One of my pregnant rats started bleeding 1 1/2 days ago...Help

[MoshBalls]

My rat Sweetie started bleeding the night before yesterday. I expected to find pinkies the next morning but she still has not delivered any yet. When I cleaned her cage she has bleed quite a bit. She is breathing hard. It appears that the baby is suck in the birth canal. This is not her first litter. I am breeding for snake food.

What can I do to help her?

[ed4281]

Take her to a vet

[Michelle.C]

I would take her to the vet.

You can try giving her a warm bath tonight and massaging her stomach while you do so. Dry her off well, and place her back in the birthing tub. Be very gentle with her though.

If she doesn't go ahead and have them, she could be looking at a very serious infection or worse. It is important that she has them as soon as she can.

[Kymberli]

I have no experience in breeding rats, but if I were you I'd take her to the vet. I do have experience in breeding Miniature Donkeys and Pygmy Goats (strange, I know). A few years back I lost one of my breeder goats after she gave birth to one kid because I hadn't realized she had twins but one was stuck. By the time I got her to the vet it was too late for both her and the other twin. If there's a chance that the babies are stuck, I wouldn't risk it.

[Maixx]

Are she a feeder or pet?
Pet- vet and try what was stated above
Feeder- cycle her out with a new breeder and feed her off. Humanly put her down as you would any feeder.

[jben]

Are she a feeder or pet?
Pet- vet and try what was stated above
Feeder- cycle her out with a new breeder and feed her off. Humanly put her down as you would any feeder.

X2

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[jasbus]

Extra protein for the lucky snake...

[MoshBalls]

She had passed by morning.

I tried the warm bath and masage. She seemed to like it and her heart rate slowed down during the bath. I cradeled her in my hands on her back sitting up like she would be in labor, and massaged her stomach with my thumbs. She lapped at the water and used her front hands to groom her face. I ended that bath with a towel masage and some strawberry icecream.

I kept her in a tank on my night stand over night and she was breathing when I went to bed, and when my husband checked at 6am. By 9 she had passed.

I should have humanly euthanize her or feed her off, but I was still hoping she would pull through. She was my rat that fostered the 20 babies plus her own litter of 8. She was shy at first but warmed up to be a very sweet rat. I did my own autopsy to see if the baby was in fact stuck. It appears she was miscarrying because the fetuses didn't look full term, and didn't appear to be in the birth canal at all.

She may have been too old, She was full grown when I bought her from the pet store as a feeder, she was already pregnant when I bought her with the first litter of 8.

Thank you everyone for the help.

RIP Sweetie 7/28/11

[Maixx]

She was more to you then just a feeder, I'm sorry for sounding harsh or blunt in my earlier reply, and I'm sorry for your loss.

[Kymberli]

I'm sorry. Even just being a feeder who turned into a breeder, it sucks to lose any animal like that. Sounds like she had a nice night though and you did what you could! These are the types of experiences that you learn the most from.