lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
Well it looks like we are having a problem in Ontario at the moment, the formerly rare and highly contagious viruses are spreading. Sendai made a round 3 years ago and then disappeared probably because the people affected were responsible enough to shut down and not further the spread of it in the rat community. Unfortunately with all the facts lately, its starting to look like there's a big BYB or a rat mill supplying the stores towards the east of Toronto. My guess is that they have SDA in their mill and are churning sick rats out into the public. Rat mill owners won't care if the rats could infect your rat, they just want the rat alive when it hits the petstore so they can get their money. For eg. Petsmart's rats all used to be the highly saleable high white rats, but I am sure they figured out that a lot of the babies contracted megacolon and died even before making it to the store or died soon after arrival so they wouldn't get their fee per live rat...it ended up being unprofitable so the blazed rats were changed to pretty minks, pearls, and pearl merles.
Ideally when bringing in a new rat you should quarantine them at a different location than your residents, a different airspace, for at least 2 weeks. If they are still well at the end of this time you can bring them home. If they end up sick, you treat them and once they are better you start the QT (quarantine) again. With the contagious viruses soo rare in Ontario, and me not having any foster or QT homes available to me, each time I take in a new rat is a calculaed risk. Now that might have to change. I advise all pet owners to know the risks and if you are able to perform proper QT then do it! A totally different airspace/home with no other rats there. If you visit you have to go through the after-visit protocol of 3 hours away from your rats or the shower, change clothes, blow nose deal....every time. If you are unable to qurantine then be very aware of the symptoms and be prepared to put all rats on antibiotics and go into a lockdown that lasts months. We were a lot like the UK here where they didn't quarantine because of the lack of viruses in their country, but sadly they have been invaded as well.
Lilspaz Hospice has been afflicted with SDA again, in just a few short months after the first bout, and is shut down. The only good thing is that there's only 16 rats here that were never exposed to the initial virus so the others should be immune. The not so good part is that some of those original rats were damaged by the virus and will be pretty much have respiratory flareups all their lives.
I will answer questions in here, help you figure out what symptoms to watch for, and how to get through this terrible virus. Just remember that time is of the essence to help save your rats, recognizing what you are dealing with, locking down so it doesn't spread, and getting everyone with symptoms on antibiotics.
SDA Oubreak 1 in early February started with a tiny little girl bought from a nasty Oshawa pet store to be a friend for sickly little Chilly. I didn't realize that Bella had been bought only a few days prior to me getting her and Chilly home. Chilly had been sick for weeks, and Bella had a mild URI. About a week later, my rats started to become affected, Yara was first, then others...I lost some older rats that were ailing, but only when extremely healthy 17 mo old Samson died did it click in my head. At first I thought I had Sendai virus, and for 2 weeks while medicating, it seemed to be a milder form of it than I remembered from 3 years earlier and I was thanking my lucky stars. I had seen a swelling on one rat's throat but it wasn't much so I dismissed it, then another one showed up, and the facial swelling and ocular issues reared their scary heads as well...this is when I realized I had SDA. :sad3:
Ocular issues and facial swelling on Adella (note the sclera showing in the corner of her poor eyes)
Poor Ophelia, hers were even more affected. Untreated rats have been known to scratch at their eyes damaging them badly. Which is why I use metacam and eye drops/ointment to help their poor eyes, with pain/swelling and dryness.
With SDA Outbreak 2 I took in a little lass from HH , but she arrived with a lump in her throat. She was pretty much unhandleable for the rescue owner and she was the last sister of a group of siblings that Nic had adopted in late February. So the plan was to adopt her but she needed to come here to catch the transport. Once scared little Bunny arrived and I found the lump on her throat, we all went into lock down and watch/wait. I started Bunny on antibiotics.
Four days later the lump was gone and there was a scab instead, so we assumed it was an abscess. *whew* No one who had been in contact with Bunny reported any symptoms.
