basic rat care help

Question
QUESTION: I recently had a rat pass (my eldest rat's first cage mate; they got along GREAT and she was really sluggish after her friend died). I had only had her 4 months, but she had been sneezing since I got her and had been getting a 'bloody' nose and was sleeping a lot (she was normally very willing to play) a few days before she died.  I believe it was a respitory problem, but correct me if I am wrong! (I no longer burn candles and I do not allow anyone to spray perfume or smoke around their room.  I also leave the window open when it is not too cold to ensure fresh air.) This made me realize that it is my duty to make sure my babies are healthy and live a long life.  I am planning to start seeing a vet for regular checkups for my other rats.  I wanted to ask you how often I should get check ups and what a relative cost would be?    

I currently have two female rats. My eldest is almost year old and my baby is only a month or two (I am not sure of their exact birthdays). They live in a three story cage with LOTS of toys, hammocks, huts, etc.  I put aspen bedding in the pan on the bottom - I pick out droppings and wipe down any thing with pee on it every night and change the bedding every week. I also let them out of their cage when ever they awaken at night for at least 30 minutes (usually more).  I only give them purified (bottled) water to drink.  They eat lab blocks as their daily food, but I do give them treats to train them to 'come here.' (I use sunflower seeds, corn, dried up fruit, and almonds)

Please tell me if there is a flaw in my pet care system!  I love my rats and I want them to be as happy as possible!  THANK YOU!

ANSWER: Hi there

I appreciate you  writing and really love the fact you want to do right by your rats.

Lets start off with the vet. You need a good vet, a vet that knows about rats. An exotic specialist is the best bet but there are vets that say they see exotics and are NOT certified and these vets do not follow the normal protocol on proper rat care which can be bad for their health. I can help you locate a good vet if you just tell me your zip code or city and state.  No obligation of course.

As for everything else, I have a website I put all of my info on about proper diet to illness etc...
It will teach you what the so called "bloody nose" is and you will be happy to know it isnt blood.

http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/bloodynoseandeyes.htm


Also, you will learn about diet and how high protein and high fats are no good. Almonds should be given very very sparingly if at all, and sunflower seeds should be limited too. Corn, as long as its fresh or canned and not hard kernels.  The lab blocks are good as long as they do not exceed more than 15 to 18% protein. This leads to kidney disease later in life. If its mazuri thats ok but kaytee....forget it.  Read more about proper diet here:

http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/ratsandahealthydiet.htm

You should also read up on the respiratory illnesses rats are prone to and how to avoid it the best you can and how to treat it (vet of course but even some vets dont know which is frustrating!)

http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/mycoplasmosispage.htm

That said, please look over my site. I think you may find it easy to read and understand and may have alot of answers to questions you have had for a while now. I based this site on new rat owners and veteran owners alike so hopefully you will enjoy it. Please let me know once you have gone over it.

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

QUESTION: Thank you for responding so quickly!  I actually found a vet that takes care of rats - Banfield (inside of Petsmart).  Is this a good choice?

Also, I use this brand of rat food:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10318434

is there anything wrong with this brand?

Thank you!!

Answer
Many vets see exotics, but that doesnt mean he or she is exotic certified and therefore they do not have the proper implements or even the extended education to really give top notch care. I would have to know the location to check the credentials but its pretty rare a certified exotic vet will work for Banfield.

As for the rat food, if its a seed mix, its not good. If it contains corn, peanuts and all the other stuff, its not even half as nutritious as what a rat needs to live a long healthy life. The protein and fat content are outrageous and part of the problem with older rats is kidney disease that is from poor feeding habits.  However, after seeing the food your using, I see its a rat block. The bad news is the first ingredient is CORN which is nothing more than the ground hard corn used in rat seed mixes and this is a known carcinogen in rats. Check the protein content and see what it is. It should not exceed 15%.