Rats sneezing several times within the hour [no other symptoms] Respiratory disease?

So recently I started noticing my oldest girl Daisy sneezing rather frequently, and now I'm noticing my other two are as well.. and I'm pretty ocd about the slightest change in the behavior of my ratties so I looked it up and it seems like the only cause of constant sneezing is a respiratory infection / illness. Is this true? They haven't displayed any of the other symptoms I've read about like watery eyes and oozing a red-like substance from the nose and they honestly seem completely healthy aside from that, and another thing I noticed with their poops, which I'll talk about in a minute. They still play, eat plentifully throughout the day, drink when they're thirsty, etc.. but honestly I only just learned about these illnesses so I'm not sure what to make of it and I'd really appreciate some advice on pinpointing what's causing their sneezing exactly, whether there are other causes, and if it is a respiratory issue, what I should do from here.

Also, I should note that I'm using carefresh ultra bedding and they've been fine until recently. I clean the cage regularly as well. The only change is that I recently integrated my third rattie with them and she's from a pet store.. I think if Daisy and Momo do have a respiratory disease, they most likely got it from her. I'm a little bit worried because I know how serious these things can be for a rat if left untreated, and whether or not it's treatable in the long-term. Any advice and information would be extremely appreciated.

Also, I don't know if this is related or not but one or all of them have started to poop kind of irregularly. They're smellier than usual, and wet. I found one of them in kind of a cluster as well which leads me to believe they were all from the same movement. I'm not sure if it's even related or anything to worry about for that matter, but I figure it's better to be safe than sorry. I'll update with any new symptoms as/if I notice them. Thanks

Pet store rats often have URIs/myco flare ups. I would say if they are sneezing quite frequently it would be time to take them to the vet even if there are no other symptoms. It's best to act on URIs quickly so you can have the best possible outcome. It's often easily treatable.

trihkal said:

Pet store rats often have URIs/myco flare ups. I would say if they are sneezing quite frequently it would be time to take them to the vet even if there are no other symptoms. It's best to act on URIs quickly so you can have the best possible outcome. It's often easily treatable.

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Well it's good that I caught it early then. So how effective are the treatments? Will they always need to be on antibiotics or are the effects long-lasting?

I didn't think much of the sneezing until you said you recently added a pet store rat to your group. Stores are a haven for diseases. Your new rat has probably introduced a virus/bacteria to your girls. I would get them assessed ASAP. The sooner treatment starts, the more likely they will fully recover.

Have you rat phoned any of them to see if their lungs are clear? Hold them to you ear like a phone receiver? I agree with the others though since this started after getting a new one. Make sure you get a medication combo baytril/doxy is usually good and you will need to treat for 6 weeks. Hope they feel better.

Treatment is pretty effective for most rats. You'll do a cycle of 6 weeks like dspch11 said but after that they should be fine. It's great you're acting on this right away that means there will be less damage done.

dspch911 said:

Have you rat phoned any of them to see if their lungs are clear? Hold them to you ear like a phone receiver? I agree with the others though since this started after getting a new one. Make sure you get a medication combo baytril/doxy is usually good and you will need to treat for 6 weeks. Hope they feel better.

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I've tried, but they squirm so much that it's hard to get a good listen. I thought I heard some gurgling in one of Daisy's lungs but I'm not sure if it was during a moment where she was squirming around and moving away, because in that case maybe it could have been her bowels.. but since I don't really know much about this sort of thing yet, I figure it's better just to assume they have a URI, because given the circumstances that's all it could really be.

I'm glad to hear that they'll be able to fully recover from it with treatment, though. I was feeling really guilty for exposing them to a sick rat, even though it was a product of a lack of awareness.

Will they be okay for 2 more days? My dad works in 3+ day shifts and he takes the only vehicle with him when he goes to work, so I can't take them in until he's home.

Also, the new baby is... quite difficult to handle, and I haven't really hand trained her yet. She'll jump out of my hand and into the cage within seconds of picking her up, and I'm not sure how a vet would handle this. I assume they have methods of doing it? Or can they just examine D&MM assume she has it too?

Last question. This couldn't have happened at a worse time because my cousin's getting married in a few weeks and I'll be out of town for 4 days. Are there ways to give them their medicine while I'm gone, like through the water just as a temporary extreme measure to make sure they get their medicine until I'm back and can give the right amount to them personally? Or can they go off it until I'm back without risking permanent damage?

