# my rat is unusual making noises



## nicholassss (Nov 24, 2008)

i have a rat. she's about two months old and she sounds like this only its a lower pitch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLf8Umaj-Pk

i'm not sure if its ok to post the link but i'm kind of worried about her.

she hasnt made a noise since i got her until now. she's been eating and drinking and she seems happy.

and theres no wheezing gurgling or clicking like i've read to listen for.

incase its a respiratory problem, i use corn bedding that i change every 3 days and there're in an aquarium until next week when i can get a cage. i learned on here just earlier today that i should use aspen bedding, so i'm going to get some tonight.

I've had both my rats for about a month. they're both female. but only the one making the strange noise.



anything else you might need to know, that i didnt mention let me know

i'm new to owning rats so if i'm over reacting about this i'm sorry just trying to make sure i i'm a good owner


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## zoe9 (Oct 3, 2007)

One of my boys was making that same exact sound just a few days ago. It lasted maybe 20 seconds and culminated in a sneeze, then he was fine, so I think he must've literally had something up his nose which the sneeze cleared.

Any chance this was the case with your girl? I assume (hope) she's not doing this constantly? 

Meanwhile I'm not familiar with corn bedding is but I'm glad you are switching. Dry corn is prone to mould which can be toxic to rats so best to avoid it altogether (that goes for food too). Plus if it's made up of little pieces of dried corn then it may be possible she 'inhaled' a bit of it which caused the problem. Changing the bedding will help if that's the case.

I'm glad you'll be getting a cage next week. Until then keep that aquarium nice and clean, don't let any ammonia from their urine build up, and make sure it's as well ventilated as possible.

As for your girl if this was just a one-off I wouldn't be overly concerned at this stage especially if she does seem otherwise fine.

However if she's still doing it now, even with the new bedding, you'll have to reassess the situation, so let us know.

Cheers,
Zoe


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## nicholassss (Nov 24, 2008)

i walked out of the room and when i came back in she was napping, i woke her up to make sure she was ok and she's fine now i was so worried. 

i take them out and let them run around as much as possible to keep them out of the aquarium and its got an open top so its as ventilated as can get it.

thank you so much. i really appreciate the advice.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

That is rattling or crackling and the rat in that video is actively sick and needs treatment from a vet.  IF your girl was just the once where she had a snuffly nose its okay, but if it continues, you'll probably have to go to the vet to get meds for a URI (upper respiratory infection).

Corn cob bedding is sooo absorbent it can even suck the moisture from your rat's body causing Ringtail, which can lead to their tail falling off...I run away from corn cob bedding, and am glad you are changing it to aspen.

Word of advice though, I would freeze your aspen for 48 hours before using it, to kill off any stowaway buggies (lice, mites, etc) as wood and paper based beddings can easily be infected.


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## Neuroticax (May 1, 2007)

Not to hijack the thread, but lilspaz did you read the comments on that youtube video????? Everyone put a thumbs down on the medical advice and the OP of the video basically told people they were wrong and that it was just because the rat was new!


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Neuroticax said:


> Not to hijack the thread, but lilspaz did you read the comments on that youtube video????? Everyone put a thumbs down on the medical advice and the OP of the video basically told people they were wrong and that it was just because the rat was new!


I often do my posting here in the morning before work, so I just watched/listened to the vid. Yep people are very stupid. :-\ I am attempting to post a comment. For some reason I always have issues. I hit submit and it hangs (like now :)

ETA: It worked!!! At least other people will read our comments and realize its not just "cute" sounds.


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## Neuroticax (May 1, 2007)

*scoffs @ cute sounds*

Well anyone with intelligence can read and do research on their own, hopefully.


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## zoe9 (Oct 3, 2007)

nicholassss said:


> i walked out of the room and when i came back in she was napping, i woke her up to make sure she was ok and she's fine now i was so worried.


I'm pleased she seems to be okay - that's great news. However as mentioned if she starts up again you probably should get her checked out by your vet especially in light of what lilspaz has said regarding the sounds that rat was making in the video.

