Sneezing what to do? (update, sick :( )

[ectopistes]

Well, i have 3 rats, they are lovely and very active, but one sneeze a lot, i dont know for sure, but he sneeze at least one time each five or six minutes, my others rats sneezy too, but is rare, he do eveything normal, eat, drink, play, sleep, but well, i dont know i´m a little scared

It is normal? I dont think its the bedding because i tryed three diferent things and nothing changed.

oh. the one who sneeze more than the others clean his face a lot too, at least three times more than the others.

Update: Max stoped sneezing and sam too, but:

10 pm : i played with then for about one hour, everything was fine (no one sneeze, they were very playfull)
11 pm: i put then in their cage
1 am: i give then veggies this hour every day, today i notice that Lincoln was doing a VERY weird noise, i was very scared and run to my computer to seek info.

Well, he is making a noise very similar to this in the video, but he is not shaking, he is normal, eating, drinking and playing with the others.

[youtube:30ak9sjx]zgxhTispyUY[/youtube:30ak9sjx]

i grab him to listen the breath, but i dont really know what to say, its normal for 1 minute then he make this noise.

Well, i´m so sad, i cant sleep :cry: the unique exotic animal vet in my city moved to another town, i only have cat/dog vets here, then the only thing that i can think in the moment is to print this: http://ratguide.com/meds/antimicrobial_ ... aytril.php and this http://ratguide.com/health/bacteria/myc ... smosis.php and and hope to find a good vet with a good english and goo will to save my rat. But how this could happen? One hour he is fine and two hours later

i check him now, 3 am, he is sneezing now and ithing is back all the time :cry:

Baytril is a good medicine?

edit again:

its is the same noise[youtube:30ak9sjx]K7yqCYc71_c[/youtube:30ak9sjx]

 

[jorats]

Is he a new rat in your home?
Any smoke or other fragrances around the little guy?

 

[ectopistes]

no, i have 2 hooaded and 1 albino, the 2 hoaded where the first that i bought, the one that sneeze a lot is one of these.

Oh, his name is Max and his Brother is Sam :lol:

And no, i dont use any perfume when i go play with then

 

[jorats]

Do you have a good vet you could get him checked? It could be some type of infection starting.

 

[ectopistes]

Thats a problem, well, having rats here in brazil is a rare thing, so the food and beedding and toys...

I had to search for the lab blocks in another town, was hard but i found the right blocks, the bedding selled here are always pine shaving, but i´m not using it, and vets here, i really think that no one ever cared of a rat. I know one that sterelized one rat of a friend, but the rat died there, then i really dont trust this vet.

I know that is not cool having pets if we cant find the right things for then, but here in brazil, trust me, if you want to have rats as pet, you´re alone

 

[Joanne]

That is too bad that rats aren't very common there. Maybe you will be a good rattie ambassador and introduce more people to the idea of having pet rats.
It's difficult but you can only do what you can with what is available to you. Sneezing can be from strong fragrances like perfume, but also from cleaning supplies for your home, or the laundry detergent if you have hammocks for your guys. Sometimes the bedding can cause sneezing. It's great that you don't use the pine - that can be hard on their system. Sometimes even paper bedding like Carefresh can cause sneezing from the dust. I think the only way you can be dust free is with fleece bedding, but then you have to wash it. Do you have them in a cage? This is important for good air flow. They may also need to have their cage cleaned more frequently as any build up of ammonia can cause problems.
If you have had them for a while, and this is a new thing, then I would take him to the vet. If the vets are not experienced, then you need to educate yourself really well before you go so and pick a vet that is willing to learn along with you. It's OK to have a vet that doesn't know something, as long as they are willing to find out the right answer.
Good luck!

 

What bedding do you use?
Is their any drafts in the room which they are in?

 

[Dazzle87]

I'd try to find a vet willing to listen and learn and bring a printout of the RMCA drug chart. URIs are not challenging to try to treat.

 

[Moon]

I'd consider going to the vet who operated on your friend's rat. Many of us have vets we will use for medications but not surgeries.

 

[Dazzle87]

Oh that reminded me, for all you know the rat didn't make it through surgery because of an underlying condition, like a heart or respiratory problem. It may not have been the vets fault.

