Rats and Viruses

Question
One of our beloved rats had to be taken to the vet yesterday. Unfortunately, it was after hours, so we had to go to an "emergency center," not to our usual vet, who deals well with rats.

The veterinarian we saw scared us quite a bit. He was adamant that we are keeping dangerous pets in our home, risking exposure to hantavirus, among other things.

We love both of our rats very much, and they are truly members of our family. However, I'm having a hard time shaking this interaction from my brain. It was very upsetting. Do you have any words of wisdom? Are we putting ourselves at risk, or was this veterinarian overstating the potential for infection?

Thanks so much for any help you can offer.

Answer
Oh for pete sake, that vet is off his rocker. I PROMISE YOU I absolutely PROMISE YOU that your rat, in on way, is carrying ANY disease that you can catch other than perhaps ringworm.  I would LOVE to have that vets phone number and set him straight right now.  What a loser.  In fact, I can give you a list of people that have raised rats around NEWBORN BABIES, even taking photos with the rat laying next to the baby.  If these animals were any threat to us, there is no way they would let the rat around their baby. Pet stores would  not sell them if they were any threat to humans.  WILD mice and rats that live outside among waste, waste from humans, mind you, are the animals that MAY carry this disease and even that is not common.   If you want to go further with this, simply call a certified exotic vet and ask them if pet rats can make you sick like that quack claimed.  I PROMISE you that you will hear a big fat NO.  Check out my website, sandyscrittercity.com and see the photos of my rats. I even raised a wild rat, a true wild rat straight from the outside. She lived to be 4.  She gave me kisses, I cleaned her stool and urine daily, I had her germs all over me and not once did I ever get sick nor fear that I would.  

Cross my heart, your fine.  This wont be the first quack vet to say that nor will it be the last. He probably has a deep seeded fear of rodents stemming from child hood and was told as a brat that he could get sick from rats and mice and not to touch them if he sees them outside, like we all tend to tell our kids not to touch any wild animal of course...and he kept it with him into his paranoid adult life.   What an ass.    I hope your rat was treated for his illness.  Have you asked your regular vet about the claims that the ER vet made?  I bet he says the same thing I have said to you.  Does your current vet wear a mask and gloves when he handles your rats? I doubt it.  If the rat was that dangerous to your health he wouldnt even see it. It would be illegal to keep them as pets in your state and the ONLY state it is illegal to keep rats as pets is in Alaska...because they have no rats or mice in the wild, or if they do, they are not a pest problem and they fear people will somehow turn the rats loose in the wild and create a problem...not knowing these animals would not have a chance to survive in Alaska weather in the first place which is why they dont have them as pests.  Duh.  LOL

Hope I made you feel better.  I know one thing, I am hot under the collar about his statement.  What a jerk.  So glad you wrote to me about this.  Rest easy, your rat is fine.  In fact, I tell people that rats are cleaner the a small childs hands are.  Do you know that a child that is in pre school or of that age and has not learned to wash their hands often have more of a chance of carrying disease to you than any rat!  Like the bumper stickers on cars that say "my child is an honor roll student" to the opposing sticker that says "my child can beat your honor roll student up"   I would like one that says " my pet rat is cleaner that your 3 year old childs hands"  LOL


I forgot to add that I am limited on the questions I accept because I was at the point I was on here more than taking care of my own personal site, sandyscrittercity.com so if you tried to reach me with no luck (it says I am maxed out after a few questions) please write to me at
Sandyscrittercity@yahoo.com if you need any more help of any kind.