I went into the cage today, picked him up, and i guess from the stress of moving to a new house a few days ago, he got some kind of build up, see http://answers.yahoo.com/question/?qid=20060906234732AA0u08d for details. anywho, i never got to ask why he breaths so heavy, ill try to record it with my microphone and edit it so you can hear it. you can go here for it, copy paste it into the address bar.
i dont know if this is a usual noise that they make, please listen to is so i can confirm you dont get confused by some other problem he might have.
2006-09-08 07:44:34 · 15 answers · asked by Bob7k 3 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
www.esnips.com/doc/f1fdbbeb-0f26-4d46-9466-8874dcd2173e/Rat-noise.wav
here is the noise hes been making
2006-09-08 09:30:54 · update #1
http://www.esnips.com/nsdoc/f1fdbbeb-0f26-4d46-9466-8874dcd2173e/?action=forceDL
2006-09-08 09:31:17 · update #2
If you can, take your rats to the vet ASAP. The #1 cause of deaths to pet rats is respiratory infections. I used to have 3 pet rats (the BEST rodent pet by far for all of you rat haters) and I bought a really cute 4th rat. I quarantined the new rat for a week, all seemed fine. I put them together and the new baby rat (all males by the way) started sneezing. He died 2 days later.
The other rats started sneezing and I scooped them all up and off to the vet we went. Sorry to say but I spent $160 on 2 medications for them. I had to give 3 pretty healthy (and darn strong) rats medicine twice a day. I had to wrap them in a towel as they would push the eye dropper away with their little feet.
The vet said that if I didn't bring them in they would have most likely ALL died.
I love all of my pets as if they were my children so the expense was something that I just lived with (even though people thought I was nuts-they just didn't understand).
So I wouldn't wait if I were you. If it is an infection it will only get worse and they can die rather quickly.
2006-09-08 08:01:56 · answer #1 · answered by msnite1969 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is there any rattling ,wheezing or Snuffling noises when she is breathing as these can indicate a respiratory infection. If the breathing sounds normal apart from being fast it is likely it is due to the stress of the move and change in environment so you need to keep her quiet and leave her alone tom settle in for a couple of days until she is used to her new home. Moving home can be very stressful for small animals. I have to say I don't like the fact that she is not active like the other rat you have and it makes me think there is something more going on. The difficulty is taking her tom vet and travelling her again will stress her out even more but if she needs it you will have to get her checked over. If you do have to take her to the vet make sure you go back to the pet shop and give them the bill as the animal obviously was not 100% when you collected her so they should foot the bill. I hope she is just settling in but keep a really close eye on her as it does sound worryimg.
2016-03-27 03:05:37 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
One of my rats has a chronic respiratory infection, and breathes like that all the time. It's not necessarily life-threatening, but they can become serious, and it's better to take the rat to the vet just to make sure. Also, check the surrounding environment and make sure there isn't anything in the air (dust, fumes, a breeze) that could be aggravating the problem. Change the bedding frequently as well, since urine fumes will also make this problem worse.
2006-09-08 07:51:21 · answer #3 · answered by Jenn 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There could be a chemical residue in your new home that you don't know about. Also, did you change the litter at the bottom of the cage to a different brand?
Rats are sensitive to certain types of cage litter. I used rabbit pellets at the bottom of my rat's cage. It absorbs orders and moisture very well and if he ate it, no biggie.
Further, rats only live to be about 3 years old. How old is he? I loved my rat very much when I had him and would not hesitate to take him to the vet if he needed it. Mine died of old age, he almost made it to 4.
Finally, make sure that his cage is not on the floor, elevate it to a table or dresser. There could be chemicals in the carpet that is causing a reaction.
Anyway good luck and take care.
2006-09-08 08:25:33 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is suffering from bronchitus,if your rats has a runny nose and sneezes more then usual...go hear its lungs,simply lift it up and press its side,just behind its front leg against your ear,if you can hear a click sound between inhalation and exhalation,then the infection is a early stage,this is the cure...First put either a dab of decongestant rub in each nostril,try Vick Oil or Olbas,one Denges garlic pill,twice daily or a half a 2mg capsule of garlic can be used,human cough medicine sudafed,formulated for nasal congestion,is great for clearing mild or medium chest infections 0.1ml per day ,also to keep your rats warm by putting a hot water bottle in its cage,you may wan to throw in some wool cloth..if problems still persist after 3 days,please go to a vet
2006-09-08 10:29:28 · answer #5 · answered by Big Seller 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Our rats don't generally breathe heavily...They do "click" their teeth really fast when they're happy/content? If he's having problems breathing I'd definitely have him checked out. From you're previous question it sounds like he's having upper respiratory problems which can lead to death. If you're using cedar or any other wood shaving bedding I recommend changing to a non-wood bedding as the dust can aggravate the upper respiratory system!!! The sneezing is also indicative of the upper respiratory prob. Have him checked out....
2006-09-08 07:52:26 · answer #6 · answered by mmtntnv 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ok, I don't have a rat, but I have hamsters... they are a few years old now. Anyhow, I don't know if they would have the same reaction or problem, but maybe the cage is too stuff and he's too hot! is this the first time you clean his cage
2006-09-08 07:48:15 · answer #7 · answered by xp office 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try calling a vet or taking him to see the vet. Stress can lead to a weakened immune system, which means he could have a cold or respirator infection of some sort and may need antibiotics.
2006-09-08 07:50:49 · answer #8 · answered by Rose D 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Respiratory infections are common in rats; they can be fatal so I suggest a vet visit. I've had six pet rats and none of them breathed audibly so if you can hear it, he probably needs to see a vet.
2006-09-08 08:19:00 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are you using cedar bedding? If so, change it immediately!!! Small animals cannot tolerate the oil in cedar and it causes respiratory distress! They basically have a fatal asthma attack. Use either pine or aspen. If you don't use cedar there may be something in the new house that is irritating his airway. Have it checked out.
Best wishes!
2006-09-08 07:50:37 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