respitory infection

Question
I have two pets rats one is older than the other. Both of them are fmale. Latte the older one I think might have a respitory infection. She snezzes alot and when she does and I look at her nose it looks like she sneezed up blood, kinda like mucas. And I have noticed that her eyes are a bit red like she might hav strached herself by or near her eye. Her breathing is fine and she doesnt seem o be in pain. But I am still very worried. We use Aspen bedding which I am told is the best to ues and there food is Premium Menu from Vitakraft, we also use liquid Multi-Vitamins that is put in there water everyday. Thoe they live in a tank (a huge aqurium) we clean there cage out every weekend or every 2-3 days the also get fresh water everyday as well. They do get the the rare treat every now and then like grapes and carrots and apples and stuff that they are allowd to have tho I dont think that it is there food that is causing her to have these symptoms....and I cant find a vet in my area to take her too...a vet that deals with small animals. Any information and any help that you can give me is great.

Thanks a bunch!

Answer
Sneezing is normal for rats, this is how they clear out their respiratory tract... The red stuff that you are seeing is called Porphyrin. It's a substance secreted by the Harderian glad. It shows up around the eyes and nose. It's secreted in very small amounts normally and washes away with regular grooming. When a rat is stressed or ill, they will produce excess of it and will tend not to wash it away (just from feeling icky)... While her breathing may not be labored this still could be the first signs of a respiratory infection. The best thing to do is get her in to a vet that can put her on antibiotics. As a last resort you could take her in to a normal everyday vet that just deals with cats and dogs. The other expert on here, Sandra Todd- would be able to give you TONS of advice on medications, treatments, and things the vet will need to know, you could just print it all out and give it to the vet as a guide if they are unfamiliar with rats.

Also, as a precaution I would recommend giving both of your girls Echinacea. What this is, is a natural herbal supplement for people. You can buy it quite cheap at any walmart. It's meant to boost the immune system. Take 1 jar of #1 baby food (my rats prefer sweet potato or carrot) and some baby oatmeal, mix it together so that its not runny but not dry either. Then mix in 1 capsule of Echinacea and spoon feed it to your rats. They will LOVE it, trust me :) And it will help boost their immune system and keep them from getting ill, or help them to fight off the infection with their own bodies. This shouldn't be the ONLY treatment a sick rattie gets though...

Also, you are able to give your rats veggies on a daily basis, it's good for them. Try green beans, carrots, green bell pepper, romaine lettuce, turnip greens ect...

My rats also love bananas and apples.

Good luck and please don't forget to rate my answer when you are finished. I hope I was able to give you some good advice! :)