When treated swiftly most illnesses and diseases in rats can be cured, but rats are well-known for not showing any signs of illness in their behavior so it’s important as a responsible owner to know precisely what to look for when giving your rat a health check.
All rats are born with and carry Mycoplasma Pulmonis. This is a respiratory disease that may affect your rat at some point in its life, however some rats may go their entire life without showing symptoms.
Flares of Mycoplasma Pulmonis (Myco) may be caused by several factors such as a weakened immune system, poor living conditions (especially during winter with heating on), stress and other diseases that have a knock on effect to the rats overall health.
If your rat is displaying all or any of these symptoms it’s important to take them to the vet, who will prescribe them with Baytril an antibiotic. If left untreated and allowed to spread to the lungs Myco is fatal in rats.