is this normal (NEWBEE RAT HEALTH QUESTION)

[Mike Cavanaugh]

I have 2 females, one male. Not sure on their age... Just got them from pet store. they are probably maybe 3 to 4 months old (judging by size) they are what most places would consider a small size rat. the males testes are not haning as low as the large rats at the store.

They look great. coats are perfect, eyes are clear, they are muscular, and well shaped. not fat, not skinny. all around very healthy looking. Just started feeding them Beckys food mix and lab blocks

BUT!

They are all sneezing. I have never owned rodents before so I have no idea if this is normal, or if they are sick. They look like little humans sneezing. they take a deep breath in, make a sharp sneezing noise, and basicly catch the sneeze in their little hands. They rub their nose with their hands right after. They each keep doing it... probably a couple times a minute.

Are they sick? If so, will they likely get over it with good food and care? anything special I should do?

thanks for any info you can provide!


Mike

[wolfy-hound]

I've gotten rats and had them sneeze right after bringing them home. Did you change the bedding? How long have you had them? Drafts in the area?
Asking questions now, so the real rat folks will have more info later.

[mischevious21]

My girl sneezed alot when I first got her, but then just stopped.. I think she was just scared, and just. Sneezed alot because of it. lol, I dont know exactly why, but that seemed like the reason.

[Mike Cavanaugh]

have only had them for 2 days. I am using the same bedding as the pet shop... carefresh. I thought it might just be that they are scared having just moved in... and that it was some kind of nervice thing... there is no draft... they are kept in the attached garage. I am in north florida so even on a cold night, the garage does not drop below the 60's.

Mike

[Ginevive]

I would Google "Myco" in rats.. should give you some info.

[frankykeno]

It's not uncommon to see pet store rats have a flare up of mycoplasmosis. I've never used carefresh for rats so I'm not sure if that will help or worsen the symptoms.

Most rats will shake this off if they are kept correctly, are otherwise healthy, etc. Keep a close eye on them, watch for red discharge from nose or eyes (not blood, it's porphyrin, and another indicator of ill health or stress), keep them out of drafts, warm, well fed and well hydrated. Make sure they are in an enclosure that doesn't crowd them and until they are healthy and the females are the right size for breeding - keep the male away from them. If they aren't well or are a bit small, you really don't want them producing litters quite yet.

Consulting your vet may be an option if they do not seem to be overcoming the myco flare up.

[littleindiangirl]

I agree with Jo, the symptoms will flare until they pretty much settle in to their new place. I hate carefresh for rodents. Dusty, ick. Make sure if you use it to freeze it to kill of any potential bugs if you buy it from a store with other rodents. Just good practice.

If the symptoms don't subside, a trip to the vet is a good idea. I know many people that breed for feeders don't take each sick rat in and potentially spend more than they are willing to, so it's up to you. Every rat I've taken in for sinus infections, from mild to severe are all over it with some meds and have not had a flare up since.

[Argentra]

Yep, as they said.

I would stop using the carefresh...that stuff is not good for rodents. Just the fact that the big stores use it should hint at that. Hehe... sorry.

But seriously, that stuff is way too dusty for rodents. Aspen is much much better and cleaner. They may just be scared in a new place and reacting to the dust of the bedding. Keep them warm, and all other things as Joanna said, and keep an eye on them. They should settle down in a few days. If not, go ahead and get them an appointment.

[Mike Cavanaugh]

Is there only one kind of care fresh? The reason I ask is the carefresh I am using is not dusty at all. it is like a super absorbent paper towel like material. I hate the smell of aspen before anything even urinates on it!

[Peter Williams]

I hate it too! Smells like fromaldahyde! But I suffer through it so I have happy healthy rats.