Sneezing baby rat?

Question

i have had my baby rat for 5 days and when i hold her she sneezes lots..... i dont wnt to take her to the vet just yet ... half because she is acting normal (lively, cute, happy) and half because its 400$ ... also, she has been squeaking a lot when she is around me (burrowing into my shirt etc...) is this good or bad?? what should i do??

Answer 1

Any other symptoms? A lot of rats are a little sneezy when first brought home, but it should clear up within a week or so. If you see any other symptoms like red discharge from the eyes and nose or wheezing, it's time for a vet.

Why is your poor girly alone? Rats are very social and require same s*x companions to be truly happy. Please get her a same s*x friend.

You should try finding a small animal vet for rats:

http://www.petinfopackets.com/rats/rathe...

Answer 2

It is a respiratory problem and can prove fatal later on. It is highly contageous from rat to rat. I would see your vet to see if there is anything they can do for your rat.

Answer 3

$400 just to check up your rat? Wow!

Anyhoo, Jane is right your rattie may be just sniffles and sneezing now but it will get worse if it is respiratory.  Also in a new environment the new rat may be allergic to something in the house, or in the cage.  What do you have in the cage?  Any pine shavings get rid of.  

With the squeaking and burrowing...how cute!  All normal, just getting to know you. :D

Get a checkup with the vet and have a great time with your new rattie! <:3  )-~

If you cannot spend a lot of your time with rattie, it would be great to get a friend as rats are very social creatures by nature and can get depressed and lonely being alone....

Answer 4

aww.. =) how cute!

welll.. rats are REALLY prone to respiratory problems.. which is probably why your rattie keeps sneezing. she's just a baby right now, but once she gets a little older it'll get worse. i hate that rats only live about 2 years.. because they're the sweetest little guys. i don't know... i probably wouldn't worry about it too much right now, unless it gets really bad. but then again, if you did take her to the vet, maybe they could give you something to help the problem, and since you'd be catching it at an early stage, it might be worth it. it's really hard to say, since she's just a baby right now and pretty much no matter what you do, she's going to have medical problems later on down the road. if you're willing to spend the money though, you might want to take her to the vet.

*also, as she ages, watch for any bumps or lumps on her... because female rats get mammary tumors like crazy. every single female rat i've ever had has gotten tumors. the youngest of my rats to ever get a tumor was about 9 or 10 months old. not quite a year yet. BUT the good news is, you can get the tumors removed by a vet. just make sure you do it as SOON as you feel the lump, because tumors grow FAST and get really nasty if you don't get them removed ASAP.

anyway i'm rambling, but good luck with your baby rattie ;)

she's lucky that she ended up in a good home, instead of being snake food. (yay!)  ^.^

ps: this website might be helpful: http://ratguide.com/health/

Answer 5

well 1st squeaking is there language

i think its normal ^_^

and i think she is happy ^_^

may be its a squeak of joy !!!

Answer 6

What vet is going to charge you $400 dollars for a check up on baby rats?!?  That's crazy!  You should shop around more, even if you don't take them to the vet this time.  Later on you might need to go and should find a vet that you are comfortable with.  

That being said, if you can't pay for your animal's vet care you probably shouldn't have that animal.  A recent surgery for one of my girls to have a small tumor removed was over $200 and just going in usually is around $50.  I would advise you put some money aside every month as an vet fund in the off chance that you need to go to the vet.

Answer 7

its normal she sneezes for the same reason people do she got a bit of dust in her lungs my hamster did that to

Answer 8

I've recently bought two baby male rats, both sneeze quite a bit. I think it's normal in little ones but the squeaking...well, it seems a bit unusual. Most rats only squeak when they're distressed, mine squeak when they're (play) fighting each other! If she doesn't stop, you should take her to a vet, or research it on the internet, I'll give you some links if I find anything.

Answer 9

sounds like a respiratory infection, and anyone that charges $400 to get a baby rat checked out should be ashamed for themselves! one of the main things you can do to help the effects of respiratory diseases is to make sure you have adequate bedding. You need something that's not dusty as it will make your baby rat worse. Try wood shavings that have had the dust eliminated, or paper pellets, shredded paper....whatever you do don't use plain sawdust as the dust will damage your rats lungs. The squeaking is unusual, you say she's perfectly happy and if she's burrowing in your shirt she obviously likes being with you...Usually rats squeak when they are distressed, and she certainly doesn't sound frightened....so maybe she's just vocal!!!! =) If her sneezing gets any worse please take her to a vet as they can supply you with antibiotics which will prevent it from becoming life threatening. Good luck =)