Here it is - the long awaited 2nd edition of The Scuttling Gourmet by Alison Campbell.
Have you ever wondered what foods are good for your rats? Have you tried to think of new treats that you could give to your rats, knowing they were nutritionally well balanced?
Well wonder no more - in Alison's book you will find out about base foods, foods to avoid, foods to help rats throughout their lives, from lactating does to old and infirm rats.
The Scuttling Gourmet book by Alison Campbell
£6.80
Vetzyme Veterinary Antibacterial Powder 40g
I have a doe, storm, who had a lump removed and the wound refused to heal - she was looking at her third operation to sort out the "decaying flesh" when Gill Thomas, from Headstrong, suggested keeping the affected area dry and using an antibacterial powder - I bought this one and I personally believe that it saved Storm's life. There were no signs of healing, then after using this powder - dusted onto the site - it almost completely healed within 3 days. I won't ever be without this "miracle" powder again.
£3.00
SA-37 200g
This powder is ideal to sprinkle on wet food for rats. It contains a mix of minerals and vitamins especially useful for ill ratties, but can be used for all of them. One tub will last for ages.
£5.40
Hatchwells Seaweed powder 90g
According to Alison's book The Scuttling Groumet : "Scientific evidence has confirmed that it contains large amounts of vitamins, minerals and trace elements ..... increases fitness and aids good tooth and bone formation, also aids digestion"
Sprinkle on wet food
Buy either as a 90 tub or a "saver" bag of 200g
90g tub
£1.70
Pill Crusher
Sometimes the vet prescribes tablets and they need to be broken into several equal pieces - have you ever tried to do that? It seems impossible - now you can crush the tablets and divide them into equal sized pieces.
£4
Sherleys Lactol
This is the ratty equivalent to baby formula milk
It can be used for lactating does, kittens, sick and elderly rats (mine have it mixed into some of their dried food - if you read Alison's book you will see lots of recipes which can benefit from having this milk added to it.
£4
To continue shopping - just click on the menu on the left hand side to go and see more Acrorats products
This page was last updated: August 31, 2009
The Dr Squiggles Health care range
Dr Squiggles Guardian Angel 40g
Comprehensive in-water or on-food supplement for sick or stressed animals. Immune support, probiotics, vitamins, minerals. Long-term energy.
£7.90
Dr Squiggles Daily Essential
A quote from The Scuttling Gourmet:- "A soluble powder that is designed to be added to drinking water, which seems extremely palatable to rats (and a good way to increase fluid intake in dehydrated rats, or those with kidney problems)."
50g 100g 400g
£4.40 £6 £16
Dr Squiggles Essential Plus
A quote from The Scuttling Gourmet:- "A powdered vitamin and mineral supplement designed to be added to fresh food. Also contains essential amino acids and herbal extracts."
100g
£9.50
Dr Squiggles Poly Aid
Emergency nutrition for acute cases. Gives birds and animals a fighting chance!
40g
£6.60
Choose Guardian angel where dehydration is critical and Poly-aid where starvation is critical. Contact Dr Squiggles advice line on 0845 1308600 if you are unsure
The First Aid Kit for rats
Do you have a human first aid kit at home?
Do you have a ratty first aid kit at home?
What will you do if you go into your rat's cage only to find him laying on their side panting or all floppy and your vet says that as it is a bank holiday at 3 in the morning he is not interested in seeing him until 10am the following morning?
Do you realise that the treatment you give your rats in those first crucial hours could make a massive difference to his chances of a full recovery?
Here is the chance to buy the Rat First Aid Kit - or alternatively you could buy the separate components and make your own. Many people would not think about what to do in an emergency - it is great having books on the subject - but as a human you do not wait until you cut yourself before going out to buy plasters.
Here is a list of contents and reasons why they are in the First Aid Kit:
Contents:
Hospital tank with lid (Show tank size) ........ This is ideal to house your first aid kit contents but then doubles up as a hospital tank as soon as it is necessary - all of your kit can be kept together where it can be located immediately. If your rat needs surgery you can transport him/her to the vets in it and when he/she recovers from an operation she is ready to go home in it.
Vet Bed cut to size........ Vet Bed is used by veterinary hospitals all over the country - it will help keep your rat warm and because of its excellent drainage properties will keep your pet dry. The fabric will not support bacterial growth, is non-irritant, non-allergenic, stain resistant and machine washable. If you rat has had surgery it is ideal to let the rat recouperate in - no more bits of litter sticking to incisions.
