HELP! HE IS BLEEDING FROM HIS MOUTH!!!!!

[la_marée_haute]

Okay, thank you so much, I'll be sure to write all of this down.

 

[la_marée_haute]

In case anyone's interested, I didn't go through with the injections. I kind of freaked out about them. Instead, the boys are currently getting their meds through their water. I've been watching them as closely as I can, and they are drinking it without any hesitation. Just as a precaution, though, they're getting plenty of wet foods like fruit, veg and baby food.

They seem to be getting better (hardly any sneezes/chesty noises), and also trusting me more. There were so terrified of the syringe, it still brakes my heart to think about it. And it was way too stressful putting the meds in foods. Way too complicated. I'd end up removing all food except for the medicated dollop of whatever, and removing the other rat for hours. Most of the time I'd get back and the caged rat would have had like one lick of his meds, or none. Who really has the time and emotionally draining energy? Not me anyway. I'll be honest about that. I've already got so much stress as it is.

So far this way is working. My vet recommended it in the first place. I think it was only Doxyvet that she was talking about, but I don't see how adding the extra 0.1ml of Baytril is going to make any sort of difference.

Thanks for all of the support and advice, everyone. Let's hope my boys are all cured once the 3 week period is up.

 

[Godmother]

I'm glad that your ordeal is over. This will give you the time you need to get them used to the stuff that you might hide meds in some time in the future. For now, I'm glad that you get the chance for them to recover without having a battle on your hands. It really is stressful and time-consuming.... feels like nobody wins.

 

[mamarat2]

I'm glad to hear they are getting better, but putting the baytril in the water bottle mixed with the water is a VERY bad idea.

1 - you have no idea how much medicine they are getting
2 - the water diminishes the quality of the medicine and within 24 hours of being in the water your added medication is no longer good
3 - IF the rat tastes something different of off with the water it will stop drinking
4 - In relation to #3 dehydration is a VERY BAD thing, then you will have two major issues on your hands

I hope they continue to get better but you really need to find better option as to dosing them with medication. As in giving it to them orally. Injecting baytril is very risky for rats as they can have very bad skin reactions to it.

 

[SQ]

I hope you are able to continue trying different way to get them to take their meds orally.
In the water is not good!!

If your vet will change from doxy to azithromycin, you will be able to use dairy to hide meds. Calcium binds with doxy so two do not go together.

At present I am sweetening the baytril and mixing a drop of yogurt with it for the little girls. They will eat it for the most part, and what they don't eat I put on their face near their mouth and they groom it off.

 

[la_marée_haute]

OK No one panic. The meds were in there for a matter of hours. They're not there now. Even though I was planning on changing the water/meds every 12 hours. I would never leave water for 24 hours, meds or not.

I was just doing what my vet suggested.

I guess I'll go back to... er... them not having the meds? Because that really is what it's like. I'll keep TRYING but I can't do more than that. It's so hard.

No, I'm not going to swap the Doxy for something that can be mixed with dairy. Thanks anyway, but because I'm a vegan, dairy comes no where near me.

Thanks.

 

[lilspaz68]

Ahhh so you haven't tried everything then. How about soy products that replace dairy instead?

I think your best bet is to go back to your vet, and get them to show you HOW to medicate your rats. I fumbled through until I was shown how by a vet tech, and then it was a LOT easier.

 

[la_marée_haute]

I already said I tried soy ice cream. And the vet did show me how to medicate them. It took a long time, with lots of squeaking (Just like when I try), and once we left the office, they spat it all up on me. YAAAAAY. It helped heaps. :roll:

Ok, well, I tried again. Baby food (fruity), choc soy ice cream AND almond honey together. Nope, nope, and nope. They turned their noses up at the mixture. I elft each rat ALONE with the mixture for several hours. But not even as much as a sniff. Once again, I rubbed the mixture all over their bodies (NOT on their mouths or anywhere near them, because they just rub them on the liners. more like on their backs and sides.) But how is that an accurate way of dosing them? They're obviously going groom each other, and a lot of it will just accidently rub off on their hammocks and etc.

What do I do????? The first thing that was actually working happened to be the worst thing I could do on... the history of Earth. Right? Right. So, once again. Witt's end.

 

[lilspaz68]

How about a nebulizer? they would have no choice in the matter then.

 

[jorats]

When I first started medicating my rats, my vet gave me instructions of doxy in water as well. She told me it's not the best thing to do but to try it. My rats completely stopped drinking so we had to try something else.
If it's the only way you can get the doxy in them, then I have to say to do it. But make sure they are drinking it, or maybe have two water bottles, one with and one without.
The Baytril, I don't think it can go in water though, not the oral kind.

 

[SQ]

My ratties were also willing to eat meds mixed with strawbery flavoured soy yogurt. (Don't know if it has added calcuim, didn't check at the time as no one was taking doxy.)

The thing about mixing it with yogurt is that it becomes thick enough that I can put it on their faces and they will groom it off. It is taking me about an hour to get their meds in but at least they are taking it.

hope you can find a combo that works

 

[la_marée_haute]

Jo - Thank you. Tonight I actually put the Doxy and Baytril on their bodies again ( :roll: ), and put a little bit more Doxy in one of their water bottles. And they ARE drinking it, like they were before. When there was only one bottle.

I hope to heaven that they're better by the... (I think it's the) 14th, because I will not be able to do this for their whole lives. I mean, because of it I basically don't have a life. Lol.

They're sneezing A LOT today, which is just perfect. But I'm hoping maybe it's because I moved their cage around heaps (cleaning the house) and they're a little stressed, or it's the air con. Which I have turned off, now, however there is still a window open in their room. I can't risk closing it, it's hot, and they're rodents.

 

[lilspaz68]

How hot is it? Too hot will be hard for them as well.
How old are these rats?
If they are younger, then they are likely to get sick again. Once they hit 18 months of age their immune system isn't as effective against fighting off myco and other opportunistic infections.

 

[la_marée_haute]

How hot is it? Too hot will be hard for them as well.
How old are these rats?
If they are younger, then they are likely to get sick again. Once they hit 18 months of age their immune system isn't as effective against fighting off myco and other opportunistic infections.

It was fine, lilspaz. I know too hot isn't good for them, either. And the weather is changing everyday here. Last night it was very hot, this morning it is freezing. They're in a neutral temp.

And they're 4 months old.

 

[lilspaz68]

How hot is it? Too hot will be hard for them as well.
How old are these rats?
If they are younger, then they are likely to get sick again. Once they hit 18 months of age their immune system isn't as effective against fighting off myco and other opportunistic infections.

It was fine, lilspaz. I know too hot isn't good for them, either. And the weather is changing everyday here. Last night it was very hot, this morning it is freezing. They're in a neutral temp.

And they're 4 months old.

Ugh...4 monthers getting sick is not a good sign for the future.

 

[SQ]

Jordan had to be treated for myco at about 2 months.
He had to be repeatedly put on antibiotics throughout his life but he was around 2.5 when he had to be pts because of a fast growing tumor.

So you never know ... with good health care provided quickly in response to any sign of illness, they may have a good, happy, fairly long life.