The symptoms start with rats sneezing, a lot of them...perfectly fine one day to sneezing a lot the 2nd day, next the compromised rats may or may not get really sick, really sick, lungs shutting down, heaving, lethargic, and you are sure you are going to lose them. These rats get fluids and steroids injected sub-q to get them through the worst and make them feel a little better. Most of these rats are still sick, but start responding to a combo of antibiotics soon after. These are usually the rats that are affected all their lives. The others range from just sneezing, to sneezing that turns into a mild URI, to a bad URI, to lungs wheezing, and filling up. Some will have the throat swellings and eye/facial issues. These rats get metacam as well as antibiotics. All rats need at least a month of antibiotics depending on the severity of their symptoms. Every morning and every night, the medication regime is very very important to give your rats the best chance possible. You also need to go into a lockdown of sorts with no rats in or out, vet visits very carefully managed (euth's only for me) to not infect other rats in the clinic, anyone who has rats has to stay away from their own rats for 3 hours post-visit (virus dies off host in this time) or can change clothes, shower, and blow nose (virus likes to hid in our nasal cavity) before handling their own rats.
I have had a few issues sadly, one boy got very sick...the 3 older boys from that rescue, the smallest and quietest one...he became very ill and needed the emergency treatment.
Noah, I am not sure why he wanted to sit in that dish, but he sat there for ages, barely moving and trying to breathe. Later on he cuddled against me and is feeling much much better now. But it was scary for both of us. He's a darling boy.
Video
That night little Marty got sick...she was even more scary as she was already a tiny thin girl who always seemed like there was something else wrong with her beyond her eyes. She had the same breathing as Norbert, Waldo, Yara and Melvin, a sound I HATE to hear. She got the emergency treatment and cuddled into my neck for warmth. Things were absolutely touch and go for her and have been for awhile. The worst is that she lost weight not really eating for 2 days and in a rat in her condition that is really not good.
Video before treatment on initial attack
Video after
Little Marty also discovered a new friend, my modem. I put a pocket type hammock over top of it and she crawls in and stays warm with her ongoing heat source LOL She's had 2 days now of doing really well *knock on wood*. She's the most darling, expressive and gentle little gal, I really hope she fights along with me. I am weighing her daily just to make sure she doesn't lose any more weight.
Then a few days ago, Melvin went into a downturn just like Norby and Waldo would do, icy cold, having issues breathing and losing weight. We are fighting that one off right now and he seems to be improving slowly...no panicked runs, or open mouth gasping so definitely not as bad as it could be, which gives me some hope.
I had planned on going up to see my mom this weekend for 1.5 days (she's elderly and I haven't seen her since my birthday in January because of the original bout of SDA and its after effects). Thursday afternoon I made an unpleasant discovery. While hauling out the little tilties, Clare and Bree for their twice-daily meds, I discovered a swollen throat on Bree and a grossly swollen throat on Clare.
So right now as it stands, for the newbies....
Malcolm - URI
Noah (smaller black boy) - URI but bright
Benjamin (big beige boy) - sneezing will turn into URI
Bartholomew (big black boy) - sneezing
Marty - very sick, but fighting
Rizzo - sneezing and URI
Frenchie - sneezing
Riley - sneezed (started him on abs anyways), might have the beginning of ocular issues as I can see a bit of sclera in the corner of his left eye (got metacam to his disgust)
Bunny - sneezing
Soka - URI but responding
Clare - hugely swollen throat, mild URI
Bree - moderately swollen throat, worse URI
Isa - URI with congestion, responding well
Dusa - URI with congestion and crackling, seemed dull last night which is very very worrying, watching her carefully.
Wally - on abs as a preventative, lungs are clear
Freddy - on chlorpalm, no lung sounds
The original SDA rats are having some flareups - Chilly, Bella, the black girl who still needs a name in with the Hellions, Arista, Clemmie and Yara (chronic), Melvin (downturn), so I have my hands full
The virus is not fatal but the nasty secondary infections it lets in are...almost all rats will get sick and you might lose some or many...and some may be affected the rest of their lives if they survived.
My list of losses from the first go-around, some were older or compromised, others were doing well and just got very sick.
