How long should I quarantine for?

[bruxxy]

With the new rats coming from the rat train I've decided I'm going to quarantine even though I usually don't. I just don't want to take any chances since these rats have been around so many other rats. I'll be keeping the boys at my boyfriends place but its not the most convienient since he's about 20 mins from me so I won't be able to go there everyday.

So how long should I QT for? I've heard 2 weeks is average but I've also heard 2 weeks isn't enough time.

 

[lilspaz68]

A good QT is 3 weeks.

 

[user 78]

It depends on your level of paranoia, to be honest. Anywhere from 2-4 weeks, with 3 weeks being the average. If any symptoms present themselves, QT needs to continue for another 3 weeks after all symptoms and medications have been stopped.

 

[jorats]

I recently spoke to my vet about this and she told me that some viruses can go months without showing up. So... it's really a tough call when you bring in new rats.

 

[bruxxy]

I recently spoke to my vet about this and she told me that some viruses can go months without showing up. So... it's really a tough call when you bring in new rats.

Yea tell me about it. I brought in a new rat a long time ago when I first go into rats and he gave my entire crew some nasty URI. Stupid me for not doing a QT. :doh:

What I plan to do is get them neutered while they are in QT and keep them there for 4 weeks while they fully recover from the neuter...then once they are able to be with the girls I'll bring them home and start intros right away.

 

[SQ]

Four weeks is a basic quarantine, done in a place with a separate air supply as dangerous rat diseases are airborne.
Of course this means waiting a min of two hours, a clothes change, shower, and cleaning out your nose when moving between the two groups. (Which is a good idea to do if you go into stores that sell small animals such as rats or mice .... otherwise you will bring anything airborn home on your clothes or in your nose.)

Prior to moving for school, I used to do the above when I brought in new rats. I quarantined them at my mother's home. I consulted with very experienced rat owners re. a proper quarantine before doing the above. Anything less than 4 weeks is too short.

For the rats from the rat train, two weeks in a separate room should be more than enough ...
They will have been treated with revolution.
Your only real concern will be treating a myco outbreak if the stress of the trip brings one on.
Extremely unlikely they will have been exposed to any of the serious rat diseases as we don't get them here ... yet.

 

[user 78]

You can't say you don't have the disease there at all. Even here in the US, where it's pretty common in certain areas, there's no telling how many undocumented cases there have been. For the uninitiated owner, it just looks like a fast acting, deadly URI outbreak. Since these are usually the type of people who would only keep smaller numbers, they may not think to question it at all. Even those who simply bring home a new baby from the pet store to have it die suddenly could be at risk of exposure. I know SDA is not that common in Canada, but it's not completely unheard of, and again, there's no telling how many undocumented cases there may have been.

 

[SQ]

While it is true that there may be undocumented cases, pet stores in the Maritime provinces get their small animals and birds from a huge warehouse facility in Quebec.
Vets have no knowledge of any cases .... etc.
Although there was a case of SDA in one rat in Saint John New Brunswick over a year ago.

As rats become more popular as pets, people travel more and pets stores bring rats in from other places, I'm sure it will become a problem.
Those diseases are a problem in BC where there is a lot of traffic with the USA, but rare, almost nonexistant in other parts of Canada.