Rat wheezing

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Kenzie135

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Apr 19, 2020
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One of my rats had been sneezing for a month or so, I brought her to the vet today and now she’s on antibiotics. But I just noticed another one of my rats is wheezing. She had not been sneezing at all previously and doesn’t even really seem to be sneezing now. The only symptom she seems to have is that she’s wheezing. I thought that generally it starts with sneezing and progresses to wheezing. She’s booked to see the vet in 3 days and I’ve separated all the rats for now but I was just wondering if anyone has any idea of what is going on with her. Thank you !
 
By no means am I an expert, but I’m pretty sure respiratory infections are contagious with rats. So if your first baby has a respiratory infection, it’s highly likely the others all have it too and need it be treated. That’s just my understanding of how they work!
 
Most respiratory infections are NOT contagious and have more to do with the strength of a particular rats immune system and mycoplasmosis flare-ups (myco is in all our pet rats and accounts for about 90% of all resp infections).
BUT there are contagious rat viruses as well. Have you brought home a new rat in the last few weeks?
 
Most respiratory infections are NOT contagious and have more to do with the strength of a particular rats immune system and mycoplasmosis flare-ups (myco is in all our pet rats and accounts for about 90% of all resp infections).
BUT there are contagious rat viruses as well. Have you brought home a new rat in the last few weeks?
Yes I brought a new rat home a couple of months ago. I did a really bad thing and did not quarantine her, because she was by herself and didn’t have a very big cage so I felt bad. This was a very big mistake on my part because she has been sneezing for the past two months. She is the one a brought to the vet yesterday. And since then both of my other two rats have started wheezing
 
Viruses are only contagious for a week after exposure, then they shed. Your rats would've all been sick within 2-3 weeks after bringing her home, so that's not the issue here. Is the weather changing where you live?
 
Yes it actually is, it was in the negatives at the beginning of the week and mid teens and rainy by the end (Celsius). If this is the case might the wheezing just go away or is it a myco flare up caused by the weather that still needs to be treated? Thank you so much for the replies and the help!!!
 
Okay, yesterday there was wheezing and today I can just hear their breathing if they are right beside my ear. I’ve read though that it can be worse at night so I don’t know if this is them getting better or if it just comes in waves?
 
I can hear her breathing but it doesn’t sound like wheezing. How much are you supposed to be able to hear the breathing of a healthy rat?
 
It is worse again today and a lot more gurgling sounds. She’s going to the vet tomorrow, along with her sister who has just been sneezing.
 
All the best at the vet's
It sounds like she needs her antibiotics changed or another antibiotic added and possibly other medication as well
An effective combination is baytril + azithromycin (10 mg/Ib) orally, twice a day.
Our Reference Thread has a lot of useful information REFERENCE Thread - Read Only
 
Kenzie135, I don’t want to scare you but I had the same situation literally 9 days ago. You want to take your rat to your vet ASAP. I wouldn’t postpone. I said to myself “I’ll take her tomorrow” and it was just too unfortunate that she passed away just as I was leaving. Please for the good of your rat try take her in today. Maybe I’m just paranoid because of my rat or idk. Sorry if I scared you.
 
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