Dr. Logan Kopp is Nashville's rat and mouse specialist. At Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital in Antioch, he treats pet rats and mice for respiratory disease, mammary tumors, and other problems, and families come from Murfreesboro, Brentwood, and across Middle Tennessee.
Rats and mice are small, and they go downhill quickly once they stop eating or start working to breathe. Dr. Kopp is an exotic companion mammal specialist who sees pet, fancy, and hairless rats, as well as pet and fancy mice, at Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital in Antioch, both for primary care and for cases sent by other veterinarians.
Hamsters and gerbils are welcome too (see hamster, gerbil, and degu care). Before we treat, we'll tell you what we know and what's still uncertain. For care at home, our guide to rat, mouse, and hamster health problems is a good place to start.
Sneezing, noisy breathing, porphyrin staining around the nose, or a rat that breathes harder after exercise is a reason to call. Chronic respiratory disease in rats is often tied to Mycoplasma, and it can flare into pneumonia. If you see open-mouth breathing, blue or pale gums, or a rat too tired to eat, call (615) 361-4646 before you drive. Mice get respiratory infections and chronic respiratory disease too, and care can include oxygen and other respiratory support.
A lump on a rat is often a mammary tumor, even when it sits far from a nipple. We see both mammary fibroadenomas and mammary carcinomas, and many are removed surgically. That surgery is easier while the lump is small. Pituitary tumors can show up as a head tilt, weakness, or trouble holding food. Mice come in for mammary tumors and other masses too, and Dr. Kopp is trained to treat all of these. If it's cancer, we'll go over all the options, including surgery, chemotherapy, and comfort care, and build a plan around your pet and your family's goals. When radiation therapy is indicated, we arrange it through a referral facility. Read more in rat mammary tumor care.
A head tilt, a seizure, or hind limb weakness in a rat can be a pituitary tumor, an inner ear problem, trauma, or degenerative disease. Call if your rat can't eat, falls, or seems painful. Obesity and osteoarthritis are common in older rats and are part of geriatric visits, and we see mice for neurologic disease as well. Pain control is planned around what the animal can still do at home.
Abscesses, mites, lice, barbering, and other skin disease are common, and mice also get ulcerative dermatitis and fight wounds. Overgrown incisors need trimming, or another dental plan under anesthesia when the teeth are diseased, and we take skull and dental radiographs here in the hospital. Gastrointestinal and urinary problems get a workup when the signs fit. Spays and neuters are available, and an early spay is one option families discuss to lower the chance of mammary tumors in rats. Lumps can still show up later, though, so keep checking.
Rats commonly come in for mammary tumor removal, and we also do selected mass removal and reproductive surgery in mice, with anesthesia planned for a very small patient. Whether it's a rat or a mouse, a dedicated anesthesia technician monitors ECG, oxygen levels, carbon dioxide, blood pressure, and temperature. Dr. Kopp is also a Fellow in Companion Animal Pain Management (FABVP-CAPM), and chronic pain and palliative care are part of how we care for older rats and mice. Some fractures can be repaired in partnership with board-certified veterinary surgeons (DACVS), and others are referred. See chronic pain in older small pets and preparing for surgery.
If your rat or mouse is open-mouth breathing, collapsed, bleeding, or unable to eat, call before you drive. During hospital hours, we can usually accept urgent transfers from primary care veterinarians and may be able to see emergency cases, so always call first at (615) 361-4646. If we can take the case, stabilizing them can include oxygen, warmth, fluids, and pain control.
Dr. Logan Kopp grew up in Nashville and earned his veterinary degree at the University of Tennessee. He's board-certified by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in Exotic Companion Mammal Practice, DABVP (ECM), and he's the only veterinarian currently practicing in Tennessee with that certification. He's also a Fellow in Companion Animal Pain Management (FABVP-CAPM).
If you're a veterinarian, here's how to refer a patient.
Bring your rat or mouse in a secure carrier with a familiar hide. A recent weight, a photo of the lump if there is one, and a note about how they're breathing at home all help. We keep handling quiet, and a patient that's working to breathe is seen as soon as the day allows.
Call while the hospital is open if your rat or mouse:
We're open Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 7:00 PM, and closed on weekends. Visits are by appointment, so please call (615) 361-4646 before you come in, even for an emergency. During those hours we can usually accept urgent transfers from primary care veterinarians, and we may be able to see emergency cases. After hours, exotic companion mammal consults go through Veterinary Emergency Group in Franklin, Murfreesboro, and West Nashville. And please don't give your pet any human pain medicine.
To book, call Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital at (615) 361-4646.
Call Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital at (615) 361-4646 to book an appointment with Dr. Logan Kopp, Nashville's rat and mouse specialist. Visits are by appointment, and the hospital is at 2445 Morris Gentry Blvd, Antioch, TN 37013.
Call while the hospital is open. Noisy breathing, sneezing, or open-mouth breathing can be chronic respiratory disease, pneumonia, or another emergency. The hospital may be able to see emergency cases during hours. Always call first at (615) 361-4646.
A lump on a rat is often a mammary tumor, and it may sit far from a nipple. Many are removed surgically, and the surgery is easier while the lump is small. Call Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital at (615) 361-4646.
Yes. Dr. Kopp sees pet rats and pet mice at Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital in Antioch. Mice are seen for respiratory infections, mammary tumors, and other masses.
Yes. Families bring rats and mice from Murfreesboro, Brentwood, and across Middle Tennessee. The hospital is in Antioch. Call Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital at (615) 361-4646.
We also see hamsters, gerbils, degus, and hedgehogs. See the exotic mammal vet and the hedgehog vet in Nashville.
The hospital is in Antioch, and families come from all over the Middle Tennessee area, including Murfreesboro, Franklin, Mt. Juliet, Brentwood, Hermitage, Smyrna, La Vergne, and Nolensville.
Call Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital at (615) 361-4646 to book an appointment with Dr. Kopp. If your rat or mouse is breathing hard or has a new lump, mention that first.
Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital
2445 Morris Gentry Blvd
Antioch, TN 37013
Phone: (615) 361-4646
Website: priestlakevet.com
Hours
Monday to Friday: 7:30 AM to 7:00 PM
Saturday and Sunday: Closed
Veterinarians can send a history, a recent weight, and any lab work or images ahead of the visit. Patients return to the referring clinic for ongoing care.
This page is general information, not medical advice for your pet. Reading it doesn't create a veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR). Please talk with your own veterinarian before making changes to your pet's care.