When reading about respiratory infections you often see 'rattling' breathing mentioned but I didn't realise that's what it actually sounded like. :-[ I have heard noisy unusual breathing before but nothing quite like that until one of my boys, coincidentally, made it, or what was a very similar sound, several days back. (By the way he's still fine but I am keeping a close eye on him.)

So thank you very much lilspaz for pointing that out. Respiratory disease is just horrible and should always be treated seriously and that wasn't made clear in my post because I didn't recognise the sounds that poor rat in the video was making as 'rattling' and was just thinking about my own experience with my one boy instead.

Cheers,
Zoe

Oh, almost forgot. Regarding comments on you tube I tend to avoid reading any wherever possible. I just find it a bit depressing really. Anyhow I just went back in and read them now and yes, it was still a bit depressing. I hope your messages help but I get the impression the OP isn't taking anything seriously....


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## paralistalon (Mar 5, 2008)

I came here because one of my rats is making similar noises. It has lasted more than a few days so I think I'm finally concerned enough to take it to a vet, even though after reading a few threads on this I am probably more knowledgeable than the vet is (because most vets don't specialize in rodents). No offense, but I am not a fan of doctors, and I am even less of a fan of people like this: 

_Your rat has an upper respiratory infection going on... he needs to see a vet and have meds. Please take care of your rat. Anyone else with a rat making this noise please see a vet!!!!!!!! _

Oh really? You used like 8 exclamation marks, you must be serious! You should have thrown a few OMGs in there for good measure. There are people who say noises are normal, and there are people who will tell you to go to the doctor for a "professional" opinion for everything like doctors are imbued with Godlike psychic powers. 

Okay, so I hear monkey noises, how do I go about getting antibiotics? You said I can't buy stuff from the pet store. Explain. Is this just some knee jerk reaction that vets = God and pet shops = devil? Or do pet stores really carry fraud products? 

Sorry for being beligerent, but a bunch of crap happened out of nowhere this month leaving me poorer than usual until next month. If I have to pay the vet to get a confirmation of a URI and then won't have enough money left over to buy meds, I'm going to be quite enraged.


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## zoe9 (Oct 3, 2007)

Any type of noisy breathing can be a sign of respiratory disease. 

If it's just a brief, one-off occurrence then yes, it is possible something else has caused it. In this case you’re okay to not take any action, but do monitor the rat carefully for any repeat sounds or other signs of illness.

If it persists, which it has with your rat, you need to treat them.

Regarding pet shops, any antibiotics you might be able to purchase there are not going to help because rats with a respiratory infection require specific antibiotics in specific dosages. Meanwhile I believe the general antibiotics sold at pet shops are aimed at birds and fish. They're not FDA approved, are manufactured by unknown quality standards and they're designed to be mixed in water which is NEVER a good idea with rats and it means you're not going to know how much the rat is actually taking, let alone _what_ it is they’re taking.

These things aren't even recommended for the creatures they're intended for, let alone for rats. Nothing to do with with vets = god and petshops = devil : (sorry, I had to do that, it was just such a silly comment.) 

If you're not confident your vet will be able to properly treat your rat, and lets face it, a lot of vets don't have the best information with regards treating rats, then print out this drug chart and take it in with you. 

http://www.rmca.org/Articles/dchart.htm

Most likely baytril or doxycycline will be prescribed. Familiarise yourself with the dose and make sure the vet gives you the correct amount. The last thing you want is to have to go back for a second visit because the vet misdosed the first time, especially if money is tight right now.


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## paralistalon (Mar 5, 2008)

Thanks for not going psycho on my post, lol. I was in a bad mood. I just got back from running so now I'm so exhausted I can barely process words (which means I don't have the energy to worry either). I have an appointment set for tomorrow morning and I will be taking that chart with me.


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## Fanlyn (Sep 8, 2014)

I popped here because I just got a new rat from a pet shop and she had made the noise. She's only done it once since I got her. I'll keep a close eye on her to make sure she doesn't make the noise again. I have had her for maybe a total of 20 minutes, so I alsothink she had made the sound because of her new environment.


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