Aspirins

what allergy medicine for pet rat?

One of my rats seems to have developed allergies to the laundry soap and gets distressed if his blankets and hammocks are more than a day dirty. I have changed to sensitive laundry soap and he is currently in a different room than his cage mates on clean towels. I am familiar with respiratory illnesses in rats, but this is only in his nose and he stops sneezing and wheezing if I have just cleaned the cage and now that he is in a isolated room. Any vet out there no of what I can get for him to help his allergies? I don't want to use a steroid, because it will lower his immune system. Usually , we use childrens antihistimine (without aspirin) but it is not working. I am wondering if there is a allergy medicine (similiar to human med Claritin) that would allow him to go back into the cage with his buddies for the weekend until I can get him to my vet . Yup, it's the Tide. Poor thing. I liked the post about antibiotics and steaming, all of which I know about, but it was very knowledgable. Tomorrow I am going to wash every rat hammock and clothes in unscented detergent and he shall be moving in with two new baby boys in a 'clean' room.

Public Comments

1. Wow you are really taking care of a rodent like a child...
2. Feed it an Alka-Seltzer tablet. It will help
3. I wouldn't administer anything to the rat. Are you sure it's the detergent? Do you have to have blankets/hammocks in the cage? Try without, just regular stuff,... boxes, shavings, toys, etc.
4. i'm no way a vet, but i've had a lot of experience with rats. i have a rat at the moment who is quite rattly and i've battled a lot with it to get him to a mostly healthy state. definately don't leave him apart form his friends, he will end up being even more distressed. make sure there is no dusty bedding (cardboard squares or pieces of fleece material will help) don't wash any of the rats blankets or hammocks in detergent, just a warm wash, 30 degrees is fine. i don't use detergent for my lot and they smell fine afterwards. its really only for peoples benefit anyway :) just change the hammocks regularly to stop the ammonia from them affecting his chest. a course of antibiotics will help. our vet prescribes baytril, but if you ask on the rat health section, or even just search it on the website listed below, there is a combination of drugs that can help. definately take him to the vets. also i found bisolvin powder (again from the vet, alongside baytril) helps to release any mucus build up, you don't need much, its mainly used in farm animals :) until you get to the vet i recommend placing some olbas oil, on a tissue near the cage. i do think for my rats, and it helps a lot. if you feel brave and the rat is really tame, you can place a bowl of hot (not boiling) water near the cage with some olbas oil in, make sure he cant reach it! this should help steam him. or you could run a bath and the steam from the how water will help him (don't put him in it, just sit with him in the bathroom) but definitely olbas oil, left outside the cage, it will help him and wont harm his friends :)