Rat pneumonia

Question
QUESTION: Dear Expert
My Animal Behaviors class and I recently got our rats to train for the annual Iron Rat Competition. Unfortualnatly when we got our rats many of them already were sick.The rats are a month to five weeks old. Our teacher told us that they had pneumonia and would be best to give them vitamin C supplements in their water. This seemed to work at first and my rat was doing much better, however after a very cold day at school(my rat had bedding in her cage to help keep warm) her temperature dropped quickly and she started to deteriat. I took her home and warmed her up by placing a ceramic heater by her cage, which regulates temperature, and added a sock filled with rice that I heated in the microwave. This seemed to help she ate some of her food and would drink water every half an hour. At night she didn't do so well her breathing became more labored and when she breathed it sounded like a click with each breath. In the morning her breathing wasn't quiet as labored but still made the clicking sound. I'm VERY worried and am not sure whether to take her to a vet or not quiet yet. This afternoon when I checked on her (since i hadn't taken her to school) she seemed lethargic though I'm not sure. Please give me some advice this is my first rat and I'm not sure what more I can do.
Thanks

ANSWER: She needs a vet right away.  Pneumonia cannot be treated unless antibiotics are used. Heat and vitamin C are all comfort measures at this point, but aggressive antibiotic treatment and possible oxygen therapy is warranted.  Rats are very prone to respiratory infection, so it may or may not be pneumonia. It could be mycoplasmosis.  Please read up on myco because this is something serious that needs attention too.

Please see a vet at once. An exotic vet is the one to see so if you need help locating one, please let me know your location and I will give you some names.  I would get her in ASAP so she survives. Lethargy is not a good sign at all in a baby rat that has respiratory infection.
Push fluids, baby foods are a good way to get fluids in her and keep her warm on the way to the vet.  Use Fleece for her as this doesnt shed and wont fray so her toes wont get caught in strings.  Please keep me posted too.


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

QUESTION: Dear Expert
Thank you for your advice. I took her to an exotic vet at Zany Zoo, they sell exotic pets and can help people out who cant afford it.Anyways before she could finish giving Isabelle an examine she died. She just stopped. The vet said that Isabelle had not had pneumonia or micro because of the suddenness of her death. She was not sure what had killed her but said it was probably viral. Ten rats so far in my Animal Behavior class ten rats, at the last count, have died this way or in a similar way, some had seizures before death. Most of the class is doing research to try to figure out whats killing the rats. It happens very quick. One day they'll be fine then their temperature just drops FAST! They stop eating and drinking and going to the bathroom. They just lay down and become inactive. Within two hours the either go into seizures or they get a burst of energy find a place to hide and die. These are the final symptoms but I can give you more of the earlier ones if you might have any ideas. Thanks for all your advice though your site is really great. I did get another baby rat though,shes five weeks old, and she is very healthy I do have one question about her though. When I put her in her cage she bounces around a lot and when I either pet her or give her food she nibbles on my hand then leaps away. Is this normal behavior? Is she just playing? I'm still new with her as she is to me so do I just have to wait longer for her to bond to me and then will the behavior quit?
Thanks again for all your help.And if you could send me that list of vets as a just in case list that would be great. I live in the Eugene/Springfield area in Oregon.
Thanks Caitlin

Answer
Hi

I hate to say this but the exotic vet at Zany Zoo is not a board certified exotic vet at all. I did some checking in my database that connects me to all board certified exotic vets in the country including parts of UK and Canada and the person at Zany Zoo was a fake. The Zany Zoo companies do not even have a license to have a real vet on premises to dispense medication or legally treat any pets there at all. I am afraid you were fooled.  It doesnt matter, however, since your little one passed away and all but just so you know, this person is not a real exotic vet at all.   Anyhow, that said, I will say it again.... The rats have/had strep pneumonia. They die within 12 hours of onset.  The burst of energy you see is the rat in a panic because it cannot breathe.  This pneumonia is often fueled by the dangerous strep bacteria. This is NOT the same strep that causes strep throat, however, so dont let that scare you.  Anyhow,  the vet is very wrong to assume that strep pneumonia is not acute.  I have alot of experience with these diseases and it is a fast moving and deadly infection that is very contagious in the rat cage.  In fact, I worry now that you brought in the new baby.  To be honest, no new rats should be brought in to the area where the rats lived for at least 2 to 3 weeks in order for the bacteria to die if it is on fomites around the room.  
Is she in the same area that the sick rats were in?

As for her actions, she is being a typical baby rat. They are super playful and very curious and she is trying to learn about you through taste.  She is doing everything by the book. Running around and playing and being very active is normal. She should have a friend, however, since rats are very social animals and need company. Another baby her age, same sex, would be ideal.  They will play fight, wrestle and chase each other and snuggle together to sleep during the day.  You will want to check out the section on my site called GETTING STARTED so you can find out how to construct a safe play area for them to play.  Keeping them on a table or bed or couch is not a good place and they can end up falling off and getting hurt.
Also check out the diet page which is vital to their health and over all well being.

As for vets for future use, here is what I have for you. Keep in mind that there are only 130 board certified avian and exotic vets in the country so your state may only have one or two and may take a bit of a drive to get there.  
Hope this helped and hang in there. If you need any additional help please feel free to ask!


Here is a Vet who is a true exotic vet that cares for birds, rats, mice, lizards, you name it, she does it. Your lucky to have them in your neighborhood!!  Dr LaMarche is an exceptional exotic specialist.

Dr. Rebecca LaMarche
City Center Cat and Bird/exotic Clinic    
354 W. 6th Avenue
Eugene OR 97401
Phone:    541-343-8531