Virus??

[Sky14]

Ok I've 2 rats that died in less than a week of each other and they both died in the same way. Gasping for breath, spazims and I need to now what cuased it. One of them had resp infection and they both had lice/mites.

Please help!! Are my other babys in danger? Sky and Bajha had there own cage but it might be airborn.

HELP!!!

[lilspaz68]

Were they older? How long were they ill or had the mites/lice?

How far away is the other cage?

[Sky14]

They were about 2 years old and their cage was on top of the biggest with a smaller cage on top of it.

[Stephanie]

if it was a virus your others may be in danger i would get to a vet if anyone else starts showing any symptoms it sounds like what racked through my boys i lost four of them to it

[Sky14]

What was it? What were the early'est symptoms or signs?

[Stephanie]

i don't know exactly what is was the absolute earliest symptoms were much like a myco flare up. i posted it all on the mites thread and there were some really useful links night put up and it sounded alot like what my boys had so it might be what yours have i would definitely get to a vet asap though if they were kept on top or underneath the other girls then they are definitely at risk if it is an air born virus or disease

[Poppyseed]

TAKE THEM TO THE VET! Please D:

[Night]

Jesus... take them to the vet already!

Did you bring home any new rats lately?

[ladylady]

this is a copy of my reponse to the other thread started the begining of this poor health saga in Sky14s Rats:

Nice one Poppyseed, Ive been reading this and thinking, "surely if your Rat is ill and you can't pay for vets bills there is a charity that will take it on and assess its needs then treat it, manage its comfort levles or put it to sleep?". Neglect is abuse and not following every avenue to get the best for an amimal who has come to depend on you for there almost every need, well...
Imagine you had a dependent relative at home very ill and you couldent afford to treat them, so you kept them at home, not exploring free clinics or anything, giving them soup and cuddles-people go to prison for that sort of thing, if I advocated that kind of thing I could never get my registration.
Alot of people come up againts these kind of problems...its how you react to them.


-What have yo don to improve the health of your rats sice this began?

[Sky14]

I change the cages every 2 days I'm giving them fresh water every 5 hours (except when I'm not there or asleep) and clean the bottle every other time I change it. I've put each one in individuale cages to monitor them individualy and I wash my hands after I touch anything before and after I touch a rat or anything in it's cage and I use a towel when I hold them and a differennt towel for each rat.

How's that?

and if you know of any "free" clinics I can take my rats to in the Santa cruz/watsonville/Scotts valley area in California tell me.