Common Medical Concerns for Pet Rats
Item# 025A
Ornacycline
Item Description:
I think the number one health issue I've had within my rattery and have assisted my customers with over the years, have been related to mycoplasma pulmonis which is more commonly referred to as a "myco infection." Please take a moment to read these informative articles: Mycoplasma Pulmonis , Respiratory Infections in pet rats
Tetracycline has been a good resource to aid in treatment of these infections when a myco infection is suspected to be the health concern. It is not as strong of an antibiotic like doxy or baytril, but I've found you have to be careful with getting the correct dosage of those stronger medicines, plus they are harder to come by because you need to have seen a vet in order to get a prescription. For many people finding an exotic pet vet is not that easy and can be expensive. I would hate to see a person's pet rat die of something so easy to maintain for such little money and effort.
The key to using tetracycline successfully is earlier detection. If a myco infection has gotten so severe that's it's turned to pneumonia this medicine will not be of benefit. So starting your pets on it at the first sound of coughing, or a chirpy raspy breathing sound, is the preventive factor.
When your pet rat sneezes it isn't always a sign they have an infection because their noses are so sensitive to all the smells in their environment. But if they have a red discharge coming from their nose (their mucus is red) and they are sneezing frequently for several days, and you can hear congestion in their lungs when they are breathing, start them on this antibiotics immediately.
It can be found in most pet stores in the bird section. If you can't find it you can purchase it from me.
Ratties make a sound known as bruxing. This is a happy chattering sound they make when they are contented. It's a rats equivalent to a kittens purr. They brux to file their teeth down, but they seem to only do this when they are happy and contented. Many times while sitting peacefully on your shoulder. :>)
Don't mistake their bruxing to a congestion in their lungs. I actually had a customer who thought the congested lungs was the bruxing sound and didn't do anything about it until the rattie wasn't eating or drinking and was gasping for air, by then it was too late to help it!
For adult rats follow the directions for the large size bird. For baby ratties for small birds. Only put enough as their main source of water that they can drink in one day. Refrigerate left over solution, but change the solution in their water bottle with fresh from the refrigerated solution daily. Use purified water to make up the solution.
They need to stay on it for ten-fourteen days. Don't take them off it too early or the myco may come back with a vengeance and this time more resistant to the antibiotics! You should start to see an improvements in the symptoms in 3-5 days, if you don't it may not be myco or you may need to use a stronger antibiotic such as doxycycline or baytril and you should seek a vets assistance.
It is possible that you may need to have your ratties on antibiotics for myco periodically on and off during their life span. It all depends on how strong their immune systems are. Just like with people, some of us are able to fight off illnesses easier than others. Some ratties as they get older have to be on antibiotics the rest of their lives to keep these myco infections under control. But this is such an easy thing to address without the worry of costly vet bills.
Be sure to use common sense though. If you've had your ratties on tetracycline and they aren't getting better, either the medicine is not working for them, or they have something else wrong with them. Seek a vets assistance if this treatment does not solve the problem!
I've noticed many times young ratties will come down with these myco infections when they leave one environment to another such as from my house to your house. So it's important to have their new environment be quiet and comfortable until they have settled into your new surroundings and routines. Give them extra fruits and vegetables and a daily serving of blueberries which helps to build their immune systems up and fight off infections.
Price List:
$7.00 if purchased directly from me (believe me it's worth it's weight in gold!)
$8.50 shipped to anywhere in the United States
How Many In Stock? 5
Item# 025B
Pet and Area Spray
Item Description:
This is one of the best products I've seen on the market to rid your pets of parasites. It's a 16.5 oz bottle and is very versatile.
Besides myco infections the next most common problem I've seen with pet rats is itching and scabby scratches on their skin. Sometimes it's just dry skin, especially if it's a rex rat and neosporin applied to the wounds can relieve the dry skin and heal the scabs. But when you've tried that and they still are itching it is possibly a parasite. The most common are fur mites and lice. I've actually never had a case of lice with my pet rats in the seven years I've been breeding but have had several cases of fur mites.
Sometimes the fur mites are harbored in the bedding products we buy from the pet stores and it's nothing we've done or can do to prevent it. When you do get a case of fur mites on your pet rats I've found this product works wonders on them, and they also work for lice too. (I've never had a case of fleas on my pet rats either and don't think they harbor them as easily as a dog would. They are so good with their hands it's possible they would pick them off and eat them first, lol. :>)
This product is a natural way to rid your pets of parasites. It can be used directly on them and their bedding. It has very little odor to it and doesn't bother a pet rats lungs or eyes to use it. It's rather expensive but is worth it because of how easy it makes it to treat your pets without side effects. It can even be used on nursing Mothers and baby ratlets...great stuff.
Price List:
$12 if purchased directly from me
$17.25 shipped to anywhere in the U.S.
How Many In Stock? 3
Item# 025C
Mite and Lice Spray
Item Description:
This is another great product that is a little less expensive and does a good job. It doesn't have an odor to it so it doesn't tend to bother pet rats little noses, but you have to keep it out of their eyes, spraying a little on a cotton swab and applying it to their face and under their neck. I wouldn't recommend using it on nursing mothers or babies either. It doesn't state you can't but I'd be on the safe side.
