How to Avoid Common Rat Illnesses

Unfortunately, rats are prone to many common illnesses. But they can be easily prevented. Here's some of the common illnesses and how they can be prevented.

Preventing Bumblefoot
Bumblefoot is an infection on the back padding of a rat's foot. Many other small animals can get bumblefoot too. It can be easily prevented, but is very hard to treat. Bumblefoot is caused when rats constantly walk on hard surfaces, wire floors, or live in dirty conditions. You can prevent bumblefoot by:

~Padding the floor of your rat's cage/levels in the cage with fleece or blankets. You can binder clip fleece to their cage shelves.
~Avoid exposing your rat to wire floors/ramps. You may want to cover cage ramps with towels, fleece, or a small blanket.
~Keep their cage clean. Spot clean their cage floor daily and do a complete cage cleaning 1-2 times a week depending on your cage size and number of rats in the cage.

Preventing Abscesses 
An abscess is an infected sore or puss filled lump. They can appear anywhere on your rat. Abscesses can be easily drained at home (ONLY if you are very experienced with rats or removing abscesses) or a vet can do it. Abscesses are caused when a rat in injured/bitten by another rat or if your rat is cut by a sharp object such as a wood splinter or loose cage wire. Abscesses can be easily prevented by:

~Avoid using plastic or wood houses in your rat's cage. These can become sharp or splinter, causing an abscess. Use beds, hammocks, and houses made of fabric instead.
~NEVER use pine or cedar bedding. Not only are they very dangerous, but they can irritate your rat's skin.
~Properly bond rats. Don't put rats together that haven't been properly bonded. They will fight and injure each other.

Preventing Tumors
Tumors are one of the most common causes of death in rats. Female rats are much more prone to tumors, but males can get them too. Female rats are at high risk of mammary and pituitary tumors. Tumors are not easily treated. Surgery for tumor removal can be quite costly. Spaying and neutering your rats drastically reduces this risk. Depending on where you live and each vet's prices, spaying usually costs between $30 and $65. Neutering typically costs between $20 and $50. I can honestly say that none of my past rats had tumors, and all of them were altered.

Spring's here!//700 subscribers info

Hi. (: Spring is finally here, YES! :D That means summer's almost here- only 40 more days of school! Stay tuned because I'm going to try to upload 1-2 videos a week.

Here's some upcoming videos:
~An Easter vid (being uploaded on Easter obviously)
~Some more videos of my guinea pigs
~Bathing/grooming videos

[: Thanks for support! Alsooooo, if and when I get 700 subscribers (I know, I'm a longshot) I will let you guys come up with ideas of some crazy thing you want me to do in a video... maybe dancing in public? Pranks? Anythingg. I'll chose the top 3 things that I would do and let you guys vote . [: So once I reach my goal of 700 subscribers I will do that(: And maybe I could have 1,000 subscribers by the end of summer? Just maybe[: *And NO I do not "sub 4 sub". I prefer to actually EARN subscribers and have never ever asked anyone to subscribe to me*