Heat Mat ...... This heat mat is designed to go across one half of the hospital tank so that your rat has the choice of a warmer or cooler area in which to lie. It is only 7w so will not "cook" your rat. Much better than a hot water bottle as this heat mat will warm your rat gently as long as it is needed. This can make a massive difference to the recovery of your rat.
1 roll 5cm x 2m (4m stretched) cohesive bandage (various colours) ....... This has to be seen to be believed - it is fantastic - it stretchs and sticks to itself but not to the hairs on your ratty - therefore it is ideal for covering stitches etc where your rat is determined to gnaw it open again. Below you will see one of my rats sporting it - I wish I had known about this product before she had her lumpectomy. Just use a melolin sterile dressing first - shiny side facing the cut.
2 Melolin sterile dressings 5cm x 5cm ..... This sterile dressing is suitable for use under the cohesive bandage - there are 2 in case you need to change one. Further packs of 5 available on this site.
Dr Squiggles Poly Aid 40g ...... This is emergency nutrition for sick and injured animals - ideal to give to a really sick ratty who is showing no signs of wanting to eat or drink. Your rat can be syringe fed this.
Syringe ......... Useful for encouraging a sick rat to take water or other medecine. Many of you who have already visited the vet with a sick rat will probably have these at home - but first timers will not. Also there is nothing worse than getting a syringe out of the drawer only to find the black bit inside won't budge - at least you will always have a spare one.
Ferretvite (if out of stock - this product will be replaced with Nurish-um).......120g tube of Ferretvite - suitable for rats who need an appetite boost. With a rat off its food there is enough nutrition in a pea sized amount of this to keep it going until it is feeling better again.
Trimmex ......... If you trim your rats' nails and one bleeds you can use this to stop the bleeding immediately. Also occassionally rats pull off a nail and there is an incredible amount of blood - when it happened to one of mine I was sure there was something more sinister as it looked like a blood-bath.
Vetzyme antibacterial powder ....... Ideal if your rat has an post-operative infection or a large bite wound etc ... I find that this is more useful than the spray as it seems to dry the area somewhat.
Water bottle ....... again this is an item you may already have - but having a clean spare bottle where you know exactly where it is can still be very useful.
Please note that this First Aid Kit is NOT a substitute for going to a vet with your rat - it is designed to help keep your rat alive PRIOR to getting veterinary attention and AFTER seeing your vet ONLY.
Here are some more photos of the Hospital with First Aid Kit
Here is one of my rats with the cohesive bandage round her body - not very elegant - but she never managed to get it off!
Rat first Aid Kit
The Ratty First Aid kit is only
£43
150mm x 280mm
7 Watt
£15
Ratty First Aid Kit without the Hospital tank
This is for the first aid kit WITHOUT THE TANK (for those of you with show tanks)
£36
Pack of 5 5cm by 5cm sterile melolin dressings
£2
5cm x 2m (4m stretched) cohesive bandage (colour may vary from that shown)
£2.80
"The first Rat Planet Handbook is based on the most frequently asked questions received at Rat Planet. Many are from first-time rat owners who can't find the answer to their question in any of the rat care books around at the moment. The Author has been keeping rats for many years, all free-range, and many elderly and disabled. Much of this EBook is written from experience and is a great source of information and support for first-time rat owners."
H J Tomlinson - author
Pet Rats - A Rat Planet Handbook
This is an excellent source of reference for finding information on rat keeping. Written by a good friend of mine, Heather Tomlinson it comes to you on a CD-Rom or if you prefer, as an email attachment - giving you an even quicker reference "e" book for when you just can't wait!
Heather will be putting all of her profits towards
helping rescued rats and you can find out more by clicking on the link and going to her website:
Pet Rats by H J Tomlinson
E book on CD-ROM £4.99
Pet Rats by H J Tomlinson
E book as email attachment £3.99
Rat Health Care Guide by Debbie "The Rat Lady" Ducommun
This Rat Health Care book has been shipped in from USA and is filled with information on first and and general care for your rats along with common diseases and other information. This is a reference book with a lot of details on medications etc.
The new 12th edition is now available. It is 8 pages longer than the last edition, so please note the price has increased.
Rat Health Care Guide - 13th Edition
By Debbie "The Rat Lady" Ducommun £3.80
Trimmex
A stryptic powder which is invaluable if you have an accident when clipping your rat's nails or they cut their quick.