It would be good for adult pet rats that get a case of fur mites from their bedding or some other source.
I had a customer email me a few months after she had gotten her pet rat, telling me her pet rat was itching and asking what they should do. I recommended this product and she went out and purchased it, but I feel this is a "must have" item for every pet rat owner. It's just a good thing to have on hand as a preventative measure, just spray it on your pet and their bedding once a month and this will assure they never have a parasite.
Price List:
$7.50 if purchased directly from me
$11.00 shipped to anywhere in the U.S.
How Many In Stock? 5
Item# 025D
Rat Health Care by Debbie Ducommun
Item Description:
This rat care guide has been so helpful to me in not only diagnosing health issues but providing proper treatments and recommended medicines for my beloved pets. It has truly helped me save the lives of many of my pets when veterinarian assistance was not available or when the vets were not familiar with how to treat my pets properly.
Rats are not like cats and dogs and need special considerations when going into surgery too. If a vet is not informed about these special needs you can actually lose you pet during surgery as what happened to me a while back before I learned what I did from this informative booklet. I've now provided my current vet with several copies of this booklet to use as a reference guide to assure my pets will receive the best care possible when I go there.
There are so many things a pet rat owner can do to keep their pets healthy all their lives if they just knew what they were to do. That is why I'm now offering this fantastic booklet to my customers for the same price Debbie charges to ship from her location. This booklet is a must have for anyone who truly adores their pets and wants to play an interactive role in keeping them healthy all their lives!
Price List:
$9 if purchased directly from me
$11 shipped to anywhere in the U.S.
How Many In Stock? 3
Item# 025E
Vet Rx Veterinary Remedy
Item Description:
Vet Rx was recommended to me by a follow breeder who says they've been able to keep respiratory infections under control without antibiotics. It appears to be a good "preventative" remedy if therapy is started at the first sign of sneezing or sniffles. Here is a write up about this product off one of the web sites selling it.
Small Fur Animal Remedy
For commercially raised, domestic pets, and laboratory research animals.
As an aid in treating hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, mice, rats, ferrets, chinchillas, lemmings, and minks.
Effective relief from respiratory infections, colds, wheezing, snuffles. The natural, but powerful ingredients in VetRx can help alleviate many respiratory problems common to small animals without costly antibiotic therapy. For conditions that do not respond, the advice of a Veterinarian should be sought.
For Internal and External Applications.
COLDS… SNUFFLES… PNEUMONIA
Symptoms: These conditions are characterized by a change in respiration, often reflected in rate, depth, noisiness and distress. Coughing, sneezing, snorting, and wheezing may also occur. Occasional symptoms are watery eyes and a pus-filled nasal discharge. Animals whose lung tissue is affected have a reduced Oxygen exchange level and show "air hunger"... exaggerated breathing effort, with difficulty in or expelling air.
Frequently, colds can develop into pneumonia since it believed the same bacteria which result in colds can move down the respiratory passages into the lungs. Signs of pneumonia are loud gasping noises and increased difficulty breathing.
Treatment: Use VetRx Remedy warm. To warm, open cap and put bottle in small pan of heated water. Shake well. Always test temperature of product before applying.
Depending upon size of animal, place one or two drops of warm VetRx on each side of nostril. Apply one drop, by hand, to any scabbed area. Repeat twice daily until symptoms disappear.
To clean, fresh water (changed daily) add eight drops per gallon. Globules may rise to the top. These contain some medication that can be helpful if consumed internally.
Note: VetRx will leave an oily film on skin and fur. This will not burn skin or remove hair. It will, in fact, help destroy any mites or mite ova which may be present.
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In Debbie Ducommun's Rat Health Care booklet under the respiratory medications sections she states this about this product:
"Moisturizing the air with a humidifier will help your rat breathe more easily. A product called VetRx can help in some cases. It is aroma therapy that works by stimulating deeper breathing and contains Canada balsam, camphor, oil origanum, and oil Rosemary. The best results seems to come by putting a few drops in the nest box or on the bedding where it will be inhaled 2-3 times a day. Do not rub it on your rat's nose as this seems to cause discomfort for some rats. When using it, try alternating one week on, one week off. It seems to cause irritation if used continuously."
My breeder friend, whose been breeding over ten years, says they've used it for years, putting a drop on the nose twice a day without any irritation and they've use it for up to ten days without any problems, so test the methods yourself to see which works best for your individual pet.
Price List:
$9 if purchased directly from me
$11 shipped to anywhere in the U.S.
How Many In Stock? 5
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A thank you note to my customers: I'm not able to purchase my products at wholesale prices. I buy at retail just like you, therefore it may cost more to buy these from me than you could get somewhere else. I'm just offering these as a convenience to my customers. When products are purchased it helps to support my efforts of running a quality rattery and supplying quality pets. I greatly appreciate my customers support of my efforts, thank you so much!
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Inventory Last Updated On: 09/02/10
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