The Rat Room

This bacterium is spread via direct contact and is highly contagious. If one rat in your colony has it, you can bet all of them do. Rats can be without symptoms for many months until such time they become weaken and the disease start to take hold of their respiratory system. When your rats start to become sick with sneezing and wheezing the best course of action is antibiotics for life. Some rats respond successfully while others continue to slowly deteriorate.
I’ve used Baytril and Zithromax with success in some of my rats. The prognosis varies, some rats can live comfortably with this illness for many months while others can’t manage more than a week or so.
CAR Bacillus can only be detected through an ELIZA test (blood work) or through necropsy.