Post-Neuter Care

The Critter Nation with the shelves and ramps and most accessories removed.
Each level is closed off to make two hospital cages.
Hammie (top) and Burt (bottom), giving me the stink eye.

Hammie and Burt were neutered yesterday, and the surgeries were performed without incident. Both ratties came home last night. Hammie had already perked back up to close to his normal self (surgery? what surgery? why am I locked up alone in this boring cell?). Burt was a little out of it and I think in a little pain or discomfort, because he started chewing on the plastic pan of the Critter Nation, filling it with little black plastic shavings. However, this morning, he is much more himself.

Of course, after the surgery, there is a period of special post-neuter care. Our instructions are to continue this care until their follow-up appointment a week from today.

First, they need special living arrangements. They need to stay in a one level cage with only a low-hanging hammock, to limit climbing and stretching and anything that might cause the incision site to open or become infected. They need to be kept alone, separate from the other rats. I do have one smaller one level cage that I use for travel (longer trips) and as a hospital cage. However, since both boys were neutered at the same time, I would need two such cages. Since I didn't really want the expense of a second hospital cage which would not be used often, I decided to go a different route. I closed up the middle ramp of the Critter Nation and zip-tied it in the up position, then put the full sized bottom tray on the top level to cover up the ramp opening. I put the notched upper level tray on the bottom, but covered the exposed grate with a small liner, then a small flat circular weight from my husband's old weight set, then covered the entire pan and opening with a full-sized liner. I now had two separate cages. I took out the shelves and the metal frames that held the shelves, all of the hammocks, the lava ledges, the huts and space pods and baskets, and the wheel (which got moved to the Martin's R695 to Bobo's delight). I left the litter boxes and a single low-lying hammock. I also kept a cuddle cup in each cage, figuring it wouldn't hurt their sutures any.

It is important that the incision site not become infected. To try to prevent that, the cage must be kept extra clean. This means changing the bedding every day. Using fleece as bedding is ideal as it will promote less waste (just change-out and wash the liner each day) and it has less chance of dirt or debris finding its way into the incision site. I was told that a litter box with paper pelleted litter was okay. Again, it should be changed daily.

Both rats were prescribed meloxicam (aka, Metacam) for pain. They were given an injection at the vet's office and we were given some oral meds to take home with us. They will receive those meds once a day for 3-5 days, as needed. Hammie is already acting so good, 3 days will probably be plenty for him. Burt may need an extra day or two. They both have had their morning dose, which they took willingly and without any struggle.

The incision site must be checked every day. I am to report any swelling, discharge, or redness - or anything that just looks off. I checked both boys today and was surprised by how good the incision site looks already. Below is a picture of Hammie post surgery (not a great view as I took this myself with the camera on a timer):

In the mean time, in order to free up the Critter Nation for the boys, I had to advance the introduction process between Ruby (spayed female) and our other two new boys (Bobo and Jeremy). We had been doing introductions for quite some time, but the progress had stalled. Ruby is terrified of the two other boys, even though they have never hurt her or made any attempts to hurt her. She starts whining (a mew type sound) and sometimes outright crying (a more screechy sound that sounds like someone is getting murdered) whenever they get close to her or try to smell her private parts. However, I have no concerns about anyone's safety. We have been doing these introductions long enough that if someone were to get aggressive, it would have happened by now. But Ruby is not going to get over her fear unless she is forced to. So yesterday, we moved Ruby into the Martin's R695 with Bobo and Jeremy. She is still not crazy about this new living situation, but I think that after a few days she will realize that no one is going to hurt her and things will improve.

Rat Safe Play Areas

 

All pet rats need some play time out of the cage. They need a safe place to explore and time to spend bonding with you. Because our homes frequently contain unsafe items (eg, live electrical cords) and things that a rat might destroy (wooden furniture) and because many do not want rat pee soaking into their carpeting and furniture upholstery, it is important to have a designated rat-safe play area.

