# A big concern that keeps me from getting rats



## Hoops (Mar 12, 2018)

First off, I won't get pet rats if I can't solve this concern. I care about animals a lot. 

The 1 thing that is keeping me from getting rats is the costly vet bills. From my research, rats commonly get respiratory issues and tumors among other things. I can afford the rats, the cage, the care, the love, the daily playtime, but not these expensive vet bills for a $10 pet that lives 2-3 years. Some people say you should expect to pay several hundred to maybe thousands on things like tumors or respiratory infections or anything else. I need your help on this topic please and your experience.

I am fine doing cheap vet visits, a $30 checkup or for some meds, maybe up to $100 once or twice. I looked for exotic vets near me and there are 2, but would just go to the one down the street and it has a great reputation.

If say my rat got a tumor, could I just give her the best life possible, then humanely euathanize her at the vet if she seems in pain or discomfort, or is that cruel and not the right thing.

I really want rats as I have suffered from depression, social anxiety, loneliness, among other things most of my life and could really use the company. I have been getting a lot better as time goes on but still could use some company. I can't take care of dogs. cats, or rabbits, and rats seem to be the only other affectionate, interactive pet. Am I missing other affectionate pets? I can't care for ferrets; guinea pigs are a hit or miss on being cuddly; same goes for a hamster. 

Any help is greatly appreciated.


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## Kelsbels (Aug 12, 2015)

Hey Welcome,

It's a very good question to ask yourself whether or not you can take on the expense. I would say that even if you get healthy rats from a reputable breeder you'll still want to have a fund for their vet bills. Things happen that are completely out of our control. Injuries, illness, just look at any fb rat group or even in the health section here, people are posting things that are happening to their pets all the time. Also, there are hormonal issues that might need to be resolved with a castration or spay (not with all rats).

I can tell you that owning rats and earning their love and trust is an amazing experience, but you have to hold up your end by making sure they live healthy and comfortable lives. Sure, not all tumors need to be removed or can be removed. Two of my last rats had tumors that we couldn't remove based on the advice from our vet, but they still were able to run around and play till they eventually passed away many months after the discovery. 

What you can do is ask the vets you found what their prices are for different treatments for rats. This should give you an idea of whether or not it's something you're willing to take on.

With many of the rats I've owned (two many years ago, last group of three, and now my rescue group of three) they have a good first year without needing many vet visits, but as soon as they reach over the age of 1 sometimes tumors and other issues will pop up. This is something to also think about, perhaps you can save up for any future visits. The other thing is when you've bonded with your rats when they pass it can be one of the hardest times you can go through. When the last of my first rats passed away I was so upset that I couldn't bear to keep rats again (this was over 10 years ago). However now with my last three who all passed, I'm still incredibly sad that they've passed, but I still have room in my heart to bring more of these little sweethearts in my life.

I don't want to tell you no, but I also think that regardless if pets live long or short lives they all need treatment when the time comes. I hope what I've said gives you some idea.


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## Tax (Dec 3, 2017)

I would definitely second the idea of contacting the exotic vets you found to find out some general prices. One thing I've learned over the years is that vet prices vary dramatically by area. Where I live, $30 wouldn't get me anything - the exam fee for a single rat is $70, so it costs me over $200 just to get my 3 boys seen. I've heard of people paying only $40 for an exam (for hamsters, but still exotics)...and I've heard of people paying $110 for an exam. It really does vary.

I don't personally believe that responsible pet ownership requires having an unlimited vet budget (as that's impossible for most people), but I do believe it needs to be enough to cover basic and common care like exams, medicines, and other treatments. I honestly don't know if $100 max is going to satisify that, but that's something only you can find out. Good luck.


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## CorbinDallasMyMan (Feb 24, 2017)

I think it's safe to prepare to spend at least a few hundred in vet bills on each rat you have over the course of their short little lives. Beyond that, I wouldn't judge anyone for forgoing extremely expensive treatments/surgeries and instead opting to focus on making their rats comfortable as long as they can. Even putting a rat to sleep can sometimes be at least a little costly, though.

I got back into keeping rats several years ago because I was living alone and my apartment at the time wouldn't accept dogs and I'm allergic to most cats. Rats were a great choice for me given my circumstances. Rats are very different than dogs/cats, though. Being prey animals, it can sometimes take a lot of time and work to get rats to point of being affectionate. Some rats never become cuddly lap pets. Also, it can be difficult dealing with their short lifespans. It's hard to get so attached to an animal that only lives a few years at best.

I'm not trying to discourage you from getting rats. I think they're wonderful pets. I just want to paint a realistic picture of keeping them.


