What diseases do rats get and what are their symptoms? - briefly
Rats frequently suffer from infections like salmonellosis, leptospirosis, rat‑bite fever, and various respiratory or gastrointestinal illnesses. Typical signs include diarrhea, fever, nasal discharge, lethargy, skin lesions, and respiratory distress.
What diseases do rats get and what are their symptoms? - in detail
Rats are susceptible to a range of bacterial, viral, parasitic, and neoplastic conditions. Recognizing clinical manifestations enables timely intervention and reduces mortality.
- Salmonellosis – fever, lethargy, diarrhoea (often watery with blood), abdominal distension, weight loss.
- Streptobacillosis (rat‑bite fever) – fever, chills, joint pain, rash, swollen lymph nodes; may follow bite or exposure to contaminated urine.
- Pseudomonas infection – skin ulceration, ear discharge, respiratory distress, nasal discharge, rapid breathing.
- Mycoplasma pulmonis (Mycoplasma infection) – chronic respiratory signs: sneezing, nasal and ocular discharge, laboured breathing, weight loss, occasional cyanosis.
- Sendai virus – upper respiratory signs similar to Mycoplasma, plus conjunctivitis, otitis media, occasional neurological signs (tremors, ataxia).
- Rat coronavirus (RCV) – watery diarrhoea, dehydration, anorexia, perianal staining, occasional respiratory involvement.
- Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) – asymptomatic in many rats; when disease occurs, fever, lethargy, neurological signs such as tremors, paralysis, or seizures.
- Tyzzer’s disease (Clostridium piliforme) – sudden death, liver necrosis, abdominal distension, icterus; often affects young or immunocompromised animals.
- Metabolic bone disease – skeletal deformities, fractures, reduced mobility, swollen joints; caused by calcium or vitamin D deficiency.
- Mite infestations (e.g., Radfordia, Myobia) – intense scratching, hair loss, crusty skin, alopecia, secondary bacterial infection.
- Flea infestation – excessive grooming, hair loss, anemia, irritability; may transmit bacterial pathogens.
- Coccidiosis (Eimeria spp.) – watery diarrhoea, weight loss, dehydration; more severe in young rats.
- Pinworm infection (Syphacia muris) – perianal itching, mild diarrhoea, occasional weight loss.
- Mammary tumors – palpable masses in the ventral abdomen, ulceration, occasional metastasis to lungs or liver; may be hormone‑dependent.
- Pituitary adenomas – progressive weight gain, alopecia, skin lesions, endocrine imbalances; often observed in older rats.
Additional signs that may indicate systemic illness include reduced grooming, hunched posture, decreased food and water intake, abnormal vocalizations, and sudden changes in behavior. Laboratory diagnostics—culture, PCR, serology, fecal flotation, radiography, and histopathology—confirm specific etiologies and guide treatment protocols. Prompt veterinary care, appropriate antimicrobial or antiparasitic therapy, and supportive measures such as fluid therapy and nutritional support improve outcomes.