 

Many people use their bed for out-time. If you throw an old comforter or blanket on top, you can protect your mattress and bedding from pee and allow your rats free range of the bed, throwing the blanket in the wash as needed. Another option is the bathroom. Bathrooms usually are not carpeted and usually do not have items plugged in near the floor where the rats would be able to chew on a cord. They can be easily closed off so the rats cannot escape and are pretty rat safe as long as you keep the toilet lid down.

 

We currently have a play pen set up in a corner of our basement, where the rats can run around and explore and we can sit with them on an old couch that is covered with a sofa cover and then a flannel sheet - both of which can be removed and washed fairly easily. The floor of the play area is covered with old throw rugs that my mom was going to throw away until I absconded with them.

 

The play pen is surrounded by plywood walls, 2 feet high. Our rats cannot jump this high, so it is secure as long as none of the taller toys get too close to the wall. The rats can jump onto the sofa if they want, but will not jump from the sofa arms/back to the floor. However, we must be present to supervise them, just in case. We do not leave the rats loose in the play area unsupervised.

 

If we should need to leave them (to answer the phone or the door or for some other reason), we also have our Martin's Play Pen set up on a children's table inside the play area. We can easily move the rats into the Martin's Play Pen and secure the door and they will be safe unsupervised.

 

We have a variety of toys for the play area that we change around periodically to keep free range time stimulating and interesting. Some of our favorite play area toys are Imaginext toys that my boys outgrew. We have an Imaginext castle and also an Imaginext Gorilla Mountain. The rats love to climb these toys and go through the doors and openings. They can be opened into different shapes, to make new configurations, and sometimes lying them on their side makes them new and exciting. We also have a variety of huts and boxes and a handful of Marshall ferret toys (octopus, alligator, pirate ship, noah's ark, and elephant) that come and go. In addition to these things, we like to use the Super Pet Ferre-Trail tubes (they used to sell these in a large set for a reasonable price, but now only sell them by the piece or two and are more expensive). In the play area, we can build more complicated tunnel mazes than would fit comfortably in a cage setting. We also have a Hagen's Living World Teach 'n Treat puzzle where the rats can learn to move puzzle pieces to find treats.

 

Both the Martin's Play Pen and our play area have their own litter boxes, and the Martin's has a water bottle in case the rats get thirsty. We have a television set up by the play area, so the kids can watch television while the rats are out. If the kids stay entertained while the rats are out, the rats get more out time.

 

This play area is only temporary. I have a bird room downstairs but only have a handful of finches left. This spring, we will be moving the finches out and into an aviary and doing a thorough clean and redesign of the room. The rats will then be getting this space as a rat room. It should be fun to have a whole room to dedicate to the rats that will be safe for them to explore for as long as they like. It will hopefully be a space that is fun for both rats and people, so the family will be encouraged to spend a lot of time there with the rats.



Cleaning and Disinfecting

I had to take a little break from the blog while getting over losing Pirate. It is always hard when one of the little guys go. Their lives are so short and yet they touch us in such a powerful way that it takes a few days to get back in the swing of things.

I have been doing a lot of fall rat cleaning over the last week or so. I am taking advantage of the nice weather before colder fall weather sets in to hose down cages and accessories outside and allow them to dry in the sunshine (sunlight is a natural disinfectant). It just seemed natural to talk about cleaning and disinfecting a little.

Cleaning is what needs to be done on a regular basis. Disinfecting is what we do when our rats' environment has been exposed to a pathogen and you need to eliminate that pathogen from the home to prevent reinfection or spread. Disinfecting can be done on a preventative basis as well, but in those cases, I usually recommend a mild disinfectant. Vinegar, for example, is a mild and natural disinfectant that has antimicrobial properties, but is safe to use around rats and other animals. I have always believed that keeping animals in a perfectly sterile environment weakens their immune systems and makes them more vulnerable if they ever are exposed to something hazardous. So I don't believe in the sterile environment philosophy. It is better for them to be exposed to things in small doses that they can easily fight off and then build up their immunities to these things.


