Common Rat Injuries and Health Problems

Rat's can be prone to a lot of health problems depending on where you get them. I'm going to try and cover a lot of the main health issues that I've ran across during my rat owning experiences. As well as some common symptoms to watch out for. If you notice any of these problems with your pets (or anything not covered here) PLEASE take your rat to a vet. This information should NOT replace information from a vet. I have no veterinary experience at all, this is just what I've learned over time.

Respiratory infections/pneumonia

Respiratory  infections seem to be the biggest problems for rats in my opinion, closely followed by tumors. They can be incredibly difficult to treat if left go too long. It's important to keep an eye on your rats breathing at all times. They're easier to treat the early they're caught. The problem with this is, rats tend to be very stoic creatures- meaning they will hide an illness for as long as they can. This is beneficial in the wild because if they lay around sick - a predator will be more likely to get them. Unfortunately this is a trait carried over into our more domesticated rats. As responsible owners we need to be diligent in closely monitoring our rats health. A respiratory infection can present with a number of symptoms:

• raspy/gurggly breathing
• open mouthed breathing
• quick/rapid breathing
• jerking of the head (often looks like hiccups)
• chirping sounds
• breathing where it looks like its from their belly instead of chest area
• lethargy
• puffed fur
• sitting with their back arched
• laying with their head hanging off a ledge (although some rats will do this even when not sick)
• purple/blue tinge to the extremities (lack of oxygen to the extremeties)
• squinted eyes
• excessive poryphrin (red discharge around eyes and nose) 

Here's a video example of a rat with a respiratory infection:

If you notice any of these symptoms PLEASE take your rat to a vet immediately!! Fast treatment is KEY in respiratory infections, I can't stress that enough! Also, many vets feel that a week is long enough for antibiotic treatment for respiratory infections.  NOT TRUE, they need at least 3 weeks!

Tumors
Tumors are probably the 2nd biggest problem in rats. They come in many shapes sizes and forms. Some of the most common are Mammary tumors in females, and testicular tumors in males. Simply spaying or neutering your pets can help prevent these types of tumors. Some tumors however are a bit harder to prevent. Some other types of tumors that are common in rats:

• inguinal tumor
• Keratoacanthoma    
• lipoma
• mast cell tumor
• melanoma
• sarcoma
• squamos cell carcinoma

Also there are other types of cancers that are internal, such as:

• lymphoma
• leukemia
• zymbals gland tumor
• pituitary tumors 

Here's a video of my girl Sandy with a rather large mammary tumor:

 Here's a video of my girl Sweetie (R.I.P.) who had a rather large inguinal tumor:

 
So if you notice and lumps or bumps on your pet please take your pet to the vet and have the lump tested for possible cancer cells. Many types of tumors can be fairly easily removed (depending on the type and your rats overall health), so tumors aren't necessarily a death sentence- please have your pet checked!

 Abcesses

 Abcesses are common in rats. They are basically a lump that grows on your pet that is filled with a pus that is often smelly (indicating infection). I've dealt with a few myself. They can become quite large and gross to deal with at times. Often they can be treated at home. They will usually come to a *head* so to speak after a while. You can bring them to a head quicker with a hot compress (not too hot thought!)- it will draw it to the surface. Once it comes to a head you can gently squeeze it to get the infection out. Once it is an open you wound you will need to clean it 2-3 times a day with a sterile saline solution to keep it flushed out. It will basically heal from the inside out..you don't want it to scab over because it could trap new bacteria inside. If it does scab over you can soak the scab to soften it. If you're in ANY way uncomfortable with treating this at home please take your pet to the vet and they can lance the abcess and drain it. Often times an antibiotic is needed if it's a large abcess to keep infection at bay.

Here's a picture of one of my girls with an abcess after it had burst:

Sprains

Sometimes our ratties can fall and hurt themselves. Sometimes they will break bones but I've most often noticed that they will sprain their limbs. I have had a couple different rats with sprained back feet/legs. Usually the foot will swell and turn a red or purple color. One of my girls foot swelled so much it looked shiny! Often times they will just keep their weight off of that foot and it will heal up. If you think it is serious enough please take your rat to the vet and have it x-rayed!

Bumblefoot

I have personally never dealt with bumblefoot. But my understanding is that it it can often be caused by unclean living conditions and/or from walking on wire bottomed cages. It is basically like a pressure sore and the bacteria is actually a staph infection. It's usually not able to be cured, just treated. I hear it bleeds a lot and its generally ugly to see.