Denna sida på svenska. The primary cause of snuffle in our rats is almost exclusively Mycoplasma pulmonis. That Mycoplasma is a chronic and incurable disease is hopefully known to every ratowner today. But how the disease really works and how you in an appropriate way can treat the symptoms, seems despite of this onlythat few people are acquainted with.
The most common rat disease is Mycoplasma. Mycoplasma is really not a disease in it self but rather many different diseases with different symptoms that are caused by the microorganism called Mycoplasma pulmonis.
Many people of today live with chronic, incurable diseases. This could rats do too, if one only treats the symptoms right!
The first symptom that shows snuffle in a rat is when the rat constantly sneezes. The rat sneeze, maybe several times every day, possibly in connection with a cold. The primary rule is to put the rat under treatment at once and to attempt to get the rat to stop sneezing, alternatively immediately treat every suggestion of a cold.
The next symptom is when the rat makes a snuffling, wheezing or rattling sound.
The microorganisms that often cause snuffle is extremly contagious at the same time as incubation period vary and often are quite long. Snuffling rats often die prematurely - which they dont need to do with the right treatment. Snuffle normaly develops as a consequence of two different organisms destructive effect on the rat's respiratory tract, one of these organisms are almost exclusively mycoplasma.
Sometimes it is claimed that rats very easily gets allergic to the bedding in the cage and that the rat's bronchus gets irritated by small particles in the bedding. The truth is instead that the rat is extremly sensitive to living in a dirty cage! This sensitivity shows as sneezing, snuffling, rattling, the rat has easier catching a cold and the rat could get serious problems with the bronchus (= snuffle).
Written by: Eva Johansson.
Copyright Eva Johansson.
Last update: 11th of August 2006.