Cages

Cleaning
To thoroughly clean our cages, I use dawn dish soap and water. To do a wipe down, I use vinegar and water. Vinegar is both a mild disinfectant that is useful for cleaning, and also is an odor neutralizer. Vinegar is especially useful for eliminating urine odor, which is essential when you keep rats.

The Martin's cage can be taken into our downstairs shower or brought outside and hosed down, but the Critter Nation needs to be cleaned in place. On rare occasions, the Critter Nation needs to be taken apart and cleaned as urine and grime can get in between the panels. I never hose down the Critter Nation because the inside of the metal frame is hollow and untreated and will quickly rust if exposed to water and not immediately dried.

If the weather is nice, allowing the cage to dry outside will also provide some preventative disinfecting - as sunshine is a natural and effective disinfectant for many pathogens.

Disinfecting
When disinfecting a cage because of a known exposure to a pathogen, it is important to know what that pathogen is susceptible to. Bleach is effective against many pathogens, is cheap, and easy to use. When using bleach, you must remove the rats to another cage and disinfect the cage in another room or outside. Bleach is less effective in the presence of organic matter, so the cage or item to be disinfected must first be cleaned to thoroughly remove any residue of urine, fecal matter, blood, mucus, hair, etc. I mix up bleach at a concentration of 10 parts water to 1 part bleach unless the literature regarding the pathogen I am trying to eliminate recommends some other concentration. If possible, keep the surfaces in contact with the bleach for 10 minutes before rinsing. Make sure to thoroughly rinse and then dry the cage before returning the rats to the cage. Bleach fumes can be extremely harsh on their lungs. Make sure the cage does not smell like bleach when you return it to use. Drying the cage in sunlight can be extra helpful.

Some pathogens, like coccidia and giardia, are less susceptible to bleach. In that case, another disinfectant may be called for. Coccidia, for example, is supposed to be susceptible to ammonia (never mix ammonia and bleach - the combination releases a toxic gas). Heat is also often used to safely disinfect when bleach is not effective. While rat cages are too large to disinfect in a dishwasher at antibacterial settings, soaking the cage parts in water that has been heated to boiling may kill off any pathogens. Exposed carriers may be able to be disinfected in the dishwasher on the antibacterial cycle.

Note that you do not have to disinfect cages because of exposure to respiratory infections caused by mycoplasma. All rats carry this bacteria, and thus we do not need to worry about spread from the environment. Rats become ill when their immune system is weakened, not from re-exposure to the mycoplasma itself.

Glass
Glass is fairly easy to clean and disinfect, so I always use glass water bottles instead of plastic ones. Because the water bottles are always exposed to water and air, they can be quick to harbor bacteria.

Cleaning
I clean glass water bottles in the dishwasher on the regular setting. I first do a quick rub down with a bottle brush, as the dishwasher may not reach inside the narrow opening as well as I would like.

Disinfecting
I disinfect glass water bottles on the antibacterial cycle of my dishwasher or by soaking in a bleach solution and then thoroughly rinsing. I like to dry in the sunlight if the weather cooperates.

Plastic
Plastic is easy to clean but actually is pretty hard to disinfect (one reason I use glass water bottles instead of plastic ones).

Cleaning
For regular cleaning of plastic, I just use Dawn dish soap and water (or wipe down with vinegar for a quick touch up).

Disinfecting
For disinfecting, I first clean the item to remove urine residue and debris, then soak in a bleach water solution for 10 minutes. Alternatively, I have a dishwasher that has an antibacterial cycle that runs at an extremely high temperature to kill most bacteria/spores/parasite eggs, etc. However, some plastics cannot handle temperatures so high and can melt or warp in that cycle - others are tougher and do fine. I have used that cycle with success to kill coccidia oocysts in a hospital cage/pan/drinkers/seed trays that held infected birds.

