baytril & doxy not working- what next??

[lj]

Update please.

 

[benzin.fox]

She was a really,really good vet. Took all your suggestions and agreed. She gave me injectable bricanyl to be given 3-4 times a day. Already audrey is not panicking and is calm and alert when awake. There is no more porphyrin discharge. I didn't know bricanyl was helpful in this situation? She is wheezing less- it was weird though as soon as audrey was in the vet clinic she was looking the best ive ever seen her. No wheezing...at all.. what was that??

I have to pick up some more meds from her house tonight that she ordered for me.These are either to be used with a nebuliser or orally. One of the drugs she couldn't get that was suggested here.

she has written this down for me

Nebulizer:
-saline
-gentomicin
-bronchodilator
-steriod

Orally:
-continue baytril
-start azithromicin

Injection - bricanyl
-3-4 times a day
0.02 ml


She showed me how to do the injections ive never done them before. I hope im even penetrating the skin or if i am i hope its enough..im pretty gentle,i dont want to hurt her..

 

[ryelle]

my vet has taken Roquefort's temperature through the back end. They don't like it but it does not hurt them.

There is no other way to check their temps.... I hardly think that Roquefort would hold the thermometer under his tongue... :giggle:

Well thanks for the warning lol! I know thats how they generally check other animals, but i've never ever had a rats temp checked. Im glad u guys said that lol I'd have been horrified if i hadn't known.

Thats very nice and trusting of her to show you how to give meds like that! I think its useful information to know, and always best if a professional can show you that stuff. I hope the meds work. Glad your happy with your new vet too

keep us updated

 

[jorats]

That's excellent! I sure hope she continues to improve.

 

[benzin.fox]

I went to pick up the meds tonight and this is what she gave me:

Zithromax-in place of doxy

1/8 of powder into 9ml water - mix once a week-shake
give 0.06ml twice a day

Bricanyl -oral-in place of injections
0.05ml 3-4x a day

dexamethasone- oral once a day- 3 days worth

I couldnt find a nebuliser in time she said to try these and if she doesnt respond then we will try it.

Do these sound ok to you?

 

[jorats]

What's the concentration for the Zithro?
I wouldn't nebulize either, I find that it only stresses them out when they are very sick. The dex should give her a good boost.

 

[benzin.fox]

i dont know how to tell. on the box it says

"zithromax 600mg

powder for oral suspension

200mg / 5mL

15mL

after reconstitution, each 5mL of suspension contains azithromycin dihydrate equivalent to 200mg azithromycin"

does that even make sense?

 

[jorats]

Yes, that makes sense, what does your little one weigh?

 

[benzin.fox]

I don't know the vet does though. I think i heard her say she doesnt weigh more than 150g at the moment?

 

[ryelle]

Do you have a set of scales you could weigh her on to get a vague idea? 150g is very tiny isnt it? I dont work too well with grams and such lol... well... any numbers at all..

How is she looking today?

 

[benzin.fox]

She's not a big rat to begin with but has lost a LOT of weight. very,very,very thin.

I don't have scales! Does this dosage sound wrong?

She is doing good. Still wheezing abit but nowhere near as bad. She's still going up and down but her downs are shorter and not as bad and with no panic.Her ups are better and last longer.

 

[jorats]

No, it doesn't sound wrong.

 

[benzin.fox]

oh and she is also still on baytril.

how many drugs can one little rat have? people have started calling her a junkie

 

[jorats]

lol... rats can take a lot.

 

[Godmother]

Just to be sure about the Zithromax concentration, you said that the box states 200mg/5 ml (that would be the conc'n when all the powder is mixed with the water). You also said that the vet had suggested mixing 1/8 of the powder with 9 ml water. If you did that, then won't you have a much weaker solution?

With a small rat (yours is 1/3 lb) you would use .04 ml of the usual concentration at the low end of the recommended dosage range(Debbie D's book recommends 5-15 mg/lb, and my vet usually goes with the low end of the range). If you have diluted the mixture with only 1/8 of the powder then you would need to give a higher volume, .32ml. You might have trouble getting her to take that amount. My rats find it bitter, so I have to mix the meds with lots of stuff to disguise the taste.

Sorry if this is confusing. If you are really just making up a smaller amount of the full concentration, then your vet's suggestion of .06 ml is great (the mid-range dose).

Sounds like you now have a good vet.

 

[benzin.fox]

The vet came to my house today to put audrey to sleep. She said she normally uses gas to put them under before the heartstick but didn't have her gas there and offered to take audrey away to do it. She instead injected the euthanasia solution into audrey's skin and let it absorb and when she fell unconcious she did the heart stick. it LOOKED peaceful but now i'm scared that it wasnt and audrey was unable to express any pain. I have tried googling this method but can't find anything on it. I'm so so terrified she did not go in peace. The vet said she did.

I am crying. At the time I was in such a panic because audrey was in such a panic i trusted the vet-who has been very good to me but now i'm so so scared audrey's last moments were in pain even if she didn't look it.

 

[mamarat]

I am so sorry. :hugs:

 

[benzin.fox]

Me too! I can't stop crying

 

[lilspaz68]

I am so very very sorry. I think your vet used an injectable anesthetic...then the heart stick once she was out? Or did she just inject her into the abdomen with the euthanizing agent? This also is a way a lot of people use. Its slower but the owners can hold their rat and say their goodbyes as they slip away.

((hugs))

 

[benzin.fox]

the drug in the needle was green. she called it euthanasia solution.she didnt put it in her abdomen,just under her skin and let it absorb then when she was completely out of it she did the heart stick.

*deep breath*

Must.not.keep.crying.