I just bought my first pet rat and in a matter of hours he has become a little congested and sneezing? Advice?

It shouldn't be the aspen as it's pine and cedar which carry toxic oils. Where did you purchase him from? Petstores are notorious for carrying rodents who have respiratory illnesses. When my rats have gotten a little cold, I give them a little orange and wipe their faces down with a warm washcloth. Sometimes letting play in the bathroom while you shower can clear their passages. If his symptoms progress any worse, I would definentely consult a veterinarian. Good luck and wishing all the best for your little guy.

There is nothing wrong with buying a rat from a pet shop, but do a little research first and make sure the workers you are speaking to know what they are talking about. If they keep the males and females together, get the heck out of there. Of course they're together when they are babies, but when they are old enough to be away from the mother the MUST be in separate areas. Mycoplasma is very common in rats, to the point where my vet says, "I just assume most rats have it even if they don't have strong symptoms." The best you can do in a pet store is pay attention to their breathing and see if they have any difficulty/wheezing. In order to avoid rats with this, there ARE breeders that promise myco free rats. It's not a huge deal if they have it, however, and both of mine are happy and healthy despite the fact that sometimes one gets a little stuffy. I have two rats that are both from separate pet stores, and they are the sweetest things. I've had them for a couple of years and neither has EVER bitten me. Just trust your instinct, if you feel you connect with the rat and they are gentle with you, you will be fine. ^_^

Sometimes rats do that when they are moved from one place to another, see how he does the rest of the night, and if he is wheezing in the morning, you may want to take him to the vet. He should go to the vet if you see red discharge from his eyes and nose.

Aspen is fine for rats...if it is a little dusty, that can cause him to sneeze, Try using an old tshirt on the bottom of his cage to see if he still sneezes.

My rattie is the same. Ratties are susceptible to a kind of flu and some vets say they catch it from their mothers. Your rattie may have allergies or the flu. I have had my female rattie for over a month now and she still is sneezing and I have tried wood shavings, paper pellets and ordinary newspaper. She still sneezes. I have also given her Baytril to see if it makes her flu go away and I have found that infant antihistamine helps a lot.

definitely get rid of the wood chips. The carefresh bedding that is the dark grey color (I think it's a cotton and paper blend or something) works best. no odors and the rats love to pile that stuff up and bury their food. Also with the sneezing, it may not turn into something bad but it's definitely not good. My rat sneezed her entire life and that was about 26 months.

Personally, I prefer Carefresh and it is very good. It is an all natural recycled mixture and it is one of the best.

Where did you get him? If you went to a pet store, bring him back and tell thaem that you got him when he was sick and tell them that you want him healthy. When I got a pair of rats at Petco, I brought them back because they were sick and they were treated for free.Keep in mind that you just got him so try to relax and give it a day or so. Try no to stress him out and if it is worsening or staying the same, take him back to where you got him or bring him to the vet yourself.

some ratties are extra sensitive so dust in gerneral will give them the sniffles, i try and use a low dust cat litter as this is the case with one of my own rats. You can try taking him back to the pet store but I have heard that a few will give you the "you bought it your problem" answer. if he keeps getting worse take him to a vet, uri (upper respitory infections) are common in rats and treating can be simple. next time you get a rat try a breeder or a rat rescue (like an adoption agency) as they are 100 times more likely on ensuring the health and well being of an animal before passing it on.

uumm I've heard that ur not suppod=sed to use wood shavings (that's what aspen is, right??? If it's not, sorry) in ur rodents cages, cuz that gives them allergies. Try usin glike CareFresh or something not wood.