# Do rats get hiccups?



## xxzz6760

Sometimes my rat will jerk repeatedly and make a kind of squeeky noise. Is he hiccuping or sick? I've listened to his breathing and don't hear any wheezing, clicking, etc., and he is very active and does not appear to be sick at all. So I was just wondering what it is that he is doing! He does it about twice a day or so.


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## zoe9

Rats do hiccup but they should be silent.

Any chirping/squeaking sounds that accompany hiccups could be early signs of a respiratory infection.

If this is just happening once or twice I'd keep an eye on him and with a bit of luck his immune system will be able to keep it in check.

However if it's happening frequently and has been going on for a while (and it sounds like it is) I would get him started on a course of antibiotics to be safe.


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## Lakea

yep, just as was said, rats do hiccup, but it is silent. Keep an eye on him.


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## xxzz6760

Alright, thanks, guys. He has also been sneezing a bit more than I'd like, so I will definitely keep a close eye on him!


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## ATez

I dunno if it's true or not but i heard rats are supposed to have a dry nose and if it's wet all the time
it means it has a breathing problem. I'm not 100% sure on that one it's something I read. :-X


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## xxzz6760

Well I don't think his nose is wet, though he tends to wriggle around too much for me to actually touch it for more than second. He's sneezing a lot less now, so I'm thinking it might have been him just adjusting to a new environment, since my apartment building is kind of dusty (Luckily I'm moving into a newer building next month!).


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## lilspaz68

If the "wet" is clear, then its fine. When its a coloured discharge then you worry. Their noses can run too, especially when its dusty.


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## amadeusmom

My rat would cough and sneeze when I first brought him home. The previous owner was using that wood shaving bedding. I use newspaper.
It took about two months to clear up. During this time he also hiccuped, I don't think it was related.
Rats have a reddish mucous that comes from their nose, it's usually temporary, but if it is constant that's not normal.
So don't be alarmed unless they start getting boogers stuck to their face. They actually look sick when this happens and should get antibiotics...wheezing is not always present with this sort of infection.


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## xxzz6760

Okay, thanks! He's still sneezing more than I'd like, but it's usually only when he's running around and being active. But he doesn't have any bogies or prophyrin, so I'm not _as_ worried.


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## Harvey&Calvin

good to knw! Mine just hiccupped and like a new mama , i worried.


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## rlstine

I took my rat to the vet recently to get medicine for sneezes, and I showed her a video of him doing this same "hiccup" thing. It happened mostly when he was being held/pet. She said this behavior is kind of like bruxing, something some rats do when they're comfortable. So if there aren't any other symptoms (esp. after the rat phone test) I'd just keep an eye, try to notice if there's a pattern to the behavior, etc. Here's an archived post from rat forum with more info on this: http://www.ratforum.com/archive/index.php/t-141665.html?


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## Rat Daddy

OK, so I'm likely the only person here to ever find a bat in their bedroom and catch it and let it go outside... I used a fish net with a long handle....

But when I disturbed the bat that was hanging on my curtains upside down, it started 'hiccuping' and sort of vibrating, I learned later that bats have to raise their body temperatures from resting to flying levels. They can't just take off... once the bat started to move his wings, I scooped it up and dropped it out the window.

I've seen the same 'hiccuping' behavior in some rats I pick up from a sound sleep. It lasts a few minutes, and I believe they are just raising their body temps from resting to operating temp. Not all rats do it, but some always do. It it only happens when you wake your rat up then it's normal. I've also seen the hiccuping in young rats at about a month old, then it stops... no clue as to why, but they outgrow it.

And our rats noses are normally wet when they are active. Poke their noses against your cheek to tell.

Best luck.


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