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Question
I recently had one of my rats die (yesterday) and I believe that she may have died from Pneumonia or other lung disease. She was sneezing for a while but I couldn't find a vet that treated rats...when I finally did the only one that could treat her was unable to help because the doctor was out of the office. Anyway her sister, Lightening, has been very lethargic and almost sad every since Thunder died. I am taking her to the vet to have her checked but my concern is that she may die too. There are three other babies I bought a few days before Thunder died and Lightening though she was interested in them before is not interested in anything but being around me. Will she die too? Is she sad? What can I do to help her?

Answer
It's possible that whatever your rat suffered from before she died, your other rat has caught it. The lethargy COULD be depression from losing her friend, but also could be a sign of illness. Their immune systems do put down their defenses when they are depressed as well.

Its also possible that the 3 new rats you brought home could have given Thunder her illness so you need to get them checked out as well. Rats can be sick long before they show symptoms as they are very good at hiding them. This is why quarantining any new rats before introducing them to your current rats is so important.

Did you bury thunder or possibly put her in the freezer? If you froze her you could take her in to the vet for a necropsy and they can figure out what caused her death and in turn be able to treat all of your other rats appropriately.

Good luck with all of your babies and please don't hesitate to contact me again if you need any more help :)