Ok, I have two pet rats named Angel and Algernon... but they won't eat!! I have an appointment for the vet tomorrow, but They are skin and bones!! I've tried giving them snacks, sweet foods, baby foods, soft meat, everything!! They're so skinny and small, and they're breathing is very odd, like a hiccup everytime they breath, I'm very scared for them!
Please help!! I feed them, bathe them, and clean their house, I take care of them, but I don't know why they're sick!!
Please give links, if possible... Thank you...
2007-03-15 16:59:07 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
They aren't even a year and a half yet...
2007-03-15 17:27:25 · update #1
Sadly, I do know what's wrong with your rats :*(
Mycoplasmosis is the number one killer of pet rats. In the beginning of the disease the rat will show no symptoms, except possibly sneezing, and hiccuping. A lot of people shrug this off as an allergy to the bedding and leave it at that. But unknown to you, it is progressing, damaging the lungs. It's not until the disease is in the advanced stages, when untreated myco turns into pnuemonia. A rat can live a very long time with Myco without showing symptoms. When the symptoms show it's a battle to save the rat.
Rats have high matabolisms to begin with. They are small creatures who need to eat all the time. When they get sick, they burn even more calories in the effort to breath. That's why they are getting skinny in spite of the food you feed them. They have stopped eatting because it's taking their full concentration in the effort to breath.
Mycoplasmosis in rats
http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=Mycoplasmosis+in+rats+&ei=UTF-8&fr=ks-ans&ico-yahoo-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAqFmYLsucJ9Ju1A_wytuo5cazKIX%2FSIG%3D111gjvvgj%2F*-http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch&ico-wikipedia-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAjrR1DDgyctRMOV346dKZz4azKIX%2FSIG%3D11ia1qo58%2F**http%253a%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSpecial%253aSearch&p=Mycoplasmosis+in+rats+
How it is treated
http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=treating+Mycoplasmosis+in+rats+&ei=UTF-8&fr=ks-ans&ico-yahoo-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAqFmYLsucJ9Ju1A_wytuo5cazKIX%2FSIG%3D111gjvvgj%2F*-http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch&ico-wikipedia-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAjrR1DDgyctRMOV346dKZz4azKIX%2FSIG%3D11ia1qo58%2F**http%253a%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSpecial%253aSearch&p=treating+Mycoplasmosis+in+rats+
Keep their house clean but don't bathe them any more. Treat them as soon as possible.
spazrats
"my life has gone to the rats"
2007-03-18 13:35:51 · answer #1 · answered by spazrats 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
ok you need to get them to a vet asap......they will require antibiotics
a respiratory infection can VERY quickly degenerate into pneumonia, and cause scarring of the lungs which leads to chronic resp probs
which is what this sounds like: a resp infection that has progressed to pneumonia. This requires aggressive ab treatment with (usually) Baytril and Doxycycline(which are the most commonly prescribed antibiotics for pet rats).....the vet may also prescribe a bronchodilator to ease breathing.....please use a vet that is experienced in treating pet rats and take along the dosage guide from the RMCA(Rat and Mouse Club of America) which has the proven effective treatments and dosages for pet rats http://www.rmca.org/Articles/dchart.htm
most vets either underprescribe for rats, or give WAY too short a course of antibiotics.....they will need at the LEAST, 3 full weeks possibly more
generally it isnt necc to wash rats......and too much washing can damage thier coats and irritate thier skins.......rats wash themselves very well so usually the only washing required is a wipe down with a wet cloth now and then and keeping the cage clean
please be careful of those "small animal shampoos"..........many have WAY too much fragrance added which can irritate a rats delicate respiratory system
the other thing that you NEED to do RIGHT now is get some fluids into them.You can check to see if theyre dehydrated by picking up the skin on thier shoulders.......if it snaps back into place when you release it theyre fine......if it stays tented they need fluids, and if they havent eaten in a while, theyre dehydrated.
This is FAR more important than food right now........once they go to the vet tell them you want them to have subcutaneous fluids(which is saline injected under the skin and is the best way to rehydrate a rat)
mix up 295 mls warm water wth 1 tsp salt and 1/3 tsp of sugar, and feed this with a needleless syringe(you can get them from pharmacies), a little at a time till they wont take any more....just be careful they dont inhale it
youll want to offer it to them at least every couple of hours at first till theyre more hydrated and you can get them to the vet
you may also find that once theyre rehydrated that they show an interest in food.........if so, baby cereal, baby food or a supplemental food like boost or ensure or complan should be offered
im a rat owner of over 20 years.....not a vet or a vet tech, but do remember that neither vets NOR techs have that much rat specific training, where ive dealt with my rats day in day out for years......just something to think on
best of luck
2007-03-17 18:26:16 · answer #2 · answered by catz 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like they may have repiratory infections, which is pretty common in rats. You need to take them to the vet to be sure. Most of the times, the infections are form the type of bedding they're kept on. Aspen is one of the best beddings for rats. Bathing your rats is perfectly fine. Just fill the tub up with about 2 inches of warm water and put them in it, and use small pet shampoo.
Rats love being pets, they get treated better, get healthier foods, have toys and a warm home. Pet rats are a completely different kind of rat then the sewer rats of New York!!
2007-03-16 14:58:16 · answer #3 · answered by KaylaByrd 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I'm not a vet, but I would go on Google and type in Pet Rats illness, or something like that. Why a RAT??? What's wrong with man's best friend, a dog?
No, I'm serious when my boys were young they had a pet rat, snakes, hamsters, a dog, rabbits and turtles. I felt we had a mini ZOO. But, they loved their pets and took excellent care of them. Good Luck with your pets.
2007-03-16 01:41:00 · answer #4 · answered by pattycakes 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Rodents teeth grow constantly and they either chew on things to keep them ground down or they have to be trimmed regularly if they don't have access to chewing materials. If they aren't trimmed, they will grow so long they will go up into their skulls and they can't eat and they will starve to death. Do your rats have chew sticks or access to wood to chew on? Have you ever had the teeth trimmed? Look in the mouth and see if the top and bottom teeth meet evenly in the middle of the mouth, if not they are in trouble and definitely need to be trimmed by the vet asap or they will die soon. Good luck
Bathing a rat is fine. Rats love baths as long as it's warm, just make sure to dry them well before returning them to the cage.
2007-03-16 01:11:17 · answer #5 · answered by ER Vet Tech 3 · 0⤊ 4⤋
How old are Angel and Algae? The breathing problems make it sound like micoplasmosis, which is common among rats, but barring more information, that's the best I can tell you.
And, in reguards to a previous poster, yes, you are supposed to bathe your rats.
2007-03-16 00:02:00 · answer #6 · answered by Diabolicael 3 · 1⤊ 3⤋
how old are they? Rats only live 2-3 yrs usually. They may just be getting old. Go to the vet tom, and see what you can find.
you could try force feeding warmed baby food through a syringe or eyedropper- that may get some food down
2007-03-16 00:19:59 · answer #7 · answered by D 7 · 0⤊ 6⤋
ok bathing any animal is good for the skin
sounds like they caught the flu after you gave them a bath
the breathign issue could be an upper chest infection
the beeding could too dusty for them try old newpaper instead , im not a vet ,best seek his or her advice
ask about worming also
2007-03-16 00:11:08 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 5⤋
OK if you have a appointment that's good and if the vet doesn't work then observe it
2007-03-16 00:06:52 · answer #9 · answered by LISA P 2 · 2⤊ 3⤋
sounds like pnemonia rats can swim jennifer I think its ok to bathe them
2007-03-16 00:01:33 · answer #10 · answered by trust_me74 2 · 2⤊ 3⤋