General supplements/vitamins/food

Question
What supplements can give to my rat? As well as vitamins? I want these to help boost emune system and overall health, anything that i may have in the house?

Also i found out that pine and cedar bedding is not ideal for rats, so i put her on newspaper instead (actually glossed advertisments) Is that ok? Or would you suggest something else? She has tissue bedding (in her little hamock :)  ) also.

She is:

Female

Aprox 6 - 9 months old

mild sypmtoms of the mycoplasm (sp?)
Light sneezing
Purple substance i only see 3X a month around her nose

N.B
I live in a very small town, only two animal vets, and one will not see my rat. The other costs alot ($50 just to get an appointment) This is why iam seeking natural foods/herbs to help ease the symptoms and boost emune system. I will be moving to a very large city in 5 months and vets that specializes in rats, so i will take her there.

Thank you for your time

Answer
Hi Kerry

First of all, about the cedar and pine. You probably found out the these soft wood beddings are bad for rats and here is why: The phenol oils are toxic and cause respiratory problems and liver damage in older rats not to mention they can contribute to some forms of cancers as well. You want litter/bedding that doesn't contain phenol oils and isn't dusty.
Carefresh is popular although I find it to be a bit dusty. You can freeze it for 24 hours first and use it. This helps control any parasites that may have gotten in the litter which is common. It also cuts back on the dust since its frozen.   I use aspen which is a wood bedding as well but it doesn't contain phenol oils.
Yesterdays news is also good. Newspapers, as long as the ink is soy based which usually it is, wont absorb urine well so thats not real good but for an emergency its fine. You can line the floor of the cage with it to protect feet from the bars too but they may find its fun to rip up and  tear the cage up right away!  LOL

They are also a snap to litter train. You simply line the cage with newspaper or plastic needlepoint canvas or even fabric such as flannel or fleece that wont fray, or leave it bare if the bottom is plastic, and do not put the litter anywhere in the cage bottom other than in the litter box. You can use anything for now like a shoe box with a door cut in, leaving about 2 inches or more at the bottom of the door so they don't kick it out. Put their poops that you find around the cage into the litter box....eventually they will get the point!

As for keeping them healthy...besides vitamin supplements they do need a good diet and of course proper husbandry, which includes keeping the litter free from urine build up, avoid dusty litters/bedding,  be sure the rat has a diet low in protein and fats, and gets plenty of playtime and attention outside the cage from you. These things along with supplements will help your rat be healthy.

Echinacea is commonly used as a supplement to stimulate the immune system of the body but it should never be used in place of an antibiotic.  The warnings for the use of echinacea is that it should not be used together when using steroids  such as dexamethasone, prednisone, prednisolone, methylprednisolone, hydrocortisone as this could interfere with its use and alter its effects!

There are other things out there used to treat medical ailments but there is no medical proof they work :

Goldenseal:  Goldenseal is supposed to be a natural antibiotic although no real evidence exists to back this claim. It is also used   for sedation.
WARNING: Goldenseal remains to be evaluated by the FDA for safety and    effectiveness so I would proceed with caution on this one.

Grapefruit Seed Extract: Used as an antiseptic solution. WARNING: Never let this take the place of antibiotics or antibiotic ointments when warranted.

Glucosamine:  Is believed to help bones and joints when arthritis is present.  
 
Dangerous side effects: decreased platelet (blood clotting cell) function.

I don't regularly use these products but wanted to be sure I gave you the most accurate information I could find.

Hope this helps!!

Sandra