I don't think it's allergies, but a sinus infection.

[RattusNorvegicus]

With the help of Joanne and Shelagh months ago, it was determined on FB that Luma did not have lung issues but nasal. In December she would have gasping fits and would dart around my bed in panic. Her nose plugs up.

Unbelievably, it's September already. She's been doing well on one or two doses of Benadryl daily, and out of concern that I was unable to recognize the symptoms of a Myco flare up past her nasal congestion, I put her on antibiotics a month ago. While on antibiotics she didn't need the Benadryl, which made me wonder if it was an infection. Also, the past few months her nose has smelled like infection. When I took her to the vet again for her possible Melanoma, I had her smell her nose but she didn't smell anything at the time.

I am making this thread because Luma just sneezed out a green tinted, SMELLY mucous. It looks like the light green pus that drained from her sisters abscess awhile ago. Infection, right?

I was reading info Debbie posted and she said sinus infections should be treated long term with Amoxicillin. On July 7th I had Lu on Baytril+Doxy, so after 3 weeks on that, I dropped the Doxycyline and added Amoxicillin. Unfortunately I didn't write down whether she improved better on that, but I don't believe she did.

What should I do? She is scheduled for surgery for the lump on her back on Monday, should I postpone it until her congestion clears up a bit? It's been a bad, congested week.

 

[victoria]

Are you sure it's mucus and not pus? I'd be concerned that it may be a burst pulmonary abscess. I would think if there were an abscess in the nasal cavity, it would have interfered much more. I would postpone surgery until you have a better idea of what's going on.

 

[RattusNorvegicus]

She has been this way since December. I really don't think she has pulmonary abscesses. Her chest is very squishy, and her lungs sound great. Her body condition is great. My Eddy has them, almost certainly and there is a huge difference in how they breathe and the noises. I'm positive this is a nasal/sinus issue. I just don't know what the issue is. I can share some videos if that would be of any help.

 

[jorats]

I was thinking the same as Victoria, a burst pulmonary abscess. Regardless, she needs antibiotics for that pus/infection in her nose.

 

[RattusNorvegicus]

I just need help determining what antibiotic would be best here. She's been on antibiotics a lot with this condition, and it hasn't cleared it up. Debbie has said sinus infections take a long time to clear up with Amox, and if I went that route it'd be Clav. Hopefully my vet recommends something. It's a constant battle trying to figure out what is best.

 

[victoria]

I really don't trust Debbie D's recommendations... they're based more on her opinions than science and she's not open to debate when questioned. She still offers guidelines for home euthanasia and considers a 20 gal tank an acceptable housing option for a single rat, although not ideal. I'm skeptical of any care/medical advice from someone that continues to defend her positions on those two fronts.

Times have changed in the past 2-3 decades and we've learned so much but she doesn't seem very receptive to changing or evolving her recommendations. Much of her data is derived from 'necropsies' on her rats - that she does herself outside of a lab or a clinic. She is not a pathologist and likely does not have the equipment to send out tissue samples, thus her work is not open to scrutiny from other pathologists and specialists as it would be in a lab. IMO they're dissections and not necropsies and can't be given the same weight.

I don't know what meds to suggest to you. Antibiotics sometimes take longer than two weeks to work and if there are pulmonary abscesses, it may do little to ease the existing symptoms but slow the progression. I have a rat we suspect has pulmonary abscesses (he's too sick to xray to confirm) but his lungs/rib cage does not feel rock hard.. I don't know that they always have to feel hard for it to be pulmonary abscesses. (Before anybody asks, heart issues have been ruled out as some of the meds he's on that are helping a LOT would make him worse if he had heart disease.) It could be that when they're smaller there's no hardening. I just have a hard time with a rat producing that much mucus and not suspecting pus instead. If her nose smells like infection, you may be smelling the abscesses from the lungs.

If she's had a sinus infection all this time, you would have seen swelling and noticed a pain reaction associated with her sinuses. Sinus infections usually follow another infection in humans (i.e. people end up with one after recovering from a cold) and are very painful. If she hasn't had a significant flareup/RI in the last little while it seems unlikely that she could have ended up with just a sinus infection and I think if she did have a sinus infection, she would be miserable and showing some signs of moderate pain.

If it were my rat I would start with one of the more trusted combos for respiratory infections - two of Baytril/Doxy/Zithro and Metacam so see if it helps ease the congestion. Sometimes I have found Metacam makes congestion worse for a few days because it's loosening up mucus then improves the rats breathing. If you have the money for an xray you can ask your vet if they would be able to see abnormalities in the sinuses in one or at least they could look for pulmonary abscesses.

 

[jorats]

I agree with Victoria.
But if you are given Clavamox, I would give it a try. Clavamox is suppose to be good for nasal infections and even abscesses.

 

[RattusNorvegicus]

Frustratingly, I typed out a response already but the page didn't load when I went to post it and now it's gone. So a summed up version of it,
I recently started reading Debbie's Health Care booklet and I do find it misleading. I feel that it being a do it yourself book, it's not thorough enough. I do not agree with most of the things she says.
Finding information and opinions that aren't contradicting is impossible. So I willingly take information from everyone to find what is most prevalent to determine what I think is best for my rats. Everyone is going to have different methods that work for them but not others, and I am just trying to find what works for me. In the end it's my decision, but without the help of the wonderful members here my amateur opinion is simply incapable of making the best decision. My point can't really be seen here, sorry. I had a better reply before.

I don't feel like her lungs are involved at all though. Thank you for your opinions everyone.

 

[crumbilina]

I had rats with constant nasal congestion and clavamox really helped. If you haven't used clavamox in the past, I'd give it a try.