[Nazarath]

Two of my fellow rat buddies can't agree on whos right and i'm staying out of it because my opinion is really differen't. They want to know if a shower is safe for your rats as long as the waters a nice temp and you don't step on them. Will the water give them a possible ear infection? (both their rats are water lovers lol really cute!) Help would be great!

 

[Night]

Uh, that would terrify a rat. Don't do it. Even if the rat liked water, showering with them isn't a good idea at all.

If your rat's a little dirty/got into something, give him/her a warm bath.

 

[lilspaz68]

Or you can even wipe them down with a damp cloth, but most dirty rats will clean themselves.

I only bath oldies or rats that have gotten into something, or sickies with a damp cloth. You are chancing them inhaling some water, and they could develop aspiration pneumonia.

 

[fallinstar]

some one on this forum told me as me and roob hadnt bonded properly said to take a shower with him luckly i havent as i was scared of being shredded lol the best way i find is to run a shallow bath say 1inch or 1 and a half inchs and just let the rats paddle in that if they like water if not i get a washing up bowl fill it with warm water and put a drop of lavender oil or vanilla oil in it i sit next to the bowl with a towle on my knee and scoop water in my hand and strock the rats with my wet hand its a lot less stressful this way!

 

[twitch]

showers are fine. i take mine in with me and it doesn't bother them. i find it even helps in bonding. it was theorized that the steam helps calm them just like children and stressed adult humans. i don't have the temperature scalding but it is warm. i don't hold their heads under the water either. we just share the space. if their head doesn't get wet then there is no chance of ear infection or phnueomonia. and even getting a few splashes of water at the bottom of the tub its unlikly any harm would come of it. its not like the droplets are all that strong by the time they reach the bottom of the tub. i've never had a problem with a rat getting sick by sharing a shower with me and i've found they prefer the showers with me when bathing them then a bath on their own

 

[Night]

No, showers are not fine. Steam treatment should happen by turning the shower on, steaming up the bathroom, and sitting with your rat in there (not the shower, just the room). For a rat who's having breathing issues, being in a shower with water pouring on you, is not a good thing. There's no way to accurately tell if there's no water getting into your rat's ears while you're in the shower with them, so ear infections and myco flareups could happen easily.

Fallinstar's method is much, MUCH nicer for the rat.

 

[twitch]

Night- where did you get the information on the shower problems? i don't take rats with breathing issues for baths or showers as i believe the stress of the water isn't something they need to go through. but a healthy rat is fine, they get a bit freaked out in the beginning but the calm down fast enough and can then enjoy their time there. its no worse then giving them a bath on their own. its not like i have the rat on my shoulder getting doused in water as i bathe. we just share the space. there is plenty of room in the tub for the rat walk away from getting doused in water.

 

[hjkaga]

twitch - why would you even take them in the shower if they get freaked out, even if its just in the beginning. That is stress that is not needed. If you want to bond with them then just spend time with them. (outside of the shower) Their is no way that spending time with them in the shower helps you bond better then spending time with them anywhere else. Please stop putting your rats though that stress. As others have stated, you cant be sure that water isnt getting into their ears and that they are not inhaling it too. you just never know. and its better to be safe then sorry.

 

[twitch]

i take my rats out of the cage too and in the beginning they're a bit freaked out but they calm down and then enjoy their time out. and after a time they learn that being out of the cage with me is fine and they want to come out. going in the shower is no different in that respect and that was what i was trying to say in the previous post. as for inhaling water i still say its not more risk then giving them a normal bath on their own. if i could see where this information on ear infections and aspiration pnuemonia is coming from then i might be more willing to accept it. i just want to know where the source of this information is coming from.

 

[hjkaga]

when you give them a regular bath you can hold their head out of the water and be careful to not get water in their face....in a shower you can't help but get water in their face......see my point.

like i said Better Safe Then Sorry!!!!!!!

 

[Night]

Thank you, hjkaga, you're completely right.

 

[Vixie]

I, personally, wouldn't take a shower with them.

Mainly because I've been stressed upon by many owners that even in a 1-inch deep bath you should hold thier head above so as not to get water in their faces or on their head.

I never really knew why but it was re-affirmed in many books(including Debbi Ducommon's book) that getting water in their ears is bad, no matter if their healthy or not. When I take regular baths(which is rare for me) I don't get water in my ears, but in showers I can't help but do so. I have to dribble a little Swimmer's Ear in after each shower.


And the heat may be relaxing, but the steam could be harmful. Ratty nostrils and lungs are tiny, it may be helpful for humans but not for rats. I imagine the water droplets in steam would build up in a ratty nose pretty quickly, causing the ratty to breathe it in(or sneeze it out, both are possible).

I don't reccomend showers for rats based on that information alone, if I had found proof of the mentioned health problems I'd definitely say against it. But I haven't looked up anything yet...which I suggest you do, Twitch, if you really want to know if the problems do occur.

 

[Nazarath]

Thank you all, however why do we have to bash each others ideas and opinions? wasn't this site made so we could share with each other?? some people like dogs and some don't some rats like water and some don't. Why attack Twitchy just because she has differen't ideas to whats in books? We shouldn't attack each other, if you don't agree post why YOU do people are all differen't just like our sweet little ratties!! If our rats saw us being so rude to each other they would be ashamed.

 

[Vixie]

Thank you all, however why do we have to bash each others ideas and opinions? wasn't this site made so we could share with each other?? some people like dogs and some don't some rats like water and some don't. Why attack Twitchy just because she has differen't ideas to whats in books? We shouldn't attack each other, if you don't agree post why YOU do people are all differen't just like our sweet little ratties!! If our rats saw us being so rude to each other they would be ashamed.

I must apologize if I came off as rude, I was hoping I wouldn't..xD

I was just stating my side, the uneducated-but-listening side, really. Didn't know why but I followed it after I found many reputable people saying no to it.

 

[Night]

Because her idea/opinion can make rats sick/get ear infections.

 

[Vixie]

Because her idea/opinion can make rats sick/get ear infections.

That does not, in any way, justify being snobby.

I'll ask, as many others I'm sure will agree, that you only give suggestions not pushy behavior and snide remarks.

After giving your opinion in a positive, well mannered way, if someone wants to mess up, let them, you did what you could.

 

[Night]

I wasn't justifying my snobby-ness. I was simply stating why I disagreed with her. I probably skimmed and Nazarath was actually asking why I was rude, not why I disagreed

 

[Nazarath]

Obviously her rats haven't gotten sick? (hope this never happens) If they get sick then Twitch will know not to shower with them again? We shouldn't act like we know everything, because in fact we don't. I don't know that all of you really have rats just like all of you don't know if i really have rats. Stating an opinion is more than ok, just why do we have to be so aggresive towards each other??

p.s. Vixie I didn't really mean my comment for you, You posted that you had actual facts and explained yourself, You didn't bash anyones fact in. I didn't mean you were rude.

 

[twitch]

no one has directed me to research done though i have asked for it. i will look for myself if there is any proof for or against the harms of showers and/or stream. until i find proof one way or the other i will refrain from commenting further as i have no empirical research to back up my opinion or the opinion of those who disagree with me. if anyone else finds an article on the topic in the mean time please post a link as i will be very pleased to read it. i will do the same for all information i find.

 

[Night]

So if I smoke cigarettes and don't get cancer, until I get cancer I should just keep smoking? That's basically what you're implying.