I need to hand feed my young and sick rat! What food should i include in her 'smoothie drink'???

Question

I have a sick rat that i need to hand feed. She will be recieving anti-biotics as well.

She hasnt been eating much, so that is why i need to hand feed her.

What is the best food (for rats) to put into a smoothie that i can feed her through a syringe. (put food into syringe and "force feed" her)

Heres what i am planning to add so far:

-Carrots

-Corn

-Blueberries

-Sunflower seeds

-Beans

-Whole grain

-Honey ( to sweeten a bit)

What else should i add/ are these ingredients good thus far?

Answer 1

i agree with first answer. corn and the other things are too hard for rats to digest they need more protein. try to get hills a/d [medicated wet dog food] that is made to go into a syringe. it makes them gain weight and is full of good vitamins just ask a vet for it, i dont think you have to bring the rat in.

Answer 2

i had to hand feed on of my  baby rats once he lived on warm milk and sugar (full fat milk not much sugar), yogurt (the really thick stuff nor flavorings or preservatives etc). don't make her anything lumpy as it could choke, they don't have a sick/regurgitate reflex.

good luck hope she gets better soon janie

Answer 3

No corn, beans, sunflower seeds, whole grain, or honey. All of those foods are bad for rats.

Strawberries and cranberries are good. A little plain yogurt is ok as well.

Be careful not to forcably inject the food down her throat. It will go straight into her lungs and drown her. Let her lap up the food.

Answer 4

Your best bet is to contact your vet (the one who gave you antibiotics) and ask for advice as to what you should be feeding her and how.  I found this online regarding what to feed rats that are ill.

"Nutrition is a significant factor in good nursing care. Rats will lose weight rapidly while very ill, so finding something your rat will eat is of utmost importance. Offer your rat anything high in fat and food value that he would normally really like. Some suggestions are: avocado, peanut butter spread thinly on a cracker, oatmeal (the instant Maple and Brown Sugar is normally a big hit), eggs (hardboiled and mashed with mayonnaise or scrambled in butter or margarine), baby food (cereals, fruits, dinners, and vanilla custard), bananas, and cooked pasta.

If he is too sick to care about food you will need to hand-feed him. You will need to have some large syringes (no needles) for this. (Don't wait until you need them-- have them on hand if you own a rat!) Good sizes to use for feeding are 3cc, 6cc, and 12cc. I use the 12cc syringes to put the foods in first, since they have a larger opening, making it easier to get the food into it. I then push the food into the smaller syringe from the 12cc syringe. It is too awkward trying to feed with the large syringe; that is why this method is preferable. Try having several different flavors available at one time, so if your rat gets bored with one, you can move on to another and recapture his interest. I normally try filling four 12cc syringes with the following: (1) Avocado mashed with mayonnaise, (2) Mashed banana (you can add a little sugar and vanilla to make it even tastier), (3) A healthy baby food, and (4) Vanilla Custard baby food. I will also keep a 3cc syringe filled with Nutrical. Fill the small syringe from the larger syringe and carefully feed a little bit at a time using the method described for administering liquid medications. Keep a rag or tissues handy as hand-feeding can be messy.

Severely ill rats that need to be hand-fed will also need to be given water by hand. Do not put a bowl of water in your rats cage because he will tip it over and get himself wet or possibly making his illness worse. Instead, mix a teaspoon of sugar into 4 ounces of water and administer as much as he will drink with a small syringe, as often as you can give it to him. "  http://www.rmca.org/Articles/nurse.htm

Check out site for more information about how to take care of ill rats.  Again, your vet is a resource and you should follow their guidance as well.

Hope that helps and good luck!