# Sneezing



## Shawn (May 9, 2008)

I just got a new rat a couple days ago as a companion for my other female. This one is, obviously, still in quarantine.
For the past few minutes, she has been digging around through her bedding (picking it up and moving it around) and sneezing.
Could it be she is allergic to Carefresh?
Right now, she's drinking from her water bottle.

- Shawn


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## Randi (May 25, 2008)

You say she's new? New rats commonly sneeze. All smells are new to them, and she is just getting used to everything. Her sneezing will more than likely stop in a short time.

Some rats do have trouble with the dust in Carefresh, but a lot of people use Carefresh with no problems. Just keep an eye out, and if the sneezing doesn't stop, then it could be the bedding... but it really is most likely just that she's a newb.


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## Shawn (May 9, 2008)

Thanks Randi 
She seems to be fine now. Sleeping comfortably.


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## Susinko (Apr 29, 2008)

When I first got my rats, Yuki and Kenshin, they kept sneezing a lot. After many days of this, I took my boys to the vet. He said that since they had no other symptoms, they were most likely allergic to their aspen bedding. He told me to change to Yesterday's News.

It seems to have helped a lot, although they still sneeze a bit more then they should. I think it's because they have to share a room with gerbils who have to have aspen in their tank. But it isn't too bad.


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## Shawn (May 9, 2008)

Can you get Yesterday's News at Pet Supermarket?
I wonder if my other rat would like it - she has no problem with the Carefresh, but these two are going to live together eventually.


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## Shawn (May 9, 2008)

It's been about five days - she is still very sneezy.
I'm thinking I may have to switch to Yesterday's News.
You don't think it's anything serious like a respiratory disease do you? She isn't wheezing or anything like that - just sneezing.


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## MariHxc (May 23, 2007)

i used carefresh for awhile and my boys were sneezing a lot. i switched to yesterday's news and they're almost back to normal again. my two new boys don't sneeze at all, and i've only kept them on yesterday's news.


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## Shawn (May 9, 2008)

I'll go to Pet Supermarket tomorrow and see if they carry Yesterday's News. 
This rat is just a constant sneeze attack..I mean...constantly sneezing.
She seems fine otherwise.
You don't think it could be mycoplasmosis?
She's been in quarantine for almost 2 weeks. I plan to introduce her to my other female rat but now I'm afraid.


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

Pretty much every rat has mycoplasma already. I wouldn't worry about them passing it onto each other, as chances are they both already have it. Mycoplasma in itself won't cause illness, but it does allow other bacteria to establish in the body and cause URIs etc.

Change the bedding, give her up to 1 week from buying her to see if there is any improvement at all. If there isn't improvement or if she gets any worse - I'd suggest vet time.

The fact that she's sneezing constantly isn't necessarily a good sign. See what the bedding does, hopefully if it is that you should see results quite quickly

Just a query though, kind of confused me. The original post says you got her a couple of days ago, but your last post says she's been in QT for two weeks? =/


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## Shawn (May 9, 2008)

Yeah, I posted my original message on June 1st 
So I have had her for 2 weeks this next Wednesday.

She is eating, drinking, playing etc. She is just constantly sneezing. Basically, it's like something is irritating her nose.
Should I be washing my hands and stuff before handling my other rat?? That's what I've been doing out of fear and paranoia.


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

Ahh, see that's my 2am brain not putting two and two together. lol

If she's still in QT then yes, wash etc before going between rats.

If it is just sneezing and there is no coughing, wheezing etc then you may well be right. If she is fine now (minus the sneezing) try the new bedding.

Does she sneeze more inside the cage or outside the cage? Just wondering as if she doesn't sneeze inside the cage I would wonder whether the bedding is a factor at all

Edit: neverming, ugh, I need to go to bed. I see you say she sneezes while digging around in the bedding. Could very well be the bedding then. Change it an see lol

The ultimate dust-free bedding is using fleece/old towels. Maybe that would be an alternative to see if it's a dust thing?


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## Shawn (May 9, 2008)

When I took her out of the cage last night and was holding her, she was sneezing on me while she climbed around on me. And then she would stop and rub her nose.
Right now she's sleeping. No wheezing or anything like that.
She seems to be fine when she is sleeping - then she wakes up and starts sneezing her head off when she walks around, plays etc.
I'm gonna go try to find some Yesterday's News today.


