Odd noise? -- Finally, an answer

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Riana

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2007
Messages
387
Location
Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Hello, I'm new here, and I'm the mommy of four beautiful little boys! (I just adopted two little ones from Holly of Sunshine Rat Rescue last night!)

But I had a question about a noise my oldest guy, Rose, does every now and then. I found a video of the exact noise of someone else's rat doing it, because I've never been able to catch Rose doing it on camera (he stops when I take the camera out, the dork :p)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lt5mds-fBSA

Someone mentioned to me that this may be a sign of an upper respiratory problem. Would anyone be inclined to say the same? My older boys were checked out by the vet just a few weeks ago, and they had an excellently clean bill of health.

So, anyone have any thoughts? I just want to know if this is a medical issue, so I can treat it if it needs to be.

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ETA: I had Rose to the vet today and everything checked out completely normal. She was reluctant to start him on antibiotics since it didn't seem to be a very frequent thing, and he was acting great the rest of the time. She told me to keep a close eye on him, and to record how often it happens, when it happens, what causes it, etc, so that we can know in the future what to do. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions :3

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ETA # 2: After spending the other day at the vet clinic for observation with nothing showing up, I sent the video to the doctor and finally got an answer.

Rose is fine.

He perhaps has a longer soft palate than most rats, causing him to have a different time (not necessarily harder) breathing in large amounts. She said the breathing was normal, and the sound was just because it could be forcing more air through a smaller space.

I.... don't know what to think about this. I'm really puzzled. In one way I'm glad he's alright, but on the other hand, I don't know if I'm happy that it wasn't a problem.
 
Yup, My Pax has that right now and my vet put him on zithro for 4 weeks. It seems like you may have myco on your hands.
 
That sound is upper respiratory, probably still in the nasal passages so it would be best to medicate now, before it travels to the lungs.
One thing though, it needs to be treated over a long period so at least a 4 to 6 weeks. And you might even need to add another med to it so a combo like Baytril/doxy or Zithro/doxy.
Currently, my Sebastien is doing that exact same sound, he's on Baytril/Zithro, 2 weeks later and he's just beginning to sound better, but still not fully recovered.
 
If your rat's never been treated for resp issues, you can try just plain Baytril to start. Rats who are/were rarely medicated have a better shot of the single ab doing it's job than having to double up. Obviously, if he doesn't improve within 3-5 days, you would want to add something like Doxy or Zithro to his regime or switch to plain Zithro.

You said you just adopted new babies, though. Were they quarantined prior to you bringing them home? New rats need to stay away from resident rats for a minimum of 3 weeks, just in case they might have a resp infection or something even more serious. I know not all rescues have the space and people to do full quarantines all the time, since so many rats need so much help.

Unfortunately, alot of people don't understand or want to learn about the care of rats. They think the archaic nonsense their vets or friends tell them is the End All Be All of rat care. It's very sad. So someone may have told that person that noise was just bruxing, or even she explained it oddly and someone knowledgeable told her it was bruxing.

ETA: All rats have myco, unless they're of a specific type of lab rat that's been bred and birthed to be myco free. Those rats are kept under very strict quarantine. Since all widely available rats have myco, it's not so much that their myco even causes something. Myco wears down the immune system, and does so in relatively quick fashion when the rat is stressed in any way. Even with humans, when you're stressed you get sick more easily. It's the secondary infections that our kiddos catch while their immune systems are stressed that cause the symptoms we see.
 
I made an appointment with my vet for tomorrow to have Rose checked out. Thanks for your suggestions! I feel safer now. He's been doing it for a while (ie a few weeks) and he hasn't seemed sick, but it's not worth the risk.

Javakittie, they were quaranteened at their old place before I got them. Wendy (she's on here) had them for a month, and she didn't see any health problems. :)
 
The video has now been removed by the user. I guess she didn't like being told her rat could possibly have a problem. What an idiot.
 
Riana got the 2 rescue baby boys from godmother and I. They were quarantined for about a month, vet checked, healthy, and had never shown any sign of illness.

The boy with the problem is one of her older boys, not one of the new baby boys. The older boy had seen the vet for this problem prior to the baby boys arrival. Godmother is the one who said it sounded like an upper respir problem and suggested a vet and antibiotics.

Riana, did you take Rose to one of the vets I suggested?
I hope that he is doing much better.
 
I really hope that person learned something from our comments on her video. It's too bad she didn't know he was really sick.
 
Everyone seems to be really good, thanks for asking, Joanne!

I have been talking to the vet since then, and I have come to notice that he makes those noises just about daily. I have also heard something similar to coughing/hiccuping once or twice. He has also made teeth-grinding noises once or twice as well. Besides that, he really is perfect!

The vet suggested that I bring him and Guild in some day for observation, since she didn't really get a good listen to the sound on the video I linked her. If he needs medication, she'll call in to my clinic so I can get a discount :3!

But everyone seems to be doing great, and Rose really does as well, besides those occassional sounds. I hope everything's okay. It sounds like it's all in his nose, whatever it is, because his breathing isn't raspy or anything like that.
 
When you brought your rat in, he wasn't making any noise? But when he's home he does?

Did your vet listen to his lungs and found them clear?
 
Geez, I wish that video was still there, I wanted to see if that kid - and hence your kid - sound anything like my girl Summer (who I sure realize has a problem). Here's Summer, is this anything like your kid? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1ZLdztUABI
She was sounding bad once in a while but now it's more often than not. And she's only about 4 months old! She has seen the vet (of course not making noises at the time :roll: ) and the vet said her lungs were clear. I'm frantic to know what's going on with her and what to best do for her...
 
Fidget,

Looking at her video and hearing her click, wow, I'm surprised the vet said she sounded clear. I'd get her on Baytril ASAP... along with either doxy of Zithromax.

Poor sweetie... at 4 months, she should recover very well with the right meds.
 

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