Baytril for a week: Update 12/08

[Chevalrose]

So Tobi has been on baytril for a little over a week now and is still breathing squeaky. He's eating, drinking, and running around fine...it's just his breathing. Should I continue to wait it out (he's on it for a month) or ask for some doxy also? If not now...when should I maybe supplement the baytril with something else?

 

[jorats]

I've noticed that with mine, it takes about a month for the Baytril to show improvements... You could add doxy now if you like, it might help speed it up.

 

[lilspaz68]

How sick was he before? Did he improve rapidly and then plateau? If so I would definitely add doxy now. If its a gradual improvement, I would continue and watch for a stall in his progression.

 

[froxen]

From personal experience, make sure the vet gave you the right concentration! I picked up some Baytril last week and noticed they were still giving me the same conc. as when Rocky was young and small at around 250 g. He is well over 500 g now, but I guess they didn't look at the file before putting together the refill even though I told them to! :doh:

 

[Chevalrose]

He's never actually seemed sick at all, just squeaky. I did double check the dosage and it is correct. I think it is going gradually...he's only squeaky when I pick him up or he gets scared from something...but if he's just hanging out he sounds fine. I guess I'll just keep at it and if in a couple more weeks he's still squeaky...then I'll ask for some doxy.

 

[Chevalrose]

So it's now been 3ish weeks, and only a very slight improvement if at all. She put him on Metronidazole for 10 days along with the rest of the baytril. Anyone used this for URIs?

 

[jorats]

I haven't heard of that drug used for URIs... I'd be very interested in knowing his progress.

 

[Chevalrose]

So the metronidazole didn't help. My vet wants to do a culture to see what kind of germies we're dealing with. Has anyone had their vet do a culture on their rat? I don't know if it seems a bit unnecessary or what. I do trust my vet, she's never steered me in the wrong direction and has taken good care of all my boys. I mean, it sounds like a good thing...to figure out exactly what we're dealing with instead of playing the guessing game, I've just never heard of anybody having to do that.

Any thoughts?

 

[jorats]

When meds fail, a culture is a good idea.
How is she going to do the culture for a URI?

 

[Chevalrose]

As far as I know, it's a nose culture. I haven't gotten all the details yet because the vet isn't in yet, the tech didn't know if he needed to be anesthetized or not. We shall see.

 

[jorats]

It doesn't sound too invasive. Not sure if you'll get the right results with a nose culture though. But I'd be game for it if my vet were to suggest it.

 

[Chevalrose]

So culture came back and it doesn't seem to be a URI (or myco) but it seems to actually be allergies. So she's having me start to give him some pediatric Benedryl. If that doesn't work then she suggests cortisone. Man these rats are going to be the death of me!