My friend's rat, Nimh, is a little under the weather at the moment. We're trying to get her into a vet today to find out what we can do. She's currently exhibiting signs of a Mycoplasma related illness, including gasping, laboured breathing, rattling and chattering sounds when she breathes. Hopefully the vet will be able to prescribe the right medications for her to ward it off.


Myco is a common illness among rats. Every rat has it, however some rats have a greater resistance than others. Daz and Ezri come from a litter with fantastic resistance. I have never heard them sneeze and their breathing is perfect. Nimh however has always had a few issues with sniffles and the like. It is important that if your rat shows signs of the illness that you see a vet, as more serious cases can lead to pneumonia and death. Prolonged illness will leave the rat with scarring along its respiratory tract. 


Hopefully our vet visit will be positive, and Nimh will have a good recovery from this bout of Myco. I'll keep you updated!