Rat Sneezes!

[Kristen]

hi everyone! just yesterday i went out and purchased my very first rat, and since we got home i've noticed she tends to sneeze a lot! she also seems to breathe fairly quickly and when she sniffs around i can definitely hear it, almost like she sounds 'snotty' like one would when they have a cold.

I just spent over $70 on this little girl and cannot afford to jump the gun and rush this little girl off to a vet (i live paycheck to paycheck!) and i didn't expect to have this problem the day i brought the gal home. i'm trying not to worry too much and remind myself maybe she's just getting used to all the different smells. maybe the aspen bedding they had her on at the pet store was a little too dusty for her!

i don't see any red crusty stuff around her eyes or nose that i read comes with a URI, but i was wondering if there was anything i could do for her sneezing myself? i have her on carefresh bedding at the moment, but i was wondering if there were any 'home remedies' or over the counter medicine i could get for her if worse comes to worse and she does show signs of having a URI.

thanks for your help!

 

[Luna&Ralph]

Everyone’s going to tell you this, so I’ll just briefly mention that rats do better in pairs, so I would suggest getting a second and spending as much time with her as possible in the meantime. When I got my first rat, they brought him out of the back of the store because they thought he had athsma. I’m not sure if that was true but he sneezed a lot when I brought him home, and it turned out that he just a sneezy guy. I wouldn’t worry too much about your girl’s sneezing right now because she’s still getting acclimated to possibly a new temperature and humidity. The red crusty stuff, which is actually quite liquidy, is called porphyrin and they produce it all the time and you’ll see it more when they’re sick or stressed but usually you don’t because they clean themselves so often. The loud breathing when she’s sniffing is normal and she’s just checking things out and being vocal about it as long as you don’t hear it all the time. Keep an eye on her because the stress of moving could cause her to get sick, but right now it just sounds like normal adjustments. Carefresh is a good bedding generally but there’s a chance that she’s allergic to it and you might eventually try to switch it out for Yesterday’s News or another non clay or corn cat litter that is dust free if she keeps sneezing. If you have a humidifier you might want to run that and see if it helps the sneezing. Rats are great pets but they can be quite expensive, so just keep that in mind. Congratulations on your new girl!

 

[jorats]

Hi, it sounds like it could be what we call new home sneezes. She's going to do a ton of sniffing to learn about her surroundings and new home. Also, it's very very important you get her a friend. Rats need companionship from rats. They need that social structure for good health and happiness.

 

[SQ]

Is she still sneezing?

as others said she needs at least 1 other same sex rat to live with

I would strongly suggest that you find a good vet knowledgeable and experienced in treating rats so when your rat(s) need a vet you will have one lined up, and build up your bank account (at least $600 at all times ) or get a credit card because rats are expensive pets ..... and when you notice they are ill, you are well into a medical emergency