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My rat keeps sneezing
I bought a pet rat a few days ago. I've kept hamsters, rabbits and guinea pigs but never a rat before. We're getting on well and she's sitting on my desk as I type this. She seems healthy -- shiny thick coat, bright eyes, clean tail, eats plentifully -- but she sneezes an awful lot. Is it just dust or might she be sick? Incidentally, her cage bedding is recycled paper, not wood shavings.
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Willow says:
My rat has snezzed since we got her, if there's dust anywhere around your rat you may want to try cleaning it. If she's still sneezing withen 3-4 days then you may want to take her to the vet, she could have an allergy.
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Your rat may have a respiratory infection. This is especially common in animals coming from a pet store since they are housed with other animals and sometimes live in poor conditions. You should take her to a vet to get checked out.
If that's not the problem, she may be allergic to the bedding you have used, so try another type to rule that out. If that doesn't help, it may be seasonal allergies (pets get them too!) Good luck.
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you should try and bring her to the vet
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Like the others have already said, wood shavings are more suitable for rat cage bedding than recycled paper. However, DO NOT use pine or cedar shavings. Those are toxic, and they will cause more sneezing.
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I would try wood shavings and if she doesn't sneeze then it would be the recycled paper she is allergic to.
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It doesn't sound like you have a chronic condition here. This sounds more like an acute (temporary) condition which is usually brought on by stress. You say that you have just bought your rat. Well, whenever an animal is moved from a familiar location to a new one the animal experiences stress. From my understanding respiratory conditions in rats are brought on by stress. There is an organism that lives in all rats, outside the laboratory, called Mycoplasma pulmonis. Rats pass it on to each other, mother to baby, through sex, they all simply have it. I would definitely change her cage bedding from recycled paper to wood shavings. It will be more comfortable and familiar to her. I’ve included some articles for you to read over that may help you understand what to look for if your rats condition becomes chronic. They also may help in caring for your rat. I hope this helps.
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Namaste!
LULABELLE
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We keep rats and my son has bred them. The sneezing is not a problem unless there is blood coming from the nostril or a yellowy mucus.
One of our rats constantly sneezes and it is perfectly healthy. Your rat may be more sensitive to smells, and using wood shavings is a better option than recycled paper.
If you find that your rat starts bleeding from the nostrils then it would be a good idea to have it looked at by a vet, otherwise I wouldn't worry too much about it.
I hope this helps.
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