Hi, I got a new pet rat 3 days ago from PetSmart. When I got him they told me "watch out for sneezing". Well as soon as I got him home I noticed that he was sneezing (I never saw him do it at the store). The sneezes were tiny and pretty much soundless, but I'm 99% sure they WERE sneezes, and he was doing it pretty often.
Well today he is still sneezing, but they have come more pronounced, as in, there is no way it could be anything else. Now when he sneezes it makes a sound, kind of like a little squeak.
The thing is, other then this he seems fine. He is eating, drinking, running around and playing, and seems to be adapting to his new environment well (apart from the fact that he is still pretty terrified of me). There is no mucus or anything coming out of his eyes or nose.
Should I be concerned enough to take him to the vet? Honestly, I can't really afford a vet visit already unless it is absolutely necessary. I'm just wondering if he is actually sick or if it's something simpler, like maybe he's stressed from the environment change or maybe he's allergic to the bedding I got him?
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If he IS sick, how urgent would a vet trip be? Does an illness this small normally cure on its own, or could it be fatal to him if I don't get it treated?
Thanks, I'm new at owning a rat so I'm pretty confused!
It sounds as though your rat has an upper respiratory infection. Rats being prey animal will hide all sings of illness until they are in the acute stage and often to late to treat. This is how thy survive in the wild but makes it difficult to get them them medical care in a timely manner. I know when my Hoshi had an URI it was very confusing as he played, ate, slept he was just a happy boy with a case of the sneezes. It took him 8 weeks on antibiotics to completely get well, so i suggest you get your little guy to the vet asap.
Upper respiratory s are not expensive to treat, just the office visit and the cost of the meds which about $ 20.00
The same thing happened when I got my new ratties. I was told that it could take a week or two for them to adjust to their new environment and that if it persists then I should change their bedding to a different type. (I was using "pine" bedding at first.) So I changed to the "paper" type bedding and they quit sneezing altogether . So they may need to adjust or you may need to change the type of bedding you are using. Good luck! Also if you only have one rat then you should really consider getting another one because rats should always be in pairs at least. They will get depressed if alone even if you take them out a lot and spend a lot of time with them. They need another rat.
If possible, I would go to the vet as it is likely a sign of respiratory infection and I wouldn't risk it. The vet can tell you how severe it is but I have read that sneezing is the first sign of respiratory infection which is fatal unless treated early. I think my gerbils had respiratory infection, and they were very ill straight away and die a day or so later.
It is very common for rats to get colds, especially when being introduced to a new home. It sounds to me like he's just getting used to his new bedding and stuff like that. I would give it a few more days. If he's still sneezing, try a different type of bedding for a few days. If the sneezing doesn't stop within a few weeks, or if he has an discharge around his face, I would take him to the vet right away. But I don't think that it's anything but him getting used to his new home. Good luck!
