Rats dying

I'm using mazuri. And I got the new mother and she took them in so all is well for the pups. But about the antibiotic, would I treat all the rats or just the tubs that I have had fatalities in? I've looked them over and none of them seem to be showing signs of RI except for the occasional sneeze.

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Originally Posted by mattj8501

I'm using mazuri. And I got the new mother and she took them in so all is well for the pups. But about the antibiotic, would I treat all the rats or just the tubs that I have had fatalities in? I've looked them over and none of them seem to be showing signs of RI except for the occasional sneeze.

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I wouldn't treat everyone. Just the ones who are sneezing a lot or showing signs of RI.

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I agree, sounds like a respiratory infection going through.

About all rats being sick - All rats have mycoplasmosis, but that doesn't mean they are all sick. Likewise every human has bacteria in their nasal passages and digestive tracts. So do all other mammals. Bacteria are normal and in fact some bacteria are good for us (those that help us digest our food and sythensize vitamins we cannot make ourselves), bacteria are not synonymous with disease. That said... mycoplasmosis CAN cause respiratory infection, IF something else is going on, such as poor nutrition, poor environmental conditions, stress, etc. This is pretty normal for people too (many people carry different strains of bacteria in their gut, under normal and healthy conditions the good bacteria out number the bad bacteria, and the person is healthy, when conditions become unfavorable and the person becomes stress, the person's immune system can no longer keep the bad bacteria in check, the bad bacteria increase, and the person becomes ill). And while a rat may appear to die for "no apparent reason", there is always a reason, we just may not see it. It could be organ failure, due to an environmental toxin we are unaware of. It may be an acute respiratory infection we did not see symptoms for (it happens, depending on how virulent the infection is). It could have been an internal tumor or abscess we were unaware of, maybe something in the brain, etc etc. While I was breeding pet rats, I did many necropsies to see the exact cause of death to better track my lines, and I saw a lot of things on the insides of those rats that were not immediately apparent on the outside. Not all rats have to die of diseases or conditions, it just takes time and careful record keeping to breed healthier rats, in addition to good environmental conditions, nutrition, etc.

just an update.. no other deaths and babies and mom have taken to each other very well. also have one pregnant female and one that might be showing. thank you all for all your input and for being so kind about it. it really helped me out.

The new mother and a rat in a different tub both passed today.. I don't know what's going on. I also lost two of the rat pups. I started a tetracycline treatment today. Any other ideas? I keep them on kiln dried pine from Walmart. Could that be the issue?

At this point it might be best to cull them all and start over with new rats from a different source.

If its the MRM, it could easily wipe out your whole colony. Breeding rats in quantity takes a decent amount of learning. If you have mice around then they need to be quarantined away from the rats always! Don't touch your rats, then go touch your mice.... I hope you pull through buddy at this point it may be best to eliminate all of the new rats that came in as well as any that came in contact with the new ones. disinfect all your tubs in the rack, disinfect the rack, wipe down any surfaces with Clorox wipes, etc... 3 key points of a successful rat breeding colony: isolation, sanitation and isolation.

I use the same bedding, so I doubt that's the issue unless you managed to get a batch that was contaminated with something. Which is not outside the realm of possibilities, but it's pretty unlikely.

I agree with wilomn. It sucks, but it's probably in your best interest to start with a clean slate. Make sure you disinfect everything they've come in contact with well, and hopefully a new colony will thrive for you.

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That's what I was thinking. But it's very hard for me to get breeders where I'm at. None of the breeders will sell females with the exception of the one I got to save the pups. I'm from East Tennessee and the main stock I got was from my friend in Birmingham Alabama. I do not keep mice but I do have a colony of African soft furs and none of them have passed. They seem to actually be thriving. I wondered if it was because I was keeping them in a basement but I kept my rats I already had in the basement before I picked up the new ones. I've been staying on top of cleaning. Maybe the tetracycline will get rid of the problem.
The guy I got the new ones from in Birmingham keeps around 1000 rats and I've contacted him and not of his dying like this.