sneezing help!

First time rat owner here,

So when I first got my little guy Johnson (dumbo, hooded) he came down with a respiratory infection and had to go to the vet and be quarantined for about a month. Ever since he has been back, he has been constantly sneezing, sometimes going into sneezing fits that last a bit. Took him back to the vet, vet says there are no respiratory abnormalities and to try a new bedding (he was on aspen shavings before). So I changed to Carefresh shredded paper (it has baking soda in it) hoping it would help. He still sneezes and now sounds like he is coughing. His behavior is still normal as well as his coat is clean and eyes clear and there is no porphyrin around his eyes or nose.

My question is, can I do anything else I can do to help him while he acclimates to the new bedding and clears his nose up? I feel so bad for him I just want him to be better and not sneezing his little head off.

Hmm. There are a few possibilities here. a) You need a new vet because this one isn't effective. b) This bedding is also irritating the respiratory system and you should try fleece liners. c)He is allergic to something. d) Something else is irritating him.

A video might help.

I just tried that carefree stuff and it smells awful! I prefer kaykee clean and cozy mixed with the white carefresh. We have one boy that is a constant sneezer - vet cannot find anything wrong with him. We named him Sneezer. Do you have air fresher plugged in or candles - something like that around them?

So he is doing a lot better after a few days on the new bedding. He still has some excited sneezes when the dog first walks in but other than that Johnson is doing good. I guess it was just bedding irritation and me being impatient. Thanks for the recommendations and advice! These little guys are so much fun! :thanks::ratwave:

I use t-shirts and other soft cloth for bedding---I believe any type of paper bedding can cause dust particles which can cause it to be difficult to breathe.