£4.50
Dr Squiggles Calcivet
Liquid calcium to add to water for healthy teeth and bones
30mls 100 mls
£3.40£6.50
100 Cotton swabs
6" cotton tipped swabs
£2.50
Snugglesafe Microwave pet bed warmer (with free cover worth £4.99)
£17
KEEPING YOUR SICK RAT WARM:
It is important to keep a sick or shocked rat warm. This can be achieved in a variety of ways and below you will find 2 of the best ways and the pros and cons of both:
Heat mat:- The main advantage of a heat mat is that it will deliver constant heat 24 hours a day if required. It is small enough to slip underneath any "hospital tank" you have chosen and should be placed to allow your rat the choice of moving away from the heat source if it gets too warm. On the negative side it is not as useful if you are transporting rats or do not have a power supply nearby and heat mats could be more likely to fail.
Microwave pet bed warmer:- The main advantage the microwave bed warmer has is that it can deliver a constant heat source away from a power supply. The down side to the microwave warmer is that without covering it well it may not stay warm for the 10 hours that it does when used for larger animals. The manufacturers say that if the heat mat doesn't stay warm as long as 10 hours you may need to put it in the microwave for an extra 30 seconds. Also not all microwaves work efficiently. You must make sure that if you place it in a hospital tank that there is enough room for the rat to move away if it chooses.
Both of these products are fantastic in their own right and I would personally recommend having both available.
Snugglesafe pet bed warmer
Heat Mat
I have spoken at great length with the makers of the Snugglesafe Pet Bed Warmer to ensure that our rats will not get harmed should they chew through the mat. It is a rigid polypropylene outer with a completely inert inner. I have read through a lot of supporting paperwork regarding this product and it has received widespread acclaim from veterinary sources worldwide.
Squeaky Clean
Shampoo 200ml
Need I say more?
£2.90
With an extra 40 pages on top of the 132 in the first edition (pink) you will be even more impressed with information on various rat diets from the Shunamite diet (I use this one all the time and have wonderful ratties) to home made treats to copper values of various rat foods.
Even if you have read the first edition - you will still be riveted to this one!
The Hamish Hotel ...... 5*
Following on from the corner bucket I would like to introduce to you the all new Hamish Hotel ..... let me explain how this product came about and how it got its name:
Hamish was a wonderful rescue buck who came to me from a very caring family to live with my girls after his castration. He was lovely.
Sadly a few months ago he began to suffer from hind leg paralysis and was unable to eat like a rat liked to, and instead had to "trough" at his food bowl as balancing was a problem. Also washing was a problem as he was unable to sit there on his "now wasting" back legs. Hamish was also unable to get into his favorite "sleep-zone" - his faithful Bucket!
Enter the sewing machine and design of Julie and Dawn - the Acrorats team! Tra la - the Hamish Hotel.
Made with the template of a family bucket - but using the bright red outer and lovely snuggly fleecy inner with a low entrance to allow a rat of limited mobility to climb in, yet move round to the other side and lean back on the fleecy inner. Hamish was once again able to eat pasta in style and groom all day!
This product allowed Hamish to enjoy his last month with us in complete comfort and with dignity. It also came in very handy with an old girly belonging to my daughter - Splodge, as she too could get inside.
Incidentally - a rather large rat called Storm also enjoyed climbing in on top of Hamish and snuggling down just to prove that you do not have to wait for your rats to get old or infirm to use the Hamish Hotel - The Hamish Hotel - 5* luxury!!
Hamish Hotel £10
I am your pet Rat
£4.90
There is every chance I may sound biased selling this fantastic book - I do not necessarily recommend it because most of the rats in the book are mine! .... nor do I recommend it because I think the photography (of my rats) is splendid, not because it has been well researched and is one of the few books that says no to sawdust and suggests good healthy management of your pet rat .... but for all of those reasons!
Aimed at children, but loved by adults, it has great bite-sized pieces of information and great facts .... I love it - I watched it fly off the table at the Acrorats Birthday bash by very experienced rat owners, who seemed to think it was wonderful.
I am your pet Rat - Best Friends Care Guide
After listening to Heather Tomlinson from Rat Planet going on about how good this product was with young and old rats alike, I found myself struggling with a sick rat and took up the offer of a "free sample". I have to say that with Ferretvite the powder is amazingly simple to feed to rats.
Well, I could not believe how well my girl responded and I handed these freebies out to a few people who had contacted me with ill rats and the feedback was little short of "mini miracles". This is especially well suited to young rats that wheeze when you first get them too.
Grapefruit seed extract is an exceptionally powerful antibiotic, which is non-toxic. It is available in two forms: a solution in glycerine, and as a powder. The extract is made commercially by the rolling and fine grinding of grapefruit seeds and pulp from the production of grapefruit juice.
