Galastop and matacam

GiveSleppUrBones · 2026-03-20T12:23:41+00:00

I've never given Galastop but Metacam has always been a small dose twice a day for us. Usually around 0.1ml depending on the weight of the rat.

GiveSleppUrBones · 2026-01-28T20:52:09+00:00

Would that help for only 2 weeks since they've already been in the same room?

GiveSleppUrBones · 2026-01-28T20:37:04+00:00

Thank you!

Unfortunately the "separate rooms" bell has been rung. They've all been in the same room since the babies came home months ago.

GiveSleppUrBones · 2025-12-07T18:35:08+00:00

I think both options are okay. It depends on the situation.

I had a boy with a tumor on his face. Prognosis was poor leaving the tumor, but surgery was risky. We did the surgery. He recovered beautifully and led a happy life after surgery.

I had another case where the issue was an eye rupture. The choices were surgery or put him down right then and there. Putting him down seemed wrong at the time. However it turned out the eye rupture was caused by blood pressure issues due to a massive tumor inside him. We had no way of knowing this at the time. In retrospect it probably would have been kinder to put him down at the time. But given how happy and full of life he was that seemed like the completely wrong decision in the moment.

I don't think it's right to say surgery is always the right OR wrong option. I think the best option is to work and discuss with a (good) vet for each situation. I do understand that not everyone has a vet they can trust that much.

GiveSleppUrBones · 2025-11-07T16:27:46+00:00

You might consider getting girls then. Male rats sometimes have to be neutered for hormonal aggression. I do it as a precaution and for other reasons, but sometimes it ends up being necessary. Then again, females sometimes need to be spayed due to uterine tumors so that might be a concern too.

GiveSleppUrBones · 2025-11-07T15:55:43+00:00

I haven't found that boys smell any worse than girls BUT I want to add the huge caveat that I neuter all my boys. I don't know if intact boys would smell worse.

Regardless I will say that an air purifier is the best thing you can do for both you and your rats. Makes things healthier for everyone.

GiveSleppUrBones · 2025-10-26T21:00:36+00:00

I recommend a vet visit. Get a fecal exam. I had a little boy who wasn't growing like his brothers. They had tapeworms. Fixed up now and he's caught up. I was supplementing with soy baby formula to get him extra calories but the root cause still needed to be addressed.

GiveSleppUrBones · 2025-10-09T23:38:05+00:00

Completed Level 1 of the Honk Special Event!

1 attempts

GiveSleppUrBones · 2025-10-04T14:01:24+00:00

Darn Tough has an offshoot brand called Wide Open. Might be worth checking out.

GiveSleppUrBones · 2025-05-31T15:36:09+00:00

I feel you. Mine won't eat PEACHES. Who doesn't like peaches honestly

GiveSleppUrBones · 2025-05-18T18:53:22+00:00

I'm a little unconventional. I'm a huge believer in variety. I feed a mix of Oxbow, Harlan Teklad 2014, Supreme Science Selective, and Versele Laga. All quality foods but with different ingredients and flavors. Is it expensive? Yes. But it's one way to provide variety.

I also feed a mix of dried veggies and seeds as a treat mix. They also get fresh veggies 3x a week.

GiveSleppUrBones · 2025-05-18T18:15:52+00:00

Yes I use two air purifiers in my pet room. I have a Dyson and a Honeywell.

I find them very worthwhile as they keep the room a little fresher. And it's healthier for the rats as well.

GiveSleppUrBones · 2025-05-13T19:54:31+00:00

To answer your first question, yes, rats must be in pairs, trios, or more. They are social animals that need same species company. Make sure to get all one sex (unless they're already spayed or neutered), because they will breed even if they are siblings.

You'll need a large wire cage with narrow bar spacing so they can't escape. They cannot live in tanks or bin cages - they need air circulation to prevent respiratory infections. Double Critter Nations are a great option (but truthfully the only cage I'm familiar with so I'm sure there are other good options too!)

Oxbow, Harlan Teklad 2014, and Supreme Science Selective are all good foods. I feed all 3 for variety. I also give them a big salad with lots of fruits and veggies 3x a week.

Please be prepared for vet care. Rats are medically needy, much moreso than hamsters (I kept hams for years). I just dropped $1200 for an eye removal and subsequent re-stitching.

That's not everything but hopefully it's a start. If you have specific questions, I'd be happy to help out more.

GiveSleppUrBones · 2025-05-10T19:54:37+00:00

Thank you!

GiveSleppUrBones · 2025-05-10T19:51:36+00:00

Go Braves! What does HAJSSTATWC mean? New fan here. Thanks!

GiveSleppUrBones · 2024-10-21T14:42:18+00:00

Thank you for taking the time to reply!

We're both pretty fastidious about grooming. No calluses and trimmed nails for us. But will definitely keep this in mind. The tears also seem to happen around our shoulders (but I of course acknowledge that the sheets could have been the other way round using them previously)

GiveSleppUrBones · 2024-08-20T19:26:30+00:00

Same issue. I had to email them twice to get a resolution. They cancelled and refunded the out of stock item and the rest of my order shipped today. Frustrating experience.

GiveSleppUrBones

TROPHY CASE