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Many people bathe their dogs at home, which can be a fun experience for both you and your pet. Professional groomers usually urge people to try this at home, at least once. It will either be a great bonding experience, or you will appreciate your groomer even more!

You need to choose an appropriate location. In the warmer months, the front lawn may seem like a good choice. It can be, as long as the pet isn’t rinsed with cold water from the hose. We wouldn’t enjoy an ice-cold shower, even in hot weather, and dogs don’t, either. It can also be dangerous if the pet is overheated to begin with, as the cold water prohibits the dog’s natural cooling system from lowering his body temperature. So the location that you choose needs to have access to warm, running water. Laundry rooms are a popular choice, with the utility tubs doubling as bathtubs for smaller dogs. If the room has a floor drain, it can also be a good bathing location for the bigger dogs to stand over.

It is wise to set out all of the tools that you will need for your pet’s bath. A good quality shampoo is very important, the key words being “good quality.” If you don’t have access to fine pet shampoo, salon-quality people shampoo works well, diluted to ten parts water to one part shampoo. Don’t buy the cheap pet shampoo; it is usually a watered-down version of a harsh mixture that is not properly ph-balanced for your pet’s skin and coat. For conditioners, all of these same rules apply.

It is important to mention at this point to never choose a flea and tick shampoo; external parasite treatments contain potentially deadly chemicals, and should never used at home, regardless of what the claims are on the bottle. If you suspect that you dog has fleas or other issues, contact your veterinarian. He can provide you with a large selection of simple and safe pesticide treatments that are much more effective than flea and tick shampoos.

Okay, back to the bathing task.

A big stack of old towels is a must. It will take three times the number of towels you think it will. A rubber mat is a good idea for the bottom of the tub, for stable footing. Then, the most important item: you must have a lubricating salve to put in your dog’s eyes to avoid any injury from the shampoo. This is a vital step! You can purchase a tube of eye ointment for a few dollars from your veterinarian. Just a pinpoint drop of this salve in each eye can save you the expense of a vet bill later on.

If you have a long-haired dog, beware! BEFORE you begin, brush your dog out completely! All of the mats and tangles need to be combed out before the dog gets wet. If not, they will shrink closer to the skin, making them much difficult to remove.

Now, you are prepared to embark on your bathing journey. Put the salve into both eyes, and apply shampoo liberally all over the dog. When rinsing, it is very important to eliminate all residues from the shampoos and conditioners, to avoid possible skin irritations. For best results, towel-dry the dog thoroughly and let him air-dry for half an hour in a warm place. You may then use a regular blow dryer to dry the dog’s coat, however the cool setting should be used so that the dog doesn’t overheat.

When the dog is dry, you may then brush out the coat with a gentle brush. Now, your dog’s bathing experience is complete! Good luck!

© Shannon Lynnes Heggem (2006)
Shannon Lynnes Heggem is a motivational speaker with a strong background in the pet care industry. In the 1990’s, she established an upscale pet resort in Montana, and then founded the Fast Track Institute of Pet Careers, a vocational school focused on pet-related careers.

Shannon quickly became one of the top experts in the pet care industry. She was the first Certified Master Groomer in Montana, and went on to become a Certified Kennel Operator; only four people in the world actually hold both of these certification titles!

She amazingly survived a vicious Rottweiler attack in 1998, and since then has overcome incredible obstacles to continue her life’s journey. Shannon has just launched a revolutionary new seminar series Learning About Pets Program focused on teaching pet owners vital knowledge to enhance their pets’ vitality, health, and well-being! http://learningaboutpets.com/

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If the environment is too hot, Rats can’t naturally cool themselves off. Rats cannot sweat like humans and they cannot pant like dogs. Therefore Rats are very sensitive to heat and humidity.

Rats are pretty comfortable in the upper 60’s and lower 70’s; many experience distress around 80-90′F and can die if left uncared for in this condition or if the temperature rises towards 100. Tailless rats and mice like it a tad cooler: 75-85 can be distressing with temperatures rising in the 90’s being deadly.

If your rat is hot, or has developed heatstroke (hyperthermia) it may display some of the symptoms:
- Labored breathing
- Very lethargic and slow moving
- If you coax them to move they may stagger as if drunk
- Drooling - (an attempt to cool off by having the drool evaporate just as water or sweat would cool you off).
- Tail, feet, ears and nose hot to touch
- Lie on their sides with their feet in the air and their tail stretched out.(As blood in their system travels to these unfurred parts of their body, it gets cooled off.) This means they are really really hot.

Note: older rats, overweight or ill rats are particularly sensitive to the heat.

Here’s some tips to help your rattie beat the summer heat.

If your pet is used to water, you may want to submerge them up to their neck in some cool (not freezing cold) water. If you think your pet may be more stressed out by being in water then…

Frozen chunks of fruits and/or veggies will keep your ratties cool from the inside out. If they are not pre-bagged frozen, and you are buying fresh to freeze, be sure to wash the produce before chopping and bagging and freezing….pesticide residues are bad news for ratties.

