Does my rat need to see a vet!?!?! this is urgent!! please i don't know if my rat will die!!! i love my rats!!

I just got two baby dumbo rats. They are still babies and have a bit of growing to do yet.

when i first got them i used aspen shavings. but they kept on sneezing. so i emailed the breeder and she said that she used yesterdays newz shavings so i tried that and the sneezing stopped.

but i just came home today from buying some stuff for my rat at a pet store and i bought them a hat for sleeping in at night. (even though i already have a hidy house, i just love to spoil them) but anyway so i put them in it and they started sneezing again. i took the one that was sneezing the most and she had a bloody nose!!

i put them back in there cage and they were still sneezing!! what should i do!!!

do i need to take them to the vet?

can it make me sick?

for breakfast everyday i feed them:

- broccolie

- crumbled crackers

- carrots

- cucumber

- collie flower

- dried oats

could there food have something to do with it?

please reply asap,

thanks,

charlie

Does my rat need to see a vet!?!?! this is urgent!! please i don't know if my rat will die!!! i love my rats!!
Take them to a vet. Any time that you have a question that states "I dont't know if my ___ will die" you need to not waste time on here and take that animal to a vet. They could be allergic to something, but they could be sick as well. Especially the one with the bloody nose. VET!
Reply:I have two rats, and they sneeze non-stop. But it's not a problem, its just they need to get used to the material. And just make sure you dont feed them anything like: crisps, chips, patatoes or anything like that, as they all have a starch in them which contains acrylamide - which can cause cancer in rats. Give them a bit of time, and if they continuously sneeze for a few days, i would take them to the vet, just to be sure. (: x
Reply:Mycoplasma pneumonia. Do a look up on google. or on www.rmca.org Most Rats sadly have this ailment. You can nurse them back by using Baytril or other antibiotics - but note that they will most likely have this for the rest of their little lives. Nothing you did wrong. I would say yes take them both to the vet. It is highly contagious between rattties. The red is actually more the color of their mucus not really blood. I don't think you can catch it.
Reply:you need to take them to the vet they might have allergies to the food are they might have a cold.
Reply:I agree with rzez. regarding the "bloody nose"

Common sense needs to be used in this situation. The bedding was a problem, so you changed it. The hat was a problem, so don't let them have it. Rats have allergies, just like people, and are sensitive to dust, cleaning products and more.

The diet you have is perfectly fine minus the crackers. Crackers have a lot of salt so I'd take those out of the mix. There's plenty of healthy cereals to feed them.

I also like to spoil my rats but you need to be careful with what you put in their cage.

My rat, Bruce (RIP), LOVED old socks (washed in an allergen free soap) and his rat ball.

New rats also have a hard time adjusting to their new surroundings, like any new pet, and stress can cause sneezing.

Good luck! You seem smart enough to know what's good and bad for them so I'm sure you'll do fine.
Reply:Do not use shavings put paper towel or toilet paper in there cage instead. also take them to the vet. even though it's a simple nose bleed the mouth, nose, throat, and lungs is where you breathe make sure his lungs aren't bleeding but be sure to make sure there ok. and be very careful when you spoil them could cause a problem, only spoil them with rat supplies.
Reply:Yes take them to the vet. I would also call the breeder you got them from and tell her the problem. You should be fine and not get sick but I would ask the vet when you get there. Tell the breeder everything the vet says so she can keep an eye on the other rats. And use something other than wood shavings it's not good for there respiratory system.
Reply:i have been a rat owner for years. my rats sneeze a lot for almost no reason. if they begin to wheeze and stop eating, then they could be developing an infection in their lungs. and as for the "bloody nose" its not blood, it's actually porphyrin. The sneezing is usually a normal reaction to any dust in the hat. good luck!
Reply:I would take them to a vet. The sneezing sounds like Mycoplasma, it is incurable but can be treated. Though it may just be allergies. The "blood" around their nose isn't blood at all but is porphyrin. It is the natural color of tears in rats (don't be alarmed if you see it around their eyes also.) Some rats normally have some of this around their eyes and nose but if you see a sudden increase in the amount of it, you should take them to a vet to make sure they aren't sick. You cannot catch Mycoplasma.



As for their diet, you should also be giving them lab blocks. And be careful of the amount of cucumber you give them, it may be carcinogenic. If the crackers are salted, you shouldn't give them too much.



I suggest you use fabric for the cage liner, felt is best and not very expensive.
Reply:I just read on the internet that baby rats sneeze when they are first born. Go on the link below for more. Also though I do believe that he is sneezing also because of mild respiratory tract irritation from residual effects from the phenol oils in the cedar bedding. The rats nose will be bleeding because of the amount of times he has sneezed.



Yes i strongly recommend you take him/her to the vet, especially because there nose was BLEEDING.



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Reply:It most likely wasnt a bloody nose. 99% sure it wasn't a bloody nose. Rat mucus is red, its called porphyrin. An over production of it usually means respiratory infection, or a myco flare up. I would get them to a vet if they're sneezing that much.



Also, do you feed them anything else other than that list? like, rat food? Those foods are fine for them to have, but they need a quality rat food to get all of their nutrition. Lab blocks are the easiest way to get that. They could be getting irritated by certain things that are introduced into the cage, but porphyrin (the red stuff) and them not cleaning it off isn't a good sign. Make sure you wash everything new that you buy (if you can) before it goes into the cage.
Reply:Your diet is too large. YOu only need carrots and rat food.
Reply:I doubt that they will die. I have 5 rats and have been into rats for nearly 5 years now. Usually what you think is blood that would be coming out of its nose, could be something called porphyrin. It's like their tears, but they are red coloured so people assume that it's blood. I would seriously take out everything from the cage and reintroduce things one at a time. One of my rats sneezes like crazy if I have fleece in his cage. Another does not like carefresh bedding. It makes him sneeze. It's probably just an allergy thing. How about try calling a vet first in the area and ask if they think it's something more. If they think it is, then take them in.
Reply:Hello,

Coming from someone who is a rat keeper for over 10 years you dont need to get these to the vets... My rats sneeze alot infact an awful lot all you need to dois allow them time to adjust to their own surroundings... In infancy which is right up till they are 3 months old they may endure this... Dont use sawdust as it gtives them breathing problems and is harmful to rodents..

Food wise its all ok and nothing bad there rats sneeze alot when they do its something she will adapt to and get easier with



regards



zeo
Reply:I think they're just allergic to the material in the hat. It shouldn't be too serious...

Take the hat away from them, as it seems it's irritating them physically, and contact your vet to see if it could be a more serious problem.



Good luck. I hope everything works out.