Wood
Wood is hard to clean and to disinfect because it is so porous.

Cleaning
I soak wood in a vinegar water solution to clean it. When it has been around for a while, I replace it.

Disinfecting
Pitch everything made of wood and replace it - wood just cannot be thoroughly disinfected and it is better to just get rid of it than risk re-exposure or spread of disease.

Lava Ledges
Lava ledges are pumice stone and are also very porous.

Cleaning
I also clean these by soaking in vinegar/water solution.

Disinfecting
I would replace these in case of a contagion as well - just because there are so many holes and crevices for bacteria to hide in. Soaking in bleach solution may be effective, but I personally would probably not risk it. Also, I don't like soaking anything in bleach that the rats like to chew on - and my rats chew the lava ledges.

Fabric
Cleaning
I wash my hammocks and liners using a dye-free and fragrance-free detergent (I use Tide Free and Gentle, but any brand would do). I wash on hot to kill any bacteria present and use vinegar in the rinse cycle, running a second rinse cycle to make sure everything rinses out thoroughly. If urine odor is a problem for you and you are not worried about pathogens, you may want to wash in cold water, as urine stains are protein stains and cold water is more effective at eliminating them. However, I have found that as long as I use vinegar in the rinse, I don't have a problem with urine odor in the hammocks and liners - even when I wash on hot - so I prefer to kill off anything that might be lurking in there by using the hot cycle.

Disinfecting.

Washing in hot water and drying on the highest heat setting will kill most things (this is effective against ringworm, for example). My machine also has a sanitary cycle (extremely hot) with a Steam option that would probably be helpful if I am ever hit with something nasty that I want to make sure I get rid of. However, if I were dealing with something that bad, I would pitch the hammocks afterwards anyway. They chew through them quickly - no sense keeping them around if there is a chance they might get reinfected with something nasty.

The good thing is that because our rats don't usually go outside where they are exposed to bird and animal droppings and they don't usually eat live food like insects (unless you feed them mealworms), they are very unlikely to be exposed to many of these problems. It is much more important to know this stuff with birds/reptiles that eat live insects or that live in outdoor aviaries, than with rats who are usually sheltered in our homes. Still - it is always possible that they could catch these things if they do eat the occasional bug or if they go outside on occasion or if they are exposed to wild rats/mice in the house or a new rat that has been exposed to these things. Feeding mealworms is usually okay because most insectaries test for these problems and somehow manage to control them - however, I have seen mealworms crushed open and the innards examined under the microscope only to find worm eggs inside - so this risk is always possible if you feed live insects to your animals. For animals with insectivorous diets (many birds and reptiles), you have no choice, but for rats, I don't risk it, since there are other options to meet their dietary requirement.

Probably the main thing that people do a deep clean for is when they find mites or lice on their rats - but using Revolution makes it less important because one dose will last the entire life cycle, so any eggs will hatch and die out before they can be reinfected (as long as you treat all of the rats). I would also probably do a deep clean for a virus like Sendai or SDA - although I believe these viruses only live on surfaces for up to 3 hours, so time would likely render exposed items safe. Still - anything that serious, I wouldn't mess around.

Litter Training

Weasel loved to lay around inside his litter box.

Litter training is something I have never given much thought to. A litter box is a necessity when you use fleece/fabric liners, but just because it exists, doesn't mean they will use it. Our Loki is the best litter trained rat we have ever had - always using the litter box, with never a stray raisin to be found. Our other rats have been decent, with most of the raisins found in the litter box, but the occasional stray raisins left elsewhere. Our girls are still in training - sometimes it takes several months.



Here are some tips to make litter training go as smoothly as possible.