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## Shawn (May 9, 2008)

Ok - got some Yesterday's News.
I didn't know it was pellets. Rats like a bedding like that?
We'll see if the sneezing stops.
Also...she's eating the bedding...is that ok?


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## kellark71588 (May 28, 2008)

I have yesterdays news and my rat loves it, I put pieces of construction paper in her cage and she tears it up and makes her own little bed out of it...She could not be happier with the pellets


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## Shawn (May 9, 2008)

Still sneezing like crazy.
Maybe it will take a couple days?
I timed the sneezes - 24 sneezes in 1 minute.
It's been this way for the past three days.


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## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

if it isn't the bedding then it has to be something else in the house that is causing this

do you burn candles or incense.. spray fragrant air fresheners? How about the laundry detergent? Any other cleaning agents around the house? If you have central heat & air conditioning... is she near a vent & possibly getting too cool a blast of air? Do you wear any frangrances, colognes, hair products? 

There can be so many things that will cause them to sneeze. You just have to run through all the possibilities.


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## Randi (May 25, 2008)

That's a lot of sneezes...

I'm a little surprised that there are absolutely no other symptoms. If there are no strong aromas, or dust in the bedding, or any other external sources that are making her sneeze, I'm a bit stumped.

Have you thought about taking her to see a vet, just to be sure that it's nothing that could potentially turn in to something more (and for the safety of your current rat)?


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## Shawn (May 9, 2008)

I can't think of anything else that would be causing it. I don't burn incense or candles or anything in this room. I do have cats, but they aren't in this room either.
She is currently living in a large kritter keeper - so that might be part of it. It's not a proper cage. I was going to leave her in it until she was big enough to put in a regular cage. I have another cage that is actually designed for ferrets but the rats are still small enough to squeeze through the bars.
I would take her to a vet if I could find a vet that specializes in pocket pets. 
As for my other rat, these two have not yet been introduced.


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

If you can't find any immediate cause, I would definately take her to the vet. At the very least they should be able to listen to her chest and tell you if all's well in the heart and lungs department.

Sneezing so much is definately not normal


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## kellark71588 (May 28, 2008)

my jade was like that when I first got here, Now she barely sneezes at all. I took her to the vet about it and they told me I needed to change the bedding and send me home. Be patient she should stop.

Its not harmful to rats if they eat that bedding, It has all the info on the bag


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## Randi (May 25, 2008)

Y'know, that Kritter Keeper could very well be a large part of the issue... not enough ventilation.

They have really cheap barred cages that you could use as Q-Tine that would provide soooo much better ventilation. You could even try to find one on Freecycle/Craigslist/Classifieds/etc.


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## KayRatz (Apr 5, 2007)

MariHxc said:


> i used carefresh for awhile and my boys were sneezing a lot. i switched to yesterday's news and they're almost back to normal again. my two new boys don't sneeze at all, and i've only kept them on yesterday's news.


That's great to hear! I'm switching today  My dad picked some YN up at PetCo. Geez, you people make me want to clean my rat cage right now XD

What's been said here is all that needs to be said... get a proper cage, switch to less dusty bedding, probably partly new-home sneezes.


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## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

well there you go.... the kritter keeper is not suitable for long term.

You would be better off with a large storage bin with the top modified (cut out & with hardware cloth fastened on)

Unless you are cleaning that KK thing out like several times a day the ammonia could very likely be building up to toxic levels thus causing respiratory distress.


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## Shawn (May 9, 2008)

Today - the sneezing is not quite as bad as it was. This is a good thing. Maybe the new bedding is helping after all.
I saw a great cage at Pet Supermarket - but it's $120.


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## KayRatz (Apr 5, 2007)

All good cages will be expensive, m'dear. My 3-rat-max cage was 90 bucks.


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## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

Shawn... I see that you are in FL as well. Hello from South FL

Try looking on Craigslist 

not pretty but it would work
http://spacecoast.craigslist.org/for/707323598.html

not sure if the bar spacing is right on these but another good deal
http://spacecoast.craigslist.org/grd/702211543.html

another fixer upper but you can't beat the price
http://spacecoast.craigslist.org/for/702153042.html


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## Shawn (May 9, 2008)

Ok guys....now she is making a really weird coughing noise. Just started doing it. Almost like a weird squeaky "cough cough cough" noise.

