Expert: Sandra Todd - 6/23/2008

Question
i just got two new pet rats about 3 weeks ago there not very old ans they are both boys. yesterday i noticed that one of my rats' (Felix) paws were bloddy i just thought he had ran too much on teh little spining thing in the cage but then i noticed that he was sleeping a lot more and just today i went to play with them and i was holding Fleix and i noticed that his nose was bleeding too. i thought thatit had just rubbed off from his hands.but normally when i hold him he runs all over my hands but today he just lay there and suddenly he stopped breathing and died! what happened? how did Fleix die? is Jacobah (my other rat) at risk? i thank you so much for reading this and taking time to answer i just am worried that jacobah is going to die too i really dont know what happened it was so sudden! please help thanks a bunch -Hailey

Answer
I am really sorry your rat died. I would have no idea how he died without doing an autopsy. Anything could have gone wrong.
The bloody nose and lethargy was part of the signs of illness.  He did not have a bloody nose, I dont think, but instead he had porphyrin discharge.  Please read about it here:
http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/bloodynoseandeyes.htm

let me know if that is what your rat had from his nose.


He could have died from anything, from heart trouble to a brain aneurysm.  Did he have fast breathing at all? Sneezing or congestion before he died?  Maybe if he had other signs I could put the pieces together and we could figure if he had an illness that was contagious so you can take the other rat to the vet for treatment or did he have something congential.
let me know...