Hello all, I'm new here =) Some questions

[MiCkEy]

First off, hello, I would like to thank you for a forum like this that can provide me some help and just to get to know rat lovers alike.

Well, heres a question of mine. I have 5 rats, 2 girls, and 3 boys, with them separated of course, between the genders so no babies =) But my FAVORITE one, Lizzy, has had some slight sneezing, which I hope isnt bad. She sometimes lets out this hmm... how to describe it.... high pitched sound? Like shes sneezing hard? Or hiccuping? Or even.... gasping for air?? But she is still completely normal, licking my hand, active as heck, eats a ton, everything normal cept that. That sound worries me.

The only vet around me will charge me about 40 bucks just to SEE my little baby here, and I really do love her and everything, but I dont have enough money to do something like that.

I was wondering if anyone can give me good news? As in, its nothing, just some sounds... or even maybe theres something I can buy over the counter or some medicine she can take? I love her very much, someone please help me?

Oh one more question hehe, sorry. One of my rats tried to mate before I could separate them, and now im not sure if the female is pregnant. She seems slightly bigger in the stomach, but then im wondering if its just in my head and wishful thinking. Any sure fire way I can know now? Thanks agian for all the help!

[Ensie]

On your possibly pregnant rat, you'll know for sure shortly. There's no way around that.

On your other rat's noises, this could be serious, possibly a respiratory infection, and you should find a vet immediately. This is part of your responsibility as caretaker of the little ones. I'm on a really tight budget too, so I know how you feel about the vet care costs. But this really isn't an option, especially if your rats are dear to you.

There is a vet referral page on the Rat Fan Club's home page. I would check there first and then, if necessary, you can always ask on this board about reasonable vets near where you live. Ideally, you're going to want to find a vet with experience in treating rats. Good luck!

[Louise]

Hi Mickey,
Welcome to the board )
You'll find there are lots of people here who know their rat stuff!  I have learned so much since coming here.

If your rat is acting normal, that's a good sign.  Do you see any porphyrin around her eyes or nose?  - It looks like blood, but that's not what it is.  This is a sign of illness or stress in rats.  If your rat is sneezing, it could mean she's sick or it could mean that she is sensitive to something in the cage.  
What type of bedding do you have them on. --That's a big issue here, definitely NO pine or cedar chips they are both poisonous to small animals.  A lot of people use Carefresh, some use Aspen chips and some use sheets or towels.

That would be my first suggestion, if you absolutely have no money for a vet, make sure there's nothing in the cage that could be causing the problem - even if you clean the cage with harsh cleaners it can affect your rats, they are very sensitive.

$40 sounds about right for a vet visit, and if you have rats for pets you need to be prepared to take them to the vets on occasion, if you do not have the money in your budget at all then it's not a good idea to have rats for pets.  For their sake and yours!  It's heartbreaking to see a pet sick and not to be able to do anything to help.

It's hard to say what the noise is that your rat is making, I think they do get hiccups now and then, but if you are concerned that she is gasping for breath, she definitely needs to see a vet.

On the other problem, time will tell whether you will be a rattie parent or not, I think gestation is about 24 days, but someone will probably post and tell you for sure.  Hopefully nothing happened when your rats got together.
We have one male and four girls.   And they never come out of their cages at the same time, things can happen so quickly and it's just not worth taking the risk!  Especially if you have a small budget.  Some people seem to think that breeding rats is a 'fun' thing to do, but it really isn't, not unless you know all about the genetics, and are prepared and extremely knowledgable about rats.  So many babies end up in pet stores as snake food, and many more end up sick or dead because they are not taken proper care of.  Please, please don't breed your ratties.

good luck, I'm sure some other people will post suggestions as well  

[JBrown]

