What are the chances of my rat surviving?

Question

I took my ratty to the vet cuz he wasnt breathing well and he was losing weight and fur. Turns out he has myco....I've got some medications for him from the vet but is there still a chance he won't make it? helllpp!

Answer 1

Well, he definitely has a better chance because he's got an owner that took him to the vet for treatment :-)

To improve his chances right now you have to make sure that you give the medication exactly as the vet ordered.  You also want to make sure that your rat is getting plenty of food.  Sometimes when they're sick they don't want to eat as much and so they have to be encouraged.  This is especially true when they're congested and can't smell the food as much.  My sick rats love chicken baby food (lots of protein) and meal replacements like boost or ensure.  You can also try small pieces of chicken and any other healthy foods that he loves.

If he's congested you can take him in the bathroom with you and run the shower to get the room steamy.  This can help him breathe a bit better, just like using a humidifier for a baby does.  Just make sure that he doesn't get chilled when you move out of the bathroom and into the rest of the house.

Sometimes when they're sick they have trouble keeping their body temperature up.  Try offering him access to a warmed up bean bag or snuggle safe.  A bottle filled with warm water and covered in a towel will work too.  Just make sure that he has plenty of room to move away from the heat source so that he doesn't overheat.

I really wouldn't bother separating them.  As someone mentioned essentially all pet rats have myco.  It just has occasional flare ups where the rat has a secondary infection, that's what the antibiotics are for.  Also, your younger guy has already been exposed to any bacteria that your other guy is harboring.  For my guys I've always found that they stress when they're apart so I do my best to never separate them.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Just be sure to give him top care. Nothing is written in stone, so it could go either way. Just care for him like a mommy would a sick baby

:)

Answer 3

Your little guy may pull through but there's no guarantee. Make sure your rat gets his medications on schedule & keep offering food & affection.  Also, he'd probably be happier if you put him back with the other rat-- virtually *all* domestic rats have the organism that causes myco & your sick rat is actually having a flareup.  A flareup isn't contageous although rats kept together will sometimes have them @ the same time b/c they're exposed to things that promote flareups (stress, an unbalanced diet, a cage that's not clean enough, or any number of things that could compromise the immune system).  Some rats are simply more prone to myco flareups & the reasons are never clear.

Good luck with your little guy.

Answer 4

There is a good chance he will make it. You shouldn't seperate them at all though, and you should check the other rat. Respiratory infections are airborne so you'd have to have removed the second rat from the house altogether BEFORE the first got sick if you wanted to prevent spreading to the other rat.  

Answer 5

To be totally honest its going to depend on the age, and general health of the rat. Usually if the rat is over 2 they dont survive. If the rat is a female and has had litters then generally no. There is always a chance though that it pulls through. It cant hurt to try, and it will make you feel better for doing all you could for your pet.

You have a very good chance he pulls through then GOOD LUCK follow the vets advice closely.