Lucy, Eleanor, ludo- How long on meds? month? 6 weeks?

[hopefloats]

Lucy has pneumonia, I found her two nights ago with labored breathing. When I was getting ready to take her to the vet, I found ludo gasping for air. He was a surprise i thought he was a bit sneezy but I have been playing with new bedding so I figured it was that.


Lucy lungs are bad. I have a nebulizer and tons of extra meds.

Last night I decided to check eleanor, and put her with her sister, she is now breathing the same as her. These are the school girls my daughter brought home from school in June. I had both of them spayed recently.


I believe I maybe loosing both of them unless a major miracle happens. I have them on anything that can possible help. I have been hand feeding them and giving them anything they will eat. right now healthy food is out. If they will eat pudding or ham, then they are getting pudding and ham.

They still try to eat, but i cannot seem to get their breathing to improve.

 

[Unepuce]

Sending lots of healing vibes their way... hope the meds kick in and things turn out for the best! :hugs:

 

[momofmany]

Oh dear! I am sorry this is happening to three of your babies!! Just out of curiosity what meds are they on? When Sue had pneumonia I was a basket case because the meds weren't helping fast enough, IMHO!!

Sending you as much healing energy as possible! :hugs:

 

[hopefloats]

Baytril, gentamycin, clavamox which we started last night.. I am a basket case. I had to work 8 hours today, and all i could do was think about the girls. It was killing me being at work. I am home now for 3 days so I am still hopeful.

They are eating chicken and noodle soup, lucy goes crazy licking it off my finger. they are mostly getting the broth but that is better than nothing.

 

[mamarat]

Sending good thoughts for your sweeties.

 

[hopefloats]

I am not sure if i should be excited but lucy has been grooming herself, eating a lot of chicken noodle broth, ham and she is even trying to walk around the cage a bit. I had a bowl of pedialyte in there too and she is drinking that. She has been trying to eat, but a few licks here and there from a spoon or my finger is how she ate for the last 24 hours, right now she is walking to the bowl and she even took a piece of ham from Eleanor in her typical fashion.


Both of their breathing is still very labored. I want to get happy for these little milestones but i am still horribly concerned for them.

 

[jorats]

Do you have any metacam? That might help, or even ibuprofen.
Poor babies...

 

[hopefloats]

Oh i forgot to add that to the list? I have them on ibuprofen. and a few other things too.

 

[hopefloats]

We did a med change on the nebulizer medicine and her other meds. When I told my vet they were alive and eating on their own. He was shocked. He really didnt think, lucy especially, would make it through the night let alone the weekend.

Ludo is doing great. He has every ounce of shine back to his coat, and he spent the whole night pinning miss pika down last night.

Here she is on August 25th. So you can see how bad she was. That was Thursday night before I took her to the vet on Friday. At this point i had her on meds since the day before but not for breathing but because I saw staining and knew something wasn't right with her.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOaXH-JkoTs

Here she is last night, her breathing is much better She isn't uncomfortable. I have her on pain meds. She hates my camera though LOL the second she see the light she turns and hides. I use it to check on her but I put my hand over it so it isnt so bright, but for the video I had to have it on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzuz7VhFq3o&NR=1

The problem with lucy and Eleanor is they were both fighting a uri. I ratty phoned them before taking them off the meds, and we went to the vet twice with this. He listened and they didnt sound bad. maybe a week off the meds, it went haywire. They never really sneezed, nor did i hear any wheezing after this. I do believe they are in the same line as luna our first girl, so some maybe bad genes. I would also place them spending the year of their life on pine in a tank too.

I have done nothing but nurse these girls. i clean their cage once or twice a day changing the bedding, more if they make a mess. I wont use my vacuum or anything else that is loud that may scare the girls. I spent the first two days feeding them ensure off my finger nails. That I no longer have to do, they now eat on their own. They are together in a rabbit cage that I keep covered to keep any breeze out and light so they can rest. I haven't even moved the cage.

Since Eleanor is two days behind Lucy on the meds. I am giving her more time. I am deeply concerned though. The second I see her go down hill and stop eating or drinking I have to make a decision which I cannot seem to make my 14 year old comprehend.

I feel better with lucy. Not 100% out of the woods but better. I do know they will not come off meds till i have an xray done of their lungs lol

 

[temblabamomo]

I'm glad to hear Ludo and Lucy are doing better, I hope they continue to get better and better. Keeping my fingers crossed for Eleanor that she improves, too. I'm sorry you're going through this with all three of them at once. You really are doing your best and taking phenomenal care of them :hugs:

 

[hopefloats]

I guess the nebulizer medicine can cause facial swelling. I am monitoring Ms. Lucy since she is getting a big ol puffy cheeks. Her teeth are fine i checked but i can see a bit of swelling. It doesnt feel like anything forming there just looks like water retention. if that makes sense to anyone.

