i have a rat with URI, and i have 2 other boys there separated, but i need to know what the proper procedure is for handling them, like is just washing my hands ok? i dont want the new guys to get sick, if my sick rat crawls on me should i change clothes to reduce risk of URI in my new boys
Rat with URI,
- Thread starter Caeser
- Start date
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SQ
Senior Member - Vegan for the animals
If they are used to living together, they have all been exposed and there is no reason to separate them.
It will stress the ill rat, making her more ill, and it will not help the other two
OR are the other two new, separate and not yet introed?
Have you been doing a full 6 week quarantine of new rats in a separate air space etc?
If not, then they have been exposed as respir diseases are airborn
Hopefully you will be taking the ill girl to the vet asap - like today or Monday, because she likely needs antibiotics.
Rats become ill and die fast
How long has she been ill?
If you post a video, people may be able to give you more info.
baytril (5mg/Ib to 10 mg/Ib) + azithromycin (10 mg/Ib, by prescription from a pharmacy) orally twice a day is a very effective combo and I would strongly suggest it as you have already had one rat die recently
These meds are only given orally and the amount is based on the weight of the rat.
Please feed organic soy infant formula thickened with baby cereal or ensure to help keep your baby from becoming dehydrated etc
If meds are helping, meds are given orally twice a day for at least 6 weeks. If meds do not help within a few days, you try diff. meds
good luck
Hope she is soon feeling better
It will stress the ill rat, making her more ill, and it will not help the other two
OR are the other two new, separate and not yet introed?
Have you been doing a full 6 week quarantine of new rats in a separate air space etc?
If not, then they have been exposed as respir diseases are airborn
Hopefully you will be taking the ill girl to the vet asap - like today or Monday, because she likely needs antibiotics.
Rats become ill and die fast
How long has she been ill?
If you post a video, people may be able to give you more info.
baytril (5mg/Ib to 10 mg/Ib) + azithromycin (10 mg/Ib, by prescription from a pharmacy) orally twice a day is a very effective combo and I would strongly suggest it as you have already had one rat die recently
These meds are only given orally and the amount is based on the weight of the rat.
Please feed organic soy infant formula thickened with baby cereal or ensure to help keep your baby from becoming dehydrated etc
If meds are helping, meds are given orally twice a day for at least 6 weeks. If meds do not help within a few days, you try diff. meds
good luck
Hope she is soon feeling better
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SQ
Senior Member - Vegan for the animals
Is the ill rat, the baby that has been ill for over a week? The baby you were told to take to a vet and get on antibiotics last week?
Has the baby seen a vet? Is the baby on medication? If so, what meds? Dosage? How much does the baby weigh?
Please post a video of the ill baby.
Has the baby seen a vet? Is the baby on medication? If so, what meds? Dosage? How much does the baby weigh?
Please post a video of the ill baby.
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We just got 2 male dwarf rats today there in a cage separate from the ill rat, who is a regular female rat, we have no intention on putting them together, we signed a contract with the breeder of the dwarf rats saying we can put females and males together, also the ill rat seems to be doing better we have not givin it any medicaion except for benadryl, the problem is how busy the vets are and how expenssive it is to go, we have plans on going either tuesday or thursday, depeding on when they are free, those are the only 2 days out of the week that they look at small animals, is there any other vets near brantford/hamiltion i can go to? its been ill for maybe a week, she eats, her nose is normal, same with her eyes, also drinks to, she gos to the bathroom less, and has started to gain weight back, but my biggest concern is how much she sleeps and the noise it makes, its kind of like she has snot stuck in her nose, even though thats not what it is,
and the other to rats are in diffrent rooms, the dwarfs are in the basement and the sick one is in my room where we sit with him alot,
and the other to rats are in diffrent rooms, the dwarfs are in the basement and the sick one is in my room where we sit with him alot,
SQ
Senior Member - Vegan for the animals
Your little girl needs to go to a vet asap and be put on antibiotics.
Tell them she is ill and needs an emergency appointment.
Make an appointment and get her there on Tuesday if that is the first day possible.
You need to try to find another vet that is knowledgeable about treating rats because two days a week is not good enough.
When rats become ill they need to see a vet immediately
Tell them she is ill and needs an emergency appointment.
Make an appointment and get her there on Tuesday if that is the first day possible.
You need to try to find another vet that is knowledgeable about treating rats because two days a week is not good enough.
When rats become ill they need to see a vet immediately
SQ
Senior Member - Vegan for the animals
When she is older, she will need to be spayed so that she can be introed in with your two boys
as she needs to live with friends .... and having two intact sexes in the same household is an accident waiting to happen
... but first you need to save her life ....
as she needs to live with friends .... and having two intact sexes in the same household is an accident waiting to happen
... but first you need to save her life ....
We plan on getting another girl once the ill one is better, the dwarfs will always stay in a separate cage and they wont play together, we don't want to throw another rat in with the sick one and have that one get sick too.
lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately this now leaves you with 4 rats in the end that could get sick and only be able to see a vet on 2 days of the week, and if you can afford it at the time. Unfortunately part of being a good rat owner is being able to take them to the vet when they need it. Benadryl may help mask some of the symptoms but the longer you leave that baby girl without actual antibiotics the more chance she will worsen suddenly and die, or have scarred lungs or take longer (more antibiotics) to cure.
Are you willing to rehome your sick baby girl to someone who can take her to the vet or get her treatment?
