Live rat seems sick. Should I still feed it?

[Dezoruba]

The rat visibly breathes really hard and makes a clicking sound when it breaths, and keeps opening and closing it's mouth. I offered it to my banana today but he didn't eat it - maybe cause he knew it was sick?

Should I offer it again next week? Can my BP get sick from eating it?

If not what should I do with it... kill it?

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[RatAtat2693]

Is it old? Sounds like it's in the last stages of myco.

[cchardwick]

Where did you get that rat? Sounds like it has a respiratory infection. If you kill it I wouldn't feed it, I'd toss it, or complain and get another one. Or you could get some oxytetracycline powder and mix it with his drinking water and medicate him for a week or two and see if it clears up, then feed him off. You can get that powder at a feed store. I breed rats and I had a random rat that was breathing hard one evening, I woke up the next day and he just fell over dead. Strangest thing I've ever seen, I never have any kind of sickness in my rodents. I'm thinking it was a bad heart LOL.

[AlyssaLu]

I don't know if a ball python can get sick from eating a sick rat, however I wouldn't risk it as well.

When my boy doesn't eat, he eats live as well, I will usually take the rat back to the pet shop or just go to a field and let the thing go. I don't like killing rats personally, if it's meant for feeding then by all means, but anything else no.

Sorry if this isn't much help, just my 2 cents.


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[Oxylepy]

Give it very dark chocolate, like a single dark chocolate chip. Get it out of its bedding, and into something comfy like a blanket, something clean which isn't full of stray threads it might ingest. Have water and food at the ready. It should perk right up in a day or two.

[cchardwick]

You let a rat go loose in a field? That's the craziest thing I've ever heard. Not sure that's even legal. Personally I'd find another snake guy that can take an unwanted rat, if you were close I'd take them all.

[Dezoruba]

Is it old? Sounds like it's in the last stages of myco.

No, it's a small one, seems pretty young.

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[Dezoruba]

Where did you get that rat? Sounds like it has a respiratory infection. If you kill it I wouldn't feed it, I'd toss it, or complain and get another one. Or you could get some oxytetracycline powder and mix it with his drinking water and medicate him for a week or two and see if it clears up, then feed him off. You can get that powder at a feed store. I breed rats and I had a random rat that was breathing hard one evening, I woke up the next day and he just fell over dead. Strangest thing I've ever seen, I never have any kind of sickness in my rodents. I'm thinking it was a bad heart LOL.

Just got it today at the local exotics store. It seems about 2 months old maybe?

Tbh I kinda hope it passes away on its own lol, I don't think I could kill it myself.

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[AKA Dave]

I wouldn't do it. Tex is still dealing with her mystery illness and an infected rat is on the list of possible causes.

Dave

[Willowy]

Take it back to the store or to the animal shelter. Petco does adoptions but I'm not sure if they take animals they didn't sell. You can ask them anyway.

It's illegal to release domestic animals. Especially invasive ones like rats.