 

[ectopistes]

That is too bad that rats aren't very common there. Maybe you will be a good rattie ambassador and introduce more people to the idea of having pet rats.
It's difficult but you can only do what you can with what is available to you. Sneezing can be from strong fragrances like perfume, but also from cleaning supplies for your home, or the laundry detergent if you have hammocks for your guys. Sometimes the bedding can cause sneezing. It's great that you don't use the pine - that can be hard on their system. Sometimes even paper bedding like Carefresh can cause sneezing from the dust. I think the only way you can be dust free is with fleece bedding, but then you have to wash it. Do you have them in a cage? This is important for good air flow. They may also need to have their cage cleaned more frequently as any build up of ammonia can cause problems.
If you have had them for a while, and this is a new thing, then I would take him to the vet. If the vets are not experienced, then you need to educate yourself really well before you go so and pick a vet that is willing to learn along with you. It's OK to have a vet that doesn't know something, as long as they are willing to find out the right answer.
Good luck!

Here in brazil we dont have good rats breeder, the only way to get one is buying from petshops, most petshop here breed theyer own rats and dont have knowledge about rats, they sell seeds mix as proper food and pine shaving as proper bed, i called the petshop that i bought my rats and explained about the lab blocks and where to find (because is very rare here), they ignored me and sayed that the proper food is the seed mix, we dont have here products like carefresh or yeasterday news, most people use pine shaving, others use cat litter, i use cardboard. Fleece is a cloth made of wool?

I have then in something like a huge aquarium, but its huge and have windown, its huge, about 3 people can be inside, inside this aquarium there´s a open cage, that they use to make theyer necessities, several ``houses´´ with 2 doors (plastic house), a hammock and the water bootle and the food bown.

I clean everthing 2 times a week, but i remove most of their faeces every day, its ok?

I dont know if this is new or if an article that i read on afrma made me paranoid , anyway, today i played with then for about 1 hour and no one sneeze. i will keep looking and if the sneezes come back i will take him to a exotical animals vet.

Thanks for everything

What bedding do you use?
Is their any drafts in the room which they are in?

i use cardboard as bedding, we dont have any especific product here.
Draft is an air stream? if so, yes, 2 large windows.
thanks

I'd try to find a vet willing to listen and learn and bring a printout of the RMCA drug chart. URIs are not challenging to try to treat.

if the sneezes come back i will take him to a vet, and trye this, i found on afrma a article with the drugs for cure some respiratory infection.
About the surgery, the vet think that died because of the sedative, too strong for rats
thanks

I'd consider going to the vet who operated on your friend's rat. Many of us have vets we will use for medications but not surgeries.

My friend´s rat was the first rat that this vet care, i dont know if a trust a vet who gave a strong sedative for a litle rat

 

[Dazzle87]

Ah yeah, isoflurane is really all that can be used

Do you have a picture of your cage setup? I can't picture it at all.

Good luck with your rats

 

[ectopistes]

Ah yeah, isoflurane is really all that can be used

Do you have a picture of your cage setup? I can't picture it at all.

Good luck with your rats

sorry, i dont have any pics with the cage, i will take one, but now i want to save my little friend

 

[victoria]

If you can get him to any vet that is willing to try that should be enough. Anyone that has studied any sort of science beyond the undergrad level has to be able to read in English because the overwhelming majority of peer reviewed literature is published in English. I would also print out these two links: http://ratguide.com/meds/antimicrobial_ ... ycline.php and http://ratguide.com/meds/antimicrobial_ ... enicol.php in case Batryl is hard to get in Brazil. IF ALL ELSE FAILS Doxycycline is a human antibiotic that is not covered under patent. If you are able to purchase it without a prescription (I know you don't need a prescription for most things in Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico and I assume it's similar in the rest of Latin America) you can get the capsules and mix them with water. Doxycycline alone is not the best antibiotic, but it may help.

You can also try steaming the rats - bringing them into the washroom for 5-10 minutes at a time while running a hot shower - if they stay calm. If they get too stressed though, stop immediately. The steam may help clear their lungs if the infection has made it all the way down there.

Good luck!

