Expert: Robin Bartlett - 6/13/2008

Question
Ok, so i have four rats that all live in a large cage together. Early tonight, my oldest rat started showing intense lethargy, labored breathing, and hunched posture. She has a tumor and is very old so we thought it was just old age. However, just a few hours later, my other middle aged rat started showing the same symptoms. When i take the two out they just want to lay down and sleep. They can barely walk, have poor ballance, and can barely open their eyes. I went online and read about a virus called virus, and i was wondering if that could be it.

I have separated my two healthy rats and put them in a different cage downstairs. I'm really worried that they might catch it too, and i dont think i can handle loosing all four! What do you think is happening to them, why do you think it's happening, and what do you think i should do?

Answer
It very well could be a virus, though your rats would have had to come into contact with other rats to catch it.  If you have been to a pet store, rat show, or handled any other rats it is possible you could have brought the virus home.  If you haven't been around any other rats for over 3 weeks, it could be something else.

Pneumonia can be sudden onset like this and without an aggressive course of antibiotics they won't survive.  I would definitely take the ill ones to the vet, and keep the healthy ones separated until the other two are better.  If it is pneumonia they may pull through with antibiotics, if it is a virus unfortunately there isn't any way to cure them.  With most rat viruses, they should still be on antibiotics; though the antibiotics won't actually hurt the virus they will help the secondary bacterial infections (usually mycoplasma) that will pop up when the rat's immune system is compromised by the virus, giving them a better chance and survival.

Here are some links to common rat viruses and pneumonia for added reading:
http://ratguide.com/health/viruses/sendai_virus_sv.php
http://ratguide.com/health/viruses/kilham_rat_virus.php
http://ratguide.com/health/viruses/sda.php
http://ratguide.com/health/viruses/sda.php
http://ratguide.com/health/lower_respiratory/pneumonia.php

It is very important that you get them to a vet, or they will very likely not survive.  I'm sorry to hear your rats aren't feeling well, I hope they will make it!  Please let me know how things turn out.