| RAT ILLNESSES AND CURES FAQ PAGE |
| Cancer & Tumors: Cause: many different agents cause cancer just like in human but the leading cause is bad genetics, rattery bred rats usually have lower insidences of cancer. Cure: Many tumors can be sergically removed, and if it's cancerous Chemo is an option but it is quite pricy. Preventative Measures: To prevent cancer and tumors feed purified or bottled water and food which does NOT contain unpronouncable chemicals.. Also get from a good breeder who doesn't inbreed or breed lines which are known to carry cancer. Also for female rats feeding soy is always a good idea to prevent mammory and other tumors. Neautering and spaying also reduces the risk of getting certain types of cancer. Abscesses (not to be confused with tumors) Cause: An abscess is just a type of infection, usually it is caused when a rat is bitten by a cage mate or the skin is broken. Looks: an abscess may look like a tumor but it usually has a red dot in the middle (the wound) and it's usually found around the neck area. Cure: usually putting a warm wet cloth and some salt on it over a period of a few days will draw out the puss. However for pesky reoccuring abscesses you may need to give an anti-biotical course and for internal abscesses you usually need to do surgery and anti-biotics. Mites and Parasites: Cause: mites and other parasites can live in bedding and in food and get tranfered to the cages. Preventative Measures: You can freeze the food and bedding to rid of pests. Looks: Mites usually cause scabs on the skin and in severe cases losse of fur and possably a little lethargicness/weight loss in young animals. In really young rats it could easily cause death. Treatment: Treatment is cheap and easy. All you need is to go to your local feed store or horse equiptment shop and buy a tube of horse dewormer (make sure the main ingrediant is ivermectin) like Zimectrin. then take the whole tube and squeeze it into a sealable container and mix it up. If you don't it's easier to overdose your rat. Then take a dose the size of an UNCOOKED grain of rice and feed it to your rat. (the whole colony should be treated even if thy don't all show signs) 7-10 days after the first dose give a second the same size, then 7-10 days after that you may give a third dose if you feel it is nessascary. Respitory Infections: Cause: Resitory infections can be given to rats at birth, inflamed when bedded on pine or cedar, or caught from other rats depending on what it is. this disease is a real kicker and allong with cancer is the leading death cause in rats. Prevention: There is not much you can do to prevent it other than keep them on a safe bedding and keep then clean. Treatment: Treatment should include a two week course of Doxyciline and baytril which you can get from your vet. Please refer to the medication chart found here (and give a copy to your vet!) RMCA Rat Medication Chart Symptoms: Wheezing, sneezing, coughing, breathing troubles. possable weight loss and loss of appatite. Ringworm Cause: Ringworm is actually a fungus and not a worm. it is usually caught from other pets such as guinnea pigs, dogs, adn even people. Treatment: I'm not sure what exactly the treatment is although I assume it should be treated with an anti-fungal cream. Prevention: make sure the dogs and cats don't get to close to the rats and wash your hands before and after handling them. Heart falure/Heart attack/Stroke/Seizures Cause: Bad genetics and a bad diet is the leading cause. Seizures can also be caused by brain tumors, toxins and other things.. Prevention: Give a healthy low fat diet, make sure they have good genetics and family history before breeding and make sure they stay away from poisons of any sort. Symptoms: clenched paws, blueish skin, excessive polyphorin from nose and ears, loss of balance, flailing. Cure: there really is no cure... once you see a rat in that condition there is very little you can do. If your rat is unconcious but still alive put a drop of rescue remedy in it's mouth and one drop around the ears to wake them up. Mental Disease: Cause: Past abuse, unhealthy conditions, inbreeding, genetics, brain tumors. Symptoms: phobias, not getting allong well with other rats, squealing when touched or held, being skitzy, friegtened and hyper. Cures: if caused by brain tumors there is nothing you can do, if caused by abuse some TLC and 5-10 drops of rescremedy in the water should calm them down quite a bit. Unusual Aggression Cause: brain tumors, genetics, past abuse. Symptoms: being territorial, biting, drawing blood, not getting allong with other rats. Cures: 5-10 drops of rescue remedy in the water and some tiger lily extract in the water. Also neatering helps allot in male rats. Others? Please e-mail me and I will be sure to add them! |