# Variety of rat noises (with sound)



## Leafgreen (May 21, 2012)

One of my rats recently had something - maybe an allergic reaction to a new food, myco, pneumonia, food in the windpipe, no idea what - and it lasted 5 days and then was completely gone. My vet wisely suggested blood work and x-rays to find out exactly what was wrong, but I simply didn't have the cash at the time on top of an emergency exam, oxygen treatment, subcutaneous fluid, etc. But explaining to the veterinarian what noises she was making was pretty much impossible, even to the good rat doctor in my town. I thought this page of a variety of playful, happy, irritated, sick, moderately sick, seriously sick rats might help others identify what sounds your rat is making to help other people relatively new to rats.

http://www.joinrats.com/gallery/11128370_reY4p#!i=801108532&k=uBgFS


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## Leafgreen (May 21, 2012)

If your rat is having breathing trouble and or if they have myco trouble for the rest of their life, here's another thing that may help. 

A nebulizer will atomize saline solution and blow it out so that the patient can breath it in, commonly used for humans with breathing trouble or with asthma. Even plain sterile saline used in it helps to open up the airways, but also a good way to get some liquid medications into their system like Albuterol (salbuterol, ventolin, proventil, etc) which is a medicine designed to help relax and open the airways. Far as i can tell, sterile saline with albuterol is what is in asthma inhalers. Albuterol or other bronchodilators require a prescription in the U.S. but may not not when ordering from other countries - but you should definetly talk to your vet first before giving them ANY type of medication. http://ratguide.com/meds/respiratory...ol_sulfate.php. Better yet, here is a testimonial from a nurse posted in the Rat and Mouse Gazette (medical, but NOT a vet) http://www.rmca.org/Articles/albuterol.htm

Here is a youtube video of someone using nebulizer to give their rats a breathing treatment. It seems noisy, but the rats don't seem to mind. Keep in mind that it will make the container kinda wet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QxDw3o2Zbg

Another version of a 'treatment room' made for rats, it seems very easy to make. http://www.petresearch.net/phpBB2/nebulizer-t8814.html

Most are ultrasonic (even though rats can hear in the ultrasonic range almost as well as bats, they don't seem to mind it) but some are piston powered. All that I could find atomize the particles to under 5 microns, and 3.9 microns are recommended for rats. I found a piston powered one on amazon for $30 and 100 doses (vials) of sterile saline for $20, they are in the snail mail right now. But after researching online it seems that a nebulizer helps rats with breathing troubles from Myco, allergies, whatever - and a good thing to have on have just in case.


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## Leafgreen (May 21, 2012)

If your rat is having breathing trouble and or if they have myco trouble for the rest of their life, here's another thing that may help. 

A nebulizer will atomize saline solution and blow it out so that the patient can breath it in, commonly used for humans with breathing trouble or with asthma. Even plain sterile saline used in it helps to open up the airways, but also a good way to get some liquid medications into their system like Albuterol (salbuterol, ventolin, proventil, etc) which is a medicine designed to help relax and open the airways. Far as i can tell, sterile saline with albuterol is what is in asthma inhalers. Albuterol or other bronchodilators require a prescription in the U.S. but may not not when ordering from other countries - but you should definetly talk to your vet first before giving them ANY type of medication. http://ratguide.com/meds/respiratory...ol_sulfate.php.


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