If an animal is sick it will generally have a few signs which the watchful owner can pick up on.  One of the most common illnesses in rats is simply the common cold.  The first sign of a sick rat is generally a 'puffed up' appearance.  If they are allowed to continue in this condition without action they will generally lose condition(coat becomes dull and they may lose weight), their eyes and nose may become watery and they may sneeze. 

  Other indicators to keep an eye out for are your rat becoming more sleepy than usual or not coming out to play as often as it used to, and sore joints(your rat may squeek when you pick it up).

  Like most animals, rats are prone to fleas and mites on their skin and also sometimes in their ears.  The signs to look for are persistent scratching on the body and in the ears.  They should be treated for these promptly.  While they may be able to handle one or two fleas, if they breed your ratty could soon become infested and and may even suffer from symptoms such as aneamia. Various small animal flea and mite washes are available and while any of these should be fine be sure to keep an eye on your pet the first time you use a new wash to ensure that they do not suffer any iritation (rashes, etc.) as a result.  Personally, I have used a brand called malatroy (sometimes called malafix and other variations) in the past with much success.  If you are after a simpler preventative rather than a cure you can spray your rat and it's cage with a bird mite spray or a small animal spray from your pet shop.  Another option is to use revolution, the popular dog and cat flea treatment, it is applied to small animals as a smear on the back of the neck rather than using the entire dropper full, meaning that it is especially suited to those with many rats as one dropper would prable treat up to ten rats, possibly more, with ease.  To solve ear mite problems try and find a mite drop suitable for small animals or kittens, or alternatively seek the advice of your vet.

 

Colds and Flu

  Look out for a fluffed up rat, which may be snuffling or sneezing and may have watery eyes and/or nose.  While most of the time your rat will beat these by themselves.  Some precautions are necessary to ensure that this happens as quickly as possible.  Firstly move your rat into a warm draft free room, and supply extra bedding to help keep him or her nice and snugg.  When you rat is sick it is even more important that they have a good, healthy diet, and you may like to supplement this with high energy foods such as dried and fresh fruit and the occasionally treat like a choc drop.  If any of my rats are ill (or pregnant/feeding) I give them bread, sprinkled with one of the health drinks such as sustagen and soaked in warm soy milk.  It seems to give them an extra boost and they just love the taste of it.  If after a couple of days your ratty does not seem to be improving or god forbid gets worse it will probably need to go on a short course of Baytril, an excellent antibiotic available through your vet.  Depending upon how well you know your vet and how well he or she knows you, you may need to bite the bullet and make an appointment for your sick baby.

 

General Respiratory Problems

  If your rat is looking basically healthy and yet is sneezing quite often, try looking at its surroundings - Your rat may have hayfever!  If you are using bedding such as chaff, try changing to a dustless base such as the paper cat litter which you can buy at pet shops and at supermarkets.

 

Skin Problems

  If your male rat has dandruff do not despair - this is normal in un-neutered male rats.  Things such as rashes may have the same cause and cure as mentioned above in General Respiratory Problems.

 

Other Hassles

  Some things you just can't solve yourself.  These include broken bones, extreme lethargy and colds that just won't quit.  The golden rule is if you can't fix it and it won't go away on its own then SEE YOUR VET.