Adopted a Sick Rat!

Question
Today I brought home a young female rat (aprox. 5-6 months) as a companion for my neutered four-month-old male. Already I have notice serious health issues that I didn't see in the store.

She is sneezing fairly frequently, and is also a bit wheezy. I noticed some porphyrin residue outside her eye as well. Her tail was pretty dirty, and she has this fluffy, messy fur. At first I worried that she wasn't grooming herself due to serious illness, but after giving her a bath and watching her clean herself extensively, I have concluded that she just has a naturally fluffy coat.

Anyway, she smells funny even after a bath, almost like cigarette smoke ( the shop owners were heavy smokers) and I was wondering if this could be what causing what seems to be a mycoplasma infection. I would also appreciate it if you could tell me anything I can do to help this little lady feel better.

My other rat is lonely, but i can't begin to introduce them until she is no longer a threat to his health. I'm really worried about both of them.

Thanks for your help,

Jacqui

Answer
Yeah smoking isn't very good for rats - it's not even good for people to be around second-hand smoke, imagine what it does to an animal half the size of a human lung? You should probably get her in to a vet for a comprehensive and begin some antibiotics. She may have a little respiratory issue that needs to be knocked out, which probably won't take too long to handle. Once that is under control, she should start feeling better.

In the meantime, to get that nasty smoke smell out of her coat, use a dryer sheet.. Bounce, Febreze, any of those fabric softener sheets with a nice smell to them. Rub it over her coat gently. She should begin to smell less like an ashtray.