Help! My rat has diarrhia. What's wrong?

Question

I've had him for about a month and from the moment I got him from the pet store he has had the squirts (lol) None of my other rats have this problem... What could be wrong?

I don't feed them treats either. Well I do once in a while, but havn't since I've gotten him... And like I've said, he's had this problem since the first day I brought him home.

Answer 1

Your rat had a gastro-intestinal problem probably from an improper diet at the pet store, or picking up a bacterial infection from the feces or urine of a rat that was already sick at the pet store, or Salmonella, or....................

Or, his diet is so different in your home then what he was use to at the store that the sudden change has upset his system.

Separate the sick rat from his buddies for the time being but watch to see if he becomes depressed or anxious due to loneliness. The stress of being alone could exacerbate his illness

Bananas are excellent for firming up the stool, so are carob chips (they look like chocolate chips), so is uncooked oatmeal, and oatmeal is soothing to the digestive tract.

Your rat needs a vet check to rule out bacterial infection, or worms. The vet might recommend Amoxicilline which is an acceptable antibiotic should infection be detected.

In the meantime your rat is dehydrated to some point due to the diarrhea. He will readily drink Pedialyte (electrolyte solution found in the baby section of drug store)

For more help on caring for your rat, contact me at http://spazrats.tripod.com or join my Yahoo group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/holistarat

spazrats
Specializing in the health and care of pet rats since 1997.

Answer 2

Diarrhea can be caused by feeding an unbalanced diet, such as too many fresh fruits and vegetables, or as a side effect of some drugs, or even a gastro-intestinal bacterial infection such as pinworms or other parasites. So you should consult a vet about this if it is not something simple like feeding too much lettuce.
Make sure your rat is getting plenty of water (dehydration can happen very quickly with diarrhea). Feed a plain, bland diet such as rodent block, baby foods, or rice while the diarrhea is a problem. Check your rat and make sure it is not going into shock. Check your rat's skin elasticity-- if the skin over its shoulders feels stiff and doesn't slip back in place easily and your rat seems very lethargic and unresponsive, your rat will need immediate medical attention.

Answer 3

Can be a number of things. For one, petstore rats come from horrible places generally and are exposed to a variety of illnesses/parasites. Should have also quarantined the rat from your others, very carefully, for at least a month. Check out http://ratsrulecom for some great rat health info.