I think my White Rat is falling ill - Please help

[lilspaz68]

Sleep well!

 

[mrintech]

Hi everyone!

I would like to know, do anti-biotics works very slowly on rats?

Do any of your rat had labored breathing? and when you gave him/her anti-biotics, after how many days he started showing signs that he is doing well?

Just curious to know

Thanks

 

[lilspaz68]

Just like with people, it takes 3-5 days for antibiotics to build up enough in the body to actually show the rat improving. Is he getting worse? Is he having trouble breathing?

 

[kurmugn]

I belong to a wildlife rehabilitation organization. We routinely perform fecal flotation microscopic exams of the birds and small mammals we take in. This can reveal a great deal of what is going wrong with an animal. We can see problems with roundworms, coccidia, or other intestinal parasites that are causing harm. If you contact a local wildlife rehabilitation organization in your area, they may be able to give you a contact who can perform a flotation fecal exam for you free of charge. Sometimes your vet will do this exam, also. All you have to do is to take some fresh feces to them. Good luck.

 

[mrintech]

Just like with people, it takes 3-5 days for antibiotics to build up enough in the body to actually show the rat improving. Is he getting worse? Is he having trouble breathing?

Thanks for your response

Around 15 minutes back I recorded this video of Gaaye:

[BBvideo 500,450:28tjhn3w]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-Mn8PgCMAo[/BBvideo:28tjhn3w]

As you can see his labored breathing has increased a bit

He's eating food and drinking water normally. And there's NO prophyrin discharge or blue tinge

Sometimes, he fells (rolls) when sitting and cleaning himself with his back legs. I think this is because of pain in hind legs. His head is NOT tilt

I am trying to notice any other symptoms, but I see nothing else but labored breathing :thud:

I have also given him a warm blanket, so that he stays away from cold, as temperature is falling here.

 

[mrintech]

I belong to a wildlife rehabilitation organization. We routinely perform fecal flotation microscopic exams of the birds and small mammals we take in. This can reveal a great deal of what is going wrong with an animal. We can see problems with roundworms, coccidia, or other intestinal parasites that are causing harm. If you contact a local wildlife rehabilitation organization in your area, they may be able to give you a contact who can perform a flotation fecal exam for you free of charge. Sometimes your vet will do this exam, also. All you have to do is to take some fresh feces to them. Good luck.

Thanks

This is India and I am from a very small city: Bhopal

No such facilities exists here. Even if it exists, I don't know what they gonna do with my rat?

It's awkward, but true. That's why I am asking for help from knowledgeable foreign people

Thanks

 

[jorats]

I'd give him more time on the meds... he's not looking that bad to me.

 

[EDK]

Aside from the labored breathing he looks fine to me, he's defiently an old man that much I can tell. With age comes a bit of struggle, but he seems quite contempt, don't worry too much, let the meds have time to do their job

 

[mrintech]

Thanks everyone for your replies

Today I slept at around 6 AM (14 degree celcius) and Gaaye came out to drink some water. His labored breathing was increased at that time and he suddenly started feeling uneasy and wanted to sleep on cold floor far away from his box. I caressed him for sometime and he again went to sleep inside the blanket.

As of now, I can see his labored breathing has reduced again and I can confirm this, his labored breathing increases and decreases. i think the MEDS are working.

In case of DON, his labored breathing kept on increasing day after day He was on wrong human medicines suggested by vet I don't blame vets, but I blame myself for his death. Everytime I give medicines to GAAYE, I think what I have done with DON - my super best friend?

Both Gaaye and Don are/were very very close to my heart. I really want Gaaye to feel better

Thanks

 

[jorats]

:hugs: Don't blame yourself... we all do our best and you doing the research now is his legacy.

 

[lilspaz68]

:hugs: Don't blame yourself... we all do our best and you doing the research now is his legacy.

I couldn't have said this better myself. :heart:

 

[mamarat]

Sending healing vibes to your sweetie.

 

[mrintech]

Thanks everyone

For the second time today, his labored breathing increased a lot. First this happened at around 6 AM in the morning and just now 20 minutes back. I recorded this video:

[BBvideo 960,720:3h5a3lse]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FthbQtGra6I[/BBvideo:3h5a3lse]

As you can see his breathing is somewhat comparable to DON's labored breathing. When this happens, he starts running away from his box and settles at a random place on cold floor. Then starts running and then settles again. This continues until I pick him up. Same thing DON did before his death. Exact same thing.

Either he's having trouble breathing OR he has pain in some organ. When I touch his chest, either he's breathing too fast OR his heart wants to come out of his chest

Now, his labored breathing has decreased and is like in the video I posted before.

No other symptoms

I don't know what is going on and I am worried like anything

 

[lilspaz68]

he's probably having small respiratory attacks, but if it calms down between, you're still okay to wait for the antibiotics to kick in.

 

[mamarat]

I think your boy is having panic attacks when he can't breathe. That's why he moves around so much, and tries to find a better place. I'm so sorry this happening to him.

 

[mrintech]

Thanks everyone for your precious time and responses. That's very much appreciated

I have been giving DOXY and AMOXY to gaaye twice daily. Yesterday he didn't have any panic/respiratory attacks. He had a sound sleep with very less labored breathing

Today, his labored breathing has increased a little bit because he don't want to eat DOXY at all. I also bought HERSHEY Strawberry Syrup and mixed DOXY with it. But, he can easily determine that there's something bitter in the mixture :thud:

Earlier I was giving him DOXY inside flour dough, but now he leaves it too. :stickpoke:

Also, I am unable to find ENROFLOXACIN (Baytril) anywhere in my locality. I will try to go to some big medicine shop far away from here. I have also bought DEXAMETHASONE, if it is required. As of now, I am only giving him DOXY and AMOXY

Is there any other way to give DOXY to Gaaye? Kindly tell

Thanks a lot again

 

[mamarat]

Can you try and get Zithromax for him? Baytril and Zithromax is a good combo for URI. That would have to be prescribed by your vet though, I think.

 

[mrintech]

Can you try and get Zithromax for him? Baytril and Zithromax is a good combo for URI. That would have to be prescribed by your vet though, I think.

Thanks

I will look for Zithromax tomorrow. But, as I already stated in the reply above, Baytril is not available here in any medical shop as it's animal medicine

I will gather information on Pet Shops available in my city

Thanks

 

[mrintech]

Hi everyone

I searched for Baytril in many shops, but it isn't available here

Although, I have got Zitromax (AZITHROMYCIN)

I would like to know can I give Gaaye ZITHRO + DOXY? Both are Bacteriostatic

I got following information from here: http://www.rmca.org/Articles/dchart.htm

Bacteriostatic, broad-spectrum antibiotic. Good for respiratory infections. Has been shown to have excellent results on younger rats, but is less effective on chronic, older rats. Use in combination with Doxycycline for better results in these cases. (Caution: there have been two reported cases of stroke using this combination, although they have not been definitively connected to use of either drug.) Does attack mycoplasma specifically. Cherry flavored — most rats love it. Expensive. Prescription needed.

Also, I am having very hard time giving DOXY to Gaaye because of its utterly bitter taste. Should I start force feeding 0.1 ml using syringe (4 ml/100 mg solution of DOXY) or can you please tell me some other sweet way?

Thanks a lot

 

[mamarat]

My vet said the risk of a stroke is very small. Can you get grenadine? My rats like their meds in that. Fingers crossed for your sweetie.