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## ChloeJ (Sep 27, 2017)

My veterinarian doesn't require vet bills to be paid for immediately. They have different pay plans that give us the time to acquire the money to pay off any vet trips. I'm sure other vets would do the same thing if you just ask. My only vet trip with my two rats was for a respiratory infection and was a total of $130 (general checkup + nail trim + medication), so it's not too pricey if you compare their vet bills to that of a dog or a cat. However, if there's any surgery involved, I assume the price would skyrocket up. Maybe spend a few months taking some extra money that you didn't spend on necessities and putting it into a vet fund of some sort until you feel confident that you have enough money to pay for any emergency. I would also recommend only getting two rats if you're struggling with money as, if one of them contracts a contagious illness, you'll end up having to treat them all.


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## Brittykb (Aug 23, 2017)

Hoops said:


> First off, I won't get pet rats if I can't solve this concern. I care about animals a lot.
> 
> The 1 thing that is keeping me from getting rats is the costly vet bills. From my research, rats commonly get respiratory issues and tumors among other things. I can afford the rats, the cage, the care, the love, the daily playtime, but not these expensive vet bills for a $10 pet that lives 2-3 years. Some people say you should expect to pay several hundred to maybe thousands on things like tumors or respiratory infections or anything else. I need your help on this topic please and your experience.
> 
> ...


So over my entire life ive had 14 rata. Out of the 14 only 2 ended up having to go to the vet. I guess i got lucky that way but my last girl got a tumor around 2 and a half years old the vet said because of her age they would not remove it. But the vet visits only cost me $30 but when it was time to put her to sleep that cost me $200. The other time one of my boys wqs having skin issues so they wabted to treat him for mites. I believe he had to go 4 times for the medication and each time was around $50. So its hard to say if you will have to pay a lot for vets or not. I try to just save up atleast $200 before hand so i have it just in case!

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## Mizzely (Sep 4, 2012)

Care credit is also a nice thing to have just in case.


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## Hoops (Mar 12, 2018)

Thanks everyone, I may just wait to get rats in the future.


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## mewmew_chan (Aug 20, 2017)

I'd go ahead and get rats. My boy has been to the vet twice in his whole life, for a total of ~175 USD total. My new vet is $35 for an exam and nail trim.


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## KaraBoo (Jan 4, 2016)

This post was at the top of the weekly highlights email I just received. The timing is apt. Today we had our second rat put to sleep. Her sister we had put to sleep a couple of months ago. They both had tumors and respiratory issues. We tried meds, but they did not work. The vet bills were over $600. I love rats and if I could be a rat babysitter or something, I would be a happy camper. But I can't own them anymore. The expense and heartbreak is just too much.

Add to that, I had originally gotten these two rats for my daughter for her birthday. And as it turned out, she's very allergic to them.


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## Dan203 (Jul 10, 2014)

I've had 6 rats over the last 4 years. (only 1 left) They have cost me thousands in vet bills and medication. Two had to be neutered, one had a tumor removed, and all of them had various infections that required antibiotics. We've got the means, so it hasn't been a burden on us but it's definitely something to consider if you're financially constrained. That $10 rat could cost you hundreds, or even thousands, over it's 2-3 year lifespan.

The main reason we're not getting any more is that short lifespan. Our logest lived one just barely made it past his 3rd birthday. Three others lived to about 2.5, and one died suddenly at just 1.5. It's heartbreaking every time and we just can't handle it anymore. After our last one is gone (prob only few months left) we're going to get a small dog that’ll live 12-15 years so we don't have to deal with another traumatic death for while.


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## PetoftheDay (Aug 4, 2009)

Guinea Pigs can be very friendly, often you just have to take the time to get them used to you. My niece has a beloved guinea pig boy who sh got from the shelter, and who was very scared and skittish when she got him. Now he adores her, and purrs and chirrups during their evening cuddle time, and whenever she picks him up. He doesn't like getting picked up, but one he is in her arms, he is the happiest boy ever! And while any pet can require costly vet visits, cavies tend to be relatively healthy, and longer lived than our beloved rat friends.

I wonder if pet rats are so prone to tumor and respiratory issues because of a relatively narrow gene pool, or they have been used as lab animals for so long? It is hard to know.


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## Fu-Inle (Jan 22, 2015)

> I wonder if pet rats are so prone to tumor and respiratory issues because of a relatively narrow gene pool, or they have been used as lab animals for so long? It is hard to know.


