How to Tell if Your Rat has a Urinary Tract Infection

Rats are prone to getting urinary tract infections. Because their bodies are so close to the ground, bacteria can readily get into the urethra and cause an infection. Being able to tell if your rat has a urinary tract infection can enable you to get him or her to the veterinarian before the infection can spread to other organs or create complications.

Things You'll Need

  • Veterinarian
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Instructions

    • 1

      Change the bedding in your rat's cage at the same time you normally would. Sticking to the same schedule will help you determine if there are any changes beyond the norm. For instance, if you change the bedding weekly, be sure to wait a week to change the bedding again; otherwise, you may not be able to notice a change in his or her routine. While changing the bedding, look to see if there is more urine on the bedding than normal and take note if there's blood on the bedding (or within the urine itself).

    • 2

      Pay attention to whether or not your rat is drinking more than normal. If you typically refill his or her water bottle every other day, you may realize you are changing it more often if your rat has a urinary tract infection.

    • 3

      You may also begin to smell an unusually foul smell coming from your rat's cage. Although all rodent cages may have an odor about them, you may notice a more intense smell because urinary tract infections can cause the rat's urine to have an unpleasant odor.

    • 4

      Watch for lethargy in your rat. Excessive tiredness is often associated with urinary tract infections because their bodies are trying to fight off the infection and they become more fatigued as a result.

    • 5

      Pay extra attention to your rat throughout the day. Is he or she squatting more often without any urine passing? Rats trying to urinate more frequently, without success, are found to often be suffering from a urinary tract infection.

    • 6

      Listen for noises your rat makes throughout the day but don't pay special attention to the activity taking place when the noises are made. Some rats are noisy and like to "talk" a lot while others never make a sound. However, when rats have urinary tract infections, they'll often make squealing or squeaking noises as they're passing urine because of the burning sensation they'll experience.