Hello welcome to you are your ratties!! I have to agree to the other postings about the sneezing and breeding- you may want to use sheets for a little to see if it is the bedding but you need to clean it out a lot more often- often if you do not clean it enough that may cause the ratties to sneeze- also if it is not a resp. prob then maybe you have moved them from one spot to the other? I dont know but if you have any concern you should take them in-  you may want to look around some vets will see all of them for the price of one- but it is good just to make sure nothing is wrong- some rats are just plain and simple sneezers- My Vanilla is like that- been checked and checked nothing wrong except he is a sneezer-  
with the preg mom- how long ago did they perhaps mate?  you should start to notice her apearing as if she is pear shaped and if you look down on her from her back her sides will be further out than her hips- this may take about two weeks from conception- also if she is nesting a lot this is a sure sign-- and she may  be a little more moody than normal but not always- gestation is 21-28 days ( if I am not mistaken). You may want to make sure she is on high protien diet so she doesnt tire- also how old is she?  and once again welcome-
Good luck-
Jenni

[Yresim]

I know this is going to sound harsh, but:
if you cannot afford to take your rats to the vet, you should not have rats.

$40 is perfectly reasonable for a vet visit, and you aren't going to find much better than that.  Some of us (like me) have rats that see the vet on a regular basis, and this gets very expensive.  Most vets will give discounts on follow-up visits, but it still costs money.

Your baby should definitely see a vet.  True, it is possible that it may be nothing, or just an allergy.  But it is also possible that she has a respiratory infection.  Respiratory infections are unfortunately common in our little rat buddies.  The sooner a respiratory infection is treated, the more likely the rat will recover.  The longer you wait to treat it, the more dangerous it becomes.  

Please see a vet.  In the future, you may want to set up a fund specifically for your rats, so that it doesn't cut into your budget to take them to a vet.  If you cannot afford to set up a vet fund, you should not have rats until you can afford it.

I know it is hard, but you must make the best decision for the rats.  If the best decision is to find them a loving home that isn't yours, you must make that decision.  

[kmw]

Hi, and welcome to our forum!  I agree with others that vet care is important, and sometimes unavoidable.  While natural remedies can have their place, sometimes you NEED antibiotics to clear up an infection.  You can try supplementing with echinacea (I like the children's formula with no alcohol and fruit flavored - but that's another $10 you could put towards a vet visit)  I however, do not take the hardline approach that if you can't afford pets, don't have them.  Circumstances often change quickly and suddenly there is no extra money.  That doesn't mean you should give up all animals.  Ok, I'm stepping off the soapbox now.

Why the weird noises?  It could be hiccuping (which is normal), it could be coughing (which is bad), and only a vet can tell you if she's healthy or not.  You can contact the office and ask about payment plans - can you come up with half of the money now, and half in another month?  My vet charges me about half the amount of a regular office visit because the visits usually end up being rather quick.  "No, they're fine, just fat.  Stop being paranoid."  **rolling eyes**  

How about cashing in your change?  If your state has a bottle deposit, you can collect cans - my dad does this on his morning walk, and has built up quite a bit of money.  Robbing a bank?  Ok, don't turn to a life of crime, but if you're worried, only a vet can tell you for sure what's going on.  We can't diagnose over the internet

[Anmllvr731]

If your rat is acting normal, that's a good sign.  Do you see any porphyrin around her eyes or nose?  - It looks like blood, but that's not what it is.  This is a sign of illness or stress in rats.  If your rat is sneezing, it could mean she's sick or it could mean that she is sensitive to something in the cage.  
What type of bedding do you have them on. --That's a big issue here, definitely NO pine or cedar chips they are both poisonous to small animals.  A lot of people use Carefresh, some use Aspen chips and some use sheets or towels.

That would be my first suggestion, if you absolutely have no money for a vet, make sure there's nothing in the cage that could be causing the problem - even if you clean the cage with harsh cleaners it can affect your rats, they are very sensitive.

I agree with Louise, start with looking at the cage, is there something she's having a reaction to, change your bedding
Welcome to the forum
Let us know how Lizzy's doing.
Please find a way to get her to the vet if she gets worse.