Myco
Mycoplasma pneumonia, commonly reffered to as Myco, is actually an organism that all rats in the general pet population carry and is the cause of the majority of respiratory problems in pet rats, this organism is carried in the upper respiratory system.
It is practically impossible to avoid in todays rat population and is NOT CURABLE, all rat enthusiasts and vets alike are trying to figure out why it is so prevolant today, we know much more about rats and there care than we ever have, and we care for them better than ever, but still this problem is so ridiculously common it is the vain of all rat lovers.
Stress or other illness can weaken a rats immune system, causing the rat to be more susceptable to respiratory infection, if you leave symptoms untreated for long periods of time, it can lead to pneumonia thus increasing risk to the rat, and most likely becoming fatal.
Most of the time symptoms can be controlled or even mostly eradicated by antiboitics from a Vet, commonly ones used are Baytril, Vibravet, Tetracycline, and Doxycycline. Also there are other treatments that may help boost a rats immune system such as Echinacea (a herb extract).
But it is extremely important to maintain a healthy cage environment to keep stress to a minimum, such as making sure the cage is clean at all times and cleaning it on a regluar basis with a very mild anticacterial solution, making sure fresh food and water are available at all times and providing entertainment and shelter.
A big contributing factor to problems with Myco is Wood Shavings, mainly Pine and Cedar, these contain Phenols (natural oils) which are very strong and harm a rats respiratory system, most people do not know of the dangers of these shavings, and are being used quite frequently today, but these are a big thing to avoid. A good alternative is Breeders choice cat litter pellets, shredded paper, or strips of polar fleece or paper towels.
Symptoms of a Myco infection
The symptoms of the upper respiratory disease, which involve the nasal passages and middle ears, can include sneezing, sniffling, occasional squinting, rough hair coat, and porphyrin (Red) staining around the eyes and nose . If the inner ear becomes involved, head tilt (wry neck) and rolling may occur.
As the disease progresses, it will enter the lungs. If exacerbated by bacterial infections, viral infections, or ammonia, symptoms may include lethargy, rough hair coat, hunched posture, porphyrin staining, chattering, weight loss, labored breathing, and eventually death. If the mycoplasmal infection is not complicated by any other bacterial infection or viral infection, the terminal stage of the disease can last for weeks or even months.
Good husbandry, breeding only from mycoplasma resistant rats, and early treatment are the only things we can do to fight this deadly disease at this time. Someday, maybe we'll be lucky enough to have a drug company develop an effective vaccine. We can only hope until that day. In the meantime, we are just trying to treat rats in the best way possible, and only breed from the most resistant rats possible, evidently, myco is still impossible to avoid.