I see you are asking about Brantford/Hamilton, so you are fairly close to me in Toronto?
Are you willing to rehome your sick baby girl to someone who can take her to the vet or get her treatment?
I see you are asking about Brantford/Hamilton, so you are fairly close to me in Toronto?
Im more or less asking about the chances of my new guys getting sick, i already know a lot about the sick girl and that she needs the vet 
im just trying to make it so the new guys dont get sick to,
What i dont understand is how my new guys being in a different cage and room from the sick one will still get sick, yet when you get a new rat you're supposed to quarantine them by doing the same thing? (separate room and cage for 2 weeks) but if your saying that no matter what now my new rats will be sick wouldn't that kind of make quarantining them useless if there already sick,
As far introducing my males in females, even if neutered i signed a contract saying that males and females will live in other cages,
Im trying my best as far as getting her better, wish me luck! this has been hard for me right from step 1, i hope im making sense im trying to be straight forward about everything.
im just trying to make it so the new guys dont get sick to, What i dont understand is how my new guys being in a different cage and room from the sick one will still get sick, yet when you get a new rat you're supposed to quarantine them by doing the same thing? (separate room and cage for 2 weeks) but if your saying that no matter what now my new rats will be sick wouldn't that kind of make quarantining them useless if there already sick,
As far introducing my males in females, even if neutered i signed a contract saying that males and females will live in other cages,
Im trying my best as far as getting her better, wish me luck! this has been hard for me right from step 1, i hope im making sense im trying to be straight forward about everything.
jorats
Loving rats since 2002.
Can you look for a proper vet in another close town who could accommodate you any day of the week?
Your little girl really needs antibiotics to get better. And now you are planning on keeping her alone her whole life? That is cruel for a social animal like rats.
Your new little guys, even if they are from a breeder can become quite sick as well. You really need a better plan if you want to keep healthy happy rats.
Your little girl really needs antibiotics to get better. And now you are planning on keeping her alone her whole life? That is cruel for a social animal like rats.
Your new little guys, even if they are from a breeder can become quite sick as well. You really need a better plan if you want to keep healthy happy rats.
Seriously read everything ive posted. . . i said before i was going to get her a friend as soon as she got better why would i got out and buy another rat and put it in the cage with her if she is just going to get sick, everyone is skipping over my question and putting me down as a bad rat owner right away. i understand that they can get sick, im not stupid, IM JUST ASKING IF I HAVE THEM IN DIFFERENT ROOMS AND CAGES WILL THEY STILL JUST GET SICK,
ALSO THIS: What i dont understand is how my new guys being in a different cage and room from the sick one will still get sick, yet when you get a new rat you're supposed to quarantine them by doing the same thing? (separate room and cage for 2 weeks) but if your saying that no matter what now my new rats will be sick wouldn't that kind of make quarantining them useless if there already sick,
MIGHT AS WELL ASK AGAIN...
i feel like this is pointless because all you guys keep telling me to do is go to the vet, (which i am doing) and not helping me with my actual question.
ALSO THIS: What i dont understand is how my new guys being in a different cage and room from the sick one will still get sick, yet when you get a new rat you're supposed to quarantine them by doing the same thing? (separate room and cage for 2 weeks) but if your saying that no matter what now my new rats will be sick wouldn't that kind of make quarantining them useless if there already sick,
MIGHT AS WELL ASK AGAIN...
i feel like this is pointless because all you guys keep telling me to do is go to the vet, (which i am doing) and not helping me with my actual question.
Velo
Well-Known Member
I could have sworn that I answered this for you on a different thread recently.
URIs and myco flare ups are not contagious.
Viruses are contagious, but rare.
If a rat is in the same airspace (home) then it can catch a virus.
A REAL quarantine is keeping the new rat (s) in a different airspace (home) for 4 weeks.
Like I mentioned before, that's simply not possible for some, so we try to at least keep them in separate rooms for a few weeks. But it is not enough to defend against an airborne virus.
You should wash your hands between playing with each group, since you currently have unaltered rats of both sexes. The boys can get very aggressive when they smell a girl on you and your girl can get desperate to escape to the males cage if she smells boy on you.
URIs and myco flare ups are not contagious.
Viruses are contagious, but rare.
If a rat is in the same airspace (home) then it can catch a virus.
A REAL quarantine is keeping the new rat (s) in a different airspace (home) for 4 weeks.
Like I mentioned before, that's simply not possible for some, so we try to at least keep them in separate rooms for a few weeks. But it is not enough to defend against an airborne virus.
You should wash your hands between playing with each group, since you currently have unaltered rats of both sexes. The boys can get very aggressive when they smell a girl on you and your girl can get desperate to escape to the males cage if she smells boy on you.
Velo
Well-Known Member
Sounds like a good plan ^_^
lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
IF your girls brought in a virus, then its airborne or carried on your clothes. A full 2-3 week quarantine in a different air space is necessary to prevent transmission or staying away from the healthy rats for 3 hours before handling them. If they just have a URI, then its not likely transmissable.
And just so you know the breeders in Ontario are NOT working on health and temperament. A lot of the dwarfies are from Atlantis stock, and she has a ****e-load of breeders she has given stock to/is "mentoring" *cough cough sarcasm*. Atlantis bred for quantity and pretty looks not health, longevity or temperament. So just because your new boys are from a breeder will not make them one bit better than your petshop girl or any rescues.