1. Pay attention to the places where you normally find raisins. Rats tend to have certain preferred spots for this. Place the litter box in their chosen spot. Put a few raisins in the box to get them started.
2. Place a litter box on every full level of the cage. Rats can be lazy. They will use the litter box if it is there, but not if it is out of sight or an effort to get to.
3. Use a heavy litter in the litter box. It is always best to use a different litter in the litter box than in the cage (if you also use a litter in the cage). You need to differentiate the litter box from everywhere else if you want to litter train your rats. Using a light and fluffy/airy litter can be messy. Rats can easily toss lightweight litter out of the litter box - either by accident or on purpose. A heavier paper pelleted litter is more likely to stay in the litter box than something like aspen or Carefresh.
4. Move any raisins you find into the litter box to teach the rats that this is where they belong.
5. Don't change the litter too frequently at first - keeping some raisins in the box helps remind the rats where they belong.
6. Have patience. Sometimes it takes a while for them to get it. Just keep up with it. One day, you will likely find that most of the raisins are in the boxes where they belong.

Remember that rats can only be litter trained for poo and not for pee. Rats use urine to mark their territories and to communicate with other rats, and thus will always pee where they see fit.

Don't be surprised if your rats drag other things into the litter box. We have had rats who would drag their treats into the litter box. Sounds disgusting, but there is really no discouraging this. They will do what they want to do. Our rat Weasel also liked to sleep in the litter box. We think that perhaps in the summer it was cooler in the box than sleeping on fleece.

Make sure to choose a safe litter for your litter boxes. Many litters marketed to small animals are not safe for those animals. Cedar and pine wood shavings are aromatic and the oils in the wood can cause respiratory problems in rats. Aspen shavings are a safe alternative if you prefer wood. Corn cob litters are prone to mold and can carry fungi, like Aspergillus. Paper litters, like Carefresh and ExquisiCat Paper are safe. Be warned, however, that Yesterday's News is made partially with sawdust, even though it claims to be a paper bedding. Thus, it may not be as safe as other alternatives. We used to use Yesterday's News (pictured above with Weasel), but have changed to ExquisiCat for this reason.

Also note that paper-based cat litters are safe for small animal use as long as the only ingredient is paper and they do not contain any added fragrances/chemicals/agents. Paper cat litter is usually the same as the paper products marketed toward small animals, but can be purchased in larger quantities for less.

What Staple Diet to Feed the Rats?

With the recent recall of Innova dog foods, we've been forced to revisit this question. And that is probably not a bad thing. It is not enough just to make a decision, but it is also important that we keep reviewing the effects of that decision.

Most commercial diets that are available in pet stores and are marketed towards rats are not nutritionally appropriate for them. Anything in the form of a mix, with seeds/nuts/grains, is not appropriate as the staple diet for a rat. It might be suitable for an occasional treat, but not as the main source of sustenance.

As far as commercial diets marketed for rats are concerned, there are only three that meet with general approproval from the pet rat community:

• Harlan Teklad (also referred to as HT or NativeEarth)
• Oxbow Regal Rat
• Mazuri Breeder 6F

Harland Teklad

Harlan Teklad diets are manufactured as diets for lab rats. As such, they need to be nutritionally complete, because lab rats are fed lab blocks and only lab blocks. Introducing other foods can cause disparity between control and test groups and it is important that dietary variables are kept completely constant so that they do not affect the results of the trial. Thus, not only is the Harlan Teklad diet guaranteed to be as complete as our current knowledge can make it, it is also manufactured consistently across batches.

Harlan Teklad is also available in multiple formulas, each with different protein levels, but the only one commercially available is 18% protein. The other formulas are available from some rescues.

Harland Teklad is the choice among many rat lovers because it is nutritionally complete. However, there are a few drawbacks. First, it is only truly balanced if that is the only food being fed to the rats. Once we introduce anything else (fruit, veggies, cereal, treats, table scraps), that balance goes out the window. Most pet owners enjoy introducing their rats to a variety of healthy foods and a few guilty pleasures.

