How do I know if its normal

Question
I've had Bella, a female rat, for about 2 weeks now, and she's been sneezing off and on since I got her.  I've been reading up on upper respitory disease in rats and I've been keeping a close eye on her. I phoned a vet and they told me to clean her face with a warm wash cloth twice a day, which I've been doing.  Today I came home and I noticed she had a bit of what looked like " sleep " ( like we get in the corners of our eyes.  She doesn't have red around her nose, and its not much around her eyes. I cleaned her with a wash cloth and its gone.  She was making wierd sounds after I brought her out of the cage..almost like hicups. She also grinds her teeth alot. I'm just concerned because my old rat that I had for 3 years, she never sneezed, and this one does it alot.  Thanks

Answer
Hi Jenn

Sorry this took so long to answer. I found it floating around in the space where messages go that are not addressed to any expert specifically so they do not get answered fast.

Anyhow, about Bella. First of all, the tooth grinding? You must really be making her happy because what she is doing is called bruxing and this means she is very very content and happy. Also sometimes with bruxing you may even notice her eyes vibrate when her teeth grind. This is also a sign of being content and very happy too. Also, bruxing is the rats natural way to keep her teeth grounded down since they grow continuously. People think they need to provide the rat with a special chewing tool for this reason but again, bruxing takes care of that, too!

As for sneezing, what does the vet think wiping the rats face with a warm wash cloth is going to do for sneezing? Just to clear the eyes and nose perhaps? If you notice the red porphyrin around both eyes and nose, this could indicate stress due to illness or simply from a change in environment or loss of a cagemate etc...but a little bit of it around the nose when they first wake up is normal. Many people think it is blood that they see but its not blood. Also, if she is eating and full of energy I wouldn't worry. Sneezing is part of being a new baby rat  in a new home because they use their nose for alot of things, thus in return, they inhale lots of dust and debris they end up sneezing out. Also you may notice your young rat sneezes more when you hold her and get her all excited, the rats histamine levels rise due to excitement which in turn cause sneezing...once the stimuli is removed, sneezing subsides.
Also, your older rat may not have had allergies and this baby may. Some rats cant handle certain beddings such as care fresh and of course pine and cedar are not good to use no matter how you slice it.
The weird sounds she makes that sounds like hiccups are hiccups more than likely. Rats hiccup pretty often and it alarms some people thinking the rat is having some odd spasmodic seizure. They sit, often in one spot, and make a repetitive motion like they are having a spasm, and sometimes a weird little squeaking sound comes out too....and it looks like hiccups but people don't realize that rats  have them....but now  you know they do too! :-)

Hopefully this has helped you some. Just remember, as long as she is eating and playing and full of energy and doing all her normal things she does, the sneezing will go away as she gets older. If you notice any congestion in her chest or  even in her nasal passages and she seems lifeless and tired.....I would call the vet. Which reminds me, do you have a vet for the rats?  If not,  I can help you find one if you let me know your location and the cities that surround you.

regards

Sandra