Dozer Question about Meds

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Dahlas

Dahlas

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2007
Messages
9,308
Location
Nova Scotia, Canada
My Dozer has not been himself for a few days. He is losing weight.....a first it wasn't noticeable but has now become very obvious. His breathing is good, but he is not interested in eating.....only small amounts of his favorite food. He still wants cuddling but does seem a bit more irritable then normal....not with his cage mates but just backing away from my hand instead of pushing forward with his usual "pet me pet me" attitude
I have put him on baytril and he will eat his little medicine ball of bread twice a day. :thumbup:
But last night he wouldn't eat cearal, peas or macaroni.....his favorites.
I have checked his teeth....they are perfect. I am going to take him to the vet for a check up ASAP.....but thought someone might have some advice. Oh and Dozer is now 20 months old.

Here is was in February and in April

A chunky monkey
DoeDang.jpg


Nice and plump
Doe.jpg


Here he is now....
You can see his shoulder blades.
DSCF3092.jpg


DSCF3087.jpg


DSCF3088.jpg


DSCF3097.jpg
 
Sid is going through this at the minute :( I think with Sid it is just his age.

I hope your boy isn't sick. Good luck when you take him to the vets
 
He still looks good. Not a dramatic weight loss. It could be his age catching up with him. I know in mine it's almost like a light switch. One day they are young, the next they are old. :(
 
jorats said:
He still looks good. Not a dramatic weight loss. It could be his age catching up with him. I know in mine it's almost like a light switch. One day they are young, the next they are old. :(
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:nod:
yuppers, my older men are starting to show their age as well. Especially Toby, Brillo, Eli, and Echo. Toby being the most anchient of them all. All starting to get that old man boneyness...
:hugs:
sorry hun... it's a hard thing to watch them age.
 
Thanks everyone......I will try not to worry to much. It just up until now they all seemed so young......Dozer is the first one "showing his age" and it has me freaked out. I will continue the Baytril and to baby my little boy with goodies.

How old are your older men Lynds? I was hoping mine wouldn't begin to show their age until after they were 2......20 months seems so young.
 
Like I said Toby is the most ancient one, i'd say well over 2 yrs now. i've had them a year in October, and he was pushing 2 yrs i'd say when he came here.
Brillo, Eli, and Echo i'd put them around 2 yrs +.

Now the 3 boys I just got from Good Karma, Olo, Grover, and Gimli, they won't be 2 until the winter I was told, and they have started to show their age already. I think it has to do with breeding, where they came form type of thing?
 
Dahlas said:
Thanks everyone......I will try not to worry to much. It just up until now they all seemed so young......Dozer is the first one "showing his age" and it has me freaked out. I will continue the Baytril and to baby my little boy with goodies.

How old are your older men Lynds? I was hoping mine wouldn't begin to show their age until after they were 2......20 months seems so young.
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my last boy got "old" at around 21 months old and i had him pts when he was just under 2yrs. Maybe its something genetic? Harvey was a pet store boy so i dont know anything about the genetics of his family and the longevity of his parents or siblings etc.
 
20 months isn't that young, it would be about late 50's early 60's in a human there abouts. rats can be a lot like people though, some feel their age sooner then others. look at ink and eyes. ink is only about a month younger then eyes and while eyes started to have issues with her mobility and weight and eventually her age took her, ink is still mostly like she always has been. a little bit slower, you can feel the oldness in her back, but she still chases the cats, still climbs the cage and tussles with the young-uns while ignoring the bosses and getting herself pinned because of it. i forget how old she was when we first noticed the change in her, she wasn't much older then 20 months though. we thought she was sick too at the time but she recieved a clean bill of health. some days she's all about the food, others she's not. i understand your concern but don't fret quite yet, just because he may be starting to feel a bit older doesn't mean that he's on his way out, ink is 29 months this and though slower, still going strong.

if he is sick though i suggest trying amoxil over baytril. i have had HUGE success with amoxil, much better then i ever had with baytril. it has less side effects, a safer error range and is flavored in banana or strawberry. its a 3x a day med but i've been so pleased with it. its knocked out pneumonia and brought back some of my sickest rats where baytril was having little effect. it can also be used in combo with gentimicin for the harder cases. can't be used with clavamox as they cancel each other out. you can get a bottle of crystals which has a very long shelf life then mix half and half with water and keep refrigerated. after constituting it is only good for 14 days.
 
I've had some rats show their age at 20 months while others didn't show their age till past 30 months. You can control it to a point with good healthy foods, excellent clean stimulated environment and lots of exercise and interactions then the rest you have to hope the rat has good genes and can go on for a while.

But... as the mom, you know in your gut if something is off. Getting him to the vet in order to start him on some med is not a bad idea.
I also want to add rats have good days and bad days and some days they just don't feel like coming out and playing. But that can pass and be back to his spry self.
 
Dahlas said:
I don't know Shelagh.....
What should I ask for?
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See if they will give you lasix and/or enalapril. I prefer enalapril because lasix can also show improvement with respiratory conditions so its not as definitive. Both would be best :)
 
I am sad to hear that. Rats' health can change so fast. Lilspaz, well spotted! That gives a good clue. I hope that the vet can narrow down the possibilities quickly to get Dozer back on his feet. Myco and heart problems make them lose all their energy.

Kisses and scritches to sweet Dozer. :love4:
 
I went shopping for some special treats.....all of Dozers favorites. When I got home he was at the cage door waiting for me......He ate a bit of softened oxbow (thanks Jo...they do like it better with warm water on it) and a ate his baytril in a bit of sweet potato....but then he refused a piece of banana :( ......after all that excitement he seemed wore out and got in his hammock......he doesn't seem to have much energy. Tomorrow I will call the vet and hopefully get him on heart meds.....if my new vet doesn't have the heart meds....maybe the vet in the city will....
 
I get my vet to call the prescription in to the drug store as my vets have not carried the drugs needed..
Shoppers on Lacewood is used to mixing up heart meds for rats. Other drug stores can call them and ask for info. on mixing the heart meds up. My vet prescribes benazapril instead of enalapril.
 
My vet has both lasix and or enalapril. She said normally she would have no problem giving me any drugs I want for my rats but that heart meds, if used when not needed, can be very dangerous to the rat. They can cause many other serious problems........
She would like to see Dozer and will give me a free office call. So I can drop in with him around 12:00......I am going to take Honey only with her head tilt as well......

I really, really like this vet. She seems very interested in rats and when I explained to here about my rat friends and all their knowledge she was very impressed. She admitted that people who have lots of experience over years of caring for a certain type of animal can become as knowledgeable as, if not more knowledgeable, then the vet.
She doesn't mind when you ask questions........and she is very good at trying to explain things.
 

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