Nice to meet you Julia, btw.
I'm on Merritt Island. Brevard county.


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## KayRatz (Apr 5, 2007)

If she's wheezing like that then take her to the vet, that doesn't sound good.


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## Shawn (May 9, 2008)

I'll call first thing in the morning. Won't get much done today because it's Sunday and no vets are open. And I'll only have $40 in the bank until Tuesday when my check clears.
My other rat is in this room (though not in the same cage). Will she be ok to be in here or is there danger of infection if this is mycoplasmosis?


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## KayRatz (Apr 5, 2007)

If they live[d] together at any time then they'll all be at risk for infection.


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## Randi (May 25, 2008)

It sounds like a URI at this point. If she is having any trouble breathing, try to give her a tiny bit of dark chocolate. You might also want to try to give her a bit of Ensure until she is able to get to the vet, just to give her a little extra boost. 

Let us know how things go at the vet.


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## Shawn (May 9, 2008)

They have never been introduced.


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## Shawn (May 9, 2008)

If it is a URI, can it be treated?
Her quarantine was supposed to be up on Wednesday as that marks the 2 weeks I've had her. Obviously, I won't be introducing her to my other rat if she is like this.


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## Shawn (May 9, 2008)

Man...now she's acting fine. I don't get it - she keeps going back and forth.


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## Shawn (May 9, 2008)

Ok - no more coughing but still sneezing like crazy.


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## Randi (May 25, 2008)

Yes, a URI can definitely be treated... they are very common. But you really would need to get her to the vet in time. Rats can go downhill so very quickly without treatment, and they are very good at hiding signs of pain and distress.


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## Shawn (May 9, 2008)

Ok - finally found a vet that will take rats. Only thing is...the earliest time he has is 9:45 on Wednesday.
I scheduled the appointment, but should I keep calling around to see if I can get her someplace sooner? Or will she be ok till Wenesday?


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## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

never hurts to call around just be sure to let the other office know to cancel your appt if you go somewhere else. One tip though, once you find a vet, be loyal.. it will help you out in the long run if you make repeat visits. 

As for an earlier post:


Shawn said:


> I'll call first thing in the morning. Won't get much done today because it's Sunday and no vets are open. And I'll only have $40 in the bank until Tuesday when my check clears.
> My other rat is in this room (though not in the same cage). Will she be ok to be in here or is there danger of infection if this is mycoplasmosis?


Al;l rats have myco... the only ones that would not have it would be lab rats that come from a line that is kept myco-free by c-section delivery of the babies. Since I highly doubt you have one of these few lab rats.. your rat already has myco. Now what happens is that a secondary infection can develop thus causing the URI. This is why we were all alarmed about the tiny plastic kritter keeper thing you have kept her in because the easiest way to develop these secondary infection is by keeping a rat in something that holds in the ammonia fumes. This will irritate the lungs, the irritation increases & the animal becomes stressed... once stressed then that opens the doors for all kinds of issues. 

I really don't know how to best advise you since sometimes a rat may sem sickly/sneezy/wheezy it's entire life & be fine & then you can have a perfectly healthy rat keel over for no apparent reason. If you feel your rat is not thriving then it is best to seek out medical attention. I just don't want to see you go to a vet office that knows squat about a rat & have them freak you out by offering a diagnoses of myco because all rats have this... it is the secondary infection that follows that is the issue that has to be treated.


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## Shawn (May 9, 2008)

Update : Got her in someplace today at 3:40. The only other place around here that will take rats and "exotics". 
$42.50 for a rat exam. 
I'll let you know how it goes. 
Thanks Julia. I'm hoping for the best. 
I really want to get her a better cage. Hopefully this week. It sucks having all of your bills past-due at the same time.

The vet I'm taking her to is actually 45 minutes away.
I am established at another vet for my dog and cats.


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## Shawn (May 9, 2008)

Took her to the vet.
First thing he said was that she is a very good weight for a rat her age - about 7 weeks.
She has a respiratory infection but he said with antibiotics it should clear up. I have to give her a dose of Baytril twice a day for ten days.
He also took a stool sample and he'll call me if it comes back abnormal. 
I'll keep you updated on the treatment.


