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Is Mycoplasma a Relatively Recent Pandemic?
Until I resumed adopting rodents a few years ago (after a break of several yrs), I'd never heard of myco & nearly every pet rodent we'd lived with had simply passed away with no apparent symptoms (I'm assuming the little guys had heart attacks in most cases.
Nearly every rat we've adopted from a pet shop in the past 5 years has had bouts of myco & our vet says it's fairly rare for a rat to never have @ least 1 flare-up during his/her lifetime. I'm sure this condition has always been around, but how long has myco this widespread?
Also, are mice, hamsters, cavies or other rodents subject to myco? So far, I've only seen it in petshop rats. Thanks for any info or insight you can share.
3 Answers
- dave sLv 41 decade agoFavorite Answer
That is a very good question. The answer is yes! All rodents outside the lab are subject to the 40 or so strains of mycoplasmosis pulmonis. I have only been handling rodents for a decade, but the gentleman in the first link claims that this disease goes all the way back...Hope this helps good luck...check out the links below....
dave<:3}~...OWNER/ SHAGGYMOUSE YAHOO GROUP
Source(s): http://www.2ndchance.info/ratlover.htm http://www.addl.purdue.edu/newsletters/2005/Winter... http://members.aol.com/MMCart3475/Myco.html - 1 decade ago
Not sure.. my dad used to know a few people who had rats, most lived to 4 - 5 years, died naturally.. yet now they reckon on 2 - 3 years and myco. I guess it's due to bad breeders at some stage?
I think mice can also be affected by myco, but I've never heard of it affecting any other rodents. It's not just in petshop rats though - all rats carry the infection, just petshop rats are more prone to being affected by it, due to bad breeding and conditions.
It's like it with most animals though.. I've had several hamsters, none have ever needed to go to a vet, they've all died at a reasonable age, not ill at the time.. but these days many people seem to have to take them regularly.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
Mycoplasmosis is present in almost all living beings including us, all different strains of course, some worse than others.
But, with all the over breeding, back yard breeding and pet store breeding, myco has become so wide spread, it's nearly impossible not to lose your rats to pneumonia.
But there is hope, keeping the habitat clean, good healthy foods and keeping ratty physically and mentally stimulated, he should live to reach way over 2 years. Gone are the days of 4 to 5 year old rats.
www.jorats.com
