I suspect the other poster was right. Balls are so secretive that they will roast themselves rather than select a cooler location that makes them uncomfortable. There should be no part of the cage above about 85 or 86 degrees. You might want to check the cage floor directly above the UTH. I bet the surface temp is even higher than you think....probably well over 100 degrees unless you have it on a thermostat. Eating the rat backwards should be no problem....it happens all the time. Get a good thermometer and check your temps....I would bet thats your problem (and do it fast....overheating can be fatal).

Once you have the temps dialed in...Wait a few weeks (at east 3 weeks) before offering food again. The baby will be fine without food for that period of time. Its innards need time to heal before feeding again. Regurging is extremely stressfull and damaging.

Good luck!

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