Sneeze?

[Synnøve]

One of the girls i got on monday, Bianca, is sneezing a little bit. Not much, but sometimes. Just one sneeze at the time. Im scared that she is sick already I just had my hamster medicated and put down, so i've used a lot of money on vet-bills lately, and i was hoping i wouldn't need to do that the first week with the new ratties :/
I'm gonna try and keep the room warmer and take out the hay in the cage (should I put a blanket over the cage to? someone told me that..)

I just don't want her to be sick

 

[Moon]

You only got her recently, correct? She could be suffering from the "new home sneezes".. the stress of a new place can make them sneeze, as can the new smells. Make sure you're keeping their cage clean, and don't have anything scented too near to them.... scented candles, air fresheners and so on.

 

[papercrow]

You could also try another bedding. She might be sneezing because of the dust in the hay.

 

[jorats]

I agree, a little sneezing when they are new is not cause for concern. If you don't see any other symptoms, then start changing stuff that could be an allergen like bedding.

 

[Synnøve]

Ok, thanks!

She seems perfectly healthy except from the sneezing. Nothing wrong with her eyes or nose, and she's the most active and curious of the two.

Hope she stops sneezing soon

 

[user 78]

I would go ahead and get the hay out of her cage. Hay is extremely dusty, in my experience, and even if it is just new home sneezes the hay could make it worse.

 

[Synnøve]

Yeah, I've done that now

 

[starfoot]

Hi, if it carries on, consider taking out all bedding, and using fleece or towling instead... with a litter tray. But I'm sure she'll be ok in a little bit once she gets used to her new surroundings, and taking the hay out will only help speed things up for her....
Let us know how she does... Can't wait for more pictures of the babes!

 

[Synnøve]

Thanks so much for the help, you guys

I will post updates! (And more pics as soon as possible )

 

[Synnøve]

Now my other girl, Luna, has started sneezing too..

I'm a bit concerned, so I'm just wondering how long these "new home sneeze" periods usually are?
Maybe the bedding doesn't work for them? I use something called Gnavz, that's made of a mixture of seaweed and cellulose. It's supposed to be good for rats, but maybe mine are allergic, or something? Is that possible?

I've seen that they sell Yesterday's News in my pet store. Would you recommend changing to that type of bedding?

 

[user 78]

Rats are rarely allergic to things, but may be sensitive to any scents or dust that the product has. Never heard of the bedding you're using, but if it's at all dusty you may want to consider changing to another bedding like Yesterday's News.

New home sneezes can last around a week. Anything longer than that and it may be a resp infection. If you notice any other changes in their habits like sleeping more than usual, not eating or drinking, no interest in playing you might want to get them into the vet for a checkup.