My rat is skinny, hiccuping, and has mushy stool. Is it Mycoplasma?

Hello. It sounds like Yuki would benefit from the antibiotics, too. Baytril is a very good, broad spectrum medication. Ask your vet if you can start giving Yuki the medication. The unknown here is whether this is viral or bacterial, or if this is even something more insidious like a fungal infection or even cancer. You might try some steam therapy or nebulization with saline. The next step would be to obtain chest x-rays to evaluate what is actually going on in the lungs. A change in antibiotics is a possibility & I would recommend Doxycycline possibly with the addition of azithromycin, & especially for Dambo, you might need to add theophylline to open up the respiratory passages. Personally, I would try to stay away from steroids for now. Contact your veterinarian to discuss what other options are available for your little pets. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. It is possible that Lucius has a respiratory infection, which are quite common in rats. He should see a veterinarian & started on antibiotics, & anti-inflammatories. I may also include some neubulization to help break-up respiratory secretions, but do have him seen soon so the proper treatment can be started. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for reaching out about Gerat. The most likely cause is mycoplasma, which is a bacteria problem. Antibiotics can often improve clinical signs, but often is not curable, so this could be an on-again/off-again problem. A veterinary visit is required to prescribe to appropriate antibiotics. The website for the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians (AEMV.org) might help you find a vet. Stress is often associated so review diet and husbandry and correct problems. Good luck.

It sounds from your description like he might have an upper respiratory infection or possibly even pneumonia. I would encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. In the meantime clean the cage so the ammonia from the urine doesn’t irritate the respiratory tract. When older rats get respiratory disease it can be life threatening. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Unfortunately your rat will most likely need antibiotics to help him get over his upper respiratory tract infection and you will need a prescription from your vet for this. It is important to treat this type of issue early so the infection does not spread to the lungs and cause pneumonia. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Rodney is probably suffering from a respiratory infection, many rats are infected with a bacteria called mycoplasma that is causing this condition. you will need to take him to the vet in order to get it treated, a course of special antibiotic will be prescribed for 3 weeks.

Thanks for reaching out about Bob. The most common cause of respiratory problems in rats are mycoplasma. Response to oral antibiotics is fairly good, but often difficult to totally clear with potential relapses. But treatments often improve quality of life. You would have to contact the local veterinarian for experience. Good luck.