Second, Harlan Teklad isn't readily available. It can be purchased in very large bags from some online retailers in the form of Native Earth, but that incurs high shipping costs, or it can be purchased from some rat rescues, who buy the larger bags and then divide it up into smaller portions for sale to support their rescue.

Finally, Harlan Teklad is not made with the finest ingredients. Just because it is balanced and consistent does not mean it has to be wholesome. One of the biggest drawbacks is the inclusion of dried corn, which may contain a fungus known as aflatoxin. With last year's very dry summer, aflatoxins are going to be an even more prevalent problem than usual.

Oxbow Regal Rat

Oxbow Regal Rat is more readily available, being sold in pet stores and online and being packaged in smaller quantities for those of us with only a few rats. The ingredients are not perfect, but okay, and it is free of corn. At one time, the big complaint about Oxbow was that the rats wouldn't eat it. It used to be apple-flavored, and apparently, that was not a popular choice - no surprise to me, as my rats have never been particularly fond of apple slices. They have since changed to a cheese flavor, and most rat owners now report that their rats like it. We have tried feeding this to our rats, but they still didn't eat it, even with the new flavor. However, they have likely been spoiled by the high-quality dog food that we normally feed. When we adopt new rats, I would like to try this food again. This food is probably not the best for young rats, as the protein content is too low. If feeding this to young rats, be sure to supplement with foods high in protein, like some hard boiled egg.

Mazuri Rodent Breeder 6F

First, it is important to note that this is not the same Mazuri block that is available in pet stores. The block available in pet stores is much higher in protein - somewhere around 23% - too high for any but the youngest of rats. 6F is available from online sources and may also be available from feed stores. This food also suffers from poor ingredients, with corn being the first ingredient on the list. It also includes the preservative BHA, which many people like to avoid in pet foods.

Other Options

If the quality of ingredients is more important to you than the nutritional balance of a food designed specifically for rats, then you have two options. You can look for a high-quality dog food with human grade ingredients that also has the approximate fat and protein contents appropriate for rats or you can attempt a fresh diet.

Dog Foods

High-quality dog foods are also more readily available than many of the approved rat diets, so you may have an easier time finding them in a pet store or in more remote regions.

In general, when selecting a dog food, we like to avoid anything with corn. Read the ingredient list and look for human grade ingredients and avoid anything with byproducts and artificial preservatives/chemicals/additives.

We look for something with a fat content close to 6%. Ideal protein content depends on the gender, age, and fitness of the rats. For large males, 14% is ideal. For females, 16% is ideal. For young ones, 18% or even higher is okay. However, it is unlikely that you will find any dog food with protein contents so low. Innova Low Fat used to be at 18%, but then changed its formula and went up to 20%. Blue Buffalo Healthy Weight comes in at 20%, which is about as good as I have been able to find. Dogs, in general, need more protein than rats, and the dog foods are formulated accordingly. The best dog foods for rats tend to be low-fat, weight maintenance, or senior varieties. However, all is not lost. When feeding a dog food, it is usually recommended that the diet be supplemented with other foods, including cereal/grain mixes, that can help bring down the total protein content in the diet. In other words, dog food should not be fed as the only source of nutrition.

Fresh Diet

If you don't care for commercial diets at all, you can try your hand at feeding a fresh diet. When we reviewed this option, it seemed too risky to attempt to meet all their nutritional needs this way, and difficult to try to prepare enough foods they will eat with the necessary nutrients. If you would like to try your hand at it, check out Debbie Ducommun's fresh diet

Conclusion

When Innova was pulled, we switched to the Blue Buffalo Adult Healthy Weight dog food. The rats like it and it has healthy ingredients, 6% fat content, and 20% protein. I would like to try the Oxbow to see if I notice any changes in health/fur/behavior on a diet formulated for rats, but my rats won't eat it. We are not a fan of corn, so the other options are out for us. When we get new rats, though, we would like to make Oxbow a part of their diet to evaluate the effects of a rat-specific diet.