PLEASE HELP. Rats are breathing funny, I dont know what to do.?

Question

I've got two pet rats, Jigsaw and Spencer.

Jigsaw is about 9-10 months old, and Spencer is about 7 months.

Jigsaw has been breathing funny, but not all the time. Righ now, he's okay.

But randomly he'll break out into these odd wheezing/sqeaking type things, and I dont know what to do.

Now Spencer is beginning to do it.

I use oderless bedding, a wire cage, VERY big. I clean it once or twice a week.

There's this metal wire floor that sits above the bedding so they dont have to walk/lay in their stuff.

So it's a clean environment.

What's wrong with them, do i need to take them to a vet, and if i dont go tonight, how long can they go untreated?

Answer 1

Overheated rat - Because rats are so small and not well adapted to heat, they can succumb to heat stroke very quickly. If your rat is overcome by high temperatures, get him or her cooled off as fast as possible. Salivating and breathing hard are signs of being overheated. Wet them down with water or smooth them with a cool damp cloth,  then try to get them to drink water, preferably water with salt and sugar added to help with rehydration as above. Flush their mouths with water even if they don't drink. Rats cannot pant like a dog; they regulate their temperature through their tails. They can withstand colder temperatures much better than hotter ones. Rehydration powders, electrolyte or sports type drink may be helpful. Try to get your rat to drink a small amount of that. Don't over do it because these are high in sugars, which could cause diarrhoea. If the rat doesn't recover fairly soon after cooling them down, get them to a vet because heat stroke can be deadly.

Choking rat - The symptoms of a rat choking are drooling and pulling the head back in gagging motion, flattening the ears. In most cases the blockage does not stop the rat from breathing and the best thing you can do is stay calm to try to help the rat to remove the blockage. Normally the blockage will work its way out given time and veterinary assistance is rarely necessary. If choking persists for more than about 6 hours then you must take your rat to a vet. The object lodged in the throat may be too big to pass down, or the cause may be a tumour or some other problem, rather than something the rat has tried to eat. Sometimes respiratory illness can cause gagging and choking symptoms.

If the rat cannot breathe, then it is imperative you assist quickly. You can try the Heimlich manoeuvre pressing sharply up and in underneath the ribcage in an attempt to dislodge whatever is stuck in the rats throat. Another method is described in Deb Ducommun's Rat Health Care book as "the fling".

    "Hold your rat firmly around the neck with one hand, and by the base of the tail with the other to hold her securely. Make sure there are no objects within an arm's length. Lift the rat overhead and bring her down in a rapid arc, so that at the end of the path she's tail up and head down. This can be repeated 3-4 times, then give the rat a rest, check her breathing, and see if anything is visible in the mouth. This is extremely effective in dislodging objects in the throat. However, don't use this procedure if your rat can breathe, or you might make it worse."

Answer 2

It sounds like an upper respiratory infection. Rats and guinea pigs are prone to these. They'll need to see a vet if it's bacterial (it is if there is discharge), but it will USUALLY clear up on it's own if it's viral (no discharge).

I would also suggest doing something about the cage. It's not good for them to be walking around on wire and only having that to sleep on. You could fix this really cheaply-just buy a thin plank of wood or a slab of plastic (you could even wrap this in plastic wrap or aluminum foil so it's easier to clean) and place that on the bottom of the cage and put the compressed pine bedding (not cedar OR pine chips) on top of that. This might actually be what is preventing them from getting better. Since you clean the cage often, them sitting or sleeping in their stuff won't be a problem. You won't have to take them to the vet tonight, but watch them and if they keep sneezing, schedule an appointment at the vet within the next few days.

Answer 3

It's an upper respertory infection. Both of them. They'll suddenly wheeze and squeak, and they'll sneeze. You'll notice a red discharge around their nose.

Take them to the vet tomorrow morning. Rats are prone to URIs, so if you can find a small animal vet, they should know what to do. If you don't take the rats in, their lungs could scar. You'll likely get Baytril and Doxy, and the antibiotics should last for seven to ten days. It's a pain in the butt to give them the meds, so if you have any questions, ask your vet. : )

You sound like a great rat parent, but the previous poster was right: don't use a wire floor. I know cages are expensive, so to cover up the wire, go to a home improvement store and find stick on tiles. That way, you can cover up the wire without having to worry about buying a new cage.

Answer 4

I don't know what it is i would say go to the vet as soon as possible if you can't go tonight call the clinic and the get the earlyist apontmnt possible and ask to talk to the best vet there and ask what it cuold be and see what you could do about it hope I helped

Answer 5

It would be fine to go into the vet tomorrow. But maybe it because they're walking on wire floor which is NOT okay. This can injure and even break off their feet/legs. They need to be able to walk and sleep on their bedding. It will not hurt them to sleep in their p**p. Especially if you're cleaning it once or twice a week. Maybe they're cold since all they have is wire. But that still won't solve the problem, so make sure to call a vet tonight (if you can) and ask advice. Then you can take them in tomorrow.

Best of luck