It's been a while since our last update with Oliver and Tristan. It has been 3 months since they were neutered but we're waiting until christmas to begin intros and then we plan to cage them together. EVENTUALLY.
First up, Oliver:
I've been worrying about him for a few weeks now because he's been having some respiratory issues and they keep flaring up after our meds run out. Any time I enter the room and he comes to the top of his cage to say hi, I hear him making noises that sound like a guinea pig and he doesn't stop making them for a couple minutes. Last night he sneezed 12 times in a row.
We've had him on Baytril, which helped and then it came back. The vet gave him injections of ivomectin for mites treatment, although he had no symptoms aside from his breathing. He was also given two weeks on sulfatrim which barely helped until after he stopped taking it. Now it has been a while since he's been on meds and his flares are coming back.
What exactly are we missing? He doesn't have any discharge around his nose or eyes, I check him every day. He is eating his greens and his lab blocks happily every day. He's always full of energy and nothing seems to slow him down.
His cage is cleaned every week and he is on fleece bedding aside from his carefresh filled litterbox.
Tristan:
He pulls out his hair!
First he got a mite scrape, which turned up with nothing and we were given some ointment to rub on his bald areas. We were told afterward the scrape isn't effective for rats.
He didn't improve so we went back and he was given shots of ivomectin with Oliver, and he still hasn't grown his hair back. My sister will watch him scratch for long intervals and she actually sees him pulling the hair out. He hasn't had any scabs since the ivomectin, though.
Tristan doesn't have breathing issues but he plays in my bedroom, where Oliver is caged, so whatever Ollie has isn't contagious.
We're not sure what to do at this point because we want them to be happy little neutered manrats instead of stressed, sneezy, and balding! Sorry for having such a long post but every time I seem to leave things out and I wanted this to be thorough.
First up, Oliver:
I've been worrying about him for a few weeks now because he's been having some respiratory issues and they keep flaring up after our meds run out. Any time I enter the room and he comes to the top of his cage to say hi, I hear him making noises that sound like a guinea pig and he doesn't stop making them for a couple minutes. Last night he sneezed 12 times in a row.
We've had him on Baytril, which helped and then it came back. The vet gave him injections of ivomectin for mites treatment, although he had no symptoms aside from his breathing. He was also given two weeks on sulfatrim which barely helped until after he stopped taking it. Now it has been a while since he's been on meds and his flares are coming back.
What exactly are we missing? He doesn't have any discharge around his nose or eyes, I check him every day. He is eating his greens and his lab blocks happily every day. He's always full of energy and nothing seems to slow him down.
His cage is cleaned every week and he is on fleece bedding aside from his carefresh filled litterbox.
Tristan:
He pulls out his hair!
First he got a mite scrape, which turned up with nothing and we were given some ointment to rub on his bald areas. We were told afterward the scrape isn't effective for rats.
He didn't improve so we went back and he was given shots of ivomectin with Oliver, and he still hasn't grown his hair back. My sister will watch him scratch for long intervals and she actually sees him pulling the hair out. He hasn't had any scabs since the ivomectin, though.
Tristan doesn't have breathing issues but he plays in my bedroom, where Oliver is caged, so whatever Ollie has isn't contagious.
We're not sure what to do at this point because we want them to be happy little neutered manrats instead of stressed, sneezy, and balding! Sorry for having such a long post but every time I seem to leave things out and I wanted this to be thorough.
)