Alvin & Thomas - Feb 8th (pts together)
Syra - Feb. 9th
Dexter - Feb 13th (AM)
Smitty - Feb 13th (PM)
Samson - Feb 20th (AM, died suddenly)
Willow & Loki - Feb 20th (pts together)
Keiran, Absinthe & Linnet - Feb 27th (pts)
Jonah - Mar 5th
Jennie - Mar 9th
Then the virus had gone through but I had some severely damaged rats that I ending up fighting to keep alive and some I still am like Melvin. The Niagara Nakies have the worst immune systems I have ever known.
Norbert - April 6th
Waldo - April 9th (pts)
Ideally when bringing in a new rat you should quarantine them at a different location than your residents, a different airspace, for at least 2 weeks. If they are still well at the end of this time you can bring them home. If they end up sick, you treat them and once they are better you start the QT (quarantine) again. With the contagious viruses soo rare in Ontario, and me not having any foster or QT homes available to me, each time I take in a new rat is a calculaed risk. Now that might have to change. I advise all pet owners to know the risks and if you are able to perform proper QT then do it! A totally different airspace/home with no other rats there. If you visit you have to go through the after-visit protocol of 3 hours away from your rats or the shower, change clothes, blow nose deal....every time. If you are unable to qurantine then be very aware of the symptoms and be prepared to put all rats on antibiotics and go into a lockdown that lasts months. We were a lot like the UK here where they didn't quarantine because of the lack of viruses in their country, but sadly they have been invaded as well.
Lilspaz Hospice has been afflicted with SDA again, in just a few short months after the first bout, and is shut down. The only good thing is that there's only 16 rats here that were never exposed to the initial virus so the others should be immune. The not so good part is that some of those original rats were damaged by the virus and will be pretty much have respiratory flareups all their lives.
I will answer questions in here, help you figure out what symptoms to watch for, and how to get through this terrible virus. Just remember that time is of the essence to help save your rats, recognizing what you are dealing with, locking down so it doesn't spread, and getting everyone with symptoms on antibiotics.
SDA Oubreak 1 in early February started with a tiny little girl bought from a nasty Oshawa pet store to be a friend for sickly little Chilly. I didn't realize that Bella had been bought only a few days prior to me getting her and Chilly home. Chilly had been sick for weeks, and Bella had a mild URI. About a week later, my rats started to become affected, Yara was first, then others...I lost some older rats that were ailing, but only when extremely healthy 17 mo old Samson died did it click in my head. At first I thought I had Sendai virus, and for 2 weeks while medicating, it seemed to be a milder form of it than I remembered from 3 years earlier and I was thanking my lucky stars. I had seen a swelling on one rat's throat but it wasn't much so I dismissed it, then another one showed up, and the facial swelling and ocular issues reared their scary heads as well...this is when I realized I had SDA. :sad3:
Ocular issues and facial swelling on Adella (note the sclera showing in the corner of her poor eyes)
Poor Ophelia, hers were even more affected. Untreated rats have been known to scratch at their eyes damaging them badly. Which is why I use metacam and eye drops/ointment to help their poor eyes, with pain/swelling and dryness.
With SDA Outbreak 2 I took in a little lass from HH , but she arrived with a lump in her throat. She was pretty much unhandleable for the rescue owner and she was the last sister of a group of siblings that Nic had adopted in late February. So the plan was to adopt her but she needed to come here to catch the transport. Once scared little Bunny arrived and I found the lump on her throat, we all went into lock down and watch/wait. I started Bunny on antibiotics.
Four days later the lump was gone and there was a scab instead, so we assumed it was an abscess. *whew* No one who had been in contact with Bunny reported any symptoms.
The symptoms start with rats sneezing, a lot of them...perfectly fine one day to sneezing a lot the 2nd day, next the compromised rats may or may not get really sick, really sick, lungs shutting down, heaving, lethargic, and you are sure you are going to lose them. These rats get fluids and steroids injected sub-q to get them through the worst and make them feel a little better. Most of these rats are still sick, but start responding to a combo of antibiotics soon after. These are usually the rats that are affected all their lives. The others range from just sneezing, to sneezing that turns into a mild URI, to a bad URI, to lungs wheezing, and filling up. Some will have the throat swellings and eye/facial issues. These rats get metacam as well as antibiotics. All rats need at least a month of antibiotics depending on the severity of their symptoms. Every morning and every night, the medication regime is very very important to give your rats the best chance possible. You also need to go into a lockdown of sorts with no rats in or out, vet visits very carefully managed (euth's only for me) to not infect other rats in the clinic, anyone who has rats has to stay away from their own rats for 3 hours post-visit (virus dies off host in this time) or can change clothes, shower, and blow nose (virus likes to hid in our nasal cavity) before handling their own rats.