 

[ectopistes]

If you can get him to any vet that is willing to try that should be enough. Anyone that has studied any sort of science beyond the undergrad level has to be able to read in English because the overwhelming majority of peer reviewed literature is published in English. I would also print out these two links: http://ratguide.com/meds/antimicrobial_ ... ycline.php and http://ratguide.com/meds/antimicrobial_ ... enicol.php in case Batryl is hard to get in Brazil. IF ALL ELSE FAILS Doxycycline is a human antibiotic that is not covered under patent. If you are able to purchase it without a prescription (I know you don't need a prescription for most things in Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico and I assume it's similar in the rest of Latin America) you can get the capsules and mix them with water. Doxycycline alone is not the best antibiotic, but it may help.

You can also try steaming the rats - bringing them into the washroom for 5-10 minutes at a time while running a hot shower - if they stay calm. If they get too stressed though, stop immediately. The steam may help clear their lungs if the infection has made it all the way down there.

Good luck!

thanks, i will do the shower trick, but i have a problem, this morning all disapear, all the symptoms, he is fining and i think he is breathing well, probably a vet will say that all is normal with my rat, but i know what i heart yesterday. Then i´m thinking in buying baytril (yes, animal med here in brazil you dont need prescription, but human for most human med you need.) and give to my rat, can i buy the 15mg one:

http://www.artisia.com.br/media/catalog ... 15_1_2.jpg

and give to him in the proporcion of 10mg/kg once a day, but i want to know if baytril can do any harm to my friend health.

thanks for the help

 

[lilspaz68]

If you can get him to any vet that is willing to try that should be enough. Anyone that has studied any sort of science beyond the undergrad level has to be able to read in English because the overwhelming majority of peer reviewed literature is published in English. I would also print out these two links: http://ratguide.com/meds/antimicrobial_ ... ycline.php and http://ratguide.com/meds/antimicrobial_ ... enicol.php in case Batryl is hard to get in Brazil. IF ALL ELSE FAILS Doxycycline is a human antibiotic that is not covered under patent. If you are able to purchase it without a prescription (I know you don't need a prescription for most things in Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico and I assume it's similar in the rest of Latin America) you can get the capsules and mix them with water. Doxycycline alone is not the best antibiotic, but it may help.

You can also try steaming the rats - bringing them into the washroom for 5-10 minutes at a time while running a hot shower - if they stay calm. If they get too stressed though, stop immediately. The steam may help clear their lungs if the infection has made it all the way down there.

Good luck!

thanks, i will do the shower trick, but i have a problem, this morning all disapear, all the symptoms, he is fining and i think he is breathing well, probably a vet will say that all is normal with my rat, but i know what i heart yesterday. Then i´m thinking in buying baytril (yes, animal med here in brazil you dont need prescription, but human for most human med you need.) and give to my rat, can i buy the 15mg one:

http://www.artisia.com.br/media/catalog ... 15_1_2.jpg

and give to him in the proporcion of 10mg/kg once a day, but i want to know if baytril can do any harm to my friend health.

thanks for the help

I would pick it up to keep on hand jsut in case. If the sounds start again use the 10 mg/kg dosage. We can help you sort out a dosage for your rat with a weight.

 

[ectopistes]

thanks, i already found a place that sell it, i will buy today, i dont have a balance, but i will use the vet balance :lol:
but for the med, i dont now how to separate the exact dosage, i think i will use a sharp knif cut in the half, then i will have 7,5 on each half, then i will do it again if need.

thanks

 

[Dazzle87]

thanks, i already found a place that sell it, i will buy today, i dont have a balance, but i will use the vet balance :lol:
but for the med, i dont now how to separate the exact dosage, i think i will use a sharp knif cut in the half, then i will have 7,5 on each half, then i will do it again if need.

thanks

You crush up the pill and mix it with a little water. Then figure out the mg/ml to know how much to give

 

[ectopistes]

thanks, i already found a place that sell it, i will buy today, i dont have a balance, but i will use the vet balance :lol:
but for the med, i dont now how to separate the exact dosage, i think i will use a sharp knif cut in the half, then i will have 7,5 on each half, then i will do it again if need.

thanks

You crush up the pill and mix it with a little water. Then figure out the mg/ml to know how much to give

oh, thanks, whats the best way to give then the med? With a syringe in the mouth or can i put the dissolved med on toasted bread? (my rats love it)

 

[victoria]

To your friend's health? Do you mean to you rat's health?

The symptoms may be coming and going because her immune system is getting rid if them periodically. It's like when we humans have a cold or the flu and we feel better for some periods of the day than others.