New rat with sneezing?

Question

i got a rat on tuesday and today is friday and i have 2 girls and one of them keeps sneezing like at night and right when i take it out of the cage and sometimes when im holding it. i was wondering if there's anything i can do to help her without taking her to the vet like if its just an adjusting to her enviroment sneeze or soemthing. thanks

Answer 1

It is not uncommon for rats to sneeze a little when first brought home. Keep an eye out for signs of illness like lethargy, wheezing, or porphyrin around the eyes and nose (looks red, almost like blood).

You do realize that you are going to need to take these animals to the vet if they get sick, right? It's completely irresponsible not to and you shouldn't have them if you can't.

Make sure you don't have them on pine or cedar beddings as that can cause some serious respiratory problems.

Answer 2

you might want to put a dehumidifier near the cage

Answer 3

all rats are born with a dormant respiratory disease called Myco (Mycoplasmosis). There are things that you can do to ensure that it doesn't flare up, like having a large cage for your rat, especially not a tank. Also, dust free bedding like carefresh is good, as dust aggrivates your rat's respiratory system. Also, removing all soiled litter at the end of each day helps to stop the ammonia produced from old urine. However, it sounds like your rat might have her myco flared up already. I would take her to the  vet just to make sure. My rat had his flare up a little while ago, sadly it was at the same time he developed a tumour and had to be put down before it totally went. However, you're vet will most likely give you a series of antibiotics for your rat, and this goes in with her water (mine was at a ratio of 2mg per 500ml, so i found it easiest to get a 500ml water bottle, and work it up in their then leave the bottle in the fridge, then there's less waste, and the bonus of your rat getting nice cool water) and must be changed daily. This will clear up her myco, and wouldn't do the other rat any harm either, as her myco could flare up the other's.  Good luck =) Rat's are fantastic animals with amazing personalities.

Answer 4

i have 2 rats of my own, and i've had 4 rats over the past 8 or so years that have grown well into old age. (rare for a rat to reach a ripe old age in relatively good health!!!!)

my big guy is almost 5 years old, and just over a week ago, i got a new baby rat, about 4 months old now.  

rats tend to sneeze because their resporatory system is sensitive, so the best thing to do is get as natural bedding as you can, but make sure than it isnt sawdust or wood shavings...i actually had to take my oldest rat into the vet as an emergency case (when he was not even a year old) because i was using pine shavings, and a sliver of wood punctured his neck, and it became an absess, and it burst, and trust me, you dont want that happening to your rat!!!!.  

But just in case, take him/her to your vet, just to make sure he/she has a clean bill of health, especially since you just got him.

I would suggest to you getting paper bedding, like this, the dust is what usually makes rats sneeze, and this has no dust:

http://www.petco.com/product/7466/FiberC...

But i personally would suggest the wood fiber balls, (made from wood fibers not suitable for making paper) its what i use with my rats, and in my experience, it contains the smell better, and looks better too.  

http://www.petco.com/product/100574/Kayt...

this is the exact brand i use too. (kaytee soft-sorbent)

Whatever you do, dont get any of the colored paper.  I havnt found any evidence that it can make your pet sick, but if your rat does injest itm do you really think that food coloring is part of your rats natural diet?  also, if it gets wet, and your rat has any white fur, it'll probably turn whatever color its bedding is....(a purple or pink or blue rat.....?!?!)

hope this is helpful to you!

Answer 5

look at the sawdust or beding bag, is there chemicals? if so, get new bedding. or he may be allergic to somthing in the bedding or sawdust.