random sneezy fits - update

[temblabamomo]

For about 3 weeks now Morrissey has been having these very random fits of sneezing. I'm talking four or five minutes of noon-stop quiet little dry sneezes, followed by long bouts of no sneezing at all. It's exactly what he was doing the first day I brought him home and he was exploring his new surroundings, very excited and subsequently having sneezing fits. It stopped after a few days and for weeks and weeks he was a normal, non-sneezing little rat.

So 3 weeks ago he had a sneezing fit, I got worried and decided if it was still going on the next day, or getting worse, I'd take him in to the vet. But it slacked off, and I didn't take him. Then it started again. Then it stopped. And so on and so forth. Everytime I think maybe I ought to take him in, the sneezing stops and I don't hear it for hours, or even an entire day.

The boys haven't been exposed to any new smells, no cleaning products or candles or anything. The weather turned cold and I thought having the heat on (which makes the room very dry) was irritating him, so I have been running the humidifier about once a day, but it doesn't seem to make a difference (although my own sinuses feel much better for it). He doesn't seem stressed, and he's definitely his normal energetic, trouble-making self. Still eating and sleeping and doing everything else normally.

I don't know what to do. If I take him in to see the vet and tell her he's having intermittant sneezing fits, she will tell me it is a URI and give doxy and baytril, regardless of me telling her that (in my opinion) he doesn't have any of the usual symptoms of a URI. He's not snuffling or sitting hunched in his cage, and I have never known a rat to have a mild, 3 week long URI; usually day 1 is sneezing, day 2 is snuffling, day 3 or 4 is omg this boy needs meds asap.

He otherwise seems very healthy and happy, but the sneezing is worrisome. I just don't know what's causing this, or what to do about it

 

[hopefloats]

Mine sneeze on occasion like that. I have found it is after they made a mess of everything. Food crumbs, stuff all over. Their favorite place to go on my desk is in the drawer that my keyboard is, with 11 rats going in and out of there, it gets pretty messy with hair, food crumbs paper crumbs. The boys sniff so hard, it is like they have to smell each scent that is deep down, then they start sneezing. my girls are fine but the boys act like they are aardvarks tying to suck an ant out of the bottom of an ant hill. My boys don't have any other symptoms either. I have checked, watched listen they just want to smell every little scent. They almost look like a hunting dog when they get going. I would like to see what anyone else says about this because I worry to about the random sneezing. I was so worried about it, i rearrange my house to move the boys because I thought maybe they were getting a draft from somewhere. My house is old with 2 dogs running in and out dust and dirt just keep happening regardless of how much i clean.

 

[temblabamomo]

Mine sneeze on occasion like that. I have found it is after they made a mess of everything. Food crumbs, stuff all over. Their favorite place to go on my desk is in the drawer that my keyboard is, with 11 rats going in and out of there, it gets pretty messy with hair, food crumbs paper crumbs. The boys sniff so hard, it is like they have to smell each scent that is deep down, then they start sneezing. my girls are fine but the boys act like they are aardvarks tying to suck an ant out of the bottom of an ant hill. My boys don't have any other symptoms either. I have checked, watched listen they just want to smell every little scent. They almost look like a hunting dog when they get going. I would like to see what anyone else says about this because I worry to about the random sneezing. I was so worried about it, i rearrange my house to move the boys because I thought maybe they were getting a draft from somewhere. My house is old with 2 dogs running in and out dust and dirt just keep happening regardless of how much i clean.

We have a dusty house as well, despite my constant efforts to clean. But I keep an air purifier right beside the cage and it's done wonders for me since getting it, and I like to think it's beneficial for the little boys as well. They make a mess with food crumbs in their cage but I clean up after them every day. Of the three of them, Morrissey is definitely the most adventurous and also does the aarvark/hunting dog thing. I have just been concerned because this is sort of a new thing, after he settled into his new home with me he was sneeze free for several months. It's just weird that he's suddenly starting again.

p.s. I like your comparison of a rat to an aardvark, trying to suck and ant out of its hill :lol: That's a great way to describe it.

 

[jorats]

We had a rat who had what we figured were allergies. I'd say keep an eye on him but if any other symptoms, then bring him in.

 

[temblabamomo]

Morrissey is still having this issue; he's still looking/acting healthy, I'll check him over after a sneeze marathon and don't see any discharge or anything. Got a new air purifier last month, have noticed a huge reduction in the amount of dust and dander.

I try to keep a pretty constant temp/humidity level in the room, but the weather around here only allows me to keep it so constant. Yesterday the high was 30 degrees and it was very dry, today it is 70-something and humid, tomorrow it will be in the 30s again and damp. My sinuses are in an uproar, and once Morrissey got rousted out of bed this morning he started having a sneezing fit as well. He seems otherwise bright and healthy, but if he has some sort of allergy issue, I know it can't be much fun for him. Can we try some sort of children's allergy/sinus meds perhaps and see if there is a reduction in these sneeze fits?