# can anyone help



## donna.n (Apr 22, 2011)

My female rat started sneezin the day I got her home, I changed the bedding, and I've been out for a couple of hours and shes making noises. 

When she sneezes she makes other noises. She hasnt got anything coming out of her nose or anythin round her eyes. Shes eating and drinkin alright. 

I'm just abit concerned about her and cos of the time the vets are closed.


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## Yorkshire_Rose (Aug 5, 2009)

Best thing to do is get her to Vets first thing in the morning.

What type of bedding were you using and what are you using now.

When did you get her? holw old is she and is she in with any other rats.


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## Snippet (Apr 14, 2011)

Are the other noises hooting or chirping type sounds? I'm going to guess that she has a respiratory infection. She doesn't need to see the vet at this very moment in time, but I'd get her seen tomorrow or saturday if at all possible. Rats with respiratory infections can go down him very quickly.

You will probably be given baytril if she does have a respiratory infection. This should be given at the dose of 0.1ml per 100g or body weight for at least 2 weeks.


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## donna.n (Apr 22, 2011)

The beddin they first had was like saw dust. But then I changed it to care fresh. She's not making them sort of noises.

We got her on Tuesday and she's 5 weeks old. She seems normal in herself its just the noises that are making me worried.


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## manic rose (Mar 12, 2011)

do you have other rats with her? if so are they sneezing as well?


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## LostGirl (Jan 16, 2009)

wow she must be tiny! the lady im getting mine off want rehome till 8 weeks although we let her regulars if indroducing at 6-7 weeks

i would take her in the morning, hope shes ok x


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## donna.n (Apr 22, 2011)

she has got another female rat in the cage with her but shes not sneezin or making any of the noises. 

Ive just tried ringin the vets but their closed. I'm really worried about her. Dont think Il be sleeping tonight.


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## manic rose (Mar 12, 2011)

donna.n said:


> she has got another female rat in the cage with her but shes not sneezin or making any of the noises.
> 
> Ive just tried ringin the vets but their closed. I'm really worried about her. Dont think Il be sleeping tonight.


it might just be her adjusting to her new home. Cooper sneezed for a couple of days after first got him whereas the others were fine. cleared up after a couple of days and now the little guy is fine :001_smile:


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## Snippet (Apr 14, 2011)

Some people find that their rats have breathing issues when kept on carefresh as it can be dusty.


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## donna.n (Apr 22, 2011)

im gunna try and get her in the vets tomoro morning. I'm really worried about her to the point where I feel sick. I just want to know whats up with her.


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## donna.n (Apr 22, 2011)

Snippett - the bloke I spoke to at [email protected] this mornin said he uses it and its only dusty when you put it and after its settled its ok. He uses them on his rats and they love it. As soon as I put it in this morning they seemed happier. 

But then when me and my hubby got back just after 8 this evenin mine was makin wierd noises. Shes not doin now as shes asleep. But wat gets me is her sister isnt doin it and they came from the same place. Which has confused me even more.


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## Snippet (Apr 14, 2011)

It is safe to use carefresh for rats, but it is dusty and expensive. When I used to use carefresh it would irritate my chest for a few days after puttiing it in the cage. If it affects me so badly then I don't want to know how if affects my girls. And it is stupidly expensive! I buy a 20kg bale of shredded card for my girls, and it only costs £6.


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## donna.n (Apr 22, 2011)

My hubby has said about getting a shredder and either some paper or card and using that. I've added a friend on Facebook who gets her rats from where I got mine from and she suggested getting my one to the vets. So gunna do that in the morning.


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## Yorkshire_Rose (Aug 5, 2009)

5 Week is way too young in my own opinion, I like most breeder wont allow any rat go until they are at least 8 week and sometimes ( well most of the time, i let them go older ).

She could be stressed, Id still get her to the vets though to be on the safe side. Get some lactol puppy milk replacement and have 2 bottles 1 for water and one with the milk, You'll need to replace the milk everyday like the water ( i changed the milk twice a day). Plenty of soft protein rich food as well.

Personally i get some finacard or other cardboard type bedding, If you have access to a car and there is a horse supplier shop near you they should sell it. You can get bales of it ( if you have the space for one ) a bale will last you a while if you only have the 2.

Quick google search.

Never heard of these.
Horse Mania
307 Barnsley Road
Cudworth, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S72 8SY
01226 712 156
These havent got a website so best phone them first and see if they stock it.

Places that i use and have used both deliver too and both stock cardboard bedding.

Crowthers of Wakefield
http://crowtherswakefield.com/
39, Oakenshaw Lane, Crofton, Wakefield, West Yorkshire WF4 1SE
Tel: 01924 255185

10 Miles away from barnsley.

http://www.burnhillequestrian.com/ContentView.aspx?ContentID=14
Burnhill Feeds & Equestrian
Unit C
Cartwright Street, Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire BD19 5LY
01274 872 423

just under 20 miles from Barnsley, these ones ive currently using.


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## donna.n (Apr 22, 2011)

Thanks for that. Ive got her in the vets for 3 this afternoon. I've had a look on the web for signs of resp disease and she hasn't got any of the symptoms. Which has left me totally confused. She's fast asleep at the moment. She's fine in her self.


