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My pet rat sneezes infrequently. Is this normal or a health issue?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Small Animal | Rat | Female | unspayed | 1 year and 7 months old | 0.5 lbs

Hi, I am hoping that you could help me out with this; I know that URI are very common in pet rats, and I am hoping to get my girl in for a checkup with a local veterinarian (having a little trouble locating one**/ or one that is not an "emergency center"... Anyways, since I have had her, she maybe sneezes approx once or twice a day (***or perhaps every other day).. It's fairly infrequent, and not seeming to worsen nor accompanied by any other symptoms, is that normal? Could she be ill? Thanx!

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1 Answer

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Answered By Todd Cecil

Veterinarian

Published on January 7th, 2020

Thanks for reaching out about Luna and including a photo. Sneezing a few times daily could be normal, just clearing dust from the nostrils. Any discharge? The most common cause is mycoplasmosis, and is not CURABLE but is treatable. Antibiotics could help improve clinical signs, but animals are likely to relapse sometime in their lives. If not discharge and quality of life good (eating, active), check husbandry parameters as stress, high dust bedding, intense light, could also be causes. Good luck.

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