Help my rat was choking on food!

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Lenny

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Sorry for bad english, its not my first language. My male rat Remus was eating food and suddenly he started choking. He's very greedy to food. He gasped for air and looked very discomfort. This brown slime or something came out of his mouth, not much but little. This happened 25h ago. He's been tired since and not normal. He's normaly very active rat and explores on floors all day, eats alot and drinks. Now he's been all day just sleeping in his house, doesent eat and only drinks little when i bring the water bottle to him. If hes awake he grooms little and looks from his nest window with tired and apathy face. He breaths more heavy and i can hear little noise, its not respitory infection noise its different noise, more quiet. Is it possible he aspirated some food? Is something stuck in his troath? Some slime came too from his nose when he was choking, could there be some dry slime in his nose making this noise? He has drinked little and ate little bit of banana today. Is it okay to give some treat to him that he gets some energy? Could it be digestion problem? He was all normal before this choke happened. Im very conserded about him and cant sleep, im monitoring him all time. We dont have in my town good vets that know about rats. He's leader rat of his pack and all the other rats are stressed too about this. What can i do? I've had choking rats before but they all were normal after while. Could he just be tired of this choking? It lasted several hours before it went away and ever since he's been very tired and passive. Sorry for messy post, i havent slept.
 
Is he still choking?
How is he now?

He may have had something caught in his throat and was trying to bring it up. As long as he is breathing ok, then he will need to keep trying to dislodge it. But imo, if it continues for too long, he may need to see a vet.
 
We came from vet. The vet said she doesent think there anything stuck on troath bcs Remus is able to eat and drink. She listen his lungs and hear some noise. Vet thinks its a pneumonia caused by food aspiration when he was choking. Vet gave 12 day baytril for Remus and painkiller for couple days. I hope he gets better. Remus condition has put the whole pack under stress. Do you guys think the vet did right treatment?
 
how much does Remus weigh? What is the strength of the baytril (mg/ml) and how much are you giving and how often?

She how he does on he baytril for a few days, if he isn't improving then he may need another antibiotic added. If he starts using a lot of effort to breath or his breathing becomes noisy (you can hold him up to your ear and listen to each side of his chest) then he needs to see a vet immediately and will need other meds

As for your question, from what you said, to me it sounded like he may have been choking and since he can now eat and drink ok it sounds like that may be resolved. If the vet heard noisy lungs then it could be a respiratory infection and if so he would need antibiotics.

Can you post a video?
 
This sounds like a good treatment. sometimes they do aspirate the fluid during a choke and get a respiratory infection. Soft foods just in case his throat hurts is also good to do for a day or so. Let us know if he remains lethargic.
 
The vet gave us baytril/enrofloxacin for 12 days. 15mg tablets diveded to two doses per day so 7,5mg x2 day. I hope too this is good treatment. I think too its something to do about the lungs and aspiration because he eats liquid encure food and oatmeal = soft foods but dont want to eat ''hard'' foods right now. Remus weighted 630 grams so i think its good weight, he's not fat but he's little bulky compared to his brothers what is common imo in pack leaders atleast most of my pack leader males have been biggest/strongest usually. Vet stretched Remus skin and said he's not dehydrated and the vet gave him two hydration shots so no more liquid is needed today. Remus also got two IV shots, one pain killer and one baytril shot so no need to give anything more this day. I hope everything goes well, he's tired after long choking and visit to vet what is uncommon place for him. Il post more about his recovery, thank's for both of your help :)
 
Remus has been today more energetic but still mainly sleeping just or laying on his sputnik house. He's brothers are too just laying or sleeping and the whole pack seems angry of me. I made another treadh about this problem. It bothers me alot. I take all of them to my bed to chill with me and they just wanted to leave :(
I gave today Remus antibiotics two times and dose of painkiller. He smells it trough everything so i had to force feed them, it feels bad. He had lot of power to resist but i managed to give the antibiot to him. I mix little honey and ensure to it and try to make liquid only 1-2ml so its fast given without too much stress to Remus. Remus doesent want to eat his own hard pellet foods so i give him oatmeal with eggs and honey. He drinks himself what is good. He was energetic when he was on the bed, he just didint want to stay there for long time.
 
I forgot to ask if its normal that when one of them is sick all just lay and sleep in their cage and dont want to socialise with me?
 
They are 1 years and 3 months. It seems they all have flu or something. I put them all on baytril. I think they are just tired. Vet gave 12 days baytril for each rat, is this enough?
 
no it is not.
Rats need to be on antibiotics for at least 4 weeks, and some of us have found that our rats need to be on antibiotics for at least 6 weeks. Otherwise they are not over the infection and their symptoms will return

The amount of baytril given is based on the weight of the rat and the strength of the medicine. If you post this info, we can double check to see if they are getting enough. Baytril is given orally twice a day

hope they are soon feeling better
 
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