Dealing with Cold Weather
Beginning in the late Fall, the weather in most places takes a (sometimes sudden) dip in temperature. Where we currently reside, it seems very abrupt - as it can go from 80° one evening to 62° by the next morning! Especially with Florida's humidity - the change can be unexpected enough to really mess with rats!
Many rats carry Mycoplasma pulmonis (Myco, for short). The following excerpt gives a peek into percentages (though it is likely the percentage is even higher):
In humans, M. pulmonis was detected by PCR in 21 of 86 pet rat keepers (24.42%), 10 of 13 technicians (76.32%), and 8 of 32 (25.0%) veterinarians. In rats, M. pulmonis was identified by PCR in 86 of 122 pet rats (70.49%) and 56 of 113 (49.56%) laboratory rats.
Epub 2017 Apr 27
Excerpt: National Center for Biotechnology Information
In other parts of the country (and world), snowfall is beginning to come. Whereas 'cold' here might be 60° - in other parts of our country it is reaching lows of 43° by mid-November! While many pet rats reside inside the same home as their owners - their needs, while very similar, are not precisely the same as ours. Rats harboring Myco will begin flaring up at this time of year, especially. What may start as sniffles or a little porphyrin staining around the nose - can progress into full-blown pneumonia if not put in check in a timely manner.
For those of you who already have rats exhibiting these symptoms - consider seeing your local veterinarian for a prescription to get it in check. If left unchecked - it can progress into an inner ear infection, which can easily cause permanent damage (presenting as neurological distress - head tilting, rolling, etc.). Its very important any symptoms presented are taken seriously. You can find more info here, on RatGuide. Simple medications such as Baytril (Enrofloxacin), Doxycycline and/or Tetracycline can get these under control quickly and effectively.
The best course of action when weather starts to chill is prevention!
Here, we will go over some simple (yet effective) methods to prevent Myco from flaring up. Even if your rats are NOT harboring Mycoplasma pulmonis, they may begin getting the sniffles or some discharge at the onset of cold weather.
The first thing we do when the weather starts to chill, is turn on the heater! This is, naturally, the best course of action to keep rats in a comfortable, climate environment. Rats' ideal temperature is between 65° to 80°, with a relative humidity of 40% to 70%. Even in Florida, our humidity can dip to lower-than-ideal levels for our rattie friends. This is especially true once we turn our heaters on! To combat this, we would suggest running a humidifier for the first 14-21 days concurrent with your heater. You can use a warm or cool air humidifier - and these can be found at decent prices in either category. The cool-air humidifier we use can be found on Amazon. Warm-air humidifiers are less expensive if you can purchase at your local store. In a real financial pinch, a hot shower can be run for a few minutes (place your rats nearby) a couple times per day.
You can also add vitamins. Great information on that can be found on The Scuttling Gourmet.
If you are unable to run a heater, basic measures can still be taken to ensure the safety of your rats - though with more work involved. You can use a heating pad (human heating blanket) - but make sure to place it only under a portion of your cage - so they can get away from the heat if they need to. Do not put anything containing wires within reach of your rats - chewing can not only kill them, but can also easily start an electical fire! Covering their cages with a thick polar fleece blanket will help keep this heat inside. You can also use a Snuggle Safe Pet Bed, which is a simple, non-electrical method of giving your ratties a warm spot to snuggle up on. Make sure to follow the heating directions precisely to avoid damaging your heating pack. These are hard-sided, making them less likely to be chewed-through. Despite that - make sure to check it over daily to ensure an industrial chewer has not attempted it! We like to keep these on hand for emergencies (as sick rats are incapable of regulating their internal temperature). For those of you without central-heating (or who keep their rats in a space that does not have centralized heat), an oscillating tower heater works well for smaller spaces (300 square foot or smaller for this particular model). You can find one we have used on Amazon. Ultimately, make sure you are always offering your ratties a warm hammock or space where they can snuggle; and they will do their best to keep themselves (and each other) warm with body heat.
