ok my rats are sneezing they stopped alot but still do it

[cass~o~rat]

what should i do? they were kept in a aspen bedding cage at the store are they in danger? what should i do in terms of treatment?

 

[cass~o~rat]

oh and i use detergent to wash their fleece and towels bad or good?

 

[mamarat]

I use detergent with no smell because some of my ratties seemed bothered by the other kind of soap.

 

[cass~o~rat]

could that be the case and where do i get unscented detergent

 

[mamarat]

You can find it in your regular supermarket. Just read on the label and it's usually something like nature or no scent or something like that.

 

[cass~o~rat]

could that be the issue

 

[mamarat]

I suppose it could be. I had a rat who was allergic to store bought things. Everything had to washed before I put it in the cage.

 

[cass~o~rat]

so i should run to walmart and buy some of that and they should be fine b/c i dont wanna lose my buddies

 

[mamarat]

I would try a different "friendly" detergent. Then you can take it from there and see if it helps. Still keep an eye on your sweeties and if the sneezes don't go away, they may need a vet.

 

[Moon]

I too use a scent free (or mildly scented) detergent for the ratties.

If after a few days of that they are still sneezing, they should see the vet, as Mamarat said, to treat a possible Upper Respiratory Infection. It is (unfortunately) very common in rats.

Also, although Aspen is fine for rats, if it is very dusty that can bother their sensitive respiratory systems.

 

[jorats]

Your rats sneeze but stop and do it occasionally or do they do it a lot? Some sneezing is normal, it's when they do it too much. There are many rats on aspen and do very well.

 

[Moon]

Sorry, I meant to say *CAN* be dusty and bad for their respiratory systems... it depends on the brand and sometimes where you are in the bag, LOL

 

[jorats]

Aspen was a big bother to my sister. She really couldn't breathe around it and that's what made me decide not to use for my rats.

 

[cass~o~rat]

they are not sneezing as bad as they were since we switched detergent it used to be loud sneezes but its calming down now if it picks up again ill take to vet thanks for your help

 

[Fidget]

Hi cass-o-rat! How long have you had your ratties? (Sorry if you've been here a while and I don't know, I'm not the most on-the-ball here) Did you get them in the last week? It's not uncommon for them to have reactions to new situations. There's lots of other things that could be doing it too.
Is the weather changing there? Different foliage can make a big difference allergy-wise especially if it's nice out and you have the windows open.
Is your air really dry? If it's cold out and you are using a lot of heat and not having windows open it could be too dry, you can remedy that with some bowls of water placed in the room.
What are you using for bedding? People here could give you an idea of their experience with it.
Have you held their chests up to your ear and tried to see if you can hear any noises apart from their faces? If you hear noise other than clear breathing in their chests, not their noses then it's serious thing they need a vet.
I use the same cheap detergent I use for my stuff since I wash it together often. I just don't use dryer sheets when I wash their stuff (don't know if that makes any difference, just eliminating all the possible bothers to them I can - and darn it they love me when I'm full of static, it makes me almost as attractive as live wires)
Do you use room spray around them? Let's face it, clean as we can keep them others often notice an animal smell if they don't have cages at home. If you do don't spray it where it can drift into the cage, you can see how the spray actually is there in the air physically, and it drifts down & out more than you see. Better to burn some incense maybe in their room? (that's what I do and it doesn't seem to bother them).
Oh, and finally - get rid of the boyfriend that's wearing Brut aftershave. You'll thank the ratties for that in the long run

 

[RatsRGods]

Oh, and finally - get rid of the boyfriend that's wearing Brut aftershave. You'll thank the ratties for that in the long run

:giggle: