Rat shows will always hold some risk of infection as with a lot of animals from different sources coming into contact, there is always the chance that something is being carried unnoticed which may infect others. We can take some precautions against this and much of it is simple and sensible quarantine procedures.
Basic quarantine for rats is seen as being 2 weeks of no signs of illness before doing introductions (although there are a few infections that can take longer than 14 days to show) where the new rats are kept in a premises not sharing the same airspace as your own rats – friends house, garage, outhouse, etc. and an extra 2 weeks during the introduction to your own. Assuming no signs of illness during this period, your rats are unlikely to be carrying infection.
Before you come along to a show, think about the below: -
- Do you have an active infection in any of your rats or have you had several sick rats or random deaths within the last two weeks before the show? If so please leave your rats at home. (It should be noted that some viral infections like rat parvo require a 3 month quarantine from showing and incoming/outgoing rats and the visual symptoms will ONLY be failing to have most or all litters born alive and well - see NFRS article on rat parvo)
- Have you had any new rats in within the last two weeks from unknown sources? – rescue or pet shop is the usual source of unknowns. If you are not sure about their background, please leave your rats at home.
- If you have been to another show within the last couple of weeks (particularly if there have been reported infections or deaths by other exhibitors or visitors), do consider whether you pose a risk to your own rats or others by attending this show. Advice may be given by the show sec requesting for attendees of ‘x’ show not to bring rats to ‘z’ show within the infectious period.
- If you decide to leave your rats at home but wish to attend the show yourself, do bear in mind you could be a carrier of infection, so ensure the last thing you do before you leave your home is bath or shower and put on clean clothes that have not been near your rats and don’t go near your rats after you are ‘clean’. For peace of mind, you may wish to reverse this procedure on coming home from the show to avoid risk of bringing something home from the show.
- It is advisable not to take rats to shows that are old or very young, unwell or have been on any medication within the last two weeks or had surgery recently, or any rats that don’t cope that well with stressful situations or travelling as their immune systems can be compromised.
Many people seem to think rats not entered in the show enjoy coming along to shows as ‘shoulder/cuddle rats’, but realistically it is probably one of the most stressful situations a rat can be brought into and sadly it is the shoulder/cuddle rats that have been worst affected at shows where infections have been present. Where ‘show rats’ are usually peak fitness and in their prime and only handled by one experienced judge, shoulder/cuddle rats are often older or may have weaker immune systems making them more susceptible and also are handled by many inexperienced rat owners. While it is lovely to meet the extra rats at shows, do think hard about whether you are prepared for the risks.
A Word on Rat Trains
‘Rat Trains’ have become an increasingly popular phenomenon
of the last few years and these can be a major cause of transfer
of infection.
Please do not collect or deliver rats to or from a show venue unless
you are sure the rats have been properly quarantined or are from
a reliable known source. Proper quarantine is where the rats have
remained well for at least 2 weeks. If you are acting as part of
a rat train for others, ensure you have taken all precautions possible
to protect your own rats and that includes not travelling them in
the same car or keeping them in the same airspace unless you are
confident they are quarantined or you have quarantined them yourself.
The health and welfare of all of our rats relies on everyone being responsible. Please think and ask questions of yourself and others if you are not sure about any of the above.