my new rats need help

Question
QUESTION: hello i am a new owner and have had my two female rats for about 3 to 4 weeks. they were both around 7 to 8 weeks old when i got them.

my most urgent case is that my albino rat polka has been rather weak and sleepy for the past week. she rarely exercises and when my other rat wants to play polka squeaks and protests. i thought she was just tired but yesterday she didn't move from her corner at all and today i came home and found her nose mouth and fore paws covered in dry blood. i cleaned this blood of and but her in my guest room in my spare cage. could you please tell me what is wrong because my mother wont let me take her to the vet.

my other rat dot has been sneasing constantly. she is not doing it to often now but she is occasionally having long periods were she cant stop. any advise. i cage them on pellets and they both have been drinking and eating fine.

i would appreciate and info regarding my concerns.

ANSWER: If it were simple allergies to the bedding or something else in their environment the girls would be sneezing but still acting normal.

But from your description of how Polka is acting/feeling it's more then likely that both of the girls have the common rat respiratory disease called Mycoplasmosis. Since it takes a long time for symptoms of the disease to appear, it means that the girls were sick when they were at the store and the store sold you sick rats. Polka, who is displaying porphyrin (looks like blood but it's not) around her eyes and nose, is very sick and needs to see the vet to be put on an aggressive course of antibiotics (Baytril, Amoxycillin, Doxycycline). Her sister who is starting to sneeze almost constantly is in the early stage of Mycoplasmosis and also needs the antibiotics.

Type, "Mycoplasmosis in rats" in your search engine to find more information on this disease and how to treat it.

Just like any pet, even though they are small and didn't cost you much to buy them, rats need to see the vet when they are sick. You may join my group Holistarat where we can talk at length about holistic medicine that could support their bodies as they fight the disease, *while they are on the antibiotics*. Whatever you choose to do your mom is going to have to spend some money for their medical needs.

spazrats
http://spazrats.tripod.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/holistarat



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thank you for the reply

polka died last night. and dot has just started to become weak. we are taking her to the vet on sunday. how can i take care of her now so she survives till the appointment. she is still sneasing and making rattly noises but there has currently been no blood looking stuff and she seems fine. only now does she apear to feel and weak. please respond as soon as you can and i appreciate the advise.

Answer
I am so sorry to hear that Polka did not make it :*(

As you saw with dear Polka, rats go downhill very quickly when they get sick. What you need to do to make it to the vet appointment is to make sure that Polka's sister eats and drinks as much as she wants to and you will have to provide her with food and drinks that will intice her to take in more. Rats lose calories quickly during illness and become dehydration.

Replace any hard seedy foods you are giving her now with any or all of the following high-calorie, high-nutritious foods:
scrambled eggs
jarred baby food of any kind
baby cereals
yogurt
butter
avocado
olive oil mayonnaise
whole wheat toast
berry juice
vegetable juice
rice milk
lab blocks soaked in juice or rice milk to make them soft and mushy and easy to eat

I would strongly recommend that you print out the RMCA's Drug Chart and the Rat Guide info on Mycoplasmosis to take to your vet because there are way too many vets who are ignorant to the medical needs of pet rats.
Type "RMCA Drug Chart" into your browser to find this info
Type "Rat Guide Mycoplasmosis" into your browser to find this info
Type "Caring for sick rats" into your browser to find this info

And join Holistarat to get more guidance to get her through this illness.

spazrats
http://spazrats.tripod.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/holistarat