Grapefruit seed extract inhibits and kills hundreds of different types of harmful micro-organisms, such as Staphylococcus, streptococcus, salmonella, escherichiacoli, candida and many others. It is highly effective, not only against bacteria, but also against a wide variety of viruses, fungi and parasites as well. However, it hardly affects the natural intestinal flora, which are necessary for our health. Thus it can cure an extraordinarily wide range of complaints and problems, without harmful side effects.
Grapefruit seed Extract capsules and drops - brilliant product!
As a general guide - 1 GSE capsule will last one rat one week. Open up the capsule and mix the powder with something like porridge (see pinhead oats on the "Ratty Treats" page) or tinned baby food, cat food etc. Ferretvite seems to work well on almost all rats for getting medications into them - (click here to buy ferretvite from this page)
The liquid can be diluted as a surgical scrub or antiseptic. Drops can be used with water in the same way as the powder, but the liquid is much more bitter (I can tell you that from personal experience!) and would be best suited to syringing into your rat's mouth.
If you have ANY queries regarding the use of GSE please do not hesitate to contact me.
Citrosept Grapefruit Seed Extract - liquid
20ml 30ml
£3.49 £4.99
Citrosept Grapefruit Seed Extract -Capsules
60
£6.99
New
Anti-Parasite Spot On
Rats can carry lice and only show signs when they are under the weather. Lice are easier to spot on a light furred rat - look close to the skin - lice are often described as little red "rice-shaped" crawlers!
This product is the only non-prescription drug on the market and contains Ivermectin - the same product that your vet will use on your rat.
This box contains 4 pipettes - one for each rat affected.
Effective against lice, mange mites, other mites and roundworm.
Can also be used on guinea pigs, ferrets and rabbits.
Acrorats recommends Derma gel (on this page) to help treat sore areas caused by continual scratching by your rat.
Anti-parasite spot on
£3.50
200g saver bag
£2.50
Garlic Powder
A medical marvel - garlic seems to have it all - good for the blood, the heart, fighting off bugs and helping to keep "crawlers" at bay.
Buy either as a 500g tub or a smaller 100g "tester" bag
500g tub
£3
100g tester bag
£1
£3.50
Traditionally Ferretvite - a vitamin supplement has been used for sick rats or to disguise medications - this product is no longer available in the UK and there is some uncertainty as to when it may be back.
As this is an important piece of your ratty first aid kit - I have had this "replacement" product recommended as an alternative and have checked out the nutritional content and think it is more than suitable for the time being.
I would not normally stock this item as it retails at £4.99 and the tube is smaller than ferretvite, but for May only I will be selling this product at the same price as Ferretvite (£3.50). I would hate for any of my customers to be put off buying a product that works so well getting medications into rats! I will review the situation at the end of May when the new suppliers have promised to give me an update.
Or try Nutri-Cal (below) which in my opinion is more palateable and a better all-round product.
Quote from the Scuttling Gourmet....
"A high Calorie, low volume nutritional supplement for ailing, convalescing or ageing rats. It comes in a tube and looks a bit like gel toothpaste, only brown. Most rats seem to love its taste (a bit like malt extract) and only a pea sized blob is needed daily, so even a rat with a very poor appetite can often be tempted to take it.
Nutrical contains a wide range of vitamins and minerals....."
I use this for any of my poorly ratties and even Aero who had 8 healthy babies lapped it up when her appetite was not up to much.
Only use a pea-sized blob.
A great product to store in the "ratty first aid box" for those times when you realise there may be a problem. Also great for ageing rats.
I have spoken with a few knowledgable people (including my Local ratty vet) about the best product to get sick or skinny rats to eat ... this seems to come to the top of most people's list, but as it only seemed to be available at the vets (priced at £6.50 a tube) it was not considered a "regular buy".
Well, the good news is that I have now got this product in stock for just £5 - shipped in from the USA fresh for your lovely ratties.
I have put a quote from the Scuttling Gourmet (with Alison's kind permission of course)
Don't just take my word for it that the ratties love it - after Alison's piece there is the evidence!
£5
This product is made from colostrum - both from cows and chickens. The Advanced formula also has other additions to it to help increase your rat's immunity by 437% ...
This product is especially good with young rats and old ones - although it has been used hand in hand with the Grapefruit Seed Extract products with fantastic results.
I have used both of these products without the need for antibiotics from the vet - although I do not advocate self-medicating unless you know what the problem is and preferably with the vet's knowledge first. However, there are times that your rats are sniffly or already on antibiotics and these 2 products together can be used.
A quarter of a tablet per rat per day is the recommended dose.
Get rid of unpleaseant pet and household odours instantly with this exclusive Nilodor formula containing 100% active original Nilodor Concentrate. Just one drop neutralizes odor sources and keeps working to eliminate odours for up to 24 hours. Available in Spring mint or baby powder .
