Rats are sneezing still...

[Thunderandwhisper]

Hi

My rats are both still sneezing and we have had them for two weeks. Does this mean they have a cold? If so what medicine should I get them? And is there anything else I can do make it better for them?

Secondly I have caught one of my rats fighting (looked more like bullying) the other one. Could this just be play fighting? It isn't all the time just on a occasion.

Thanks for reading

[quadrapop]

if you take them to the vets you will most likely get baytrill (cant spell it). I bought a baby and he was sneezing slightly, it passed onto my other and he was fine after a week of antibiotics. They could be fighting but if they are both unwell and new they will need time to settle and recover before you can see how they react properly to each other, just keep an eye on them.

[fatratsandcheesekk]

the rats fighting can be either playing or a dominance thing

and with the sneezing what do you have your rats on as in wood shavings

[Anthea.xx]

They could still just be settling in, it's perfectly normal for rats to sneeze when they move homes. What bedding and litter are you using? If it's wood shavings you need to change from that to something paper-based as pine (the most commonly used) contains oils which are harmful to rats' respiratory tracts.
Do they have porphyrin (red "snot" around their nose / eyes)?

[Thunderandwhisper]

They don't have that no. It is just the sneezing.

They have cat litter as their bedding.

Should I wait a bit longer then? If so how long for?

[Anthea.xx]

What sort of cat litter? Brand if possible. When wet, clay litter turns really dusty and can again aggravate their sensitive resp. tracts. 100% paper-based such as Bob Martin’s 100% recycled paper cat litter, Biocatolet and Yesterday’s News are best.

I've just thought, it could be the ever-changing weather causing them to sneeze. Unless it's accompanied by another symptom it's usually nothing

You can usually expect the sneezing (due to stress of moving etc.) to stop at around a month of being in a new home.

[riotgrrl]

even if it is from the move its best to get them to a vet coz they often suffer from respiratory problems and if untreated that can lead to a lot of further problems. its not a big worry but get it seen to early just to be safe and help them be happy. also make sure the cat little you use isnt powdery. I use biocatlet made from recycled paper with is great.
if you do get antibiotics for them let me know if you have trouble getting them to take it, i have many secret weapons! good luck.

[Anthea.xx]

Unless the sneezing is accompanied by other symptoms, for instance porphyrin, wheezing, "rattly" noises whilst breathing, laboured breathing, puffed-up fur, it's usually nothing to worry about.

If you're concerned though it's better to be safe than sorry!

[Liam09]

i had the same problem what i had to do change their flooring to washable door-mats they are really good!

i currently own 23 rats
5 Hooded
18 Dumbo

[Thunderandwhisper]

I have bio cat litter, so I thought that wouldn't cause it.

I am still catching them fighting, one of them is trying to climb on top and bite the other. Should I be concerned?