Neuter question

[jorats]

If he bit you after mounting your hand then yes, he needs a neuter. This is quite young. You really should contact your breeder and tell her about this. His line should be discontinued.
Also, if he's sick, he can't go through surgery, not yet. Try and work with him if you can, don't ever let him mount your hand or rub himself on you or use his paws and do a digging motion on you either. Those are all signs of dominance which can lead to biting.

 

[jennifervb]

I agree with Jo, if he is biting you he needs to be neutered.

Ben once took a chomp out of my **** (yes, it hurt!!!) and I've had a nip in the rump but these were out of playfulness and the fact that I tasted good. (They are all over me after a workout....LOL!!!!)

 

[la_marée_haute]

If he bit you after mounting your hand then yes, he needs a neuter. This is quite young. You really should contact your breeder and tell her about this. His line should be discontinued.
Also, if he's sick, he can't go through surgery, not yet. Try and work with him if you can, don't ever let him mount your hand or rub himself on you or use his paws and do a digging motion on you either. Those are all signs of dominance which can lead to biting.

Jo, if you go to the thread at Goosemoose, you'll see that the breeder is aware. And not... too peachy.

Question about him being sick... his three weeks of meds are over soon, and if he's not better, he'll be on them for life. Does that mean he can never be neutered? I'm a bit confused.

And yeah, I'm working on him as much as I can.

I guess I'll... have to... well, I don't make any money. Lol. So I'll have to beg my parents, even though they can't afford it. :roll:

Thanks!

 

[Moon]

For a bad resp. infection many vets recommend 6 weeks of meds... so you may just need to do another 3 week course of meds.

 

[SQ]

la_marée_haute,
is he being treated for myco?
Has he greatly improved on the meds?
If you find that the meds he is on are not working very well, he may need to be on a different combo of meds.

 

[la_marée_haute]

For a bad resp. infection many vets recommend 6 weeks of meds... so you may just need to do another 3 week course of meds.

Oh, really? OK then, I'll pick up some new meds on the 15th and do another three weeks. Thanks! I only have one opinion to go by vet-wise, so it's handy being at communities where everyone is so experienced with rat health.

ETA: SQ, no. - Hardly any improvement for either of my boys. What sort of different meds would you recommend me asking my vet for?? And I don't know if he's being treated for myco? They're on Baytril and Doxyvet because I am positive they have resp. infections and my vet agrees with me, that's all I could tell you.

 

[SQ]

What meds is he on right now?
When treating for a respir. infection you should see some improvement within a few days. If you don't see any improvement, then you need to try different antibiotics.

 

[SQ]

If the doxy + baytril combo is not helping,
you and your vet might try
- azithromycin (5 to 15 mg/Ib twice a day for at least 3 weeks, p. 21 Rat Health Care book) by itself as your rats are under a year so young. When I have given it, I have given it for 6 weeks, not 3.

or
- baytril (10 mg/Ib twice a day for at least 6 weeks, p. 21 Rat Health care book) + azithromycin (5 to 15 mg/Ib twice a day for at least 3 weeks, p. 21 Rat Health Care book)

When I give this combo, I have had my rats on it for 6 weeks at a time.
A number of people have found the baytril + zithro combo to be effective. I know it was recommended to me some time ago by people on this forum.

 

[la_marée_haute]

If the doxy + baytril combo is not helping,
you and your vet might try
- azithromycin (5 to 15 mg/Ib twice a day for at least 3 weeks, p. 21 Rat Health Care book) by itself as your rats are under a year so young. When I have given it, I have given it for 6 weeks, not 3.

or
- baytril (10 mg/Ib twice a day for at least 6 weeks, p. 21 Rat Health care book) + azithromycin (5 to 15 mg/Ib twice a day for at least 3 weeks, p. 21 Rat Health Care book)

When I give this combo, I have had my rats on it for 6 weeks at a time.
A number of people have found the baytril + zithro combo to be effective. I know it was recommended to me some time ago by people on this forum.

Sounds great, thanks. I'll ask. But the big question for me is... can zithro be mixed in food as baytril can??? :?