I think Bella is sick (UPDATE)

So I think my lil girl Bella is sick 
She has always been a bit of a sneezer, but lately she has been sneezing more and more. I recently changed how I was cleaning the girls cage. I used to clean it with just soap & water, but I changed to soap + water + vinegar. I also started using different food with their regular food. I used to only use Martins, & now I use Martins, Extrusion & Oxbow. I started feeding more veggies and cut out fat & sugar. I bought some new toys also. So I’m not sure if she is sick or just maybe it’s all the changes/new things?. When she sneezes there is no porphern, and her breathing only sounds congested when she sneezes. I noticed her sneezing a lot more about 3 days ago (I immediately made a vet appointment, but could not get in until today at 745 pm when I take Toby for his check up. She mostly sneezes when she gets excited. The room she is in is not dry, I also have jars of water next to the heater. All my ratties get Echinacea for one week, then 3 weeks off. I clean their cages everyday + their toys. They are on fleece blankets w/ yesterday’s news in their litter pans and there is no drafts going into the room. I also use no scented things around them. We have used the steaming method 2 days now, but she still sneezes. I know respiratory infections are caused my dirty living area or stress ..but Bella don’t have this problem. I know it also could be genetic. She is not one of the siblings in my litter tho, and all my other rats are fine. Bella is still eating fine/drinking fine and going around fine, except last night for about 30 min after we were finished steaming, she was resting for about 30 min, but before that she was runnig around playing ..and after that she was too ..and this morning she was eating and active,

..my mind is boggled, I hate when my lil ones are sick, I get so scared & always think the worst.

Hopefully I don’t get any bad news at the vet, also I am going away in a lil over a month just for 7 days, so I don’t want anyone sick while I’m gone ..It’s hard enough leaving them when they are well. I know respiratory infections are contagious ..so I have weighed everyone and when I go to the vet I am going to get him to give me enough meds for everyone, just incase ..I won’t give it too them unless they need it, but they too have been sneezing a lil bit (Toby started, I guess from stress of neutering, and I guess it got passed on ..dam contagiouness)

Bella is only about 8 or 9 months old.

Any other things I can do?

 

also My BF's mom has a sinus infection last week, and they live at his house, could Bella have cought that?

 

[jorats]

I don't know if rats can catch our colds. I used to think not until I've noticed a pattern of me getting sick and rats too.

But it could very well be that she's a sneezer and nothing more. But no matter what, it's good to get her lungs checked.

 

Thanks!
I'll update when I get home.

 

Just got home from the vet, Toby had his post op check, all is good. Hunter had an abcess from a bite ..he got that drained and Bella showed no signs of distress but where she has been sneezing so much, he don't want it to turn into a repiratory infection so he gave us some Baytrial only just for precaution, also enough for everyone, because they all have had some increased sneezing. We have for 12 days, twice a day (usually we get three weeks, but thats when we have a confirmed respiratory infection and we combined with Doxy or Pedipred)

Funny thing is, we only had an apopintment for Toby (Post Op Check) and Bella (sneezing). We brought Hunter down with Toby for he woulden't be lonely ..our vet was playing with Hunter and seen the abcess, we never even new it was their ..Hunter has really think fur and the absecess only recently appared.

 

[Rattus]

Just got home from the vet, Toby had his post op check, all is good. Hunter had an abcess from a bite ..he got that drained and Bella showed no signs of distress but may be starting to get a respiratory infection, so we have Baytrail for all nine (where it is contagious)

is it ok to ask any vet you have to give you enough for all?
and do you just get the baytril or do you get another med with it? How much was yours cuz I think that would be offly expensive considering what I already pay.

 

Just got home from the vet, Toby had his post op check, all is good. Hunter had an abcess from a bite ..he got that drained and Bella showed no signs of distress but may be starting to get a respiratory infection, so we have Baytrail for all nine (where it is contagious)

is it ok to ask any vet you have to give you enough for all?
and do you just get the baytril or do you get another med with it? How much was yours cuz I think that would be offly expensive considering what I already pay.

I always ask for enough for all nine, he knows that I know when something is wrong. I only got Baytrail this time because they don't actually have respiratory infections yet, I usually get baytrail and doxy or pedipred for respiratory infections.

I got enought Baytrail for twice a day for 12 days (usually its three weeks, but like I said they don't actually have a respiratory infection yet)

So for the baytrail, exam for 3 rats and an abcess drainage ..it was only 145 ..he only charged for one rat, no charge for the abcess and only 55 for the Baytrail ..my vet loves us and he owns the practice, so he can do it

 

[Rattus]

you are so lucky..it actually can get expensive having rats depending on where you live..... where i am now.. its 80 just for an exam.. the doxy is about 50 and baytril is around 20.... they arent as friendly around here and im not close to ultavista anymore

 

I forgot to mention Hunter's abcess is right next to his pee pee. He got neutered 3 weeks ago, first my vet thought it could have been from that, but when he looked at it more he said it looks like a bite abcess from one of my other rats ..

 

Everyone is doing well, Bella is actually not sneezing as much as she was, either is everyone else

I have 2 extra cages, so last night I decided to keep all 4 girls in their cage together, 3 boys in the boy cage & 2 boys in another.


Cage for 2 boys

I kept Hunter & Toby together (neutered buddies), they are always sleeping together and they are less active, compared to my intact boys.

The boys all have playtime together tho, for about 4-5 hours per day, and the cages are side by side.

I plan on getting my other 3 boys neutered, but not until late March, in the past 4 wks I have spent $1000 on 2 neuters, a lump removal, emergengy vist with stitches, abcess & sneezes.

 

[ryelle]

I don't know if rats can catch our colds. I used to think not until I've noticed a pattern of me getting sick and rats too.

But it could very well be that she's a sneezer and nothing more. But no matter what, it's good to get her lungs checked.

The students were temp-banned from the animal unit at college over september because people were going into the animal unit and the ferrets, rats and marmoset were catching viral infections off people

 

I asked my vet last nihgt, he said rat's can catch colds off us people

 

[Rachael]

I've always read that rats can't but even so I don't handle mine (or wash my hands) when I've got a cold.