Two rats with UTI? Or something more sinister??

[RatsForever]

First, Happy New Year to all!

When I left for work this morning all was well with all the rats but when I got home from work things changed. Two of my girls have blood around their urinary tract! Not one rat, but two! I can't figure out what happened - cage is clean, they get lots of water and health food, and there was no sign of blood this week! Both girls are spayed and one is on Baytril for myco. They are eating fine and their activity level is normal. I could be wrong, but I suspect UTI. But, what has me really concern is that two rats have it! Could there actually be something more serious going on? My other rats are fine but should I be concern for them as well? Could there be a parasite (i.e. bladder threadworm) lurking about? Any thoughts?

Thanking you in advance!

 

[smilez_n_hugs]

Its seems odd that the girl who is already on baytril would get a UTI. I'm sorry I can't offer any more help then suggesting you take them to the vet.

 

[Godmother]

You might want to see whether adding another antibiotic would do the trick, since the vets are now closed for the weekend.

 

[SQ]

I'd put them both on baytril and phone the emergency vet to see if there is anything else they can start now until they get to a vet next week.

 

[jorats]

It is a concern but the fact that you didn't find any pools of blood in the cage is good. Whatever it is, it might be catching. I'd look into getting clavamox for the girls. Although Baytril should work too.

 

[RatsForever]

It is a concern but the fact that you didn't find any pools of blood in the cage is good. Whatever it is, it might be catching. I'd look into getting clavamox for the girls. Although Baytril should work too.

No, I haven't found any blood in the cage yet. I have both girls on baytril until I see the vet. They are eating fine and are active. But, I am concerned the others may catch it but they show no signs yet. My new boy Oscar came from a horrible situation and was very sick and I'm wondering despite my best efforts to quarantine, the girls may have picked some sort of bacteria from him.

 

[lilspaz68]

Very unlikely...UTI is usually not contagious and I cannot think of any rat virus that has hematuria as one of its symptoms.

Can you put them in a hospital cage one by one, on white paper towel until they pee to see how much blood is in their urine?

 

[RatsForever]

Very unlikely...UTI is usually not contagious and I cannot think of any rat virus that has hematuria as one of its symptoms.

Can you put them in a hospital cage one by one, on white paper towel until they pee to see how much blood is in their urine?

Great idea! I will try that. Thank you.

 

[Godmother]

That is a great idea. When my three little sisters (Charlene, Stella & Georgie) got their UTI I did not realize it as soon as I wished. By the time I saw little specks of red, and tried to figure out who was bleeding (nobody had any obvious injury), one of the girls was cool to the touch and lethargic. They were on Zithro for a URI at the time, and the vet who diagnosed them just got me to increase the dose to get rid of the UTI as well.

 

[Moon]

Its seems odd that the girl who is already on baytril would get a UTI. I'm sorry I can't offer any more help then suggesting you take them to the vet.

This is the part that concerns me also.