She has been on the meds since Friday. I am unsure how long to actually nebulize a rat? Eleanor still needs it, but lucy's breathing almost appears to be back to normal.

Does anyone know typically how long you nebulize a rat?

I worry that if i stop to soon, it may set her back, I also dont like the swelling.

 

[Joanne]

I don't know anything about nebulizing, but I would err on the side of caution and go longer than you think. I would also keep them on the meds LONG after any signs and symptoms have resolved. With my first rats I stopped the meds too soon after they seemed OK and the bacteria became resistant to the medication after that. I'm glad to hear that they are hanging in there!

 

[momofmany]

:thumbup: Oh I am so happy that Lucy and Ludo are doing somewhat better! That is how Sue was too. Slow, painfully slow. Then after what seemed forever on meds and a horrible maybe 5 minute nebulizing session, she turned a corner. It seems that's what you are seeing now with your babies!! *sigh of relief* Don't get too crazed because there are three in different stages. Not all of them will be full blown pneumonia. So continue with meds!!

I thought it was interesting that you were giving your babes chicken soup cuz that was exactly my reaction when I thought that Sue would not pull through! :giggle:

Healthy Healing Vibes coming your way again! :hugs:

 

[hopefloats]

I don't know anything about nebulizing, but I would err on the side of caution and go longer than you think. I would also keep them on the meds LONG after any signs and symptoms have resolved. With my first rats I stopped the meds too soon after they seemed OK and the bacteria became resistant to the medication after that. I'm glad to hear that they are hanging in there!

That is what I am worried about.... I have no intentions of taking them off the oral medicine till i have an xray done. I will not remove them off that period till we see what their lungs look like.

I just dont know how long to keep them on the Nebulizer. Her face isnt getting any worse but she has puffy cheeks

:thumbup: Oh I am so happy that Lucy and Ludo are doing somewhat better! That is how Sue was too. Slow, painfully slow. Then after what seemed forever on meds and a horrible maybe 5 minute nebulizing session, she turned a corner. It seems that's what you are seeing now with your babies!! *sigh of relief* Don't get too crazed because there are three in different stages. Not all of them will be full blown pneumonia. So continue with meds!!

I thought it was interesting that you were giving your babes chicken soup cuz that was exactly my reaction when I thought that Sue would not pull through! :giggle:

Healthy Healing Vibes coming your way again! :hugs:

I am just waiting on Eleanor to catch up. I am hoping she is close. Both wanted out of the cage last night, so this morning after their meds I let them wander for a few minutes.

 

[jorats]

Nebulizing should be a minimum of 2 weeks and no longer than 15 minutes each time unless it's done outside of a containment system.
The face swelling is a concern, if it's real face swelling, I'd probably stop one if the meds to find out which is giving her the reaction.

 

[hopefloats]

Nebulizing should be a minimum of 2 weeks and no longer than 15 minutes each time unless it's done outside of a containment system.
The face swelling is a concern, if it's real face swelling, I'd probably stop one if the meds to find out which is giving her the reaction.

well the only option i have is to stop nebulizing her. that is the med that is doing it, she didnt have this before. Friday it will be a week of the nebulizer so I am not sure if that is enough time or if i will take a step back by stopping it

 

[jorats]

I would stop it, and if she gets better then I wouldn't start again but if she remains the same way, then perhaps that's not what is doing it.

 

[hopefloats]

I know but if it makes her lungs regress I will loose her. It is hard choice to make. after i finally got her lungs to slow down a bit.

 

[hopefloats]

I am going to talk to the vet tomorrow about the swelling. It isnt anything that seems like a major concern other than minor discomfort and I dont mean for her but for me to see her like that it isnt messing with her breathing, eating or anything else, you can feel it is right under her skin.

Her breathing is just now getting steady so I dont want to mess with her today.

Eleanor has been actually improving today. I cannot believe it. Both girls have had a little out time of the cage and then they go back to sleep. I put mally with them, because since they have been out of the cage she is hoarding the blocks.

I thought I would "outsmart" her. Since she was pulling the blocks from the top level, i put another bowl on the bottom, thinking she wouldnt go that far to hid them, well she emptied both bowls and put them in the hammock.

Eleanor, mallymkun and Lucy are quite close. You could see them all together sleeping all the time. when I moved lucy and Eleanor out when the girls were fighting I put mally with them, she never really has enjoyed the other rats like she does them.

Today the girls were doing extremely well so I gave them their buddy for a bit.

Both girls were laying on her, but of course i took the camera out and they moved.

 

[Moon]

My hammies look like this