# Gambian pouch rat pups



## creepy-critters (Jul 1, 2009)

Hi all

just a quick one, I have a pair of pups both of which have docked tails
the exotic vet has never heard of them dropping their tails before. Their mother has not been rough with them.

The tails showed signs of White rings and a darkening in colour, I took the vets advice of raising the humidity and wiped olive oil over the tail to moisten the skin yet they still dropped.

They have an inch long tail each and are doing really well and are propper balls of fun,

has anyone heard of this before? Have any advice? 

Much appreciated 

Matt


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## Twiglet (May 6, 2009)

have they suddenly lost their tails or were they born like this? 
I've seen female fancy rats get a bit over zealous with grooming and sever tails in the past.


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Why not join here • View forum - African Giant Pouched Rat Forum


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## Ratatouille (Sep 5, 2008)

This does seem to happen in some lines, do you know where the parents are from? It seems to happen because of humidity, or lack of it, and has been known in a few litters bred in this country. 

There is a thread on EKF about 'Halftail' and if you go on UK Pouchies you will find several more rats that this has happened to. 

One of my rats had to have the tip of her tail amputated, but luckily all my others have full healthy tails.

We are all learning about these rats, and the exact cause is not really known at present, different people surmise one thing or another, but I do not think anything has yet been proved. I hope this helps, and they should adapt well and enjoy a happy life. Do you have any photos you could post of them for us to see :notworthy:

This thread shows Halftail as a pup and when he lost his tail 
http://www.exotickeepersforum.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=1006


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## Pouchie (Feb 9, 2008)

Just to add - Halftail didn't lose his tail this way . His was due to an injury as his mother accidentally bit the tail close to the base not long after birth. Being such a tiny delicate tail at that point it died and fell off leaving him a stump.

I have however bred one pup who was born with ringtail and luckily for me I knew what I was looking at and treated with olive oil for about 3 days which cured it completely.

It is thought to be hereditary in rats , i.e some pups will be genetically predisposed but it can be cured easily if caught soon enough. Pouched Rats are prone to ringtail so its common in some lines.

Your pups will have no bother in future. They will have slightly less balance but all this means is you don't let them climb high and keep items in their cage pretty low down so they don't take a fall. 

If you breed the same pair again I'd advise keeping a close eye on the pups tails and if they look dry you know theres a problem. A healthy tail is smooth, bright and looks shiny/moisturised. If they are dull, dry with flaking rings of skin - get the olive oil out .

Hope this helps : victory:


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## droopal (May 11, 2010)

My little girl had that apparently when she was very young, but with increased humidity and the oil, I've had her about 2 months now and no signs of it since. It would be interesting to know what caused this, and if it happens again, to any subsequent litters. How are they getting on now?


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## elmos1991 (Sep 27, 2010)

I've noticed that too since I've been doing my homework on pouchies... It's a good thing our limbs don't fall off when the skins dry or my mum would be just a torso!!! :eek4:

Wouldn't giving the pouchies an oil supplement on a regular basis help reduce the risk of them getting wring tail? And how would you go about keeping the room humid?


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## Ratatouille (Sep 5, 2008)

elmos1991 said:


> I've noticed that too since I've been doing my homework on pouchies... It's a good thing our limbs don't fall off when the skins dry or my mum would be just a torso!!! :eek4:
> 
> Wouldn't giving the pouchies an oil supplement on a regular basis help reduce the risk of them getting wring tail? And how would you go about keeping the room humid?


Mine have a 'Fish oil' capsule once a week, and also I put Olive Oil on their veggies sometimes.

Mine are all in my bedroom, and it is kept quite humid with everyone's breath. We live in a humid climate anyway. If it was a problem where you live you could always have a bowl of water in the room, or a himidifyer. We keep the temp to around 18 - 20c all year round.


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## elmos1991 (Sep 27, 2010)

Ratatouille said:


> Mine have a 'Fish oil' capsule once a week, and also I put Olive Oil on their veggies sometimes.
> 
> Mine are all in my bedroom, and it is kept quite humid with everyone's breath. We live in a humid climate anyway. If it was a problem where you live you could always have a bowl of water in the room, or a himidifyer. We keep the temp to around 18 - 20c all year round.


I'll be keeping one in my bedroom but I don't normally keep it warm though... I like to have my windows wide open regardless of the weather lol One thing I will have to change!

My house is always above 18 degrees so that's all good. I will also have a heat mat strapped to the bottom of the cage under the bed and I will keep a few blankets over the cage too like I do with my fancy... the thing is they only last a few weeks because she pulls them into her cage and destroys them!!!


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