Identity, Companions and the Ear Question
Begin with source, sex, estimated age, colour and markings, and a photo that shows those distinctive low, round Dumbo ears. Note ear condition in the file — redness, head tilt, scratching at one ear, or loss of balance — because a head tilt in a rat is a prompt vet visit, not something to monitor for weeks.
Rats are social, so record who your Dumbo lives with, when each cage-mate arrived, and how introductions went. Note hierarchy scuffles, bite wounds, and any separation you had to make. If one rat later loses weight or becomes withdrawn, knowing whether a cage-mate has been guarding the food bowl changes the advice completely, and that history is only reliable if it was written down at the time.
Breathing Notes: The Most Important Column
Keep a dated breathing log. Write down sneezing, audible clicking or rattling, laboured sides, open-mouth breathing, and whether symptoms are worse after cleaning, in dusty bedding, or at certain times of day. Note porphyrin staining around the eyes and nose as well, describing how much and how often rather than just that it appeared.
Respiratory trouble is the most common serious health theme in pet rats, and it can progress. A rat that is working hard to breathe, gasping, refusing food, or turning lethargic needs a vet the same day. A rat with a few sneezes after a bedding change may simply need watching — your dated log is what separates those two pictures when you phone the clinic, instead of a vague report that he has been sneezy for a while.
Lump Checks, Weight and Appetite
Run your hands over your Dumbo during a weekly weigh-in and record every lump: where it is, roughly how big it feels compared with a pea or a grape, whether it moves under the skin, and whether it has changed since last time. Rats commonly develop growths as they age, and the rate of change is the detail a vet will want before deciding how urgently to see him.
Log the staple diet, fresh foods offered, and any rat who is eating eagerly but still losing weight. Weigh cage-mates on the same day; a whole group drifting down points toward food or environment, while one rat falling behind points toward that individual. Note water bottle checks too, since a stuck bottle ball can dehydrate a group quietly.
Behaviour, Vet Visits and Handing the File On
Record playfulness, bruxing and boggling during relaxed handling, grooming of cage-mates, and any new aggression or hiding. Add vet visits with findings, advice, recheck dates, and which rat was seen — in a group cage, 'the rat' is not specific enough, so name the individual and his markings every time.
Keep the file where a rat-sitter can find it, including feeding amounts and the instruction to report breathing changes immediately rather than at the end of the stay. When the breathing log, lump map and weights sit in KinsLe within a Pet Passport, a covering vet gets your Dumbo's whole story in one file instead of a rushed summary in the waiting room.