Duralactin?

[user 2700]

I recently adopted a rat from Any Rat Rescue, she was sent home with Duralactin Canine and Feline Liquid, along with other meds. I was told, that it should be given daily to manage arthritis pain in every rat over a year old. Am I right in thinking this is quackery?
Quackery meaning:
- You shouldn't treat a rat for a problem it doesn't have
- This could be doing more harm then possible good
- This isn't likely to be effective if needed

This is not something I've run in to before with rats and thought it's better to ask then assume.

 

[victoria]

It's more of a supplement than a medication. Some vets recommend omega-3 supplements to treat and/or prevent HED. I don't think it's a bad idea to supplement essential fatty acids but that wouldn't be my supplement of choice.

 

[user 2700]

Thanks Victoria, good to know. The way she explained it she was using it as a medicine not as as supplement and I haven't had a chance or brain power to really look into it yet.

 

[victoria]

I hadn't heard of it before so I had to look it up myself. Some people don't understand the difference between supplement and medication or they just assume adopters won't and dumb everything down for them. It's unfortunate because the more people know about their companions, the better prepared they are to help them.

Like I said, I think it's a good idea to give an omega-3 supplement but that wouldn't be my first choice. I also wouldn't feed Suebee's... it annoys me that they altered the recipe and allowed for the substitution of Total with Multigrain Cheerios (that is loaded with sugar), it makes it that much more unbalanced :\

 

[user 2700]

I know, I noticed that too. The mix they gave me has Cinnamon Toast Crunch and other sugary cereals I don't know the name of, but I can see/taste the sugar on them. I couldn't believe they said that. (Not to mention using their mix would cost much more then it would to order blocks online.)

I'd like to look more into the omega-3 supplements, which one would you recommend?

 

[victoria]

I'm not sure if Genuine Health products are available in the states? They have fish oil supplements (the only meat product I consume) that I've found helped me a lot with my anxiety (Omega 3 + Joy) and for my husband with his short term memory issues (Omega 3 + Think). I like them because they are distilled to remove bio-accumulating toxins and are from wild caught fish. Genuine Health has several formulas available with different ratios of DHA:EPA that are supposed to be optimal for helping with different issues.

I try to alternate between the two types we have at home and Booster when I supplement my guys. (Don't ask me how often I give them, it really varies.) I'll usually break open a capsule or mix the Booster in with oatmeal or something similar and they dig in. Fish oil is also extremely useful when trying to entice a sick rat to eat.

Some people have found that rats have loose stools when given fish oil but I haven't had that experience.

*** Be careful if you have fish oil on your fingers, you will likely get mauled.

I also try to give foods high in antioxidants whenever possible - local berries, melons, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, squash, etc. I try to emphasize locally grown because it's fresher and packs a bigger nutrition punch and even if not organic, is usually grown without as many chemicals as produce from California, for example.