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## KayRatz (Apr 5, 2007)

As for critter keepers, I used to keep rats in a tank. NOT ONE of those rats lived over a year. Two died from URIs and one from a tumor. Now... when I bought Zinc and Klardae, they had URIs. Those cleared up fast and, being kept in a wire cage, neither had a URI since.


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## zoe9 (Oct 3, 2007)

I'm surprised your vet has prescribed baytril if she's only 7 weeks old. I've read on many sites that it's not recommended for babies under 12 weeks old as it can affect bone growth and cause problems later on in life.
I've thankfully only ever had to treat one baby for respiratory disease (he was 9 weeks old at the time) and he was put on doxycycline.
Sorry, not trying to scare you or anything, but it might be worth speaking to the vet and checking that baytril is the best drug for your little girl...


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

Baytril can stunt growth plates etc but I think that is mainy if it is used in high doses and for prolonged periods of time (don't quote me on that, though)

Although I've known many rats be treated (and I've had a good few of mine treated) under the 'reccommended age' for Baytril and all have come through fine.

I guess it's use at the vets discression


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## Shawn (May 9, 2008)

Well, each dose is only 0.1 on the syringe.


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## Shawn (May 9, 2008)

Ok...this last dose I gave her, I don't even know how much made it into her mouth. She squirms around and doesn't want to take it! What should I do?


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

How are you trying to give it to her?

I find the best way to get tricky rats to actually take their meds is to hold them similar to this;










Your thumb under one arm, dangling the legs .. if not dangle (sometimes it worries them) allow them to rest the feet on your chest. You can then use your index finger to pull back their lip a little bit, get the syringe in that cheek-gap and squirt it in there.

How good is she with taking things from your hands? You can always mix it with a little babyfood or yogurt and offer it to her on your finger or on a spoon. Mine will usually lick it straight off - but for the newer rats who haven't quite warmed up enough to trust the medicine taste, that med-hold works wonders.

Oh yeah .. and excuse the green. It's post M&M colouring


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## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

mix the med with a small dab of something that she really likes

maybe some peanut butter or even some jam
yogurt
mashed banana

whatever she might like.

Use a very small amount so that the entire dose is eaten... if she goobles it up, offer a bit more of the treat

I have to mix up the foods I use to hide meds because I have one gal that figures it out if I use the same thing day after day.


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## Shawn (May 9, 2008)

I'll try that hold, Ration. I think she's just not really used to me yet. She tries to run away when I try to pick her up and she squeals like she's being murdered until I can get a hold on her.
I may try the banana thing.
She doesn't seem to be wheezing quite as much. I'm guessing it will take a could days for the antibiotic to really start working?


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## Shawn (May 9, 2008)

Well, here we are a few days later.
The only way she will take the medicine is if I put it in a banana. So, she's been at least getting the antibiotic. Not sure how good it's working. She's not wheezing much anymore, but she's still sneezing up a storm.
And, unfortunately, the banana is giving her diarrhea. But she loves it.
It's really the only way I can get the medicine in her as this rat really doesn't like to be handled.


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## Randi (May 25, 2008)

It's great that she's taking the medication, but obviously the diarrhea is undesired...

Have you tried wrapping her in a towel to give it to her? This works wonders with some rats, maybe you'll be lucky and it'll work with her.


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## Emily_VO (Apr 14, 2008)

Hi Shawn,

My little man has the same problem - just sneezing, no wheezing, no lethargy or anything! Even when I let him run around the room, he still stops, sneezes and rubs his nose/cleans his face. I change his bedding every day and wash his toys once a week with disinfectant so I dont know what the problem is! He does not sneeze when he sleeps though! Its so odd!


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## Shawn (May 9, 2008)

Well, It's been probably 2 weeks or so since Chloe has been on her antibiotic. She isn't sneezing nearly as much - every once in a while I'll hear a sneeze, but it's NOTHING like it was. She seems very happy. Playful and has a ton of energy.
When do you think would be an appropriate time to introducer her to my other rat? Is it safe at this point? Or would there still be a chance of infection?


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## Randi (May 25, 2008)

Good question. I would think to give it an additional two (at the least) or more weeks time from the time you feel that she is "healthy", as she could still transmit some sort of virus/infection (sounds like she has a URI?) at this point. I'm not really sure, though... maybe someone else who has had experience intro'ing a previously sick rat could give you better advice!


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