I can't really afford to take my rats to the vet, i thought we were
doing the right thing when we got them, we bought them from a pet
store that was only using them as snake food. So when i saw Madame
nips-a-bit, and Madame squeaks-a-lot i had to save them. When i got
them home i hooked a aquarium up and got them a bunch of toys, and rat
food, and water bottles, and the highest quality bedding (which we
also have other animals that use the same). Both rats have sneezing
fits every once in awhile, and one has a little snot coming out of her
nose. I called the vet, but they want 65 dollars PER rat to see
them. I can't afford 130 dollars to find out they have the sniffles,
but i want to make sure they are ok. They are very active, and eat
well, so i dont' know if i am worrying about nothing. Pleas help this
newly born Rat owner, make sure her babies are ok.

i no i had just got a hamster and she wont let me hold her so we decided to take her to the vet when are appointment was over they said it was nothing but it was 120 dollars because she was very hard to get out and i said well thats more than the hamsters cost. but i think you should take them to the local vet and if they need medicine pay for it and then when they are all better try to sell them if u really cant afford it but remember... do u love them enough to make sure they're healthy!
and ps: i am only ten years old

Delinque,
Oh, I think, you got your hands full enough. Maybe, they are allergic to the stuff they hate, or sometime rats usually get colds from where they came from. I think, maybe you should tell the people that answer the phones{ the vet techicians, and say, My rats have sniffles , what should I do for them to get better? I don't want to make a visit. Our vets cost $44.00 to see a pet. I hope your pets are ok now. Wishing you luck. Your going to be in my family's prayers. Alright, hope my comment helps you a little bit.

~ P.S.- I'm only a teenager! 14 to be exact..LoL.

Change the bedding to the one with the least dust that you can find. Shreaded paper is the absolute best. All rats carry mycoplasma, a bacteria that causes phenmonia and can kill them. Some are resistant, others are not. The ones that are not, tend to be more sneezy and occasionally need antibiotic treatment to keep it from progressing. I know its expensive. I had some doxycycline 100 mg tabs left over from a dental procedure and found out that that was a viable treatment. One 100 mg tab crushed and mixed with peanut butter and flour and water, divided into twenty doses, given twice a day will get rid of the sneezes. That's the only people drug that I know that can be used on rats, so if you happen to have some around the house, try it. There may be others, but I don't know of any, offhand. But first, change the bedding. Some bedding says its dustless and it's not. Carefresh is one that made my rats sneeze like crazy even though it says its dustless. Now I use one made from just shreaded brown paper and its so much better. Pet store rats aren't the most hardy. They're bred for snake food and there's no care at all in the breeding. Unfortunately, we don't have much choice, rat breeding is more of a specialty in the uk than it is here. There are a lot of rat forums that give a lot of information. They are cuties and not too many people can appreciate how much smarter and affectionate they are than hamsters and gerbils, but its hard to get them to live really long. 2 years if you're very lucky. Males live longer. Females get breast tumors when they're not fixed or bred, males have less problems.

I also noticed that you have them in an aquarium. If you can afford a wire chage, the ventilation is better for them. Rats have very sensitive respiratory systems.

***Edited By: popsicletoes on 8/27/2007 2:04:14 AM***
Reason: sp

lil2short, if you're being serious, that you're only 10 -
Let me rephrase that...
Personally, I have no problem with younger kids interacting on here. Only the rules say that you must be 12 or older...