OK I'M PANICKING (Respiratory infection?)

So my boy poppy has been perfectly healthy since I got him but today I went to see him and his nose is all stuffy and there's red discharge coming out of it.He is also wheezing/ making odd noises and I'm seriously panicking.

My parents laughed at me when I told them I wanted to take him to the vet, my dad thinks its a lost cause

(before you get angry, I CAN take him to the vet. I'd rather take alternative routes first though, before I go spending the little money I have. I may have to make the trip anyway for his brother's eye but before that I'd just like to know if anyone has encountered this before and how they treated it.)

Long story short according to a quick search in the internet it is a respiratory infection, is this the only possibility?
Is there any home/over the counter medicines that may help?
Also should I separate him from his cage mate?

Thank you!

Where in Canada are you located?

From your description it sounds like a respiratory infection. Can you get a video of him? And maybe his brothers eye? Is your sick boy still eating/drinking and active?

Yes, his appetite is fine and he is still active and all that. I checked back on him and his nose is clean now but he's still making odd noises.

I live near Kitchener, Ontario

I found a thing on the internet that said that a humidifier might help minimize the symptoms so I'm trying that (i've placed it as far from the cage as possible though)

Honestly, you are best to just get them into the vet and started on antibiotics as soon as possible! It will be cheaper in the long run. A lot of the home remedies just don't work and you end up having to go to the vet anyways and spending even more money and sometimes then dealing with secondary infections. Plus if you have two that have to go the vet they may just charge you one exam fee rather than two

You can put the rat in a steamy bathroom and that should help them breath a little better in the short term.

IF your rat does not have fluid in his lungs, then a steamy bathroom might help in the short term
But if it doesn't help or he reacts badly, panics etc then get him out of there immediately because the humidity is making him have much more difficulty breathing ..... the same goes for the humidifier
If he starts to have trouble breathing, a tiny piece of dark chocolate may help to keep his airway open until you can get to a vet

If your air is dry, then a cool air humidifier can be used to keep the humidity level within a comfortable range

Posting a video and pics as lilspaz68 asked will allow people to respond more knowledgeably
The red discharge is likely porphrin .... which means he is feeling stressed or is ill
Do not separate them. His brother has already been exposed and separating them will just make him stressed and thus make him more ill

Rats become ill and die fast so it is important to get medical help asap when you notice they are ill
Antibiotics from a vet is the only treatment for a resp. infection and it takes a few days for them to make a difference.
As previously said, take them both as the vet might look at them both and only charge for 1 visit

It is good that he is active and eating.
Hopefully you have access to a good vet with experience in treating rats, or is willing to learn.
He likely needs clavamox (if it is a secondary infection), baytril, or baytril + azithromycin (10 mg/Ib, from a pharmacy by prescription from the vet), orally, twice a day for at least 6 weeks if it is helping

If antibiotics do not help within a few days, then you will need to try different antibiotics

Hope he is soon feeling better

Alright quick update:
I took the boys to the vet today, and needless to say, crisis averted. Apparently their lungs are clear and whatever they have is limited to the upper repiratory tract, which is what caused the wheezing. The vet perscribed anitbiotics to try them on. She also checked on Geralt's eye and said she couldn't find a reason for the porphyrin discharge, which leaves me to look for an irritant that might cause it.


Thanl you for your help and tips, hopefully the antibiotics are the answer to my problem

This is purely speculation, but if Geralt has a URTI as well could the porphyrin staining from his eye be caused by that? More of a question for the senior members, sorry Ravveth, I don't mean to hijack the post. Just curious to know if anyone else knows. I see it with felines frequently - when they have a URTI they have occular discharge. I myself get teary-eyed when I have a sinus infection or cold.

You should definitely still look for a possible irritant, regardless, Ravveth.

I don't think any vets realize how difficult and how non-textbook rats are to treat, unless they have their own pet rats.

Mycoplasmosis infection is usually the cause for red discharge in one eye.