Addition to

Question
QUESTION: The boards wouldn't let me post another follow up, so i had to post another question, sorry.

Demitrius's belly is not distended (i looked up photos of such rats. Demitri's belly is normal looking)
When I put him down he has TONS of energy......to find a hiding spot. He doesn't want to play. He just wants to sit still for hours.
He wont eat, He's even refusing peanut butter!

The medicine the doctor gave me is labeled "smz tmp" and thats all =/

All he seems concerned with is making it so that no one can see him

ANSWER: This concerns me.  The medication that he is taking is NOT for mycoplasmosis so it wont help no matter how much he takes of it

As for the peanut butter, not sure if you do this or not but please be sure to thin it out with water because he can easily choke from the peanut butter being too sticky and blocking his airway. Sadly I have seen this during an emergency at the clinic and despite the vets best efforts...he still passed way.

Anyhow, how is he today? Poor lil guy :(

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QUESTION: I've been running around like a headless chicken for work and scool reasons so its given Demi a little time before I could response to your last question.

I donno...he is no longer in that listless state, and he loves his peanut butter again! (i mix it with water or give him residue sized thickness so it doesnt choak him).

He no longer sneezes all the time....but when he does its like 5 or 6 times in a row with that Morphin (red stuff). Should I be worried?

The way I would describe him now is that he's "got a case of the lazy's". Hehe. Basically he seems content to lay in his cage all day and I actually have to pick him up to get him out...but recently he's been crazy once out of the cage. He's no longer just trying to continue sleeping.
Is this 'case of the lazy's' normal?

Is it normal to be able to hear him sniffing sometimes? I don't know if I would go so far as to call it weezing...i've heard healthy human lungs before and thats basically what he sounds like, but I'm not sure if ur not supposed to hear anything at all because he's so small?

ANSWER: Hi Gina

I lost track of this case....so I have to ask again how old he is.  
I do recall you said he used to be full of energy and he had stopped wanting to play during play time etc...

The sneezing with the porphyrin is normal since it is a red to reddish brown tinged discharge that is secreted from the harderian gland behind the eyes and nose to be sneezed out, but if he has it caked around his nose and eyes, thats a sure sign of illness IF and I stress IF he normally doesn't have alot. Some rats do and are totally healthy and I have treated dying rats that have no porphyrin at all. Its an individual thing really.

Is he eating and drinking and acting more interested in things?

Being lazy 24/7 is not normal for a healthy rat and is also indicative of illness. As for any sounds you hear...normally rats don't make sounds other than their usual squeaking or bruxing (teeth grinding)but if you hear congestion or any sounds like there is mucus, that is not normal.

I think you need to return to the vet and do not let them charge you because this rat was not treated with the appropriate medications that are warranted for mycoplasmosis.  If the rat doesn't respond and continues being sick after seeing the vet, this should be treated as a follow up visit and all you should pay for is new medication and thats that!


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

QUESTION: kk a few things:
-Demi is 2 months older then when I bought him, and im not sure how old they have to be to be sold
-He's no longer lazy once I take him out of the cage, he's ACTIVE during playtime, but LAZY when in the cage
-He's eating and drinking normally
-porphyrin is only caked on nose once in a while after he was sleeping
-only concern is laziness while in cage and sneezing. im not too positive what congestion sounds like perhaps thats the problem

Answer
You would hear the congestion in his nose or chest and it sounds like when we have a cold or cough and you can hear the mucus when he breathes.
The sneezing doesn't bother me so much because rats all sneeze some more than others. He is eating and drinking ok and energetic when he is out playing which are all good signs. The extra porphyrin is acceptable when it accumulates during a slumber much like when see whe we sleep we end up with a bit of mucus in the morning to much like the rats.
Ask yourself if you think there is a problem. Being lazy in the cage is normal since it sounds like you give him some god playtime out. This will tire him out and make him want to rest once he is in his cage.

As for how old the rats are when sold, it varies. Usually rats are taken from mom around 5 weeks old but they may not be sold for a few months while at the store so it depends.