[Shine]

I got my rats on Feb 12 (so just over a week ago). At first I was a little concerned because they were sneezing, and the people at Petsmart said that was a thing to watch out for, but they didn't show any other signs of illness, so I relaxed a little and wondered if maybe it was just a reaction to the smells of their new house.

A week later, one of them (Link) is still sneezing a lot, more often when he gets excited. Amadeus sneezes some too but not as much as Link.

I've also noticed that they don't seem to have a regular sleeping schedule; they just nap when they want and play when they want.

I feed them Oxbow Essentials mouse & young rat food every day, but I also add some fruit or vegetables (more often fruit because they don't like the vegetables I have) to their food; and they have Carefresh bedding in their cage, so there has been no exposure to wood shavings or anything like that, which I've read can cause irritation and illness.

Earlier today one of them had diarrhea, and that concerned me as well, because I wasn't aware that he had eaten anything other than the food I gave him (rat food and a few nibbles of plum), and I don't think it would have caused that. Then, for a while today, both of them were acting inexplicably nervous, hiding and lying flat in the bottom of the cage, whereas they usually run up to the side and beg for attention.

Other than that, they have both just been doing normal rat things: running around the cage, wrestling with each other, grooming and napping, chewing on stuff, etc.

Does anyone have any idea what might be going on with them? or am I just overworrying, and this is normal behavior?

 

[nanashi7]

Firstly, be careful you offer no citrus fruit.

Sneezing less than 5 times a day is normal, so is an abnormal sleep schedule. More than that, you'd want to see a vet. Since you're still in PetSmart's 2 week period they should pay for you to see a vet, but call them first.

 

[Shine]

Since you're still in PetSmart's 2 week period they should pay for you to see a vet, but call them first.

Oh, they do that? I thought the 2-week period was only for returning a pet if you didn't want it or if something went wrong. I'll have to ask George about that since he used to work there, and they still let him use employee benefits sometimes.

 

[erikablanchettexo]

Oh, they do that? I thought the 2-week period was only for returning a pet if you didn't want it or if something went wrong. I'll have to ask George about that since he used to work there, and they still let him use employee benefits sometimes.

The diarrhea was most likely caused by too many fruits and vegetables. Try and offer less and have them eat their lab blocks for the most part.

What I do is have a feeding (vegetables) routine with them. So in the morning I will give a tiny slice of cucumber for my two girls to share.

Then at night time (when they're most active), I'll give some banana cut up and a big slice of cucumber cut up. Sometimes with some chia or flax seeds sprinkled on top.

 

[Shine]

okay, thank you. I'm trying to find more non-sweet vegetables that they will eat, since I read that fruit can give them a little too much sugar.

 

[erikablanchettexo]

okay, thank you. I'm trying to find more non-sweet vegetables that they will eat, since I read that fruit can give them a little too much sugar.

Carrots are really good. Not the baby carrots but the long carrots. Peel the skin off. Mine go crazy for them.

Cucumber is good too.

Peas.

Corn.

Red, yellow or orange peppers.

Broccoli.

Basically anything that's good for humans is good for them. But look over the list of things that are bad for them because there are a few.

 

[Tao.and.Laughter]

Please keep an eye on them - out of four rats I bought from Petsmart, three died. The vendors they get the rats from aren't great, even the employees admitted they've had a huge number of problems with them.

 

[Shine]

Please keep an eye on them - out of four rats I bought from Petsmart, three died. The vendors they get the rats from aren't great, even the employees admitted they've had a huge number of problems with them.

Yeah, I know. George (my boyfriend who used to work at Petsmart) said that the breeder from which our store gets their rats, while not the worst, is certainly not the best. They buy from them because of cheap prices. :I
They do at least take good care of them in the store, though.

Anyway, my fluffbuddies seem to be doing much better today. They are alert, active, bright-eyed, and I haven't heard much sneezing. Hopefully they will stay that way.

 

[SaraLovesRats]

Same symptoms with my boy Scabbers

 

[Shine]

update: Neither of them are showing any symptoms anymore. They only sneeze a couple times a day now (when they get excited, mostly), and they are all bright-eyed and active, doing normal silly rat things. I'm not worried for now, but if they start acting sick again, I'll call a vet.