My rat is developing issues... Too soon, man. Way too soon.

[larch]

I dunno if this is completely ER-worthy, but he may seriously have some lung problems developing and I need some help analyzing this.

I know I'm being overprotective since losing my other rat recently, but I don't find this to be normal at all...

Ketchup has been sneezing since a day or two after Sucksuck was put down.
He's never done it before.

It started with a sneezing fit in his cage. I figured maybe it's the bedding (I use pine, which I was told was fine from pet stores... only to read that it's not so good on the internet. I've been totally oblivious and I was using it for awhile. It was all fine until now...) so I've been letting him out more often, away from his cage, to help relieve him a bit. I don't have a car, or knowledge of transportation to another pet store who have other bedding choices. Even then, I dunno what to pick...

Anyway, when I'm home, he's out all the time. He even sleeps in my bed... He still sneezed quite a bit. It seems to have died down aside from some random little sneezes here and there.

But I've noticed that whenever I carry him around, I can hear tiny squeaking noises coming from him. As if he were about to sneeze or... I dunno. He isn't actually sneezing though. He doesn't open his mouth at all or make movement while making these noises, they are so tiny... He isn't in pain that I know of. He hasn't wheezed either, unless that's what these noises are...

I don't have a humidifier, so I stuck him in the bathroom as I had a really warm shower, to hopefully ease up whatever was happening in there. I let him lick some water off my fingers 'cause he likes doing that, and I noticed another strange sound when he drinks... Kinda like an inward gasp after each gulp.

I don't notice any other sound coming from him/his lungs when he sneezes, but I'm not exactly sure what to listen for...

He still eats, drinks and plays.

He is in my blankets now and I heard something that sounded like a rat cough.
I just leaned over to stick my ear in his face... His breathing is kinda weird, with a click every breath or so. But it's not too hardcore...

So what exactly is going on!?
If you think it's the bedding, what kind should I get?

Now I'm really getting worried. Again, this is just too soon for something like this to be happening... Bah.

EDIT & FORGOT TO MENTION: his nose is dry with some small amount of red goop. hope that is an okay sign if anything at all...

EDIT #2: His breathing has seemed to get a lot worse since writing this. Now all sorts of noises are evident.

After reading a bunch, it is apparent that this is a myco flare-up and he'll probably need 30 days of baytril + some other med. What I don't know is, if it's pneumonia yet, and what I can do to make him feel better until he gets to a vet. I cannot bring him in until Monday, and maybe not even until Tuesday.

I changed his bedding to simply newspaper+tissue, washed everything, tried to steam him with boiling water (him on my shoulder+towel draped over us) but he freaked out, and right now him and I are sharing a bowl of broccoli, peas, carrots and cauliflower... He drinks water pretty regular. He is staying in my bed cause I think he prefers it over his cage. Man I am spoiling him...

Again I will have to bring him to school if I take him to the vet, which I hope won't stress him to death -_- Can anybody else offer some advice to help him until then? Does dark chocolate really help? All I have is milk chocolate...

 

[larch]

he is starting to sound like a whining dog... oh god. -_-

 

[Argent]

Sounds like a respiratory infection. Try ordering a bale of aubiose, finacard, easibed or something similar online if you can't get to a pet store (a bale might be expensive to start out with, but it lasts). Pine is awful for rats. He needs to go to the vets and get a minimum 3 weeks of Baytril orally (don't let the vet try and tell you to put it in his water, he won't get the full dose). Hope all goes well, and try not to worry too much

 

[larch]

Sounds like a respiratory infection. Try ordering a bale of aubiose, finacard, easibed or something similar online if you can't get to a pet store (a bale might be expensive to start out with, but it lasts). Pine is awful for rats. He needs to go to the vets and get a minimum 3 weeks of Baytril orally (don't let the vet try and tell you to put it in his water, he won't get the full dose). Hope all goes well, and try not to worry too much

I will look for those. I changed them to newspaper for the time being...

Thank you a lot. Any home remedies known to help them when a vet appt. ain't too close by?

And man... He will be the cause of my grey hairs. Just you watch. XD

 

[Argent]

Newspaper is fine, it's what mine are on most of the time. I don't think there's anything you can do apart from more steaming. Keep the cage as smell-free and clean as possible so as to reduce irritants, he should be fine til the vet appt.

 

[larch]

I will do that >: How much steaming is too much?

p.s if you like drawing, you should sooo post on this thread XD http://jorats.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=22125&sid=d956e559b5b358eb0828b68ba8d1283c

 

[jorats]

Your little guy doesn't really need bedding. All my rats have a fleece throw on the bottom of their cage.
It does sound like a myco flare up so I'd get him to the vet asap for some Baytril.

 

[smilez_n_hugs]

Poor guy, sounds like a URI I hope you can get him to the vet on Monday.

 

[Joanne]

Depending on how serious it is, you might have to miss school on Monday. It sounds like it's getting worse already. He also could have pneumonia and not just a flare up of myco, in which case he needs antibiotics ASAP.
If you want wood chips for bedding, Aspen is supposed to be better than pine or cedar (no aromatic oils). However, I find any wood chips are dusty. I use fleece.

