What do I do if my rat has a respiratory disease?
Getting chilled – A vet will come up with the best course of treatment for your specific rat if it got chilled. Upper respiratory tract infections often turn into lower respiratory tract infections and should be taken very seriously.
Why do my rats keep getting respiratory infections?
Increased porphyrin secretion occurs in rats due to stress or illness, which is common in rats with respiratory disease. You can clean away the discharge gently with a warm, damp cloth, as it can be irritating and often rats with chronic respiratory disease do not always clean it away.
What causes upper respiratory problems in pet rats?
Bacterial infections – Mycoplasma is a bacteria that almost all pet rats normally have. When a pet rat’s immune system is weakened though, either due to stress or from another disease, these bacteria cause an upper respiratory disease called mycoplasmosis in rats that when left untreated may morph into pneumonia.
What’s the best treatment for a respiratory infection in a rat?
The most common treatment for bacterial respiratory infections in rats is a round of antibiotics. Discuss different medication options with your vet, as well as their side effects. Antibiotics commonly prescribed to treat respiratory disease in rats include: Tetracycline; Baytril; Doxycycline; Chloramphenicol; Amikacin
What to do if your pet rat has pneumonia?
Rats often die from Streptococcus infections but you have a chance to save your rat if you start antibiotics before your pet rat develops pneumonia. Viral infections – Since a rat that is infected with a virus can transmit the infection to other rats and people, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends euthanasia of infected rats.
Can you give a pet rat an antibiotic?
Even pet rats who show symptoms are most often easily managed. While antibiotics don’t cure respiratory disease, they can generally help by lessening the symptoms and allowing our rats to enjoy an improved quality of life.
What causes a respiratory infection in a pet rat?
Medical Corner – Respiratory Infections in Pet Rats. Mycoplasma pulmonis is a bacteria present in the nasal passages of rats. The only rats guaranteed to be free of the mycoplasma bacteria are labratory rats kept in a perfectly sterile environment. For this reason, mycoplasma pulmonis is the most common cause of respiratory infections in rats.
Is there a cure for respiratory disease in rats?
Treatment of respiratory disease is often aimed at control rather than a cure. Unfortunately, in rats, when respiratory disease occurs, it is usually present for life.
How old does a rat have to be to have respiratory disease?
Often, the first symptoms of respiratory disease seen in a rat, especially in young rats, will be caused by a secondary infection. Mycoplasmosis tends to be a slowly progressive chronic disease that usually doesn’t cause symptoms until the rat is older than 8 months of age.
Even pet rats who show symptoms are most often easily managed. While antibiotics don’t cure respiratory disease, they can generally help by lessening the symptoms and allowing our rats to enjoy an improved quality of life.
Treating Breathing Problems in Rats If your rat is having problems breathing, regardless of whether or not there is nasal or ocular discharge, seek help from your exotics vet and start treatment as soon as possible.
Do you need to take rats to the vet?
Rats require at least annual physical examinations and fecal tests to check for parasites. You can discuss neutering your pet rat with your veterinarian. Rats should be examined by a veterinarian at least once a year and twice a year as they get older. Rats do not require vaccination.
