My pet rat has respiratory infection symptoms. What's wrong?

Thanks for reaching out about Rita. A common respiratory disease in rats is mycoplasmosis, a bacteria-like organism that causes chronic upper and lower respiratory symptoms such as wheezing, sneezing and congestion. Antibiotics can improve condition but might not cure. A veterinary visit is recommended. Good luck.

She is suffering from a respiratory infection caused by a bacteria called mycoplasma, it's very common in rats. you need to take her to the vet urgently in order to get antibiotic treatment, i usually use Zithromax at this age.

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.

Keep them warm and as stress free as possible. Stress can complicate any illness in rats. Use a dust free substrate. Some sneezing is normal and you may see a red tinge (porphyrin staining) which is also normal in small amounts. A URI will likely require antibiotics. Do not give any other medications to your rats without the advice of your veterinarian. Monitor for lethargy, loss of appetite or increased discharge from the eyes nose or mouth. If you see any of these symptoms, have them examined at the nearest veterinary ER. As long as they are behaving and eating normally, you can likely wait until Monday.

He is likely suffering from mycopasma bacterial infection which is very common in rats, you will need to take him to your vet to get an antibiotic prescription, at this young age i usually like to use Zithromax antibiotic.

Hello. Poor Oreo sounds as if she has a pretty severe respiratory infection, very common in young rats. I would suggest having your veterinarian examine her & start an appropriate antibiotic. Waiting could result in permanent lung damage. I hope she is feeling better soon. Take care.

This sign could be compatible with an upper respiratory tract inflammation/infection or eventually to a chronic rhinitis (inflammatory, allergic, infective). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.