Vet Care


Rats deserve as much care and responsibility as any other pet and you should be prepared to bring your rats for veterinary treatment should they fall ill.

The most common health problems in rats are respiratory infections. All domestic rats have the bacteria Mycoplasma pulmonis in their systems, and at times an infection can flare up. Watch for symptoms of illness such as lethargy, sneezing, wheezing, labored breathing, or excess porphyrin (“red tears”). If your pet rat gets a respiratory infection it should receive immediate veterinary care and treatment with antibiotics.

Rats are prone to tumors, so check them over regularly. If your rat is in good health, tumors can be removed by your vet.

If your rats are reluctant to eat, become lethargic or show signs of possible illness or injury, you must promptly seek veterinary help. Small problems can quickly become serious if left unattended.

Rat vets in the Lower Mainland that we personally use & recommend:

Arbutus West Animal Clinic
Dr. Brondwin
2809 West 16th Avenue (at MacDonald)
Vancouver, BC V6K 3C5
Telephone: 604-736-6701
http://www.awac.ca

Kennedy Heights Animal and Bird Hospital
Dr. Schild, Dr. Wall
8614 - 120th Street
Surrey, BC V3W 3N6
Telephone: 604-591-5304
http://www.kennedyheightsanimalhosp.ca

Lifetime Pet Care Practice
Dr. Junkin
#101-12101-72nd Ave
Surrey BC V3W 2M1
Telephone: 604-594-7387
http://www.lifetimepet.infovet.ca

Port Moody Animal Hospital
Dr. Siegert
2-2810 St. Johns Street
Port Moody, BC V3H 2C1
Telephone: 604-469-5589


Debbie Ducommun’s Rat Health Care Booklet

An absolute must have resource for all “rat people” is Debbie Ducommun’s Rat Health Care booklet, now in it’s 13th updated edition. This is both the best and the least expensive, all around reference book available to pet rat keepers. This $7 book will definitely pay for itself! It contains up to date info that many vets don’t even know, so be sure to order 2 copies, one for you and one for your vet! You'll find ordering information on The Rat FanClub website at http://www.ratfanclub.org/books.html

 

 

I hold that the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man.
-Mahatma Gandhi