Ice in a dish. Quick, simple, yet oh so satisfying. I have seen a hot rattie lick ice with great relish and seem much more comfortable afterwards, probably because the blood flowing through the tissues of the rattie’s mouth is cooled by the ice, and as the cooled blood circulates through the rest of the body, it reduces overall body temperature. The cold water that is swallowed in the process has a similar effect, and additionally helps prevent dehydration.

Peas in a pie pan. Frozen peas with cool water. Your rattie may or may not be willing to wade in for the refreshments,
but the possibility is good, and this can provide quick relief. Make sure to supervise adequately. This one can be messy; best done on a tile floor, not in the cage. The bathtub would be even better.

Icewater in the water bottle. Same principal as the ice. Of course, ice won’t fit into most water bottle openings unless it’s crushed. A handy thing to do is simply have two water bottles and have one in the fridge cooling while the other is in use, and switch the two every couple of hours.

Bottle full of ice. Save your old juice, pop, and water bottles–whatever size fits the number of ratties and the size of the cage. Wash thoroughly. Fill 3/4 full with water. Freeze thoroughly. When the mercury soars, put a frozen bottle in with the ratties…they will sleep on or near it, and it will also lower the ambient temperature in the cage somewhat. It’s best to have two bottles per cage so you can switch off. Also, realize they may chew a hole in the bottle and soak the cage…..sometimes glass is best, but it can crack in the freezer.

Spray Bottle - get a clean spray bottle-make sure it has no chemical residues. Put clean water in it. Refrigerate it. Periodically spray the rats down with it, as often as they seem to need it. This will not work well without adequate air circulation–a fan can help with this. Just make sure you don’t soak the ratties and blast the fan on them–that’s too stressful. Set the spray bottle to deliver a gentle mist, and set the fan so that it will move the air around the rattie.

Follow these tips to help your little buddy keep cool this hot summer.

Diana Davidson is author of a new neat book on pet rat care which is a great resource that contains information you wouldn’t find at your local library. For lots more pet rat care information, tips, quirky and interesting facts, and answers to your questions visit Diana’s site at http://www.rattiesecrets.com.

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Being a “rattie parent” can be worrisome when your little ones are doing things like sneezing. My goal with this article is to take away your confusion, so that you’ll feel better and your rat will be okay.

Below are the things that can cause your rat to sneeze:

Mycoplasmia

This very common and incurable respiratory disease among rats may flare up throughout the rat’s life. Symptoms include sneezing, wheezing and, in advanced cases, gasping for air. Sores may sometimes develop on lung tissue, making it hard for the rat to breathe. While humans are capable of catching mycoplasmia from other humans, we cannot catch it from rats, and vice versa.

There’s good news though. As long as their immune system is not compromised, most rats with mycoplasmia can live long and active lives, despite the outward symptoms. The key is feeding them a vitamin-rich diet (especially vitamins A and E) and taking extra precautions to avoid exposing them to dust, smoke, drafts and bacteria.

If your pet rat gets “Myco flare-ups,” she may need to get treated with medication such as Vibramycin, the brand name Doxycycline or the generic brand, Baytril. These medicines will suppress symptoms and prevent the development of scarred lung tissue.

Pneumonia

The main difference between mycoplasmia and pneumonia is that the former produces symptoms of dry loud breathing that will come and go, while the latter manifests itself with a wet, congested, raspy wheeze and a runny nose. Porphyrin may be excreted from the rat’s nasal passage and fluid may collect in her lungs. Babies that are infected may not show any symptoms until a few months later.

Pneumonia is highly contagious to any other rat within sneezing distance, so you should immediate quarantine the afflicted rat until you can get him to a vet.

One treatment of pneumonia involves the drugs Baytril, Doxycycline, and a machine called a nebulizer. The drugs are administered in the form of a vapor several times a day.

Colds or Allergies

In the event that you need to take your little one to the veterinarian to have her treated for a respiratory ailment, you may decide to administer a tiny amount of over-the-counter cold or allergy medicine.

Also, if your vet approves of the idea, you may try to treat your rat on your own this way over the course of several days. However, you need to be careful about doing this as you don’t want to use something that may cause more harm than good. Also, if her condition should worsen, take her to a vet right away.

Here are some general guidelines:

• Use children’s liquid medicines, not adult formulas.
• Administer the medicine as often as you would for a child; however, make them extremely tiny doses (0.10 cc. for an adult, and less than half that for a baby).
• Use cough decongestant or expectorant medicine, not suppressant.
• Avoid formulas containing alcohol.

How to minimize respiratory illnesses and symptoms, in general:

• Keep the air moist. Counteract the drying effect of heaters and air conditioners by adding to the room tiny water fountains, plants and even jars of water.
• Humidifiers and vaporizers work nicely to keep the air moisture-rich; but avoid keeping them too close to your rats’ cage (at least 4 feet away).
• In an emergency, you can take your rat into a closed bathroom with a hot shower running. Don’t take her too close to the water. Just let her breathe the steam for 5-15 minutes. It helps loosen up the mucus stuck inside their lungs.
• Make sure your rattie has proper bedding.
• Sudden sneezing may be due to an allergic reaction to a change in bedding, food, soap, or to their surroundings in general.
• A cold, tiny block of baker’s chocolate has been known to ease symptoms of respiratory distress.

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