Perhaps your vet could offer a sitting service for the four days? Some vets do this. Or a pet sitter in the area could come in and give the meds, once you show them how and how much per rat. Or even a neighbor or good friend? They shouldn't have a break in their meds, especially not for four days. Is there any way you can bring your rats with you in a travel cage so that you can keep them with you at a guest's house?

If they give you doxy that can be given in a 7 day shot. I some times opt for that when my boys are on multiple medications so that is one less to give.

Carol Weekes said:

Perhaps your vet could offer a sitting service for the four days? Some vets do this. Or a pet sitter in the area could come in and give the meds, once you show them how and how much per rat. Or even a neighbor or good friend? They shouldn't have a break in their meds, especially not for four days. Is there any way you can bring your rats with you in a travel cage so that you can keep them with you at a guest's house?

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It's an 8h drive and my parents have a misbehaved dog that's extremely loud for about 1 and a half hours after we set off. He quiets down after awhile but the experience would probably be very stressful on a rat. Unless of course as a worst case scenario it's do-able without stress killing them. I don't believe there are any pet sitters in town, at least not any I would trust.. but I can check once more.

dspch911 said:

If they give you doxy that can be given in a 7 day shot. I some times opt for that when my boys are on multiple medications so that is one less to give.

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So the shot gives them 7 days' worth of meds? That would be absolutely perfect.

Mandon said:

So the shot gives them 7 days' worth of meds? That would be absolutely perfect.

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Of the doxy it does

dspch911 said:

Of the doxy it does

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Is there a chance they'd need a different medication? Because this does sound like the most promising game plan... I just need to know if doxy is the most likely medication that will be prescribed for them, or if there are sometimes cases where doxy doesn't work. This is only really a temporary thing anyways, I just want to make sure they'll be okay if I go that route and give them the shot.

Mandon said:

Is there a chance they'd need a different medication? Because this does sound like the most promising game plan... I just need to know if doxy is the most likely medication that will be prescribed for them, or if there are sometimes cases where doxy doesn't work. This is only really a temporary thing anyways, I just want to make sure they'll be okay if I go that route and give them the shot.

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You'll need a combo doxy with something else

dspch911 said:

You'll need a combo doxy with something else

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What about for the days I'm gone for the wedding? If there's a 7 day shot will it be okay to just use the doxy for 4 days and then go back to the other stuff I'll be giving them?

Okay so I checked vet costs and it's $72 each just to get them looked at. I don't have that kind of money right now and I doubt my parents would be willing to spot me that much until I do in a week from now.

Is it safe to assume they have it and just give them the meds they need?

Logically it follows that if the rats have the same symptoms, then what is prescribed for one rat should be given to the others (adjusting dose for size, of course).
I would contact the vet clinic to see if they have someone who could come in for you while you're away. When I worked at a vet clinic years ago, I helped take care of a lady's cats when she went into the hospital. She had around 27!!! I went to her house and cleaned the boxes out and fed the kitties and gave them lovin's. I was just a regular tech at the clinic who agreed to help out. No special training. So there may be a tech there willing to help YOU out.

Joanne said:

Logically it follows that if the rats have the same symptoms, then what is prescribed for one rat should be given to the others (adjusting dose for size, of course).
I would contact the vet clinic to see if they have someone who could come in for you while you're away. When I worked at a vet clinic years ago, I helped take care of a lady's cats when she went into the hospital. She had around 27!!! I went to her house and cleaned the boxes out and fed the kitties and gave them lovin's. I was just a regular tech at the clinic who agreed to help out. No special training. So there may be a tech there willing to help YOU out.

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I tried looking but no dice. My only options seem to be to take them with me or stay home and miss the wedding. Both options are very unsatisfactory, unless there's a method of giving them 7 day's worth of doxy like dsp said. But then apparently they need to be given a combination. The most stressful thing about this is that I have only 8 days to figure out what I'm going to do from here. On top of that I don't know anything about the different antibiotics people use and how to measure how much given to them, how to administer it, etc. and of course I worry about what could happen to them on the road if I did have to bring them with me.

You should take at least one rat in and let the vet assess them, and hopefully they will let you have enough medication for everyone.
No friends that would do you this favor?

Joanne said:

You should take at least one rat in and let the vet assess them, and hopefully they will let you have enough medication for everyone.
No friends that would do you this favor?

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I never really made many friends in this town.. all of my really good friends that I trust are long distance.

Anyways, I have an appointment for one of them scheduled for tomorrow. Hopefully I can get him/her to prescribe the medication to all 3 of them.

So which antibiotics should I be going for? Just to make sure they prescribe the right stuff.