# Sounds like water in lungs



## Aboore (May 17, 2011)

okay so my baby girl Granola has been making sounds like she has water in her lungs and I don't know what to do. She isn't lathargic or anything but the sound scares me and I know I can't take her to the vet. Does anyone know what it could be, and any natural way to get rid of it? I'm worried she may die and I just lost my oldest rat to a tumor. What should I do?


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## smesyna (Nov 22, 2010)

There is no home cure for any kind of respiratory infection. You need to come up with some money, sell some stuff, borrow money, get a payment plan, etc.


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## Aboore (May 17, 2011)

So there is nothing at all I can do? I have no money at all. Nothing worth selling other then this rinky dink laptop that would only bring in 100, and no one I know has money to spare. There isn't anything I can give her that will decongest her? I don't want to lose her and I've talked to my parents about taking her to a vet but they won't do anything cause of our money situation.


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

if you catch a respiratory infection early on (in the light sneezing stage) sometimes you can curb it off with home remedies like dark chocolate and steaming. after that, they're really only treatable with prescription antibiotics. if it sounds like she has fluid in her lungs, it is no longer an upper respiratory infection but a lower one (pneumonia), and it's not something you can just treat at home. some rats even struggle to recover from pneumonia with antibiotics and intensive care. it is something you very well could lose her to. 

you really should try to get your money situation stabilized before getting any more pets.


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## Aboore (May 17, 2011)

Problem is she never sneezed, she just started making this noise a day ago. I've been watching her for the two weeks I've had her. I had to treat her for lice, and such but I used natural stuff that I used on my other rat and had no problems at all


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Aboore said:


> Problem is she never sneezed, she just started making this noise a day ago. I've been watching her for the two weeks I've had her. I had to treat her for lice, and such but I used natural stuff that I used on my other rat and had no problems at all


Sorry there's no happy answer here...rats need vet care, at the very very least humane euthanasia when its their time. There is no at-home treatment for respiratory infections. Dark chocolate will open up the lungs for a short while to help them breathe during a respiratory attack, and steaming can help the congestion for awhile (with pneumonia though, it can make them worse), but these are just temporary comfort things until you can get them to the vet and get antibiotics.


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## 1a1a (May 6, 2011)

Find the cash somehow and get her to a vet, just in case. If you haven't got a job and are stuck for ideas on where to get some quick cash, I suggest catalogue delivery. If the job is similar where you are to where I am, anyone can do it, it takes a while and pays very poorly (which means there is usually work going) but still enough hopefully to get you in for a consultation. That and pester your parents. They are the adults, responsible for you and ultimately responsible for your responsibilities, if the rat goes untreated and deteriorates, it's on their heads (I reckon). Darn rats and their URIs! Since I've gotten back into rat keeping I have spent disproportionately large amounts of my income on keeping them healthy so I can sympathise with the tight money thing.


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## HighwayStar (Aug 20, 2010)

For such tiny things they can sure cost a big amount of money. I had to take my last girl in so much for tumor removals that the vet stopped charging me for anything but the anesthetic. Hopefully you can find a way to get the money.


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## Aboore (May 17, 2011)

I'll give you guys a description of what is happening with her. This may better help you.

She is making the watery sound but its not constant, no sneezing unless I agitate her chest with tickling.
Shes very hyper still and runs up to me and then back into her cage, plays when I tickle her face. Etc.
No discharge from her eyes or nose, and her nose is dry as can be. I think it may just be a sound she's making because she's been in contact with my other rat constantly and nothing is going on with my other rat at all.


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## Aboore (May 17, 2011)

Scratch the dry nose its starting to get wet. Ugh. I need to get some money or SOMETHING


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## smesyna (Nov 22, 2010)

That's definitely not normal.

Call around vets and ask the price then keep asking your parents. Perhaps it could be an early christmas present? Something needs to be done..


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## Aboore (May 17, 2011)

smesyna said:


> That's definitely not normal.
> 
> Call around vets and ask the price then keep asking your parents. Perhaps it could be an early christmas present? Something needs to be done..


Any idea why my other rat wouldn't be showing symptoms? She has spent days in the same cage with her, as well Granola was in contact with other rats, which I think she may have gotten this from them because she wasn't making this noise when she was there. Though none of the other rats are showing symptoms but one of my friends, and Cumquat is having no problems. Could it be the genetic thing? And she just wasn't born with it?


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

respiratory infections are generally not contagious. the bacteria that usually causes uris (mycoplasmosis pulmonis) is present in all rats at birth. it grows in abundance and causes respiratory issues if the rat is stressed, immune compromised, old, genetically prone, etc. it can also cause things like ear and urinary tract infections, but respiratory is the most common.


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## Aboore (May 17, 2011)

Jaguar said:


> respiratory infections are generally not contagious. the bacteria that usually causes uris (mycoplasmosis pulmonis) is present in all rats at birth. it grows in abundance and causes respiratory issues if the rat is stressed, immune compromised, old, genetically prone, etc. it can also cause things like ear and urinary tract infections, but respiratory is the most common.


I see. I wish I knew what antibiotics I could give her to make this go away. I'm sure I could gather money quick enough for just medicine but all the vets around me cost 100 and up. Is it normal for the watery sound not to be constant? It kinda reminds me of a sound that another animal makes..


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## smesyna (Nov 22, 2010)

Antibiotics require a prescription. Try calling farther rat vets, it may be cheaper.

Yes it is normal for it to not be constant when they are sick.


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## Aboore (May 17, 2011)

smesyna said:


> Antibiotics require a prescription. Try calling farther rat vets, it may be cheaper.
> 
> Yes it is normal for it to not be constant when they are sick.


there is no way for me to get a ride any farther. I have no idea what to do. My parents would drive me maybe 10 miles but thats it. This is a very frustrating situation. maybe I can call the spca and see if they will help. Do you know if they can work with rats or if the vets aren't compiant enough to do so for rats?


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## 1a1a (May 6, 2011)

There is no harm in asking the SPCA. If it's a URI she has any old kind of vet will do, you just need someone to listen to her lungs, hear sounds of infection and prescribe something like doxy or baytril (or both? Some people use them in combination).

Ha 10 miles is one kilometre short of the distance I drive to get to my rat vet. Try explaining to them that the distant vets are cheaper (if that turns out to be the case). If money is tight, that should make sense to them. $100 is heeeeeaps, what a greedy vet (wait, where do you live)?


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## smesyna (Nov 22, 2010)

There can be no lung sounds, if the lungs are involved it goes from a URI (upper respiratory tract) to pneumonia (lower respiratory tract).

Yes both are used in combo with a serious infection. Non-rat vets don't always know the dosages, we could help with that IF you are given enough. It is safer to go to a rat vet that is experienced however.

I wish I could go 10 miles, I drive almost an hour lol. And yes, 1a1a is right, point out that driving a little further will save money overall if you can find a cheaper vet that is a little farther away (call and ask what an exam costs).


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## Aboore (May 17, 2011)

I'll see what I can do.


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