Help help!!

Question
QUESTION: Hello Janell,
I'll try to make this as short as possible.
I am fostering a mother rat and her babies. I adore all the babies and have fallen for the one little boy in particular.  I am thinking to keep him and also adopt one or more from a breeder.  
The problem is that now a few babies [they are about 3 weeks old] have started sneezing/snuffling just a little.  The mother had been sneezing before-but I wasn't sure if it was from fear as she hasn't been socialized much and I make her nervous.  Neither the mother nor the babies act sick and have clear eyes and nose and breath quietly.
I know all rats have myco.  I also know that in babies, if they get ill the biggest thing to worry about first are the secondary infections, the myco second.  
So...do I have them put on antibiotics at so young an age, while they are still ok [other than some light sneezes]?  Should it be just to keep the secondary infections away and not go over board with the myco treatment [seeing as baytril and some others shouldn't really be used in babies]?
Can the baby boy I'd like to keep harm in any way the new boy[s] I am looking to adopt from the breeder [now or later]?
Thank you,
M


ANSWER: At 3 weeks old, there isn't a real viable medication option if they do have an upper respiratory infection - I believe they don't recommend baytril until 4 months and in severe cases may use it at 6 weeks. Have you bumped up their vitamin C intake? I'd aim for that, first and foremost (peeled orange slices (the peel is a carcinogenic, so always peel them), rosehips, vitamin c chewables).

What kind of bedding do you have them on? They may be sneezy due to dust, as well.

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

QUESTION: Hi Janell,
They are on Yesterday's News.  I don't think that is dusty. [?]  I know that a few sneezes can be normal--when are a few sneezes a few too many [if no other symptoms]?  How often do 3 week old ratties get URI's?

Do you think that this baby could "harm" a new 6 week old baby from a breeder [whose health will be excellent] in a few weeks?
What would you do?  Great idea and advice about the vitamin C!  
Thank you so so much for your help!!
Mel

Answer
It really depends on their breeding. Rats from poor breeding can be basically born sick, but if they're from a very healthy background, it's not usually that common. Rats generally suffer from two basic illnesses; the spontaneous URI and the myco-related URI. Myco related illnesses aren't generally contagious, but the spontaneous ones are. Both need to be treated, but one will get better and stay better, whereas the other will keep coming back - myco is a chronic problem, kinda like shingles or herpes in people. It lies dormant until the immune system is weak enough to be attacked.

If they're just sneezing here and there with no nasal discharge or runny eyes, they may just be sneezy. If it gets dramatically worse, you'll need to get them in and start them on some meds. Just keep an eye on them and see how it goes .. they may be just fine in a week or so.