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HELP: Petal has a stuffed up nose... have you dealt with this?
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As regular readers know, I have been new to the rat breathing problem curse. Petal is my seventh rat, but amazingly, the only one with these problems. Up till now it was always in her chest, but last night, all of a sudden, it was a stuffed up nose. I have read that the disease responsible lives in the sinuses, but before yesterday she hasn't shown a problem with her nose before. I read alot about rats sneezing, but I've never heard her sneeze, I've never heard ANY of my rats sneeze, and I'm around them constantly.
At this point her lungs sound clear, only her nose sounds congested. She is breathing through her mouth, and while she looks unhappy about it, she is getting air into her lungs. I have read that a sniffle can quickly develop into pnemonia, so I started her on Baytril this morning, gave her a steam treatment, and echinacea. I am not sure what else to do. She looks so miserable, holding her mouth open and sort of panting, and she's been “frantic”, jumping all over on me, wanting held, but trying to get up as high as she can. Reminds me of myself as an asthmatic kid, I did the same thing. She tends to get all hyper and nearly hyperventilates when she gets scared, is this typical rat behaviour? She's just a scared little girl, she doesn't know what is going on. She rested with her mouth closed for hours today, but is back to the panting thing. Right now she is in a wire cage with her sissy, and resting on her fleece blankie. It is warm today, so she isn't chilly.
Any advice or observations? It is hard. I know she may be a chronically ill rattie, but I try to do what I can. It was very upsetting when my father basically said she was dying after being a weak sickly rattie, and I shouldn't hope for her getting better. The truth is, she has this thing, like ratties do... but she's been GENERALLY o.k., lungs clear, eating, playing, being herself. I know her situation isn't unusual in the rat world... it just bothered me so much to have her dismissed.
Originally posted at 9:45PM, 12 April 2008 PDT
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misspattycake edited this topic 50 months ago.
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In my experience, usually a stuffed nose is a precursor to congestion in the lungs. But sometimes, it's just a nasal congestion. If a rat isn't on any other stimulants and their lungs sound clear, I sometimes will try children's liquid decongestant for a day or two, depending on their size, .15-.2cc twice a day. If it doesn't clear up, I call the vet.
Posted 50 months ago.
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All of my group , I started with 6, had mycoplasma. I now only have 3 left and their health is terrible. None of them started with stuffy noses.
What I did notice was an increase in the rust colored discharge on their noses which they would wipe and get all over their faces...and body. Then the weight loss, distressed breathing and general lethargy.
Antibiotics only helped for a short time and they never fixed the labored breathing. I've only tried to make them comfortable...a warm humidifier with vick s vaporsteam seemed to really help. Along with keeping them in a snuggly environment. And feeding them anything they'll eat to keep their weight up...two of my last three are very very skinny. I give them fresh salad, popcorn, raw corn, rat food, and baby food everyday....but I know what's coming.
Posted 50 months ago.
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I am not sure where my Petal is at on the progression of this thing. She has never had any staining at all her whole life... out of eight ratties over the years, the only time they have had it was at the very end, when within hours of passing.
As of today her lungs are still clear (and I use a stethoscope to listen), and she actually ate some avacado, and hard boiled egg (yolk), and some peanut butter thinned to a paste with water, to not be so sticky, with a smidge of powdered brewer's yeast added. She was later checking out the dish. Her eyes are bright, fur smooth and shiny. Sometimes she has her mouth open, sometimes not. In general, she looks more uncomfortable than laboured. I have seen the laboured look when she had that bad chest congestion in January. Since then she's had a couple of nights when a steaming did the trick, she seems to have a time of it when the weather is cold. I'm a bad asthmatic, and I'd usually be having a hard time on the exact same nights. I suspect the initial bout, her first, scarred her lungs and she has reduced airways. Even normally she breathes deeper, you could say, her sides go in more.
She is about 13 months old, and naturally slim, taking after her delicate looking father, and has lost weight, but has been putting it back on. Her sissy Poppy, who is caged with her, takes after her big strapping mother, and is the picture of perfect health. Her slightly older brother RB is also. They were all pet store rats, and since my son managed the store I know pretty much all about their family, the colony, etc. They were hardy and healthy. While all rats carry it, not every rat develops the debilitating aspects of myco.
It may be “just” a stuffed up nose. I will try a decongestant, as she is not on any stimulants... and stuffiness is her only visible or audible symptom. Thanks for the advice, DM, and Val, for sharing your experiences. All info is useful one way or another. Hope I have a good report to share soon. -Patty
Posted 50 months ago.
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