Rat Sick Again :(?

Question

Once again my poor little guy is sick....I don't know what to do.

My rat seems to be having a hard time breathing and is pretty lifeless. He doesn't have any of porophyn around his eyes or nose. He isn't eating a lot he much rather be drinking.

I don't know if it would be the heat...the humidity is high outside which makes the it high in my room. I do have a dehumidifier just bought it today. The temp in my room is around 30 degrees C...I have 3 fans going to try to cool my room down (with no luck). I don't know if I should take him to a vet maybe he needs to go back on antibiotics or see if the dehumidifier helps at all. any advice what this could be?

Answer 1

How old is your rat?

I had pet rats and I'm sorry to say they really never lived much longer than 2.  My friends rat made it almost to 3.  If you think the heat is bothering him maybe you could fill a bottle with ice water to set in his cage or move him to a cooler place in the house.  Our basement was always coolest in the summer.  You could probley call the vet or the pet store and ask for advice.  If he was sick before and on antibiotics maybe the antibiotic was not strong enough.  I hope he is feeling better soon.  I really loved my rats.  They have great personalities.  Best Wishes!

Maybe the heat has dehydrated him.  Try freezing a bottle of water like I said earlier and place it in his cage under some towels.  Also pick him up and give him a good look.  Make sure he doesn't have any strange bumps or scratches that could be affecting him.  One time I thought I was doing mine a favor by leaving her alone under her covers when she wasn't feeling well and when I went to pick her up I found out that a string from her blanket got tangled around her foot and cut off the curculation.  I felt awful.

I found this forum online you probably already have been there but if you haven't check it out it might be a good place to find help

http://www.ratpalace.com/phpBB2/viewtopi...

Answer 2

Does he feel warm to you? There are a lot of ways to keep him cool, here are a few:

- Freeze a bottle of water and place it in the cage

- Feed frozen fruits and veggies

- Give a shallow bowl of water for him to dip his tail in

- Provide a marble slate as a cool surface to lay on

If you think it's illness and not just heat, get him in to a small animal vet quickly.

Is there a reason this poor little guy is alone? Rats should really be kept in same s*x pairs or groups.