I love the talc one and use it in my rat room, bathroom and downstairs toilet.
Tap-a-drop Tap-a-drop
Spring mint Baby talc
£4 £4
Artwork used with permission of the artist - Anita Jeram
This page contains products for the health and well-being of your pet - please NEVER use them entirely in place of a visit to the vet, but use them alongside good medical practises.
How can I be so excited about such a simple looking pump dispenser?
This is the best product I have ever used for treating open wounds and irritated skin.
Let me tell you a little story - I have experienced first hand a rat with severe scabs from a typical louse problem seen by so many of us. The rat was treated with Ivermectin and had a nail trim followed by a bath in Grapefruit seed extract. He was in a right old mess with bleeding around his face, neck, chin and shoulders. The owner of the rat and a good friend of mine, who has a great deal of experience with rabbits, suggested I treat the rat with Derma Gel as he said the results were fantastic with rabbits. We rubbed some Derma Gel onto the Touille (the rat) and it did seem to sooth his sore areas.
Now normally I would try to remove scabs when they are ready from my rats - without them even knowing, just to stop them from scratching them off and causing more problems. The next day - ready for the first "de-scab" I noticed there were not any scabs left - just light pink skin which was healing incredibly quickly. In fact you would not even have known that Touille had been bleeding - apart from the little bald areas where he had lost his fur with the initial scabs - and even that is growing back.
I have seen this product used several times now - each time with the same fantastic results - and granted it is not the cheapest item on my website - but with a shelf life of almost 3 years - it does work out as fantastic value for money. And there is no need to save it for the rats - my friend used it when he injured himself and it healed up lovely!!
Here is what the manufacturers have to say about it:
"Derma Gel formula ensures an intensive and rapid skincare plus a protective barrier effect against foreign contaminants.
The Gel is a multipurpose wound dressing.
Unlike traditional jars and containers in which you have to dip your fingers and thus contaminate the product with each use, the original device of the dispenser pump prevents air and impurities from entering the tube....
Helps provide and maintain a moist wound environment by increasing moisture content, hydrogels have the ability to help cleans and debride necrotic and fibrotic tissue.
Derma Gel is devoid of toxic or prohibited molecules."
Why take my word for it? Add this product to your first aid supplies so that it is there when you really need it.
Veterinus Derma Gel - the most exciting new product I have seen this year!
Derma Gel
£10.50
Nurish-um for Cats 70g
Nutrical 120g
Transfer Factor Plus Advanced Formula
Recommended reading
Products with antibiotic, antiseptic and/or skin healing properties
Vitamin supplements and emergency nutrition
First Aid kits and accessories
Nice smells for your room and your rat
Hospital comfort on the private ward
Click on the Derma Gel to go directly to their website and read more about this wonderful product
Nutri-stat 120g
From the same makers as Nutrical - this product appears to be EXACTLY the same as nutrical - the same ingredients, same nutritional analysis - I can see no reason why they have been branded differently - the only reason I am selling this alongside Nutrical is that it comes in to Acororats slightly cheaper and I can pass that saving on to you!
£4.50
Other sizes on request by special order - email for details
Until very recently Ivermectin has been a prescription-only medication. Now as it has been re-categorised, it is available on the open market for small animals and birds. Although the Anti-parasite spot on is great if you only have a few rats - it would be much better to buy this product if you have more than a few or you travel to shows etc. There is normally over 12 months of shelf-life on the product, often much longer.
For treatment of mites in larger cage birds (e.g. pigeons and parrots), and fur, ear and mange mites and lice in rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets and other small mammals (e.g. rats). Now available without veterinary prescription. Cost effective, with enough product to provide a full course of treatment to a loft of up to 50 pigeons. Easy to apply with the dropper provided. Can also be used prophylactically. Product information sheet with dosage guide is included.
PharmaQ Mite Treatment
PharmaQ Anti Parasite spot on treatment
£22
Recommended Selling Price is £24.95
Acrorats introductory offer price is only £22
A 69 page book filled with medical information and help - a vital part of any rat owners reference material.
From basic rat care to vitamin information and medication tables - almost everything you could need to know. Would make a brilliant addition to the Rat Health Care Guide
Common Diseases of the Fancy Rat - NFRS Handbook - Part One
Common Diseases of the Fancy Rat
£10
Buy the Common Diseases of the Fancy Rat AND Rat Health Care Guide and save £2
Common Diseases of the Fancy Rat PLUS the Rat Health Care Guide
£11.80
Acrorats is shutting until August 2009 - we will still be at the rat shows - click here for more information
