NOTE:
Due to the Holidays,there may be a short delay in receiving answers as fast as I usually do.However,any emergency question should be addressed by writing EMERGENCY in the subject line.If I read it and see its not an emergency at all but just a way to get my attention first,I will reject your question and you will not get answered at all.Any life or death situation, of course,should be handled by a qualified Vet.To request a telephone consultation, please email sandyscrittercity@yahoo.com. in order to schedule a date and time that is feasible for both of us. There is no time limit on weekends or after 9 pm M-F or if your cell phone carrier is Verizon Wireless.There is no charge for a telephone consultation. I offer my advice free of charge since my goal is to simply keep your rats happy and healthy for as long as possible. My reward is knowing that people learning as much as they can on rat care in order to provide the best care possible. Thats all I need to know. You cant put a price tag on love:)
As one of the top experts here at allexperts for 2008, I am happy to be able to help advise others on the proper care of pet rats.
I am a rat care specialist/advisor for area vets and have 20 plus years experience working with rodents.
I can advise you on the most current treatments available to your rat for common and also complicated ailments that seem to affect domestic rats during their life time. I do telephone consults and have even had some wonderful Vets call me to compare notes/stories. I also have training in animal behavior with the main focus being the study of rodent behavior.
I also have experience with wild rats, raising one myself.
Experience My expertise
Includes the following:
1. Education on prevention of tumors, lung and heart disease and disease of the kidneys too.
2. Up to date treatments for tumors in rats,both benign or malignant tumors.
3. The most current treatments used successfully to treat lung and heart disease
4. Prevention and treatment of the mycoplasma organism that our rats are plagued with since the day they are born, among other common ailments that attack our rats, just to name a few.
My job as a rodent consultant is to educate the owner on proper care of the animal but in no way does my advice take the place of seeking professional treatment by a qualified Veterinarian.
However, I will contribute to this site by answering your questions about raising pet rats and any problems that may arise regarding their health, diet, husbandry and over all well being of the rat to **the best of my ability.**
Organizations I maintain my website, Critter City and update it often to keep up with current treatments concerning pet rat health care. Please click the link above to take you there!
Publications My own website of course, and also I have brochures on rat care that are found in various animal clinics in my area.
Education/Credentials
Mentored by highly noted exotic specialists in my area. I am a member of the ASPCA.
Awards and Honors Was honored by being chosen to be one of the top 50 experts of 2008
Past/Present Clients My past clients have been through various animal clinics and I also am mentor to new rat owners that reach me through here and my website too.
Question QUESTION: How far can respiratory travel from one rat to another? For example if one rat is on one side of the room and another rat is kept on the other side, would the healthy one be able to contract it within a certain distance or will it no matter what if it is in the same room?
ANSWER:
If the bacteria or virus that is causing the respiratory infection is airborne, that means it can simply travel on dust particles or on micro tiny droplets that become aerosolized just from sneezing, coughing or simply exhaling and can travel a great distance, even across the room.
However, if the rat even spent a few seconds with other rats while sick, they were all exposed already and there is no need to further stress the rat out by making he or she be alone. Stress will simply cause the rats immune system to weaken which can cause the rat to have a harder time fighting the illness. If the other rat that was possibly exposed is stressed from having his cagemate removed, he will also be more apt to develop illness from a weak immune system. Unless the rat came to the house already sick and never was in the same room with the other rats, I would not worry about separating them.
I am not sure what the story is but this is just "in case" this is why you were asking.
Hope this helps
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: How would I know if it is airborne or not?
I have a cage of healthy rats and I just rescued a rat with respiratory, I need to know how far away he must be separated from the rest so he does not get them sick, we live in a large two story house, but down stairs is not a good place to keep the rats since the Huskies live down there.
So approximately how many feet must they stay apart to be safe at minimum?
Answer If its respiratory, its airborne.
I would keep them as far apart as possible, in another room if possible. The same room would mean sharing the same air which would more than likely be contaminated with infected aerosol droplets as I said before. The germs travel on dust particles. I would keep the sick rat in a different room. A sneeze can travel anywhere from 100 and up (true!!) and germs can travel 50 feet plus.
The real truth?? To be totally safe the animal should be in a totally different airspace since these germs can get into the ventilation system which is when we suggest quarantine we always suggest a different airspace.
However, after 48 hours on antibiotics and if he is showing signs of improving, he should not be contagious any longer.
