Mouth breathing

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simonsmom

Junior Member
Joined
May 28, 2014
Messages
193
Location
Barrie, Ontario
My 3 year old boy did great when we put him on doxy + baytril. Then he started getting worse so we added another medicine that starts with an 'a' (amoxicillin?). But he's not getting better. For a almost a week he has been open mouth breathing sometimes. When I give him his meds (slowly and into his cheek) he gasps hard and it looks like he is about to die. It makes me not want to give them, especially because it's not helping and I'm not sure if I'm making it worse. He doesn't swallow it all and some of it comes out of his mouth.

He is sneezing and they are wet. They sound wet and I get wet if he sneezes on me. He is otherwise normal in personality. He is eating well, drinking, acting normal. He is a lot less active recently but he's 3 years old. He mostly sleeps but doesn't look dull and lifeless like lethargic rats I've had.

Here is what he does. He does it a few times in the video, he was also wiping his nose and doing the mouthy bruxing/lip smacking that he always does. Sorry it's short, I didn't want to bug him too much. He doesn't always breath like this only when I pick him up or try and give him his meds really. Sometimes there is clicking noises involved when he gasps/mouth breathes harder. If he's just sleeping he doesn't do it. The vet says if the 3 meds he's on right now don't work (he has the proper dosages), nothing will and always mentions his age.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ChVkEpEKdE&feature=youtu.be[/ame]

I don't know what to do for him at this point. He seems happy. He has life left in his eyes and bruxes all the time (like normal), he loves hanging out. This URI (or whatever it is) is just getting the worst of him. I don't know how much a little rat can handle at 3 years.
 
The abs aren't doing much are they? It looks nasal to me, and when he doesn't feel like he can breathe through his nose he mouth breathes.

Have you tried steaming him?
 
The abs aren't doing much are they? It looks nasal to me, and when he doesn't feel like he can breathe through his nose he mouth breathes.

Have you tried steaming him?

The worked for a couple weeks, then stopped working or something changed with him. I haven't tried steaming him, I'll give that a go.
 
Sometimes, with some of my oldies, I simply stop all meds and they seem to do pretty good for a couple of months. And then I let them go when it's obvious it's their time.
 
We sat in the bathroom for quite a while and it didn't make him any worse but I don't think it helped. He kept breathing through his mouth on occasion while we were in there. When he mouth breathes he doesn't panic at all. If he has a congested nose, is there another way to un-stuff it for him?
 
Does anyone at home have an inhaler? salbutamol? A puff or two could help him.

I use salbutamol and symbicort. I rarely use them so he's welcome to them if they'd help. Is one better than the other for him? For me salbutamol was prescribed as a rescue inhaler every 4 hour or as needed, and symbicort I'm supposed to use every 12 hours.

Is there a special way to give it to him? Like cup my hand around his mouth or just spray in his direction? Or do I need a mask for him?
 
When I have used salbutamol inhalers, I have covered their eyes before puffing as it would sting, but that was all. Basically I would cover their head except their nose. You could put him in a box and cut a small hold for the inhaler mouth but some rats panic with this. You just put the inhaler high where it wouldn't be near the eyes. My vet told me 2 puffs.
 
Salbutamol:

Use
Treatment or prevention of bronchospasm in patients with reversible obstructive airway disease; prevention of exercise-induced bronchospasm

Mechanism of Action
Relaxes bronchial smooth muscle by action on beta2-receptors with little effect on heart rate

Symbicort

Use
Treatment of asthma in patients ≥12 years of age where combination therapy is indicated; maintenance treatment of airflow obstruction associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; including chronic bronchitis and emphysema)

Mechanism of Action
Formoterol relaxes bronchial smooth muscle by selective action on beta2 receptors with little effect on heart rate. Formoterol has a long-acting effect.
Budesonide is a corticosteroid which controls the rate of protein synthesis, depresses the migration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes/fibroblasts, and reverses capillary permeability and lysosomal stabilization at the cellular level to prevent or control inflammation.
 
I've used salbutamol for an acute attack and it's helped them. But I don't think I'd use symbicort. Is your symbicort a puffer? Mine, I have to suck it up so wouldn't be able to use it on rats anyway.
 
I've used salbutamol for an acute attack and it's helped them. But I don't think I'd use symbicort. Is your symbicort a puffer? Mine, I have to suck it up so wouldn't be able to use it on rats anyway.

My symbicort is the same as yours, it has to be sucked up. I didn't think about that at all - not that I tried to use it for him! So far he is doing better. No more mouth breathing or gasping since getting his dex.
 
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