Mycoplasma related question...

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Joined
May 16, 2020
Messages
18
Location
Toronto, Ontario
Hi...so i did something super stupid & bought a rat from a pet store, she's tiny & was probably 6-8 wks old when i got her. Unfortunately after i got home is when i first realized she was exhibiting all the myco symptoms, constant weezing, sneezing (wet droplets sprays out of her nose), she sleeps a lot but seems happy. I should have returned her to the store but she was so sweet & friendly & loveable from the start, i was already attached. I realize she might die in a few wks, if she's a myco-baby but i couldn't bare to take her back. The problem is im worried about my other rats. Ive kept her separate but she's lonely & i got lots of younger rats & they are healthy so will they get sick if i put them together? I know all rats have mycoplasma to some degree dormantly so would exposure to a sneezing rat be very dangerous or not really? lol any ideas? And also how contagious is it? Will my rats get it just from being in same room? And what if she doesnt die in a few wks, i cant keep her isolated forever, my rats r all so sweet & would love a new friend. I guess im not exactly sure what the risks are & what one should do in this situation. Im really stressed about this. These things aside, sge seems happy & playful rat, am i overreacting by keeping ger away from my other rats??
Her tummy has always looked so red & bloated, something about it doesn't look right, just a feeling,could the red bloated tummy be a sign for mycoplasma? I had a rat similar yrs ago & it died after 2 wks, it was just a few wks old too & had all the similar symptoms & red bloated stomach. Any info would be appreciated. Thank you!
 

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OK so she's so cute!!
I wouldn't worry about the others "catching" myco from her. Stress lowers their immune system, and allows for the myco to flare up, and could cause pneumonia. If she is alone, I almost guarantee she's stressed. She's too young to be alone. I'd definitely get her in with a cagemate around her age. How long have you had her? New home sneezes can last about a week or so. Her belly looks like a normal young baby belly to me, but I'm not an expert. I'd say make sure you feed her a good diet like oxbow adult rat food, and slowly introduce veggies. What they feed in pet stores is awful.
 
In that picture she looks more like 4-5 weeks of age. Even if she's sick you will still need to treat her with antibiotics. If it's myco it's in all our pet rats and attacks the immune system. In babies and compromised rats you will see a myco flareup.
IF your baby has a virus then if she's in your home already you likely will have infected your resident rats by mistake as these contagious viruses aren't common but are easy to spread. How sick is your wee one? Can you get us a video?
If it's relatively mild you can use amoxicillin or azithromycin to treat it. Even clavamox/Augmentin. If it's more severe she'll need a combo of antibiotics.
 
Thank you Dena, thats very helpful! Ive only had Sweetie for a week & a half. Ive noticed the past 2 days, i havent heard as much sneezing so i hope ur right & its just her adjusting to a new home. I will post a betterpic of her tummy next time. I could be totally imagining something thats not there...i just thought her tummy looks a bit bloated & a purple/red color that can be seen through her skin, maybe its nothing but i think i will post a good pic when she wakes up later just be good to get a 2nd or 3rd or 4th opinion.hint hint other members ;) Need to get this forum to be a bit more active lol i ordered oregano oil & raw honey n some baby food, i hear that can help settle a flare up. If others think something is off, then i will take her to a vet! Oh & yes i do feed my rats oxbow, but mostly i give them healthy human food, veggies, fruits, wheat, cereal, corn, sometimes a tiny bit of chicken breast (very tiny slivers).... In the past 20 yrs, i have only ever used carefresh & other paper bedding, and i clean their cages daily. Im aware of importance of ventilation & keeping them from exposure to any chemicals, & the dust from pine/cedar, i even avoid aspen even though they say its not toxic, i just rather avoid it altogether. I see they sell baytril like antibiotics online from the US so i ordered it to see if it can help. I will attach a pic here & would appreciate your opinion on that...thx again😉
 

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In that picture she looks more like 4-5 weeks of age. Even if she's sick you will still need to treat her with antibiotics. If it's myco it's in all our pet rats and attacks the immune system. In babies and compromised rats you will see a myco flareup.
IF your baby has a virus then if she's in your home already you likely will have infected your resident rats by mistake as these contagious viruses aren't common but are easy to spread. How sick is your wee one? Can you get us a video?
If it's relatively mild you can use amoxicillin or azithromycin to treat it. Even clavamox/Augmentin. If it's more severe she'll need a combo of antibiotics.

Hey Lilspaz, i didnt realize i was scrolling up & reading ur questions, at first i thought it was Dena still but after i posted it i realized i had read both ur posts & had responded to all of it but thinking it was all Dena's questions. Oops my bad! I apologize. But yeah if u scroll down & read my reply to Dena, u will find answers to ur questions as well! Hope that wasn't too confusing🤔😋lol
 
Not sure why you were ordering Uromaxx?
For rats it's best to give the majority of their diet a quality staple like the Oxbow Regal Rat, and supplement with veggies and small protein sources. As a growing wee one you can definitely add a bit more protein to her diet to help her grow big and strong. Her belly looks normal there but babies go through a gorging phase where they look like they are starting to be pregnant then they poop and the belly goes down lol.
For new home sneezies the actual sneezes are rapid and dry. If they become wet or congested it's not NHS and you are looking at a respiratory infection.
If you aren't sure what you are dealing with, try to get a video and we'll help. I advise uploading to YouTube and linking it here.
 
Not sure why you were ordering Uromaxx?
For rats it's best to give the majority of their diet a quality staple like the Oxbow Regal Rat, and supplement with veggies and small protein sources. As a growing wee one you can definitely add a bit more protein to her diet to help her grow big and strong. Her belly looks normal there but babies go through a gorging phase where they look like they are starting to be pregnant then they poop and the belly goes down lol.
For new home sneezies the actual sneezes are rapid and dry. If they become wet or congested it's not NHS and you are looking at a respiratory infection.
If you aren't sure what you are dealing with, try to get a video and we'll help. I advise uploading to YouTube and linking it here.
Thats very good advice & i will do everything u said, ty. Oh & the Uromaxx i had ordered for my dog actually. I was just asking if that given in the proper dose could help?! It was just a thought, one i will be bringing up to the vet, was just curious if anyone knew if that could be helpful. Her sneezing...its not dry, everytime she sneezes she releases wet droplets in the air, usually feel it on my face when i am holding her close. Definitely not dry. So then ok it sounds like she has a respiratory infection...so if she is sneezing wet droplets can that cause a flare up in the other rats? Bc everyone has said, its dormant in most rats, one fllare up can't start one on a dormant rat, she needs companions, i feel terrible keeping her isolated any longer, she's lonely. I spend lots of time with her, carry her everywhere on my shoulder but still i can see she craves rat companionship, something i can't replace :(
 
The Uromaxx won't help your wee one.

The fluid is clear? That's good. It could still be new home sneezies it's not the fluid that they sneeze out that makes it "wet" it's the liquidy sound.
Can you get a video?
 
Yes the fluid is clear. Ok so i just TRIED taking a video. Its prob not the best, it might be too short but u will hear a tiny fraction of all the weezing she normally does. Let me know if u could use a longer better video😉👍🏼
 
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