rat has a cold?

Question
a friend gave my rat a bath by just putting him into a tub with water and i dont think he dried him off and let him catch mabey a cold because he started to sneeze a lot and wont eat as much and has lost weight which might be because i left for 2 weeks i need to know do i need to take him to the vet or is there something that i can do to see if i can help him first?

Answer

Rats are immune to the common cold virus.  However, they carry a bacteria called mycoplasmosis which, if their immune system beceomse weak, can develop into a respiratory infection.  For treatment he will need to see a vet.
Failure to treat mycoplasmosis or treat it properly can result in relapse and with each relapse, the illness becomes worse and causes damage to the rats lungs with the end result being chronic lung disease.

You can read all about myco and the best way to prevent it from showing up on my webpage here:


Also, if you need a vet please let me know our location and I will give you some names of good vets that care for rats.