myco-free?

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fireworks

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 22, 2008
Messages
188
Location
Connecticut, United States
I'm going to ask my parents if I can adopt these rats: http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/pet/700714141.html

They are being euthanized it 2-3 weeks and are lab rats. It says they are myco-free - what does this mean? The only thing I found through googling was this statement: Keep this in mind if a breeder says their rats are "myco-free." Either the breeder is lying (maybe unintentionally) or their lines are as frail as lab rats.

And I don't really get that... does this mean lab rats are frail or something? *so confused*

I'm just curious, though, as to why lab rats are myco-free, whatever it means, and regular rats aren't? :?
 
fireworks said:
I'm going to ask my parents if I can adopt these rats: http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/pet/700714141.html

They are being euthanized it 2-3 weeks and are lab rats. It says they are myco-free - what does this mean? The only thing I found through googling was this statement: Keep this in mind if a breeder says their rats are "myco-free." Either the breeder is lying (maybe unintentionally) or their lines are as frail as lab rats.

And I don't really get that... does this mean lab rats are frail or something? *so confused*

I'm just curious, though, as to why lab rats are myco-free, whatever it means, and regular rats aren't? :?
Click to expand...

Can you check to make sure they truly are myco-free? A LOT of people assume all lab rats are this way but thats not true. To get a myco-free strain, the pregnant mother is c-sectioned and the babies removed since Myco is transmitted when she is giving birth in the birth canal. I know that lab rats created this way are more expensive to purchase and only are used for certain more invasive tests. I would imagine behavioural testing is not one of those and that these are normal rats that have been exposed to myco.

In the end this is good since Myco-free rats can get very very ill when finally exposed to it in the pet world.
 
All pet rats have myco.
Some lab rats are free of myco due to the conditions of their birth and the conditions under which they have lived.

Once these rats get into the real world, they will probably catch myco as it is an airborn disease.
 
Thanks for the replies.

Hmm, I'll e-mail the lady and see if the rats really are myco-free. So you're saying that if they are and I brought them to my home (where I have dogs, cats, other rats, hamsters, bunnies. etc.) they would get very ill from getting myco? (if they ARE myco-free that is?) I will also ask what type of testing they went through to see if that gives us a little hint if they have myco or not.

I've never heard of myco before, actually. :/
 
its an illness that rats are born with whom are birthed normally. the easiest way to describe it is to think of it as HIV and asthma all rolled into one. HIV because it slowly weakens the immune system. flares will damage it further. however it is the symptoms of an opprotunistic infection that is treated, not the myco itself. and asthma because it typically weakens the lungs the most making rats very sensitive to opprotunistic infections that attack the lungs as well as make them sensitive to smoke and strong perfumes. to manage myco a good diet with lots of goodies that boosts the immune system and keeping them away from harmful smells (this includes a dirty cage) and airborne irritants such as dust and smoke is vital. keeping the body fit and active also boosts the immune system and strengthens all other systems of the body.
 
According to my vet, lab rats are indeed more susceptible to illness because they were born and raised in such sterile conditions that once out in our world, they are bombarded with all the germs and bacteria that were not present when they were younger.
But... I've heard of many people have lab rats live a good long life. :thumbup:
 
Oh okay so some myco-free rats can get sick, but others don't?

Here's part of the e-mail I got back regarding the rats (I asked what kind of tests they went through and if they are sure that they are really myco-free):

The rats performed tests designed to study the impact of environmental enrichment on research lab animals' performance in research. This involved clicker training and going through special type mazes that are not of the usual configuration. Amber can explain better, to the extent that she does not reveal her unpublished material. No invasive tests were done. This is purely behavioral. Only rats that can be good pets are being offered for adoption. Amber has been handling and socializing them since they were three weeks old.

We are sure that they are free of Mycoplasma pulmonis because the animal facility routinely tests the rats. Karen Borga recently re-confirmed this fact by asking Amber, who replied affirmatively.



So I guess no invasive tests were done... but that makes me wonder why they are myco-free. Why would they need to be myco-free if there were no invasive tests? Hmm...
 
That is a concern. Also, I'd be very curious as to which test they are using to check for myco?
Nonetheless... if these rats are healthy and happy, I would give them a good home.
 
The only concern with them being possibly 'myco free' [which is sort of iffy in my opinion] is that they could become quite ill when exposed to your other rodents. It's like the first day of school/work and everyone else has the flu. You haven't been exposed to it, so of course you're going to catch it and get sick. Most likely more sick than anyone else, since you're new. As with all things, with adequate treatment for any illnesses that pop up, they can very well live a long, lovely life.

I don't understand why they would be using myco free rats for something as simple as enrichment testing. I've never heard of that being a requirement for anything other than invasive testing. Not to say they're not being honest about what sorts of tests, just.. odd..

Either way, it may just mean having to haul a few more rats to the vet for antibiotics and being a little more diligent on their health care.
 
Oh woops I didn't even see javakitties's post.

So it's not a deadly disease that they can get if they are exposed to other rats, it's just.. they might need antibiotics? Are there symptoms that I can watch out for?
 
It can be deadly.. Myco, as twitch mentioned, is alot like HIV. It slowly weakens their immune system over time, which does eventually kill them. In most cases of lab rats that I've seen, they only needed medical intervention more often than you may generally see with your more common rescues. I can't recall off hand if any of these were myco free lab rats or not, but I know of atleast one that was used for testing and was myco free. Once he was brought home, he was on antibiotics more often than not. He did live to a ripe age of 2.5yrs old, though.

Each rat is different, is the problem. There's no way that we can tell you that this rat specifically will be okay. Just that chances are they should be okay. They may only need antibiotics, or they may get so sick that their bodies can't handle it. It's all dependent on the rat, their own particular immune system, and how hard you fight for them. Sometimes you luck out and get all of your ducks in a row and everything is perfectly fine. Sometimes you don't.

ETA : Once they are exposed to other rodents, they will 'catch' myco. It's an airborne disease and there's no way to have both 'normal' rodents and myco free rodents in the same air space without the Myco Free getting it.

At best, you'll need to treat a variety of respiratory problems that flare up from time to time. Sniffles, sneezing, crackly breathing, labored breathing are all signs of respiratory problems. Puffed up fur, lethargy, excessive porphyrin staining around the face, not eating/drinking are all signs of serious illness. The signs of illness are the same for 'normal' rats, too.
 
Okay, thanks javakittie for the information.

I think if my parents let me I'm going to adopt them. Even if they don't live as long as normal rats (if they are unlucky) then I can give them a home for at least as long as they live, and they won't get euthanized in 2 weeks..
 

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