hamster food in the meantime (seed mix)? thank you!

Why your waiting you could look in to making your own for the time being

http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-Pet-Rat-Food/

Something like this will help.

[halloween.egg]

i've got four rattie boys! once i have enough money to get a dcn (Double CritterNation, an amazing cage) i'm gonna get a few more!

I could never have snakes for the same reason! I love them, but after owning rats, no way!
Your boys sound cute. Perhaps you could adopt from a breeder instead of the pet store? Just a suggestion. That's definitely what I plan to do for my next boys.

i would absolutely love to adopt from a breeder but there just aren't any near me that are ethical. i do rather like getting them from the pet store, because although they do have health problems, i'm capable of taking care of them and plus, i'm rescuing them from either being snake food or being stuck in a tank for their whole lives. <3

[.Middy.]

Finally adding guinea pigs again! Once again self control wasn’t my thing so I agreed to take 5 😂. Who can say no to free cavy? Especially since I’ve already got cages and everything from my last pair.

The dal boar doesn’t have a name yet, but the sow is Anevia. I’ll have to upload pics of the other three later on lol

[MotherMother]

I need some help/advice on a rat suddenly freaking out.
I was with her when it happened, she was right in front of me. Suddenly she freaked out and ran everywhere, and not just to escape I mean she ran back and forth knocking down everything in her way. When I picked her up she arched her back and grimaced and squinted her eyes, and shook her hands in the air. She seemed like she was in a lot of pain. When I put her in the cage she ran to the top floor and hid, then stayed frozen. She did not fear poop during this (she often does if she gets scared). She sat staring into space for about 10 minutes, meanwhile I researched everything I could.
I checked on her again and she felt quite warm and was drooling quite a bit. I gently handled her and checked if she had maybe broken a nail and gotten spooked or something. Nothing seems broken and physically she appears fine.
A few minutes later she started eating on her own, and moved around more. She reacted when I called her and started acting like herself again. Though she is more responsive, she is still hiding and peeking out at me. She is definitely more relaxed and seems about ready to sleep. Her sister is comforting her but giving her space.

Does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing or know what could have caused it?

My main concern is a possible seizure but she did not have convulsions nor did she feel stiff or cold.
I also feel maybe she was spooked by something, but I don't know what could have possibly scared her to such an extreme extent. We have a great bond and she is not afraid of me whatsoever. I was not currently touching her when she freaked out, so I couldn't have accidentally hurt her. I heard about the possibility of a bug biting her, but again she was with me and I would have seen it.
Obviously her health is my top priority and a vet visit is always the best choice. But it is currently 1:30 AM and there are no exotic emergency hospitals. I'd rather get her a visit with a proper rat vet in the morning than stress her out all night with someone who will treat her like a dog. Meanwhile if someone has any input I'd appreciate it.

[gamorasass]

Does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing or know what could have caused it?

Take her to a vet immediately. In my experience, it sounds like a seizure. There are many different ways that rats can sieze, but running around, batting the air with her paws, staring into space, and drooling is a sure sign. Keep a close eye on her. I'm sorry that both you and your baby had to go through that.

[Kisiel]

I don’t have any good pics of the does yet, but here’s one from her breeder.


Why is BEW banned? I swear I’ve seen BEW in the UK...

These guys will be part of my new DWS line, though I am tempted to make a separate BEW line since I do love them so much haha. My main goal is always improving on temperament in each generation, and working on health. The undermarked variegated doe will be bred to my undermarked variegated buck to prove that he’s variegated and velveteen like we think.

And nope not named yet. I’m horrble at naming them, so it will probably be ages before I get them all named lol. I’ll probably get a friend to name them if I can’t think of anything lol.

I don't think BEW are outright banned as I'm almost certain I've seen a few before, but I hear they're not allowed to be shown at NFRS shows and the such due to the fact that they are apparently extremely prone to epilepsy and deafness, among other health issues. At least that's what a rather angry breeder told me when I mentioned that I too really quite liked BEWs on a forum some time ago.

Yes you have the right idea. BEW as well as hairless and manx rats are banned from attending and being shown in the UK, but any breeder found breeding them would quickly be shunned from the community. It has been found impossible to breed out the deafness and epilepsy issues out of these rats and it is no longer considered ethical to breed them here. Don't even get me started on hairless.

Gremlin, if you want something that looks like a BEW but is actually healthy, look into ivory. There are a few registered ratteries who get ivory in their lines and they're honestly stunning. I've only ever seen them in person once and I really liked them.

Middy, I'm concerned about how small that does eyes are. Good temperament and health are what most people breed for anyway (or should do), but what about goals in terms of the varieties you're breeding?

[MotherMother]

Does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing or know what could have caused it?

Take her to a vet immediately. In my experience, it sounds like a seizure. There are many different ways that rats can sieze, but running around, batting the air with her paws, staring into space, and drooling is a sure sign. Keep a close eye on her. I'm sorry that both you and your baby had to go through that.

Thank you for your help. I will take her to the vet asap and hope they can treat her.
Do you know if seizures tend to be a one time thing or recurring throughout their whole life?