My rat sneezes :(

Question
Hi Janell,
I just got this young female rat from the local Petco petstore on Tuesday (18th) and she seemed to sneeze a little when I first brought her home but now her sneezing has become even worse. She wheezes and has to sneeze all day long. She seems to act like she doesn't feel good. She seems to still want to eat but when I take her out she just wants to get someplace warm and quite, like underneath my jacket or in my hair and there she will stay.

The poor girl, I feel sorry for her. Can you offer any suggestions? Is there any alternative to seeing the vet? I'm not sure if any of the vets around here are even able to treat my poor rattie.

I haven't named her yet but I'll just give her the nickname "Sweetpea" for now to make it easier.

Sweetpea lives in a 10-gallon tank with pine shavings, water bottle of course, and lab blocks with a little bit of seeds for food. I've been giving her little bits of apples, bread, and crackers and I plan to give her more variety soon.

Her droppings seem normal and her eyes don't seem to be running. I can't tell much by her nose because she wipes her nose all the time with her paws.

The little wheezing noises she makes breaks my heart. I hate to listen to her suffer and be sick.

I greatly appreciate any help you can offer.

Thank you so much and Happy Holidays!!
Susan~

Answer
Susan,
Get your rattie off the pine ASAP!! Pine perpetuates and worsens respiratory problems. If she had any issues before, the oils in the pine only made them worse. Switch her to aspen or a recycled newspaper bedding like Yesterday's News or Carefresh (even cellsorb is ok). No cedar, either, its just as bad as pine.

Boost her vitamin C intake using rosehips, bits of peeled orange, or the all natural vitamin c chewables you can buy at health food stores. Give her a couple days to relax and see if her symptoms go away. If they don't, it was more than just the pine bedding, and she needs to be taken to the vet to get some meds. Baytril and doxycycline combo is usually what most vets will prescribe. Be sure to ask any vet ahead of time if they see rats frequently - just because they claim they will see rats doesn't mean they know anything about them!

Good luck, hope she feels better.