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Post by Dezzi on Nov 19, 2009 23:05:35 GMT -4
At how much play fighting is too much? I know the saying "No blood, no foul" but I have caught the victims of power grooming and can see there is fur lost. Eddy's is a patch between his front legs and over his back, Vance is missing a bit on his eye, and Roth seems to have patches missing everywhere. Only Snyper's coat looks fine. Then when I see all three of them looking ragged I wonder if it's something else and not Snyper? I am working on taming them, but I doubt they'd tolerate an exam... now to find some of those panels Linda told me about so they can't get away!
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Nov 19, 2009 23:48:43 GMT -4
That seems like too much to me.
I have never seen such among any of mine.
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Post by Hamsters82 on Nov 20, 2009 17:04:37 GMT -4
I would separate them for awhile if they look like they're losing a bit of their fur. Can you get one of those playpens, that way you can supervise your rats as they play, or take one away if they seem to be getting too much.
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Post by Dezzi on Nov 20, 2009 21:12:52 GMT -4
Eddy is definitely getting WAY too much. I took him in to the vet today (as he has a lump which I found to be a tumor) and we confirmed that it's more than just play fighting. Vance is the one being dominant to poor Eddy, so I think I'm going to separate so it's Eddy and Roth and then Vance and Snyper. Got to see if SARS has an extra cage or if Linda might possibly have one. I really can't afford another one right now but will get one if I have to. I also have to talk to the head of the foster program and see what we're going to do about the tumor. Dr. U said it's probably going to be very difficult to remove as it's attached at the base of his spine. (above the tail)
As far as the fur loss goes, Vance's is due to a scar (which probably has something to do with how he got head-tilt), Eddy's is from the over-grooming, and Roth's is from the same. From what I can see, Snyper looks fine. My poor boys.
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Nov 20, 2009 21:35:18 GMT -4
I can only wish you the best in doing all you possibly can for problems that are sometimes inevitable. We try to make their short lives as good and comfortable as feasible.
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Post by pinky on Nov 20, 2009 22:22:19 GMT -4
DF put it well. Best wishes to all the boys and to their attentive mom!
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Post by Dezzi on Nov 25, 2009 19:36:47 GMT -4
Well, Eddy isn't getting surgery. He doesn't have great health anyways and from more info we managed to get on them, he's almost two. The vet said it would be harder on his body to recoup after operation than it would be to live the rest of his life with the tumor.  Right now we are deciding how we should split them up... especially if the others are getting along fine. If we separated them into groups of two, then one would be alone after Eddy passed and it could be difficult to re-introduce them. |
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Nov 25, 2009 20:59:41 GMT -4
I am sure they are in the best possible hands.
Right now I have a young rat in a CT2 I can see. he was sort of a rescue and was too small for the main cage, so until he gets too big to slip between the bars he stays alone. I also have a new young girl who hides in her big cage even though the three adult girls are running around grabbing food from me. I hope they both will get take soon. More on them another time.
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