I have had a few issues sadly, one boy got very sick...the 3 older boys from that rescue, the smallest and quietest one...he became very ill and needed the emergency treatment.
Noah, I am not sure why he wanted to sit in that dish, but he sat there for ages, barely moving and trying to breathe. Later on he cuddled against me and is feeling much much better now. But it was scary for both of us. He's a darling boy.
Video
That night little Marty got sick...she was even more scary as she was already a tiny thin girl who always seemed like there was something else wrong with her beyond her eyes. She had the same breathing as Norbert, Waldo, Yara and Melvin, a sound I HATE to hear. She got the emergency treatment and cuddled into my neck for warmth. Things were absolutely touch and go for her and have been for awhile. The worst is that she lost weight not really eating for 2 days and in a rat in her condition that is really not good.
Video before treatment on initial attack
Video after
Little Marty also discovered a new friend, my modem. I put a pocket type hammock over top of it and she crawls in and stays warm with her ongoing heat source LOL She's had 2 days now of doing really well *knock on wood*. She's the most darling, expressive and gentle little gal, I really hope she fights along with me. I am weighing her daily just to make sure she doesn't lose any more weight.
Then a few days ago, Melvin went into a downturn just like Norby and Waldo would do, icy cold, having issues breathing and losing weight. We are fighting that one off right now and he seems to be improving slowly...no panicked runs, or open mouth gasping so definitely not as bad as it could be, which gives me some hope.
I had planned on going up to see my mom this weekend for 1.5 days (she's elderly and I haven't seen her since my birthday in January because of the original bout of SDA and its after effects). Thursday afternoon I made an unpleasant discovery. While hauling out the little tilties, Clare and Bree for their twice-daily meds, I discovered a swollen throat on Bree and a grossly swollen throat on Clare.
So right now as it stands, for the newbies....
Malcolm - URI
Noah (smaller black boy) - URI but bright
Benjamin (big beige boy) - sneezing will turn into URI
Bartholomew (big black boy) - sneezing
Marty - very sick, but fighting
Rizzo - sneezing and URI
Frenchie - sneezing
Riley - sneezed (started him on abs anyways), might have the beginning of ocular issues as I can see a bit of sclera in the corner of his left eye (got metacam to his disgust)
Bunny - sneezing
Soka - URI but responding
Clare - hugely swollen throat, mild URI
Bree - moderately swollen throat, worse URI
Isa - URI with congestion, responding well
Dusa - URI with congestion and crackling, seemed dull last night which is very very worrying, watching her carefully.
Wally - on abs as a preventative, lungs are clear
Freddy - on chlorpalm, no lung sounds
The original SDA rats are having some flareups - Chilly, Bella, the black girl who still needs a name in with the Hellions, Arista, Clemmie and Yara (chronic), Melvin (downturn), so I have my hands full
The virus is not fatal but the nasty secondary infections it lets in are...almost all rats will get sick and you might lose some or many...and some may be affected the rest of their lives if they survived.
My list of losses from the first go-around, some were older or compromised, others were doing well and just got very sick.
Alvin & Thomas - Feb 8th (pts together)
Syra - Feb. 9th
Dexter - Feb 13th (AM)
Smitty - Feb 13th (PM)
Samson - Feb 20th (AM, died suddenly)
Willow & Loki - Feb 20th (pts together)
Keiran, Absinthe & Linnet - Feb 27th (pts)
Jonah - Mar 5th
Jennie - Mar 9th
Then the virus had gone through but I had some severely damaged rats that I ending up fighting to keep alive and some I still am like Melvin. The Niagara Nakies have the worst immune systems I have ever known.
Norbert - April 6th
Waldo - April 9th (pts)
