How to tell if my Hairless rat is pregnant

Question

i got her three weeks ago she is getting fatter in the middle and very skittish and l*****g my fingertips and like burrowing in her house and i eating alot i have to fill her bowl almost everyday and is hidding it as well. is there away to tell if she is Pregnant without bringing her to the vet??!!

Answer 1

http://www.afrma.org/pregrat.htm

“How can I

tell if my

female is

pregnant?”

By Carol Lawton

This is one of the most common questions from new breeders and has always been a bit of a mystery. The traditional method includes checking for a mucous plug a few hours after mating, watching for behavioral changes, then waiting two weeks to see if the female gets round. For those of us who are new to breeding, this can be a very anxious time.

The issue was compounded for me by wanting to be certain that my babies, when they finally arrived, were normal. The only data available was from lab sites, and lab data doesn’t always apply to our pets. Since I was planning to breed my lovely RI Coco Chanel for the second time, I started looking for a scale to weigh her babies.....

http://www.worldofrats.com/ROUSBreedingF...

Q: How long is a rat’s gestation?

A: Rats typically deliver 21 – 23 days after mating. Most of my girls favor day 22 or 23, but be prepared for your rat to deliver by day 20 just to be safe.

Q: No, seriously, how do I tell if my rat is pregnant?

A: Alas, there are no home pregnancy test kits for rats, but, boy, it’d be nice if there were! If you did not actually see the rats mating, predicting delivery dates can be a bit tricky. Most females start to show a growing belly by the third week of pregnancy. Some are quite sneaky, especially if they have rather rounded figures to begin with, and don’t show until a few days before delivery. Also many pregnant does begin to show obvious nipples by the third week, so that's another sign of probable pregnancy. If you do suspect your girl is pregnant, you may want to separate her from her cagemates and get her into a safe nursery cage just to be on the safe side. If your rat has not delivered babies within 3.5 to 4 weeks of suspected mating, you’re in the clear and can stand down from red baby alert.

Q: Should I supplement my pregnant rat’s diet?

A: Pregnant and lactating females need extra protein in their diets, so it’s a good idea to provide that. Some breeders like to add in a low-fat cat food to their pregnant does’ mix and some supplement with soy baby formula or kitten weaning formula like KMR. My ladies LOVE the Iams low-fat cat food in dry format though your does may have their own preferences.

http://www.suite101.com/discussion.cfm/s...

2.     Oct 29, 2006 11:07 PM

» EvilChihuahua - How can you tell if a rat is pregnant??

In response to How can you tell if a rat is pregnant?? posted by noodleynoodles:

I'm a former rat breeder so maybe I can help. It can be difficult sometimes to know if a rat is pregnant, but other times it easy. If she has gained weight around the sides, and looks kind of pear shaped, she's most likely pregnant. Rats stay very active during pregnancy, so that makes it a little harder to know.

Also, if she lets you, put your fingers on her belly and see if you can feel movement. A sure sign she is pregnant is if she starts building a nest and gets a bit defensive, such as biting.

When they are born keep males away from the babies since they sometimes eats them, but don't be surprised if the mother eats a baby. This usually means the baby was sick and wasn't going to survive.

Hope all goes well with her.

Answer 2

God,  I hope she isn't.  That is one ugly creature.  Do you have a male in w/her?

Answer 3

if it keeps on going to to bathroom and throwing up and making a lotta noise when ur tryingto watch some tv