Rat pup possibly sick?

[ss10gotanks]

My rat had pups about 3 weeks ago. She had 11 and now im down to three (snake food lol) Well we decided to hold back one, as she is really cute and we've gotten attached to her, but when ive held her recently. She seems to be have spontaneous sneezing (6-7 times the 30 mins i had her out.) and her eyes stay about half squinted. Also her siblings dont seem to have either of these symptoms. Also they seem to be bigger then her. I dont think shes a runt or anything, she didnt start out smaller them idk. What do yall think i should do to make sure she doesnt die on me? Should i just go ahead and take to the vet? Ide like to avoid that if possible as im running low in the finance area this payday. btw I dont see any discharge and she seems to be wrestling with her siblings. I also use carefresh for my birthing tubs. Now i use a hopper in my birthing tub. Should i include a food bowl for easy access to food for the babies? or just let them learn to use it? If yall need i can post pics. Any suggestions are appreciated!!

Thank you

[ss10gotanks]

umm bump, I really do want to hear yalls opinions. Shes still alive and wrestles and plays. If she is sick how long would it take for this to kill her? I think one of her siblings is squinty eyed now to....

[shelliebear]

Sounds like, if none of the others got sick, she might have allergies, perhaps? :/ Not sure. How is she today?

[Rhasputin]

Sounds like a possible upper respiratory infection. You'd have to treat that with antibiotics. Is she wheezing? Or snorting? Or chirping a lot?

[Crazy-Rat-Lady]

Hello, First before jumping to the vet. Go down to walmart, by a ripe avacado. Give her a small amount of that. Also get some pedialyte (No citrus fruit combos) pour a small amount into a cup and put a lot of water in there (so its very light in color). Give her a couple drops in a syringe to her. Do this 1 to 2 times a day for about 3 days. Also get some baby food (still no citrus fruits or high in sugar) Give her a small amount. You dont wona give to much or she can get the runs. This should clear it up in about 5 days, if shes still not doing better then she will need to see the vet. Plus try a warm bath (not to warm and not a lot of water) just enough for her it to be up to her legs. Dont wont to stress her. Check ears, mouth, nose, and eyes for pus. Also put the food bowl and water where she can get it. If she is sick she wont want to have to try and figure out how to get to it. Also I would seperate her from the rest of the rats, dont need any one else sick. Hope this helps and I hope she gets better keep us updated on how she is doing. If you have any other questions or need help please feel free to e-mail me.

[Anatopism]

If she is only 3 weeks old, do not separate from the other rats, leave her with mom until she is weaned. Avocado can be deadly to many animals, and while I believe it is just part of the skin and the seed that are an issue, I don't like to risk even giving the 'meat' to my rats or birds.

Are they wet sneezes or dry sneezes? With rats you are less likely to see "pus" with a respiratory infection and more likely to see porphyrin (a red secretion that looks like blood, and acts as a lubricant for their nasal passages - shows up in excess under stress or during illness)... of course since she is only 3 weeks old, mom is likely to groom anything off of her before you notice it. If she is still active, eating, and getting plenty to drink, it could be she is more sensitive to the dust in carefresh. Try putting them on plain paper towels and keep their enclosure very clean. If the sneezing doesn't go away in a couple days, bring her in to the vet.

[Rhasputin]

Crazy-rat-lady, those all sounds like bad ideas.
Giving her strange foods while she's sick, especially veggies or fruits, can make her more sick. Putting her in water is a TERRIBLE idea while she's sick, because she'll get cold afterwards, and it can make her even more sick.

Assuming she has a URI, just get some antibiotics from petsmart and mix it with water and give her some each day. You can buy it powdered in packets in the fish section (meant for fish, works great on rodents! You can also buy the bird stuff, but it's more expensive). You can find a medicine chart online to tell you how much to give her by body weight.

Just put some in a needleless syringe, and squirt a little in her mouth. If she's difficult, you can rub it in her fur, and she'll lick it out.

[Crazy-Rat-Lady]

[QUOTE=Rhasputin;1565910]Crazy-rat-lady, those all sounds like bad ideas.
Giving her strange foods while she's sick, especially veggies or fruits, can make her more sick. Putting her in water is a TERRIBLE idea while she's sick, because she'll get cold afterwards, and it can make her even more sick.
QUOTE]

I have over 90 rats, if delt with this befor. The food won't make her sick, if talked to vets about this. My rats are my life and I learn all I can. Putting her in water is to help the infection come up, you dont just put her back in the cage. You make sure she is worm and dry.

Also avacado is not bad for them (of course you dont feed them the seed or skin) Just like puppy food and kitten food can help. Vets will even tell you to give it to them.......

[Anatopism]

I'm only reposting to second Rhasputin's advice and opinion.

[AK907]

Crazy-rat-lady, those all sounds like bad ideas.
Giving her strange foods while she's sick, especially veggies or fruits, can make her more sick. Putting her in water is a TERRIBLE idea while she's sick, because she'll get cold afterwards, and it can make her even more sick.

Crazy-Rat-Lady owns a small rattery and currently has close to 100 rats and has bred them for years, she knows what she is talking about. Veggies like avacado (not the peel/seed as has been mentioned) is not harmful and really helps bulk up sick and pregnant rats because of its high fat content. Certain other veggies (lettuce, for example) would not be a good choice. High protien puppy food is also great. Pedialyte is great for rehydrating sick animals and not harmful at all, even on reptiles. The warm baths can help break up congestion, just it would in a human, but of course common sense (which isn't very common anymore) tells you to of course dry the rat afterwards in a warm towel.

That said, this is only if its a mild case. If its more severe, take it to a vet.