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My pet rat is sick2007-11-24 22:13:40

Symptoms: doesn't move, bloody nose, loss of appetite, clumsy.

he was fine a few days ago. it came on really fast.

does anyone know what he might have??

we had a rat a few years ago who died of a respiratory problem. we took our first rat to the vet and gave him shots but still past away.

we aren't exactly sure how old he is but is at least 18 months but he could be as old as 3. we have had him for about 6 months and was fine. we don't want to waste the money if nothing can be done at the vets.

Does anyone know of anything that will help him get better?

Help Please!

Answers:

The "bloody" nose you are describing indicates a common nasal or eye discharge called porphyrin. A small amount here and there is normal for any rat, but if it is increased, accompanied by sneezing or "noisy breathing", the rat needs to be put on Baytril. If left untreated, this can progress into pneumonia, and there is no cure for that. Generally a treatment would be Baytril twice a day for 14 days. If the symptoms are somewhat more severe or have been going on for a while, I would suggest Baytril in combination with doxycycline, twice a day for 14 days. Some rats are really prone to those respiratory infections (which can be caused by ammonia from their urine - so make sure their cage is clean - or stress is a common reason to bring it on as well). Certain types of cage bedding can bring it on as well, as the small particles are aspirated by the rat... I always use towels instead of bedding.