health

I can't begin to cover every aspect of the health of your pet rats here, but I have attempted to cover the most common afflictions that you may come across, this information is intended as a guide only and if your rat does seem to be under the weather, the best advice is to go and see a vet.

"SNUFFLES"

This is the ailment that you are most likely to encounter with your rats, although the description does not really identify any one respiratory problem. Most of these do not prove fatal, however, but they can lead to pneumonia if they remain unchecked-so at the first sign of any symptoms, consult a vet. It isn't all doom and gloom though, as the fact that your rat is sneezing and producing a discharge may well be an iritation caused by fine sawdust - the easiest way to check this is to replace the sawdust with something that isn't as fine.

The "snuffles" that sends a shiver down the spine of any rat owner is bacterial, and causes the rat to wheeze, which may be the first signs of a chest or sinus infection - this can lead to pneumonia and requires a trip to the vet, where an antibiotic may be administrated.

TUMOURS

Rats tend to suffer from these quite frequently, normally when they get older. As with human tumours, they can either be benign or malignant, a benign tumour can normally be detected by putting your fingers around it, if it appears "free"and is soft, then it most probably a benign tumour which is mostly harmless - however, if they continue to grow, they can cause discomfort to the rat, and should be removed by your vet. A malignant tumour will be hard to the touch and will appear "attached", they also grow at a faster rate than benign tumours, and unfortunately are cancerous, which means that removing them isn't really an option, as the underlying cancer may well already have affected the rat, if this is the case, please see your vet. As these tumours can be genetic, it is best not to breed from an affected rat.

COLDS

Yep, rats get them, and the hate them too!. As you and I do, a rat with a cold will sit hunched in a corner, looking very sorry for itself, there may also be discharge from the nose and eyes, which will have a red colouration - this is not blood but the colour of mucus in rats. Keep an infected rat away from any others, in a seperate cage, and in a warmer environment, give it plenty of liquids and extra food to help it combat the infection and above all else, catch the cold early - before it takes a hold and turns into pneumonia.

SORES

Sores can also occur quite commonly on rats, and can be caused by numerous things including mites. If your rat has a bald patch which seems to seep, and the rat is constantly scratching, the vet can provide you with a shampoo, and in the case of mites, an injection to kill the mites. Sores can be treated very effectively and will disappear quite quickly with the proper treatment.

These are but a few a the little problems you may encounter, but don't think that rats are sickly animals, they are in fact, quite the opposite, and I have known plenty of rats in the past live to a ripe old age without any signs of illness. To cover this subject properly would take more room than I have available, and there is no substitute for a good book on the subject (see the links page for my recommendation). With proper care and attention, your rats can enjoy life to the full, and will enrich your life in the process.



		I can't begin to cover every aspect of the health of your pet rats here, but I have attempted to cover the most common afflictions that you may come across, this information is intended as a guide only and if your rat does seem to be under the weather, the best advice is to go and see a vet.
		"SNUFFLES" This is the ailment that you are most likely to encounter with your rats, although the description does not really identify any one respiratory problem. Most of these do not prove fatal, however, but they can lead to pneumonia if they remain unchecked-so at the first sign of any symptoms, consult a vet. It isn't all doom and gloom though, as the fact that your rat is sneezing and producing a discharge may well be an iritation caused by fine sawdust - the easiest way to check this is to replace the sawdust with something that isn't as fine. The "snuffles" that sends a shiver down the spine of any rat owner is bacterial, and causes the rat to wheeze, which may be the first signs of a chest or sinus infection - this can lead to pneumonia and requires a trip to the vet, where an antibiotic may be administrated. TUMOURS Rats tend to suffer from these quite frequently, normally when they get older. As with human tumours, they can either be benign or malignant, a benign tumour can normally be detected by putting your fingers around it, if it appears "free"and is soft, then it most probably a benign tumour which is mostly harmless - however, if they continue to grow, they can cause discomfort to the rat, and should be removed by your vet. A malignant tumour will be hard to the touch and will appear "attached", they also grow at a faster rate than benign tumours, and unfortunately are cancerous, which means that removing them isn't really an option, as the underlying cancer may well already have affected the rat, if this is the case, please see your vet. As these tumours can be genetic, it is best not to breed from an affected rat. COLDS Yep, rats get them, and the hate them too!. As you and I do, a rat with a cold will sit hunched in a corner, looking very sorry for itself, there may also be discharge from the nose and eyes, which will have a red colouration - this is not blood but the colour of mucus in rats. Keep an infected rat away from any others, in a seperate cage, and in a warmer environment, give it plenty of liquids and extra food to help it combat the infection and above all else, catch the cold early - before it takes a hold and turns into pneumonia. SORES Sores can also occur quite commonly on rats, and can be caused by numerous things including mites. If your rat has a bald patch which seems to seep, and the rat is constantly scratching, the vet can provide you with a shampoo, and in the case of mites, an injection to kill the mites. Sores can be treated very effectively and will disappear quite quickly with the proper treatment. These are but a few a the little problems you may encounter, but don't think that rats are sickly animals, they are in fact, quite the opposite, and I have known plenty of rats in the past live to a ripe old age without any signs of illness. To cover this subject properly would take more room than I have available, and there is no substitute for a good book on the subject (see the links page for my recommendation). With proper care and attention, your rats can enjoy life to the full, and will enrich your life in the process.