Principles of Anatomy & Physiology

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Category Archives: Respiratory System Books

My daughters rats develop & then die from respiratory infections over & over again?

I think it’s mycoplasmosis. The background is that we bought her two female rats from Petco & they lived about a year; dying of the respiratory infection that our local vet who didn’t want to treat them & didn’t really know other than what a text book told her said was what I figured from reading online, it was micoplasmosis or maybe pneumonia.

After they died, we disinfected the cage with bleach water & a scrub brush, cleaned all the peripherals the same way (wheel, water bottle etc.) put in fresh bedding (paper type) & bought two more. Within a week one was dead & the other sounded bad & had the death rattle. We took them back to Petco & went to a small independent pet shop in another town & bought two more. We disinfected again & put the new rats in, again two weeks have passed & one of the babies is dead & the other has the death rattle but so far is still hanging in there.

My question is….WTH are we missing? Where is this virus/bacteria hiding? Are we just getting rats that are already sick or is this bug in our A/C system, daughters comforter, carpeting etc.?

It’s breaking my heart to see my daughter sad & we have no reliable local vet that will treat a rat; (the first two cost us to treat & they only lived a week after their antibiotics were gone.)

Any advice that can help me?
ADDED DETAILS – we use a large wire cage & it was rinsed outside, in the sun with a high pressure hose & left to dry. (I.E. I know for a fact the bleach cleaning isn’t the cause)

The rats seemed healthy when purchased, active, clear eyes etc.

We have no local vet that will see rats, closest one is an hour drive away & we also have no local ratteries that I have found. I live in central Arkansas; if anyone knows of a breeder in the area let me know.
EDIT – not trying to confuse anyone but the ONE local vet that saw the first two rats only did it because my daughter was crying & I was pretty much demanding they sell me the antibiotics if they wouldn’t see the animals. She saw them (due to legal issues obviously) & sold the antibiotics but she wouldn’t do it again.

Exactly how bad for small pets is cedar bedding, really?

I’ve read a lot of books for small pet care that mentioned cedar bedding is harmful for small pets. Now, before my family and I knew any better I had a little hamster who almost always had cedar bedding in her cage and she lived for about 3 and half years before dieing of old age. I’ve been steering clear of cedar and pine bedding for my small pets for quite a while now, just to be on the safe side, but I’m just wondering what exactly happens to an animal’s respiratory system when exposed to cedar? How long does it normally take to have a significant effect on their health?
Just wondering.

Okay here is my letter to dad to let me get 2 female rats :)?

**DO NOT READ IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE TIME OR PATIENCE **

Tell if I need to change things , delete things , add things , anything .
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Dear Pappy ( pronounced Pah- Pee Im not putting this in the letter lol) ,

I know that I am ready and responsible enough to take care of two female rats , from the day I get them to the day they die they are mine . I am the one to clean the cage , play with them , feed and give water to them . I am the only one who is responsible for them . I am very logical when it comes to rats , I am not one of those little girls who want something just because its cute or cool . I am ready for one , I know .

I’ve been researching for the past 3 months , every single day searching and searching endless hours of trying to get every single rat information I can . I want to be the best mom to them I ever can , I want them to be the happiest rats in the USA . I have also been looking for books about them in my school library but unfortunately , I have found none . I have also been trying my best to please you and mom , doing my chores , doing what she says with no sigh or groan , and of course doing my best with Cami ( my dog ) . Mom doesn’t have to tell me to do anything with him , I always do it on my own , same with chores , yes , yesterday mom did tell me to clean my room , but that was once and was me being forgetful . I have been getting good grades so far this semester , I am trying way harder than last semester , so you can be proud and think ” Wow , what a smart daughter I have ! ” . This year is defiantly harder that last .

I may have told you this a few times but rats , Fancy Rats , are domesticated . People would never pick a rat from the street , and then sell it or breed it . That is utterly disgusting . Mainly because wild rats are disgusting . Plus , no one I know has the guts to approach a wild rat either :) Fancy Rats are rodents as you may know. Many people have rats , and simply adore them , mostly because they’re so much of the opposite of wild rats , clean , gentle , respect their space , adoring , adorable , never bite , and don’t destroy your house as you think they would , sweet , smart , soft , playful , cuddly , and just awesome little fella’s .

Rats need to be out of their cage , playing with you for at least an hour a day . Rat’s cages need to be cleaned at least once every week , or else they will get smelly . Speaking of smelly rats do not smell . Once again they are very clean and are the cleanest of all pet rodents . They like to poop/pee in one specific corner of the cage so they won’t step or drag their tails in it . They spend almost all their time just grooming and cleaning themselves when they are not playing with you . Rats need bedding at the bottom of their cage like any rodent , but they can not have pine or cedar bedding because it is very bad for them and can damage their respiratory system . Rats also need water every day along with food . You can give them almost anything that is fresh except some things aren’t good for them like oranges , and by fresh i mean fruits , veggies , cereal , etc , also rats cannot have dairy product because they are lactose intolerant , shocking huh ? Rat mixes at stores are not good for them , there is only one decent one for them that starts with a M …. Rats tails are made out of skin just like yours , so if you don’t like the tails then you don’t like yourself , because you are made of skin . Their skin is no different from yours .

