Rat Roadhouse

Rats are naturally one of the cleanest animals. Given proper nutrition, proper excerise and lots of love, the chances of visiting a vet are minimal. However, whether you are a novice or breeder, chances are you will be visiting one sometime.

Rats don't require any vaccinations. However there are very few veterinarians that know much about them. The easiest thing to do is when visiting your local pet store, ask them who specializes in exotics. If you never need visit, great. However you don't ever want to be caught with no name and a sudden rat health crisis.

Some health issues can easily be treated at home as long as one keeps a good eye on them. Scratches, minor wounds, etc.

Other issues are always best left to an expert. Any lethargy, sneezing (rats do occasionally sneeze after burrowing, but other than that), weight loss, fur loss, bleeding (unless she is in the middle of birth), etc. are always best left to either a vet or other rat specialists.

Many people turn to their local pet stores with questions. However I can tell you from my experiences that most pet store employees are underpaid and unless they own the animal, you are probably going to have to educate them.