Presenting: RDPY Bolt

When Bolt was born he didn't have any problems. The first three months of his life he acted normal. He ate a regular diet like his siblings. But around the time he was 12 weeks old he started getting constipated.

UPDATE: Bolt died on 01/28/04 of a bowel blockage that acted a lot like rats with megacolon, except he was more constipated then not having the gene to expel his waste.

Maybe it was something I was feeding him in his diet, I may never know for sure. But if is was megacolon it was not a typical case of it. He got his nickname because for the longest time I was able to keep him alive by putting mineral oil into his food when he would get stopped up. This stuff worked wonders and he would poop mounds for a couple of days and then the blocking up process would start all over again.

Toward the end he refused anything with mineral oil in it creating a new problem for us. I had to start giving him enema's. He became very under weight and eventually he lost his long fight for survival. The thing I will remember him the most for was, no matter what ordeal I put him through he was a great patient and never held it against me. He always loved me up until the end, he wanted to be with me and sit on my shoulder. He will be greatly missed, but at last he is at peace and no longer suffering.

UPDATE: 03/07/05, as I've gained more experience as a breeder I now no there is an adult onset megacolon. It affects ratties between the ages of six and eight months of age. I believe Bolt suffered from this. This is the worst kind of MC for a breeder because, you have time to get very attached to the rat, just to have its life snuffed out early. It is very sad indeed.