grunting...respiratory problem or thinks he's a pig?

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blytherue

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2009
Messages
560
Location
Chestnut Ridge, NY USA
So the new guy that I just took from a girl on craigslist, I've noticed that he is...grunting. It seems to be only when I have him out...unless I just don't hear it when he's in his cage. And it is not with every breath, but is constant in spurts. He will just walk around or cuddle or whatever while grunting for a few minutes and then he will stop grunting for a little while, and then he will start back up again. He seems healthy otherwise. I haven't noticed excessive sneezes and there's no wheezing. And he really does kind of sound like a grunty little pig. I've never heard either of my other boys make this sound. Has anyone else heard ratties do this? Is it a breathing thing or just a ratty quirk?
 
it could be a resp. issue or it could just be him grunting. Patrick grunts, but only if i pick him up. I listened to him close to see if he did it while he was running around on the sofa one day and nope, just if i pick him up.

I took him to the vets though to check it wasn't an infection
 
Millie once did a loud grunt/chatter sound - really unusual. I was so surprised. But she only did it for a little while and stopped. I had summed it up to being due to the loss of one of my other rats that day, or absolute glee over her first yogie treat. I'll never really know what it was, but she no longer makes these noises and appears to be fine. :)
 
Wait it out a couple of days but if you can only hear it when very close to you, it might be a natural grunting some rats do. But if you can hear it from far, or while next to you, then I'd say he needs meds.
 
I just saw your other post about the wiggling tail... I bet his grunting is his dominant grunting.
Some rats that are more dominant than others do this very low grunting noise.
 
yeah...it was confusing because it doesn't really sound like a breathing thing...the noise sounds sort of deliberate. and ja i've really only heard it when he's on my shoulder or otherwise near my face. but the funny part is, he is being a big fraidy cat...err...rat. (i've already started calling him fraidy grady, which wasn't my original intention when i named him...) anytime the other two try to wrestle with him at all, he will try to get away asap and run to me and hide in my shirt. i don't want them to fight, but i don't think we'll get anywhere if he just runs from every confrontation.
hmm. this just in. they followed me to the table their cages are on from the couch. grady went to his cage for a drink. panache followed him in and stole a cheerio from his food dish. and then grady went over and took it from him. and then he started to eat it. and then panache leaned his mouth towards it and grady just pushed his face away with a paw. well at least he is more assertive in his own cage.
it sure is interesting watching them all interact. grady is quite the cuddler & bruxxer. somehow he manages to grunt and brux at the same time...
 
My sweet little Maude used to make a low almost-grunting sound. I never figured out what it was about. She wasn't particularly dominant, and this happened when she was young & healthy.
 
Hi there

I have two boy rats. One is very outgoing and one is very quiet and gentle. My son named then Tom and Jerry. Jerry is the very quiet one. They are 26 months old, and Tom the bigger of them is always talking. He sounds like a pig, but he seems healthy, they are pretty lazy boys they would rather just lay around then play, although we have tried everything and nope - Tom has one stuffed toy that he likes to wrestle with when he is out of the cage, and of course they like just to walk around. But Tom has always sounded like a pig especially when he sees a treat coming his way, he is very food established, ha ha.

I want to ask Jerry seems to have sores on his tail, its doesn't seem to be getting any better, vet said saline solution and I can't think of the name of it now its stuff you put on sores, starts with a p - having a brain fart. ha ha..

I want to know if anyone else has encountered this and what they are doing? Thanks in advance for any information.

I hate to see my boys getting older. They were supposed to be my sons, but he's getting older so I spend a lot of time with them more so then he does, and I will be sad when they leave. Anyway.. I hope to hear something. Thank you
 
My Zelda makes a 'brup brup' noise when she's out with my boyfriend. I was afraid that it was something wrong with her, but when I took Saria to the vet Zelda was with us and she instantly started making the noise when my bf handled her. The vet thought it was hilarious and looked her over and said it was just her being really happy. She's also definitely the alpha out of the two, and I've noticed when she's cleaning her sister she makes the noise.
 
Hi patalo, which vet did you see? Did the vet hear the rat with the noise? Rats shouldn't make any noise... if you can hear a raspy breathing, he should be on meds.

patalo said:
Hi there

I have two boy rats. One is very outgoing and one is very quiet and gentle. My son named then Tom and Jerry. Jerry is the very quiet one. They are 26 months old, and Tom the bigger of them is always talking. He sounds like a pig, but he seems healthy, they are pretty lazy boys they would rather just lay around then play, although we have tried everything and nope - Tom has one stuffed toy that he likes to wrestle with when he is out of the cage, and of course they like just to walk around. But Tom has always sounded like a pig especially when he sees a treat coming his way, he is very food established, ha ha.

I want to ask Jerry seems to have sores on his tail, its doesn't seem to be getting any better, vet said saline solution and I can't think of the name of it now its stuff you put on sores, starts with a p - having a brain fart. ha ha..

I want to know if anyone else has encountered this and what they are doing? Thanks in advance for any information.

I hate to see my boys getting older. They were supposed to be my sons, but he's getting older so I spend a lot of time with them more so then he does, and I will be sad when they leave. Anyway.. I hope to hear something. Thank you
 
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