What can i do for my possibly sick rattie??

Question

i just got a new rattie today from the pet store. she's an aorable little hooded rat we named Sadie. =)

however, she has diarrhea and is sneezing alot and sounds raspy (no discharge around the eyes or nose though). she is very energetic and friendly, is eating and drinking, and so forth. she is separated from my other 3 rats until i can take her to the vet to find out what's going on with her.

any idea what could be wrong (resp.infections don't usually cause diarrhea, right? is it pneumonia?)?? what can i do for her until i can get her to the vet--sometimes it can take a few days to get an appointment--any suggestions/info.??

thanks!!

Answer 1

hi i have a hairless rat and 2 fancy rats well mine done somethin like that when i first got them i took them to the vet he said nothins wrong just give it some time n it will clear up after bout 2weeks of having them it was like they were never sick it cleared up over night so as long as its playin eatin and drinkin i would just give it a few weeks

Answer 2

If your other rats are not new, it is mandatory you have Sadie go through a quarantine period! This should last 2-3 weeks where Sadie is kept as far away from the others as possible, in a different room if not another building. Airborne illnesses transmit this way and can cause myco flare ups in the other rats, but die off in the 2-3 week period. And this is only precautionary, but if Sadie isexhibitingg symptoms like wheezing or soft stool, then you definitely want her separated from the others!

Until the vet, just keep her on her own, in a different room as your other rats. Wash oyur hands between handling them! Keep her comfortable. I never  handle new rats until a week after I get them, just so they aren't over whelmed. Food her the same food she got in the store. If you already changed the food, stick with the new one, this is maybe the cause of her stool, she is just adjusting. Make sure she drinks enough water!

Please read these sites about quarantine:

http://ratguide.com/health/basics/quaran...

http://www.rmca.org/Articles/dosanddonts...

Answer 3

Mycoplasma (Mycoplasmosis)is a disease that effects almost every rat, it is basically impossible to find rats that are not born with it.

Mycoplasma, is a Respiratory infection that is not contagious, since you can not give a rat something it already has.

Most Rats are infected with Mycoplasma, but not all rats are effected by it.

Rats born by C-Section are usually not infected by Mycoplasma, as it is transferred to the baby when delivered through the birth canal.

Some lab rats born in controlled environments are Mycoplasma free.

Common symptoms are sneezing, wheezing and in later stages of infection it can cause gasping for breath.

Other symptoms are a wet nose and Porphyrin/mucus discharge from the eyes and nose. Common things to check for are reddish brown sneeze spots, on their food dishes, bedding, houses etc. -as sometimes the rat can be very cleanly and you will not notice the discharge on them because they clean it off so quickly.

The most common causes for a Mycoplasma flair up, is a dirty cage covered with germs and f***s and the wrong type of bedding.

Never keep rats on pine bedding, pine bedding is very harmful to rat lungs!

It can NOT be transferred from rat to human, but both humans and rats can have the disease.

The disease -in rats is not curable, but there are several treatments that can suppress some of the symptoms.

Making sure Vitamins A & E are in the rats diet is important on preventing the disease from spreading rapidly.