 

[larch]

It just keeps getting worse and worse.
I discovered I had some baytril left from last time, so I gave him .6 cc's, which is what the vet prescribed for bumblefoot, so I figured it was safe. Not sure how much is needed for this.

He's still declining of course. He started to nibble at my finger which I now know isn't the best sign, he makes kinda chattery noises and other noises that sound like rattie hacking. Steam didn't seem to really do anything...

I am scared. Why is this happening? And so soon? :sad3:

 

[xxchelle]

I hope the Baytril was less than two weeks old, otherwise it's expired and should not be given.

Pine is toxic to rats, so I'd take it out right away. You're better off just throwing an old t-shirt in the bottom of the cage for now, than to leave it in.

It sounds like a bad URI that's progressing really fast, you'll have to get him into the vet right away, to get a good combo of meds like Doxy and Baytril.

 

[SQ]

It could be myco, it could also be a secondary infection.
I would suggest baytril and clavamox for 6 weeks if it is helping.
If it doesn't help there are other antibiotics and combos you can try.
Rats get sick and die fast so you need to get him to a vet that treats rats today or tomorrow.

A tiny tiny piece of dark chocolate can help keep airways open in an emergency until you can get the rattie to a vet.
Milk chocolate would not be good.

 

[larch]

The Baytril was prescribed to last for 21 days, which is over two weeks... How can it be expired if it was prescribed for that long?

I took out the pine right away.
I will try to look for dark chocolate at the store...

The vets here are closed Sunday, should I say it's an emergency? Do they make me pay a thousand bucks for this? What should I do?
I'm worried, and convinced that it may be more than just myco...

 

[xxchelle]

Maybe the vet didn't realize it expired, or maybe it was compounded at a compounding pharmacy which I've heard makes it last a month, but I could be wrong. Rat Guide says:

Reconstituted suspension from tablets should be kept refrigerated and has a 14 day expiration time.

http://ratguide.com/meds/antimicrobial_ ... aytril.php

My vet gives me unmixed Baytril and allows me to mix it at home, so that way I can mix it myself so I don't have to go back to get more every two weeks.

I'm not sure about Baytril, but I know some medicines turn toxic after the expiration date (not right away, but over time) so I would not use any medication that I suspect would be expired.

Edit: With how fast it's progressing, it sounds like it might be pneumonia, but I'm not sure since I can't see him, obviously. If you have a good emergency vet that is rat-knowledgeable, then I'd take him in today. Unfortunately where I am, none of the emergency vets are rat-knowledgeable (and I live next to one of the best vet schools in the country... it's tragic). There's usually an emergency fee, on top of the normal vet fee, and you can ask what this fee is before bringing him in.

 

[lizmo1221]

If the baytril was mixed or compounded with anything (like strawberry flavouring for example), yes it only lasts two weeks. If the vet gave it to you unmixed (and you gave it straight or mixed it with flavouring yourself), it will last a lot longer, not exactly sure how long tho.

When Lirba had her URI, the vet said it would cost ten bucks extra to flavour the meds. I declined, bought a bottle of strawberry quick for like three bucks, and now I have my own flavouring from now till forever!! lol

You have to be careful when you mix your own meds tho that you keep the same dosage.

Edit: Chelle beat me to it! LOL!

 

[victoria]

I hope the Baytril was less than two weeks old, otherwise it's expired and should not be given.

It depends how the Batryl was compounded. The stuff I get from my vet has a shelf life of up two months (sometimes even a bit more), depending how recently they received their order.

The OP should go to the vet nonetheless, the rat may need more than Batryl and can go downhill quickly.

 

[larch]

One moment he seems alright, the next moment he seems absolutely horrible.
This is hopefully meaning I'm going to catch it early enough before he just cannot be restored...

I'm taking him to emergency. Screw the long trip, the fact that I've had no sleep, and the money. I can't have him get sicker or die.

Someone up there hates me right now. -_-

 

[Joanne]

Someone up there hates me right now. -_-

Nah, it's just that sh*t happens.......
Trust me, I've had a crappy fall losing 4 of my kids, so I know how you feel.
Hang in there - he needs you!

 

[larch]

Back from emergency. They had him on oxygen the entire time we were there, I think...

They gave me 2 antibiotics and one painkiller.
I have hope he'll get better...

He is just calming down now. A minute ago he was wheezing through his mouth, which he wasn't doing before. I almost thought he was WORSE. But I think it was just stress...

How common is it for the red tinted goop that comes out of their eyes & nose, to show appearance in their mouth? I looked at his mouth and I thought he was bleeding from the inside. I called back and that is what they told me. Unless he really is bleeding from the inside, I would have to take him back.

I hope it's just stress. I'm keeping my eye on him.

 

[jorats]

He shouldn't have any red in his mouth unless he's grooming himself and he's got too much porphyrin.
Sending healing vibes to sweet Ketchup.