This article has been checked and verified by Veterinary Surgeon Charles Halbert, BVetMed MRCVS (Hons).
On a hot day, there may come a time when you need this article. And any knowledge gained from this will hugely impact the outcome of that day.
The information I’m about to delve into is critical to know. In every type of medical emergency, we perform better and faster if we’re prepared.
Even if you live in a climate where you don’t have extreme heat, a rat’s inability to regulate their temperature sufficiently makes anything above 86F/30C potentially lethal if they aren’t given some cooling.
The rising temperatures of the last few years can cause your pet rat to overheat. So, you need to cool them down quickly, because it can lead to a heat stroke, heart attack, and death.
Knowing the temperatures our pet rats like is easy, they’re not too dissimilar to us. Generally, if you’re comfortable, then they are too.
Rats Overheating
Paying attention to these signs will ensure you can detect when your rat is in danger of overheating:
- Lethargy (slow or severely reduced movements)
- Laying stretched out
- Decreased appetite
- Excessive drinking
- If their tail, nose, ears or feet are hot to the touch
Lethargy
If you notice that you rats are moving significantly less than usual, this is a strong sign that they’re too hot. It is part of an animal’s (including ours) survival instinct to slow down when they’re overheating.
Laying Stretched Out
A sprawled out rat is one of the easiest ways to tell your rat is struggling with the heat, especially if it’s somewhere they don’t usually sleep such as a cold plastic area.
Decreased Appetite & Excessive Drinking
Overheated rats will often eat less food and drink much more. It is important to regularly monitor the food levels in your rats’ food bowl and cage, as well as monitoring their water bottle.
In warm weather it is best to make sure the water is topped up daily, and it can be a nice treat for your rattos if a couple of ice cubes are added to the water.
Nose, Tails, Ears and Feet
A rat’s nose, tails, ears and feet are usually quite cool due to being on the outside of the body. But, interestingly, a rat’s tail is used to regulate heat.
When your pet rat gets too hot, it doesn’t sweat, the heat instead travels through the blood vessels and into their tail, so it can be released from their body.
If you touch these areas on your rat and find them to be hot, then your rat needs cooling down.
How to Quickly Prevent Heat Related Deaths in Pet Rats
While you can try to be prepared by checking the weather forecast and having cooling equipment ready, the weather can take even experts by surprise.
So, if your rats are in immediate danger of overheating, then you need to act fast to prevent a heat stroke or heart attack.
To prevent this, and cool your hot rats down, follow this advice:
Ice
Give them ice cubes. If you want to use a frozen ice pack instead/as well, then it is important to be extremely cautious when checking the frozen ice pack because many of them contain chemicals.
Frozen Fruit and Veg
Placing some frozen fruit and veg in a bowl or tub of water is a great way to cool your rats down. It becomes a fun fishing game for them! Paint roller trays are great for this as the slant allows them to choose between a shallow end and a deeper end.
A Cool Place to Lie
Place a clean, cold tile or brick in their cage for them to lie on. Bricks have the added advantage of keeping your rats claws in good condition. If you prefer, you can treat your rat to a cooling pad like this one.
Fan
Use a fan to circulate and freshen the air. It helps aid their breathing, but it’s best to not have these directly facing your rats’ cage, because direct cold air can make them too chilly.
Cool Their Water
Focus on their water by adding ice to their drink, and use a bottle cover. Simply put it in the freezer overnight and pop it over the bottle in the morning.
Keep The Windows Closed
Keep the windows closed during the day, and keep your rattos inside if the air outside is hotter than the air inside, which is often the case even in summer. A good way to naturally cool down your room is to keep blinds and curtains closed.
Air Conditioning
An air conditioner is the best device to cool hot rats, so it’s a great investment. An air conditioner also helps to maintain a steady temperature, which can help your rats to feel less stressed.
Just like us, stress can contribute to making them feel more unwell. This air conditioner will keep your pet rats cool!
A Quick Dip
A quick dip in water is a great way to cool your rats down quickly.
You want the water to be room temperature because cold water will cause their bodies to try and warm up after making them even hotter.
It’s important to make sure your rats are dry by night time, this will stop them getting too cold when the temperature drops in the night. Of course, it’s also important that you try to avoid getting water in their ears, to prevent infection.
If your rat is not the biggest fan of water, then using a spray bottle to gently spray water over them, or rubbing a wet flannel over their bodies is really effective too. They may not be too happy getting wet, but they’ll appreciate feeling cooler afterwards!
The advice in this article has been checked and verified by a qualified Veterinary Surgeon, and will help to keep your rats alive even in extreme heat.
If, after doing all of these things (or as many as you can), your rat is still showing signs of overheating, it’s important to contact your rats’ Vet, as it could mean they have heat stroke.
