Baytril or Doxy or both?

[Rachael]

One of my girls, around 20 months, has a respiratory infection right now. :sad3: :sad3:
Or possibly, pneumonia!

She's been to the vets, on Friday night.... we gave her Baytril here, but later found her opening her mouth (very slightly though) to breath and rushed her to the vets (emergancy vet) at midnight. She gave her a steroid injection and said keep her on Baytril, twice daily. The dosage was too small, so we're giving another .05mls with the .1ml

She's not improved any. I've tried baby food, ice cream, yoghurt, and anything else to tempt her. She ate nothing all of Saturday.

Saturday night, I managed to get her to eat a little grated cheese :happydance:
Today she's been quite bright. She's been living under a cover on a bed though (just like she did when she was an orphan :giggle: ).

She is not easy to get the baytril to. It's syringed but she doesn't swallow it easily and spits a little tiny bit back out too It's never quite the full amount, don't think

Anyway the vet said bring her back this upcoming Wednesday, as we had an appointment for another girl with tumour removal complications (infection etc... but that's healing :joy: )
But we've decided to take them Monday, tomorrow. We will be asking for doxy, as I don't feel we're doing QUITE enough My mum doesn't think the doxy will change anything, and she may be right.

I basically just wanted to know who uses baytril alone, doxy alone, or both together and what your preferance is?
Thanks.

 

[Rachael]

Sorry. It was actually Thursday night shew as at vets, but she didn't eat on Friday, we syringed her water though. :wallbang:

 

[jorats]

At this point, I would add the doxy as well. She's pretty progressed if she has started to open her mouth to breathe.
Do you have any meal replacements there? That would be a good thing to give her. Here we give Ensure or Boost.

 

[smilez_n_hugs]

I currently have a rat on doxy and baytril and have found that if you mix both with ensure they will just lick it up. So no messy trying to syringe it into their mouths. Also just a note once you start doxy remember not to give the ratties any dairy products.

 

[Rachael]

Why no dairy? I knew it shouldn't be given but why not?

Sadly, she can only eat tiny bits of runny and yummy foods like chocolate mousse or custard, and then she has to go and mouth-breath for a moment before coming back for mor

 

[lilspaz68]

I currently have a rat on doxy and baytril and have found that if you mix both with ensure they will just lick it up. So no messy trying to syringe it into their mouths. Also just a note once you start doxy remember not to give the ratties any dairy products.

Ensure is loaded with calcium Sorry, you just can't use it to give with Doxy. You have to wait 2 hours either before or after giving the 'cycline for any calcium.

The calcium binds to the doxycycline rendering it ineffective.

Definitely add the doxy to the baytril, I only use a single med when the symptoms are mild, when you have mouth breathing etc its a doubled up combo and possibly a steroid to reduce the inflammation in her lungs.

 

[SQ]

Both.

If you hold her up and listen to both sides of her chest does she sound conjested?
If so, she needs to be on lasix to get the fluid out of her lungs (watch out for dehydration).

If baytril (10mg/Ib twice a day) & doxy (2.5 - 5 mg/Ib twice a day) is not helping after 3 days, baytril & azithromycin (5-15 mg/Ib twice a day for at least 3 weeks) may help.

If they think she has a secondary infection, clavamox (10 mg/Ib twice a day), or amoxicillian (10-50mg/Ib twice a day) may help.

I would take her back to the vet and see about lasix for conjested lungs .... I am not a vet but if she is having that much trouble breathing she likely has fluid in her lungs. (You may want to get a rehydration kit from the vet and get them to teach you how to use it.)

 

[smilez_n_hugs]

I currently have a rat on doxy and baytril and have found that if you mix both with ensure they will just lick it up. So no messy trying to syringe it into their mouths. Also just a note once you start doxy remember not to give the ratties any dairy products.

Ensure is loaded with calcium Sorry, you just can't use it to give with Doxy. You have to wait 2 hours either before or after giving the 'cycline for any calcium.

The calcium binds to the doxycycline rendering it ineffective.

Definitely add the doxy to the baytril, I only use a single med when the symptoms are mild, when you have mouth breathing etc its a doubled up combo and possibly a steroid to reduce the inflammation in her lungs.

:doh: Oh dear....good thing I've only been doing that occasionally. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Rachael]

She already had a long lasting (4 weeks/month) steroid injection. We always get injections of steroids.
She's a TON better today, eating, drinking, etc. Out playing in our rat playroom right now as well and living with her sisters again....

Does anybody know if septrin can be used for resp infections?
She saw a vet and her lungs are sounding very much better!

 

[Tarah]

so glad to hear the good news. :joy:

 

[Rachael]

Thank you!

 

[lilspaz68]

I have to ask...what steroid did you get that lasts for a month?

When I inject my steroids its only good for 1-2 days. For a sick rat it's daily.