neutered but territorial

[Pandora]

I just got a new naked rat, I put him in with three other boys (after intros), one is neutered... The 2 intact males don't bother the new guy even when he is terrified and screaming. New guy is mostly blind because he has very light pink eyes.. My neutered male had been seeking the new guy out to wrestle with him. I feel bad because the new guy is so terrified that he freezes and screams. They're fine interacting outside the cage but inside the cage my neutered boy doesn't like the new guy. I know it's no blood no foul however their nails are sharp and hes got no for so of course any scratches show up big time.


I even tried putting vanilla extract on their heads and bums to try and hide his smell....
And of course I find out my dude has some sort of respiratory thing going on and now all of my rats have the same thing wheezing and sneezing.. I have antibiotics on the way, I've been steaming them, I've been giving them garlic and making sure the Room is warm enough. I just bought a humidifier so that the humidity can go backup its at 35% right now which is very dry. It is a warm mist humidifier so it can also be used as a vaporizer.. Basically steam them without having to steam my whole bathroom.

I can't help but feel that if my boys die from respiratory distress it's because I introduced an infection and it's all my fault. I gave them some infant Ibuprofen to them all to help with pain if they have any and if theres any fever. I'm scared... all my boys are older from 1.5-2 years.... I cant help but think they mightve lived longer had I just not gotten the new guy, or at least waited longer to introduce......

 

[lilspaz68]

The vanilla thing is one i used to use but it honestly makes things worse, it makes other rats very pushy to.smell the new rat which can make them scared and defensive.
It does sound like you have a virus in your crew. Did new boy ever show any symptoms? The virus couldve come from somewhere else. If your rats are just sneezing right now, steaming won't help, and if they develop pneumonia after the virus sheds then it could add even more fluid to their lungs.
How long before you get the antibiotics and what are you getting?

 

[Pandora]

The vanilla thing is one i used to use but it honestly makes things worse, it makes other rats very pushy to.smell the new rat which can make them scared and defensive.
It does sound like you have a virus in your crew. Did new boy ever show any symptoms? The virus couldve come from somewhere else. If your rats are just sneezing right now, steaming won't help, and if they develop pneumonia after the virus sheds then it could add even more fluid to their lungs.
How long before you get the antibiotics and what are you getting?

As for what I am getting, and getting enrofloxacin and Doxy vet.. I did my research prior to getting those and it seemed that those were the best to start off with.. They should be here within this week. And yes, new guy had a little bit of snuffles Which I wrongly assumed was from being in a new environment.. It seems that they have a bit of garbally breathing.. At least 2 of them do, cookie my baby and The new guy Rambutan. My neutered boy cheese has a bit of a dry cough. And finally bean has a smapl cough sneeze. they're ok in the cage buy when i take em out they start sneezing and such. when in the cage i hear the occasional sneeze or cough attack

 

[lilspaz68]

I'm glad you got an effective combo, let me know if you need help with mixing and dosing for your lads.

 

[Pandora]

GREAT NEWS!!! after almost a month in the "big boi" cage I caught Bu (new dude) cuddling with cheese! He was terrified of cheese to begin with but now theyre buddies