[Lesath]

Pretty sure I already know the proper answer to this, which is do the quarantine, but it never hurts to ask others right? :wink:


So Igor is alone, he has been for about 3 weeks now. His cagemate passed away and Igor doesn't get along with the other 3 rats. (I've tried countless introductions, bathtub, vanilla, food, play, etc, nothing, just fights) He gets all puffy and looking like a static cling rat, then turns sideways and makes his body as flat as he can, I swear he whips his tail like an iguana.. (haha really) then he jumps on the other rat and attacks with great fury!

So anyway, I've got 2 babies lined up for adoption, they will be ready on Sept 5th or 6th and I plan on introducing them to Igor as hopeful cagemates.

Here is the question part: These baby rats are coming from a rattery that is registered with the NRAA (?? I think that's what the acronym is) and will more likely than not be in great health. I've read in numerous places that the best quarantine is the one done OUTSIDE of your home, for at least 3 weeks. Well these babies are coming from a safe clean rattery, would that be considered part quarantine in itself? Does that make sense? Should I STILL quarantine them in my home for 3 weeks before trying to start introductions with Igor? I'd hate to have Igor be alone for much longer. But I'd hate to get anyone sick just the same.

 

[Matt]

Yeah, unless they both came from the same place. (I think)

 

[Stephanie]

I would still do at least a two week quarantine just in case Igor has anything that the babies do not. I know it seems to be a bit much since these rats comefrom a breeder but I would not want to risk anything.

 

[Lesath]

Yeah, unless they both came from the same place. (I think)

Igor was a Petco rat, we bought him last August (2006) and he was already about 4 months old at that time. So he is about a year and 4 months (my duh moment of the day). These two babies on the way are brothers from the same litter. These will be my first rats from a *good* breeder.

(note: my other 3 were from a local petshop, Stanely was a feeder and Sydney and Sylvester are brothers from a local breeder that supplies the petshop)

 

[Lesath]

I would still do at least a two week quarantine just in case Igor has anything that the babies do not. I know it seems to be a bit much since these rats comefrom a breeder but I would not want to risk anything.

Yeah that's what I was thinking too, better to be safe than sorry. Thanks for the input!

Igor hasn't really shown too many signs of illness, but I've lost 3 rats total in the past year to illnesses. Now they are all doing great, they've had baytril and tetracycline (I can't get a vet in the Yuba Sutter area to get Doxy for me, I think I'm going to have to go bigger, Sacramento and Roseville) and revolution for skin parasites. But it wasn't but maybe 5 or 6 weeks ago when we lost two rats in the same week after bringing Stanley home and not doing a proper quarantine.

 

[Stephanie]

Well if you come up to roseville let me know LoL I live in Rocklin which is right next door. I am so sorry to hear about you losing one to illness I know how hard it is. I just want all of your ratties to be happy and healthy I know of a really great vet up this way that is fairly priced and another that is cheap but could use some more time with the rats.

When it comes to quarantine it is always hard. I know that proper quarantine calls for seperate air space but even if you can't (which is the problem i face) you still do your best. My rats are at one end of my house adn the fosters or new comers are at the other. with closed doors in between.

 

[Lesath]

The closest I can get to seperate airspace is taking them in through the backyard instead of the front door (as the rest of my rats are just a few feet from the front door) and straight into my "room" (which is an extra room that was built onto the back of the garage, it's attached to the house but not by any air vents at all. It doesn't share any of the air that the rest of the house does.... BUT.... there is a door that goes from our room into the house, so I guess that means shared airspace correct? If I have to walk through the room that the rats are in and back into my room with new arrivals, does that break quarantine?

And just for a note, I know no touching new ratties after touching old ratties until I've changed clothes and washed hands/arms throughouly. But walking through the room and into my room outside of the house... that just seems like shared air space to me. I heard that rat URI can live in human sinuses for up to 3 hours.... am I just being TOO paranoid?

 

[Stephanie]

Virus's can live on a human for up to three hours. I think that as long as you are extremely careful about everything. Sometimes it happens where qt is semi broken but you need to stay diligent with it. It is best to use your best judgement the boys are coming from a breeder so it sounds like they should be in excellent health but if they get home and there is excessive porphiryn then make sure you keep that air space minimized. change your clothes no matter what if they seem really healthy then do whatever you can.

 

[Mana]

From what I just learned after my recent quarantine breach, you do need to wait 3 hours, and that would be considered sharing airspace. Apparently, quarantine has to be in a completely separate area - even a garage doesn't count. I'm still not completely sure how effective quarantine even is if you can't keep them as separated as you need to, because I guess everything can be transmitted by air except lice and mites. Maybe I'm still just confused about that though... ^^;;