I think rats as a species in general didn't evolve for long term individual survival. I think the main factor that drove the direction of the rats evolution is the rats ability to breed fast and produce large amount of offspring in a short amount of time. For that reason individual longevity isn't as crucial to overall survival of the species as to an animal such as a blue whale who produces a single baby per 2-3 years and has a life span of 40 plus years. If you study the life-span vs reproduction rate in mammals you'll notice a pattern. The longer the lifespan a species has, the slower their reproduction rate is and vice versa


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## Topple (Jan 11, 2018)

I am a new rat owner myself, but I recently had to take all three boys to the vet. The visit for a single rat checkup + Baytril cost approximately $90 CAD (which, I think is approximately $70 USD?). 

When I took my other two boys together to one appointment, it cost approximately $110 for the checkup + Baytril. 

So, my advice is, if one of your rats is sick and needs a checkup - probably most cost effective to bring them all in at once, rather than wait for the other ones to show symptoms. If they are showing mild signs but not yet in need of meds (which was true for one of my boys) the vet will probably be happy to prescribe meds if it becomes worse without an additional checkup. At least, that was my experience!


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## Catsratz (Nov 19, 2016)

Hi, Hoops, this is a thorny issue. For me, and for the first time, it's not a financial thing - but being that the only "exotic" vet of 40 miles away has left the area and I know of none other anywhere around, it's mostly transportation. 

I've had rats 30+ years and for a long time could not afford high veterinarian prices when I could barely pay my rent. As I saw it I was giving an animal a good home and a much better life than it would have had without me. People themselves often choose to linger on in pain to the last gasp and although it's probably bad at the end or going through a sickness for every living thing, I still feel that my rats have had a much better life than if I had not bought it. 

I also feel that, in a humane society, euthanasia _at the least_ should be available for all at not much more than an hours drive away. I've even thought of having a rabbit instead, as they live longer and possibly have less medical issues. But then, who would take the rats? They are not popular animals or "pets."

Best Wishes.


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## TheBoys (Jul 20, 2016)

I have a few things I can add to this discussion. Firstly I don't want want to encourage you to get rats if you cannot afford their vet bills. In my opinion, you should never own a pet if you aren't able to give them proper care. Euthanizing a pet because you can't afford treatment is, to me, irresponsible. However, there are a few ways that I have found that have helped drastically cut down my vet bills. The first thing I did was educate myself on rats and their health, learn how to play rat phone, etc. Taking them to the vet early on before a respiratory infection has time to develop is very important. Also, after going to the vet a few times I have developed a very trusting relationship with my vet. He knows that I am knowledgeable and sometimes will prescribe me antibiotics without needing to see the rat, or will ask me to bring the rat by and he will take a look at the rat in the lobby without charging for an exam to confirm the infection. Being proactive in their health can really go far. Another thing that has helped immensely is my jewelry/milligram scale. Medication is extremely expensive to be compounded! Just one round of doxy compounded at a pharmacy cost me $50. By contrast, my vet will now prescribe me doxy in pill form which cost me $10 for 10 pills, where each pill provides 1 doxy treatment. All I have to do is dilute the pill to the correct amount. This has reduced the cost of a doxy treatment from $50 to $1, and the milligram scale only cost me $30 to order from Amazon. I try to get any medication I can in pill form. The pills also last a lot longer than getting them compounded. I strongly recommend doing this if you feel comfortable enough with the conversions/math involved.


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## susb8383 (Feb 24, 2007)

I kind of agree with some of the previous posts that I wouldn't encourage getting rats if you knew in advance that you couldn't provide for their care financially. But...having owned rats for many years, I think there are some things you could do to reduce vet visits.

1. The biggest vet expense for me are for tumor removals. In my experience, girls tend to get tumors much more than boys, so I would start with boys. Neutered boys if you could, which would save you that expense if you find it's needed (I get all my rats from Mainely Rat Rescue and many of them come neutered already).

2. If you keep their cage clean, especially their sleeping area (mine tend to pee where they sleep), that should help to cut down on respiratory issues. The more ventilation, the better, so a cage and not anything like a tank. I have a Critter Nation, and my guys pee in their Critter Pod, so I put a folded up paper towel in it that I change daily and clean the area.

3. We only use green cleaning products: no bleach or other things with strong fumes.

4. I freeze EVERYTHING I give them that is paper or wood based which includes litter, toys, boxes, etc. 48 hours below 0 degrees will kill off mites. Before I started doing this, mine would often get mites. I purchased a stand alone freezer just for putting rat things in.

Another suggestion...I have both rats and mice. Mice are equally as awesome which I didn't realize until I adopted some from a funky situation. I did have a couple of mice get tumors, but far less than my rats.

--Susie


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