RCReptiles.com

[deborahbroadus]

Apparently, one of the rats caught an upper respiratory system illness (this is the only conclusion I can arrive at) and my rats have been dying like wildfire (an exaggeration..but approximately 4 rats a day)

I purchased 20 new rats from the same supplier and quarantined them for only a week since they were the same supplier. I had them quarantined in the used rack that I purchased at the Chantilly show I put a male with them in ratios of 1:4. The rack is in the same room on the other side of the room from the original 2 rat racks and was cleaned with Chlorhexidine before putting the rats in it.

Since this infusion of new blood rats have been dying. The snakes are refusing to eat any sick rats (one snake actually struck, coiled and after making sure that everything was under control, I left. Apparently, he spit spit it out (not regurged)...(I discovered it the next day during check and the head only was wet and the snake was in the water as if he were still washing out his mouth )

The rats that are dying are not simply my older rats..but ratterlings, and young adults. They are not mauled, or swollen, it looks like they just lied down and died.

The first inkling that I have had as to the nature of the illness was when one of the ratterlings died and I picked it up and mucus was coming from his nose. The second inkling was one of the rats (the one I tried to feed off) had runny bowels and was getting thin..this in spite of the fact that there is a whole pile of food on the bin! (that's why I tried to feed him off. ..I was going to feed them all off before I lost the whole investment.

They are not all dead..yet..but I expect they will all die that are not resistant to the "disease." That's why I wanted to feed them off and thus give myself time to build up the collection again. It's breeding season and my girls (and their boy-toys) gotta eat.

The AFS are quarantined upstairs away from everything and are still healthy, fat and not nippy.

Ron, your thoughts?

[RonCrawford]

I hope someone else can chime in with their thoughts. I for one am stumped and would be PARANOID and SCARED TO DEATH if I experienced this! As you already know, that is NOT NORMAL!

The number of variables here are a lot. Was it the new rodents, is there some type of virus/bacteria that's wiping them out, could the shavings have been treated with some new chemical that is fatal to rodents, could you have a radon or carbon monoxide problem and it's killing off the rodents? Like I said, there are a lot of variables here and you'll have a challenge trying to find out what's killing them short of taking a deceased rodent to the vet for testing.

Let us know what you uncover! Thanks Deb and I wish you the best!

[Monica]

OMG good luck!

[PyMama]

Oh my gosh!!!!!! That is not normal at all.

Are you now in the process of desinfecting everything?

[deborahbroadus]

[deborahbroadus]

[PyMama]

Deb Im not sure if you posted on the outcome of this and I missed it.
What did the vet said?

[deborahbroadus]

It was a virus, some rats developed a resistance and some did not. The Vet did not think that it was worth an autopsy when I described what was happening, he was pretty sure it would run its course and he was right.

On the positive side, they have stopped dying...they are getting back up to par (as I feed off the runts and leave the robust).

The snakes are not affected at all, and refused the diseased prey although they would constrict and start to eat, they would not finish. They do however eat the rats I have now and the f/t that I purchased to keep them fed until my colony is back up to numbers.

Another bright note: Three of my ASF have had litters! The first one that had a litter wasn't a good mother (killed her kits) and she was trying to be agressive, so after giving her ONE more chance (she tried to jump from the tray) I dispatched her. Peace now reigns. They dine on Matzuri, catfood, fruits and bird seed.