Allergies or CHF - need advice on ibuprophene use

[Unepuce]

Ever since I adopted Pollux at about 8 months old, he's been sneezing. For short periods, he would sneeze a lot, then it would calm down for a while, and come back. I can't remember exactely, but I believe he's been on courses of Baytril with and without Doxy 2 or 3 times. Pollux is now app. 23 months old and has dramatically slowed down, eventhough he wasn't the most active of rats after his neuter. He is starting sneezing again - a lot - and I took him to the vet on Wednesday to have him checked for URI and CHF. The vet couldn't hear anything in his lungs and relied on my good jugement to not urge me to go and have an X-ray taken right away as we had a case before with Penelope where the first X-ray was clear and she was treated for URI, but we definitely had to PTS her after we took a second X-ray a couple of months later. Since his lungs sounded clear and I wanted to avoid another false negative, she agreed to put him on a course of Baytril and Doxy for a month because he was showing some abdominal breathing. I need to go back in 2 weeks if the abs don't help.

I also mentionned testing with enalapril, but she wouldn't hear it and since I got the abs, I figured I would try again in 2 weeks if I need to go back for X-rays.

Now...

I also would like to test the allergy route. I know not all heart conditions show on an X-ray, and I want to rule out everyting else before putting him on heart meds since my only experience has been horrible with Chatouille going downhill fast and fighting the hell out so not to take her meds, which would leave her out of breath and even weaker. I have done a bit of research on antihistamine meds for rats, and this part of a post from SQ (below) brought me to a halt and triggered this post. Should I try the benadryl anyway since Pollux's lungs sounded clear or just drop it? Confusion...

ibuprofen causes fluid retention so if he has fluid building up in his lungs, this would probably not be a good med.
also causes decreased blood flow to kidneys, it is more risky to use in the elderly, with heart or kidney disease or with diuretics such as lasix.

 

[victoria]

Ibuprofen is not Benadryl... is that the question? In the thread you quoted RM was thinking of trying Benadryl AND Ibuprofen (Advil). Ibuprofen is in the same family as Metacam and whenever possible the latter should be used because it is safer.

 

[Unepuce]

OK... feel like a fool now... but I will keep the question in since it's out there: should I go ahead and try benadryl? He is currently on Baytril and Doxy.

 

[victoria]

LOL no worries. The thread was a little scattered because it was half in chat half on the board. I think it's worth a try... what did Dr. B think?

Edit: Here's the Ratguide info page http://ratguide.com/meds/respiratory_dr ... ne_hcl.php It says not to give it with central nervous system depressants and to give it with food, but it should be fine with with Doxy and Batryl.

 

[Unepuce]

Dr B didn't say anything - I didn't think of asking then! I might hold it off until tomorrow and leave a message for her - she is in.

 

[jorats]

I'd give the Baytril and doxy a bit longer and maybe try the Benedryl.

 

[Joanne]

The problem with using an antihistamine right away, is that you won't know which drug helped. So I would give the antibiotics a couple of weeks first, and then if there's no improvement, try the Benadryl. That way you'll know which drug (if any) made a difference.