How do I know if my baby rat has pneumonia?
Signs include nasal and/or ocular (eye) discharge in mild infections, and wheezing, coughing, and open-mouth breathing in severe infections (pneumonia). Animals with pneumonia often stop eating and become lethargic.
What happens when a rat has respiratory disease?
Unfortunately, in rats, when respiratory disease occurs, it is usually present for life. Respiratory signs can clear up with the right treatment; however, in many cases, they will recur, as the organisms causing the infection can be very difficult to eliminate from the respiratory tract.
What should I do if my rat is having breathing problems?
Some types may unfortunately be untreatable. The best way to prevent most respiratory problems in rats is to keep their enclosures clean. Don’t allow your pet rat to be around other rats if you’re not sure what diseases they may carry since rats transmit diseases to each other very easily.
When to see a vet for a rat?
Note that respiratory disease is not curable, but it is manageable as long as your rat is in the care of a knowledgeable and experienced pet rat vet. It’s also extremely important to have your rat seen as soon as possible when you hear respiratory symptoms. The longer you wait, the more difficult it is to treat.
What happens if your rat has Mycoplasmosis?
Mycoplasmosis is extremely contagious. It’s so serious, it often causes pneumonia, emphysema, lung abscesses and lesions. If your rat has a mycoplasma infection, there’s also a good chance that secondary respiratory infections are present and sometimes even heart disease.
What does it look like when a rat has respiratory disease?
This red discharge is called porphyrin, and while it looks like blood, it is not. Increased porphyrin secretion occurs in rats due to stress or illness, which is common in rats with respiratory disease.
Why is my rat having a hard time breathing?
The type and condition of its bedding, an unclean environment, and diseases can all cause respiratory distress in your pet rat. There are also bacteria, viral infections, colds, and other health problems that can cause breathing issues in pet rats.
Do you know that rats can get pneumonia too?
Rats can get pneumonia especially if their diet is less than ideal. Pneumonia presents with increased respiratory rate and effort. Sometimes there is a nasal discharge or a fever. If blood work is performed, an elevated white cell count is often seen (white blood cells abound when infection is present).
Is there a cure for respiratory disease in rats?
Just about every rat has this disease and there is no cure for it. Don’t let this get you down though because, even though most rats have respiratory disease, many don’t ever show symptoms and can still live long, and relatively healthy, lives. Even pet rats who show symptoms are most often easily managed.
