RI please read

[amg20102006]

I noticed that my rats are sneezing. isnt that a sign of a RI? if so how do i cure it?

[frankykeno]

What kind of bedding do you have them on?

[mlededee]

my rats were very sneezy when i first got them for about the first week or so. someone here (becky i think) said it was probably just a little cold from the stress of changing locations and getting used to their new environment. that could be one of the factors here as well as bedding and other things that more experienced rat keeper will probably bring up.

[amg20102006]

they are on pine bedding

[mlededee]

pine bedding is dusty and can cause sneezy rats. try aspen bedding instead--it's great!

[amg20102006]

well im going to wait till their pine bedding is gone like 2 or 3 more changes. i just chaged it today. how often shoudl you change a rats bedding entirely? also the females have a light sneeze and the male has a really bad sneeze.

[SatanicIntention]

Sneezing is usually a sign of stress, most likely from moving to a different place. Make sure they don't have excess drainage from their eyes or noses. Keep the male and females apart until the sneezing subsides. They are also sneezing from the pine bedding. Pine causes respiratory distress and over time will cause liver/kidney failure from the oils iin the wood. Get the rats off of the pine if you do not want them to get sick. It doesn't matter if you have any left, get it away from them. Rats do not produce well if they are sick or in distress. Aspen works great and is just as cheap and easy to get.

Cages should be cleaned out at least once per week. If you are keeping the male in an aquarium as well, he will need to be changed out more often than the females because of the amount of urine he produces. Urine=ammonia=pneumonia. If you can smell the urine, then the rat is definately suffering the effects. They drink alot of water and produce alot of urine. Change the male's cage out at least twice a week if you want him to remain healthy and be able to breath without wheezing.

Plus, you will want to make that mix if you have any hopes in having good-sized litters and healthy, fat babies. The pre mixed crap does nothing for the mother's ever-growing nutrition requirements, and will result in stunted babies and small litters(plus underweight mom rats).

If you want the male to stop sneezing, just keep him away from the females, keep his cage very clean and NOT dusty(NO pine), feed him and leave him alone. If the sneezing gets worse, he is working to breathe, is wheezing or is gasping for air through his mouth, get him to a vet immediately. That kind of stuff can turn deadly very quick. All of the sneezing is just a mycoplasmosis attack. Myco is an organism carried naturally in a rat's body, that when the rat is stressed, decreases or impairs the rat's immune system, causing infection or other ailments to take over their bodies. That's why it is important to keep the stress level down and keep them correctly.

I think that is about IT AFTER the male stops sneezing and is back to normal "ratty" behavior, you can introduce him to the females, in HIS CAGE, not theirs. Females are pretty territorial and may fight with him, but if they are put into his cage, it is a new environment for them and they will be more curious of everything. The females come into heat ever 4-5 days, and pregnancy lasts from 21-23 days, sometimes longer. If you wait to breed the females again after the first litters are weaned, you will have larger litters and bigger babies. Breeding the female while she is still lactating and feeding a concurrent litter is very hard on her body, and you will not get the litter numbers or healthy babies you are looking for.

Hopefully that helped a bit, and if you have any other questions, ask.

[amg20102006]

Well i will have to wait untill monday to switch the male into his own cage. Also how much does aspen bedding usually cost? How can you tell when your female rat is pregnant if you dont witness any breeding? I ask that because i will move them to a nusing tank so they cant mate when she is lacitating(sp?). also when i make that mix do i have to use all of those ingrediants as that is alot and will probably get expensive. I have a dog can i use her dog food in the mix? i forgot what brand it is. I will know when my mother gets home.

[amg20102006]

someone please answer

[amg20102006]

well i have them switched on aspen and he seems to be doing much better. also he is in his own cage right now. also do i have to add all of those ingredients for their food and if not then wich ones are a must? someone please respond