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

donna.n said:


> Thanks for that. Ive got her in the vets for 3 this afternoon. I've had a look on the web for signs of resp disease and she hasn't got any of the symptoms. Which has left me totally confused. She's fast asleep at the moment. She's fine in her self.


Just to add...make sure the vet is an exotics/rodent specialist...most vets don't have a clue about anything that isn't a dog or cat. I took a hamster to one vet who offered to put him down. I questioned it and she referred me to an exotics vet...who gave him some cream which worked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## donna.n (Apr 22, 2011)

When I foned the vet this morning the receptionist did say that they had an exotic pet specialist so we should be seeing that one.


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## manic rose (Mar 12, 2011)

how is she?


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## owieprone (Nov 6, 2008)

donna.n said:


> My hubby has said about getting a shredder and either some paper or card and using that. I've added a friend on Facebook who gets her rats from where I got mine from and she suggested getting my one to the vets. So gunna do that in the morning.


be careful with using home shredded stuff, as the edges can be quite sharp, most bought stuff has soft edges that won't cause paper cuts or irritate the soft tissues and eyes.

I used to get shredded bog paper type stuff from petscorner for about a tenner a bag (medium bin bag size), soft, not very dusty and the ratslove it, it also absorbes pee and pee smell really well. 
[email protected] have something similar but are in small bags and cost a fortune, check out your local garden centres as they will generallyhave the large bags of it in their pet areas.

you can also use biocatolet (paper pellet cat litter) but it's not very snuggly, good for poo trays tho.


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## Snippet (Apr 14, 2011)

owieprone said:


> you can also use biocatolet (paper pellet cat litter) but it's not very snuggly, good for poo trays tho.


BioCatOlet should not be used for rats. It is scented which can irritate the rat's respiratory tract just as much as the phenols from shavings. If you wanted to use paper pellets in the litter tray then you should use something that is 100% paper AND non scented. Paperlit pellets from finacard are good.


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## owieprone (Nov 6, 2008)

Snippet said:


> BioCatOlet should not be used for rats. It is scented which can irritate the rat's respiratory tract just as much as the phenols from shavings. If you wanted to use paper pellets in the litter tray then you should use something that is 100% paper AND non scented. Paperlit pellets from finacard are good.


is it? i've never noticed a scent on it and it doesn't mention one.

folk on fancy rats use it all the time, that's where i got the idea.


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## Snippet (Apr 14, 2011)

owieprone said:


> is it? i've never noticed a scent on it and it doesn't mention one.
> 
> folk on fancy rats use it all the time, that's where i got the idea.


Here's a link for you. It's in the products review section on Fancy Rats, and they're saying it's scented. I wouldn't know if it did or not as I have no sense of smell, but a lot of people on FR will not use it because it's scented.


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## Snippet (Apr 14, 2011)

And here is the link to the Boicatolet website which says that it has 'Built in winter and summer perfumes'.


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## owieprone (Nov 6, 2008)

what the hell is a winter and summer perfume?? 

i've emailed them to ask.


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## manic rose (Mar 12, 2011)

owieprone said:


> what the hell is a winter and summer perfume??


:blink:errr.....I have no idea but will be interested to know if they respond!


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## owieprone (Nov 6, 2008)

i've had a reply 

Lesley
The perfume is used to mask the smell for the cat using the litter tray.

The 2 perfumes as we call them are both veg /fruit based.

The volume of perfume is 5lt to 5000lt of water it will not harm pets

Come back if you have any concerns or give me a call
01296714000

Kind Regards
David Carr
Midas Products
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as he's technically saying it's not a 'perfume' in the proper sense but a fruit based masking 'chemical' mixture, and at that v/v concentration there is no danger to rats, even if it contained phenols or other rat no-nos it would be at a trace amount close to what they would encounter in nature anyway.

so it is safe for use with rats.


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

owieprone said:


> i've had a reply
> 
> Lesley
> The perfume is used to mask the smell for the cat using the litter tray.
> ...


I remember when I first joined FR a couple of years ago that some people on there used Biocatolet but then they changed the recipe & started using these perfumy things so it became a no-no. I'd rather not risk it, just in case, I've got some quite wheezy girls & one wheezy boy to worry about


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## owieprone (Nov 6, 2008)

simply, it's like those 'medicines' you get from certain practitioners.. where the 'medication' is watered down to 0.00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001% so that it won't cause the sufferer a reaction..which is the same as drinking water from the tap.



the chances of the fragrances they use having anything potentially bad at toxic levels or that are bioaccumulative are negligable (anything bioaccumulative wouldn't be allowed in by EU/brit law for a start)

0.005ml to 5 litres of water v/v concentration put in i'd challenge anyone to notice that much orange juice smell in water a straight swap test. it would include using a pipette to introduce the amount of juice to 5 litres. (someone good at science maths make sure i've got the concentration right will you? i'm not sure if it's 0.005 or 0.005ml for 5L, dsycalculic and not done this for 6 years doesn't help.)


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