In the end, if you are uncomfortably cold - your rats likely are as well. Its much less expensive to take preventative measures than it is to get a big vet bill later!
Many rats carry Mycoplasma pulmonis (Myco, for short). The following excerpt gives a peek into percentages (though it is likely the percentage is even higher):
In humans, M. pulmonis was detected by PCR in 21 of 86 pet rat keepers (24.42%), 10 of 13 technicians (76.32%), and 8 of 32 (25.0%) veterinarians. In rats, M. pulmonis was identified by PCR in 86 of 122 pet rats (70.49%) and 56 of 113 (49.56%) laboratory rats.
Epub 2017 Apr 27
Excerpt: National Center for Biotechnology Information
In other parts of the country (and world), snowfall is beginning to come. Whereas 'cold' here might be 60° - in other parts of our country it is reaching lows of 43° by mid-November! While many pet rats reside inside the same home as their owners - their needs, while very similar, are not precisely the same as ours. Rats harboring Myco will begin flaring up at this time of year, especially. What may start as sniffles or a little porphyrin staining around the nose - can progress into full-blown pneumonia if not put in check in a timely manner.
For those of you who already have rats exhibiting these symptoms - consider seeing your local veterinarian for a prescription to get it in check. If left unchecked - it can progress into an inner ear infection, which can easily cause permanent damage (presenting as neurological distress - head tilting, rolling, etc.). Its very important any symptoms presented are taken seriously. You can find more info here, on RatGuide. Simple medications such as Baytril (Enrofloxacin), Doxycycline and/or Tetracycline can get these under control quickly and effectively.
The best course of action when weather starts to chill is prevention!
Here, we will go over some simple (yet effective) methods to prevent Myco from flaring up. Even if your rats are NOT harboring Mycoplasma pulmonis, they may begin getting the sniffles or some discharge at the onset of cold weather.
The first thing we do when the weather starts to chill, is turn on the heater! This is, naturally, the best course of action to keep rats in a comfortable, climate environment. Rats' ideal temperature is between 65° to 80°, with a relative humidity of 40% to 70%. Even in Florida, our humidity can dip to lower-than-ideal levels for our rattie friends. This is especially true once we turn our heaters on! To combat this, we would suggest running a humidifier for the first 14-21 days concurrent with your heater. You can use a warm or cool air humidifier - and these can be found at decent prices in either category. The cool-air humidifier we use can be found on Amazon. Warm-air humidifiers are less expensive if you can purchase at your local store. In a real financial pinch, a hot shower can be run for a few minutes (place your rats nearby) a couple times per day.
You can also add vitamins. Great information on that can be found on The Scuttling Gourmet.
If you are unable to run a heater, basic measures can still be taken to ensure the safety of your rats - though with more work involved. You can use a heating pad (human heating blanket) - but make sure to place it only under a portion of your cage - so they can get away from the heat if they need to. Do not put anything containing wires within reach of your rats - chewing can not only kill them, but can also easily start an electical fire! Covering their cages with a thick polar fleece blanket will help keep this heat inside. You can also use a Snuggle Safe Pet Bed, which is a simple, non-electrical method of giving your ratties a warm spot to snuggle up on. Make sure to follow the heating directions precisely to avoid damaging your heating pack. These are hard-sided, making them less likely to be chewed-through. Despite that - make sure to check it over daily to ensure an industrial chewer has not attempted it! We like to keep these on hand for emergencies (as sick rats are incapable of regulating their internal temperature). For those of you without central-heating (or who keep their rats in a space that does not have centralized heat), an oscillating tower heater works well for smaller spaces (300 square foot or smaller for this particular model). You can find one we have used on Amazon. Ultimately, make sure you are always offering your ratties a warm hammock or space where they can snuggle; and they will do their best to keep themselves (and each other) warm with body heat.
In the end, if you are uncomfortably cold - your rats likely are as well. Its much less expensive to take preventative measures than it is to get a big vet bill later!
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