Can anyone tell me more about respiratory infections in rats?

Question

My rats have a respiratory sickness and dont seem to get better witht he medicine i give them. does anyone have any solutions?

Answer 1

Mycoplasmosis is pretty common. Putting tetracycline in the water bottle helps.

http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/3819/myco.html

Answer 2

Yes, I can actually tell you a lot about respiratory infections in rats. When I owned 2 rats, they both came down with respiratory infections. I had them on medicine that I administered orally daily (and they were given the injectable form at the vet's). Unfortunately, the medicine only postponed their deaths. I am very sorry to tell you this, but both of my rats died of their respiratory infections, and i spent a lot of money on trying to find them a cure. I tried multiple medications, but I believe they built up a resistance to them. The medicine, though, is not useless: it did delay their deaths, but I am so terribly sorry to tell you that nothing worked for me. I hope this helped.

Answer 3

I'll answer this assuming you've been to the vet. :)

If the rats are living in their litter, this could be one problem. It's unheathly for them to breathe in the scent of their own urine. unfortunately, pet stores rarely sell cages with an elevated bottom.

Your best bet is to hunt for a cage with a bottom that's not resting down in the litter. Or you could buy little hammocks for the time being. that way, the rats don't have to spend most of their time down in the litter. A third option: a tall cage, if you can afford it. I've cared for and raised many rats from the time they were pinkies and when it come to respiratory infections, this is what has always worked for me.

I hope this helps and good luck!!!!

Answer 4

Well my first rat had a history of upper respiratory infections. I just tried to stay on top of them and get them treated fast. Respiratory infections in rats never go away, if you get a rat that is more susceptible to them, they will always have flare ups. Just stay on top of them. My boy got pneumonia and I had to put him down, but he was old...

Answer 5

If you are using cedar shaving or cedar anything in your Rats housing, it`s most likely the cause of your pet not healing.
Cedar is really hard on little lung and noses.
There is a alternative to that and it`s made from recycled newspaper. Those chain Pet stores should have it or you can use old newspapers.
I used old newspaper in my Gerbils cages and the daddy lived 2 year longer than average. I shredded the paper and put a flat layer on the bottom.

Answer 6

What are you giving them? Probably baytril or amoxycillian? Or something similar? Sometimes rodents will build up a tolerance to these drugs and the meds need to be rotated. Also you should check the dates of your meds. Meds do expire and sometimes become very bad to the health of your animal. Look at other factors like bedding, food and enviroment. Maybe one of those is playing a big factor in the problem? Check out the links below...
dave<:3}~...OWNER/ SHAGGYMOUSE YAHOO GROUP

Answer 7

http://ratguide.com/health/bacteria/mycoplasma_mycoplasmosis.php

You might wind up having to try multiple different antibiotics to find the one that works on the strain of myco that your rats have. Obviously, just like with humans, the meds won't work instantly: it might take a few days to a week to see results.

You might have to see multiple vets to get the right dosage: a cat-and-dog vet won't know all that much about rats, ergo they might not know the correct dosage. Try to find an exotics vet in your area.

Answer 8

Rats always have respiratory issues. Google "myco in rats"