New rats and one is sick. [Archive] - Rat Forum

: New rats and one is sick.



CCMom
06-03-2012, 05:33 PM
I have posted some of this in other places, sorry if you are seeing a repeat.

We adopted 2 rats on Friday. Both seemed healthy, happy, etc. Once home we realized one was limping. Then noticed that his foot was sore because of a bite from a fight with a former cage mate (which I knew about). I put Neosporin on his foot, then held him for a few minutes so he wouldn't lick it off. He has stopped limping. But as the days have gone on he is seeming more and more lethargic. not really moving around the cage except to get water and cuddle with his brother. His eyes don't seem bright, they are a little crusty, his breathing seems more labored than his brother and he isn't eating much. He will let us pick him up and hold him, so we've been doing that a lot to comfort him. He has a vet appointment tomorrow, so hopefully it's a simple fix. Infection from the bite? Any ideas on what else it might be? He is 5 months old and we rescued him from a place that came recommended and seemed like a good place.

It's such a bummer because these are our first rats at home and my son's classroom just lost 2 rats. I'm really hoping it's just something that we can give him antibiotics for.

RatzRUs
06-03-2012, 07:13 PM
What did the vet say?

CCMom
06-03-2012, 07:27 PM
What did the vet say? Our appointment isn't until 11am tomorrow.

CCMom
06-04-2012, 03:45 PM
Update:
Vet found another scab near his groin. He did think his breathing was fast, but his lungs sounded pretty clear and his heart sounded good. He gave him an antibiotic in case one of his bite wounds is getting infected or if he's fighting off a respiratory bug or something. It's a 2 week course, so we'll see how he does. But I noticed he had raspberry juice on his feet today, so he must have eaten some of the raspberry I put in the cage this morning. :)