Pappy , I promise with all my heart to take care of those rats . Of course I know more about them but I didn’t want to clutter the page . I am really trying my hardest to be good and convince you , and I will keep on trying , harder and harder . I hope and pray that you will understand them and that I am not kidding about these rats . I really mean it , and I will not forget about it .

Love , Layla .

P.S. Mom said it’s up to you , if you say yes then she says yes , and Alex ( my brother ) could care less about me getting some .
By out of their cage I mean like in my room …. i have no males ….. neither does anyone else in my town ….
if there are not males then no babies … they aren’t born pregnant …. that would be weird ….
i mean no males

Are you getting rats soon?

Here is some info you need to know
Pine and Cedar should never be used for rats bedding, it hurts their already delicate respiratory system.

Always keep them in at least same sex pairs (or neutered/spayed non sex pairs), sometimes there is one who gets along with no one, but in general rats are very social.

Almost all pet store stuff advertised for rats is bad. For example, run about balls, they are dangerous, and have poor ventilation, and I have never met a rat that went into one without a fight (except when hung up in a cage and used as a bed.

Don’t use an aquarium to house them in — and make sure that the wired cage you buy is the appropriate size for the number of rats you’ll be keeping by using the Cage Calculator –> http://www.ratsrule.com/cagecalc.html.

DON’T feed your rats the seed mix crap that is sold as “rat food” at pet stores. Seed mixes are high in fat, not healthy, and often contain things that rats shouldn’t even have. Also, stay away from Kaytee brand foods.

DO feed your rats a staple of lab blocks ((Mazuri, Oxbow, and Harlan Teklad are good brands)) or a HIGH QUALITY dog food kibble. Dog food should be a formula that is low in protein and fat, such as a senior or light formula. Suppliment with grains, fresh veggies, and fresh fruits.

DON’T use perfumes or sprays near your rats. Use unscented laundry detergent for rat laundry.

I’ll also share what I have learned the hard way….

DO start a vet fund. If you haven’t already got rats yet, keep in mind they aren’t cheap pets. They need vet care just like a dog or cat, but often times it’s more expensive to treat a rat (depending on your area). So be sure to have a ‘Vet Fund’ ready. If you have already gotten your rats, start saving now, and call around and find a vet in your area. It will be so much less stressfull later on.

DON’T go into petstores. Avoid them as much as possible. Petstores often carry sick rats, and you could bring a virus home to your rats. (If you have to go in, wait three hours before returning home.) Also avoid adopting rats from petstores, because they are often sick and/or have parasites.

DO: Quarantine, Quarantine, QUARANTINE.

Get a powder coated cage. Galzanized metal can give your rats zinc posioning!

Make sure you give them plenty of chew things. Their teeth are always growing and need to be ground down. (Plus, if you don’t, they’ll find something ELSE to chew, most likely something you don’t want them gnawing on! )

Find a good rat vet in your area, preferably BEFORE you take your rats home. Be sure the vet is experienced with rats, or extremely willing to learn and do research. Check with your vet about emergency vet clinics that are near to your home, or ask if your vet is on-call during the evenings and weekends. Spend time learning about various common rat illnesses and problems, so that you are not taken too much by surprise if an emergency arises. Knowledge is power and can help to protect your wonderful little rats.

Before you bring your rats home make sure you have:
*A decent sized cage (atleast 18wx30lx24h-bigger is better), proper food(mazuri for young rats and Regal Rat by Oxford for when they’re over 6 months), a variety of cage accessories(hammocks, tubes, tunnels, hidey houses, ect.), bedding(Carefresh prefereably but never pine/cedar), food and water bottles/bowls and fruits and veggies to be given daily. Don’t buy the cheap stuff and say “oh this will be okay for now”.
*Read an assortment of books on rat care and health( Rats by Debbie Ducommun is a good place to start)
*Really thought it through and are willing to care properally for these wonderful animals their whole life(vet visits inluded)

Also be sure to cover all wire mesh levels in the cage as this can lead to sores and injuries for your rat. And lastly, make sure you are able to provide atleast an hour of suprivised free range time for your rats everyday and can interact with them atleast a total of 3 hours a day

A vet fund has to be substantial. It cannot be just a few dollars. It has to be put in place BEFORE you obtain rats. I’m so sick of people coming on here and saying that they just can’t afford vet care. Everyone should be able to afford vet care and that excuse is NEVER good. There’s never a good excuse to not have a vet fund. You need to have money set aside for that, and only that.

when you first get rats, before you ever take them out of the cage make sure they’re in a room without holes or places they can escape through or dangerous things like electrical cords lying around everywhere. Tie the cords up, patch the holes. Accidents happen and I’ve read way too many posts about rats being lost forever and I know how paranoid I am, and how horrifying that must be. So, even if rats aren’t allowed to free range the room they’re in should still be rat proof with no escape routes because accidents happen.

All stuff from

http://www.goosemoose.com/component/option,co

Reading old book Will that casue me illness?

so I am reading in a very old book (20 or 30) years old
do you think it may contain dangerous bactria that may affect my respiratory system

if it does, Would you tell me a good advice to keep reading it with no danger

thanks!
@ karen ? You should’ve smelt the dust coming out of it I kept coughing for half an hour!!

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