Rat squeaking/Wheezing

Question
hey! i love your articles ive been reseaching and you have some great input! i have a question about my lil brendan. hes making these kind of wheezing/squeaking noises and im hoping its not respitory. ive put my ear up to his chest, and it doesnt sound congested. but im not entirely sure. are there any other methods? hes about 1 year old now. his brother doesnt make as much noise as him. but hes more of the dominant one. he pushes brendan around a bit. (poor little guy) oh and also they have like big callouses on the corner of their heels. they have developed these awhile ago. they own a wodent wheel. are these callouses normal? ive inspected them and they arent infected they just are hard and big. not sure if thats a concern. but i live in charlotte nc if theres any exotic vets you know of that i can go to. thatd be a great help! thank you for your time!

-Taylor

Answer
Hi Taylor!

Does Brendan seem to be having excessive nasal discharge, or discharge from the corners of his eyes at all? Does his coat stand on in a bit, and does he sit hunched over? Does he tend to hang his head over the edge of the tallest level of his cage and just act lethargic?

If not, he may just be squeaky. If there's no chest congestion and it doesn't seem to be getting any worse, I wouldn't worry. If you see any of the above symptoms, it could be upper respiratory, heart disease or another infection.. all of which a visit to the vet can confirm or deny.

As far as the calluses, watch them and be sure they don't begin to turn pink or red and begin to swell. If they swell, it's the beginning of bumblefoot. Otherwise, its just because they use their heels a LOT running on that wheel!

I'm unaware of any vets off the top of my head; but Sandra Todd (also an expert on this site) lives in that area and will be able to give you a personal recommendation.

Good luck! :)