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What's wrong with my boy?

I have had two rats for about 4 months ago. I got them from two different pet stores, one is entirely healthy, getting quite fat, but the other one is really skinny, when I first got him he was (still is) sneezing all the time. I give them a handful of food each day, and extra when I eat, and I see him eating, but he is getting weaker and more skeleton like. I am really, really worried. I'm saving up too take him to the vet.

4 Answers

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  • 10 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    Respiratory infection. Each infection leaves scar tissue int he lungs so after chronic infections they die eventually. You don't know how many he's had.

    When an animal weighs as much as a rat you can't "save up" to take it to the vet! Sorry but its not a 150 pound human that can live through a virus. This is a tiny creature that's going to succomb to a virus in way less time than us. By the time you save up it could be too late. Their lungs are barely a fraction of the size of ours. No waiting.

  • 10 years ago

    my guess is he has a upper respitory infection, i know that with guinea pigs without treatment, it will eventually kill them, i guess same would go with rats, upper respitory infections are very common in rodents its really stressful for them being at the petshop and then going to a new home etc. so majority get it from being at petshops, but if you treat him soon enough i think he will be ok. good luck

  • Anonymous
    10 years ago

    feed him separately from the other so you know he is eating all of his food. One of my rats ws stealing the others food without me knowing

  • Anonymous
    10 years ago

    do take him to a vet

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