Jo...Pulmonary Abscesses?

lilspaz68 · May 14, 2009

Can you explain them again for me? Poor Lily (moncton girl, 15 months old, stubborn URI NOT responding to baytril or even baytril/doxy) had a scary attack last night. Arlene checked in with her yesterday and feels its her lungs and see's green cheese and pressure in her lungs. She had a panic attack yesterday and was gasping and terrified.

I gave her a rescue shot and cuddled her until the dex kicked in. I also gave her enalapril just in case, but she is much better this morning.

I am trying very hard tormember everything you said about pulmonary abscesses. do you mind telling me again?

jorats · May 14, 2009

Pulmonary abscesses (tumours in lungs) are horrid.

These abscesses are walled off so it's very difficult for medication to reach it and cure it. The best meds can do, is slow the growth.
In some case, the abscesses will grow so big, it will completely fill the lung cutting off all air flow.
The abscesses can also harden so much, it turns the lung into cement and some would even break away from the healthy lung and fall into the body cavity.
When taking xrays, these abscesses look like a dark spot in the lung which most vets would tell you is a tumour.
Pulmonary abscesses start at the earliest stages of myco and keeps growing and forming new tumours when the rat is not medicated. If not medicated immediately, your rat is lucky to live a couple of months.
I've read a few places that when you see the first signs of myco, it is already too late.
I'd do Baytril and Zithro and for a very long time. I'd also continue with the dex, the lungs are so scared and inflamed it might help.
There is a number of diseases that causes pulmonary abscesses but we know that CAR Bacillus is usually the culprit. It's not curable or treatable but you can maintain some quality to of life for some time. The worst part of CAR Bacillus, although it's not airborne, it's very contagious.

lilspaz68 · May 14, 2009

I am going to continue with the gentocin and dex shots for now, but if she plateaus I will switch to baytril/zithro/dex.

Thanks Jo! Do the lungs look like green cheese at all? :wink2: