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Your vet will conduct a physical exam to check for signs of respiratory infection to make their diagnosis. When rats hold themselves in a hunched up position, it is usually a sign of distress. This posture generally indicates pain, discomfort, or sickness.
An upper respiratory infection is typically referred to as the common cold. They tend to strike seasonally during the late fall and winter months. The best way to treat a rat respiratory infection, as I have found, is to give it a dose of antibiotics.
Best Home Remedies For Respiratory Tract Infections
This may result in your rat's coat getting tangled or matted. If a rat is suffering from a respiratory illness you will notice it struggling to breathe. Listen for wheezing or a rattling sound from your rat's lungs. It may also gasp for air or breathe more heavily than usual.
Other bacterial infections - Treatment should be started immediately since the infection can quickly progress into pneumonia. Rats often die from Streptococcus infections, but you have a chance to save your rat if you start antibiotics before your pet rat develops pneumonia. I adopted some pet rats, one of which has a severe respiratory problem. It is difficult to impossible to get her to drink it on an empty stomach. But if it is sweetened with a little honey she might be more inclined to take it.
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Listen for a clicking sound from your rat's sinuses. If your pet rat is congested, its sinuses will likely be filled with fluid. If this is the case you will likely hear a clicking sound, which will occur even when your rat is not moving its mouth or body. While watching or playing with your rat, listen carefully for a clicking noise that seems to originate from its head or face. To see if your rat's sneezing is due to a simple nasal irritation, clean its cage. The sneezing should subside after the allergen is removed from your pet's environment.
Humidifiers also work well for stuffy nose symptoms produced by URIs. A cool mist humidifier in your bedroom can normalize your breathing. Bedding Issues - A clean environment is a key to a healthy rat. Try using shredded paper in the cage instead of wood shavings.
Antibiotics
Next, use a spray bottle of the spray that’s labeled for the type of rodent you have. One of the most common ways to kill rats is by applying a chemical that kills the bacteria that live in their nose and mouth. To do this, fill a spray bottle with the appropriate amount of the spray and use it on the rat. I would also recommend a bit of castor oil on the eye twice daily - castor oil draws out infection. It's also great for abscesses, bumblefoot, mites etc. You might also consider feeding your boys some vitamin C - either childrens type that tastes good, or in vitamin C rich foods like orange or citrus.
Viral infections - Since a rat that is infected with the Seoul virus can transmit the infection to other rats and people, the Center for Disease Control recommends euthanasia of infected rats. Both male and female rats are susceptible to breast tumors and these tumors can spread throughout the body, including the lungs, causing breathing problems. An X-ray or CT scan is the best way to tell if your rat has tumors in its lungs. Adrienne Kruzer is a veterinary technician with more than 15 years of experience providing healthcare to domestic and exotic animals. She is trained as a Fear Free Certified Professional to prevent and alleviate fear, anxiety, and stress in pets.
Do not give acetaminophen to a child under the age of 6 unless your doctor advises it. Do not confuse saline nasal sprays with nasal decongestant sprays. The sheer number of cold viruses makes it next to impossible for you to develop immunity against them. The Spruce Pets uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Streptococcus, Bordetella , Pasteurella, and other types of bacteria can also cause breathing problems but are not as serious as mycoplasmosis.
Studies on rats have shown the cordyceps mushroom to be effective against mycoplasma. Boric acid is poisonous to rats and many other critters. Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'. There's a lot of information on medicines and where you can get them online. I actually spoke to the lady who runs the site and she recommended that I get doxy over baytril because it doesn't taste as bad which makes it easier to give to your rat.
Learn how to create a happy, healthy home for your pet. With so many rat killers out there, it’s important to remember that you are not doing this to put a rat in a hole. It is a simple matter of filling up a spray bottle with water and spraying it on the rat. She let me dab it with a warm rag but I wanted to reach out before I do anything else. It doesn't look pus filled and she doesn't seem to be slowing down on eating.
Ammonia can destroy these cilia, which then allows bacteria to enter the respiratory tract. Immunocompromised people, such as infants, the elderly, or those suffering from autoimmune diseases, are more vulnerable to the recurrence of this illness. The infection spreads through the transmission of live bacteria from infected people, particularly through oral and nasal discharge. The common cold is caused by a variety of viruses, with rhinoviruses being the most diverse and common cause of this complaint. Many people regularly take OTC medicines like acetaminophen during cold and flu season. Saline nasal sprays are safe for everyone, including children.
If you are using sawdust as a substrate in your rat’s cage, try switching to something less dusty, such as shredded paper, which is less likely to irritate your rat’s airway. For this reason, we recommend well-ventilated cages with wire walls, rather than glass aquariums to house rats in. We also recommend a regular and thorough cleaning of rat cages and even litter training your rats. Cilia are small projections extending off of the cells that line the respiratory tract, which is covered with mucous. This mucous traps any dust, dirt or bacteria trying to enter the respiratory tract and the cilia move it back out of the respiratory tract.
Cat has a new lease on life, has a spark again in her eyes! Has resumed normal eating and is completely turned around. She continues to improve, I have been treating her for 3 weeks now on this therapy, Iam pretty sure, without this therapy, she would now be dead.
