Hematuria ...caused by enterococcus faecalis.

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I agree with you to a certain extent Vanessa regarding the resistant virus/infection. Yes it would be detrimental to a breeder... BIG TIME

But say you have a rat that has a contagious virus resistant to antiobiotics and passes it on to the other rats and new rats that you introduce that can be detrimental. First you start with one antibiotic, then two, then stronger, and then after a year you find that nothing is getting rid of it. But the virus/infection is still with your rats. I'm just bringing it up as a discussion.
 
Mumsy, your vet IS a very shrewed business woman... as Dewi said. A good friend of mine only recently had a vet give her "lessons" on sub-q injections. If you have not been shopping for a new vet I suggest you do so soon.
 
I found giving sub-q injections quite simple.(this was for Zeke) My vet asked if I minded doing it and I said it would be fine. She showed me how and I did one with her watching me and I had no prolbems doing it at home.

Hmm I won't say what I think of some vets :redhot:
 
This has got me wondering... in all my vet visits and there must have been thousands by now, only once did my vet need to give a subq injection. When do rats really need this and how does one know it's time to do it when at home?
 
jorats said:
This has got me wondering... in all my vet visits and there must have been thousands by now, only once did my vet need to give a subq injection. When do rats really need this and how does one know it's time to do it when at home?
Click to expand...

When they are dehydrated rats (cats, dogs etc) can get SubQ injections of fluids. You probably already know this, but if you pinch their skin between their shoulders/ back of neck area, and if the skin doesn't go down quickly then they're dehydrated. Also if the rat isn't likely to drink enough because, for example, they are too ill they can require SubQ fluids. The vet gave me Hartmann's solution for this. I also injected antibiotics SubQ. Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure that all the injections my vet has given when I've been there have been subQ (this was for antibiotics, vitamins, fluids & steroids).
 
Many rats [or any other animal], when they're very ill, require subQ for dehydration. I see it alot with the ones with really bad resp problems - the crackly, clicky types. Even in those cases, some need it more than others, and some need alot less fluids than others. 85% of them benefit almost immediately from it. I always tell people that dehydration is the number one killer of pets, not the various illnesses they get.

When Grey had her resp issue this last time, she was so bad off I knew she wasn't drinking on her own and she wasn't eating much Ensure or rehydrating solution for me. I only gave her about 4-5cc of fluids, but she bounced back so quickly after that. She ate about 15cc of Ensure for me shortly afterwards, and just kept eating more each time I offered it.
 
I was really freaked out about doing it the first couple of times, but the more experience you have the easier it gets. I started out by having to give injections of Gentocin, but then gave fluids later to other rats.
Can I suggest that you ask your vets for butterfly needles? They are expensive, and not all vets carry them, but I found that they made it much easier to give sq fluids. I wouldn't bother using them if it were just a quick injection of meds, but with having to have the needle in longer for fluids, I found that they made things easier for me.
Here is what they look like (mine didn't have the white connector at the end)...
butterfly_needle.png
 
I know the last time Hazel was at the vet with a resp infection she was sleeping a lot and not feeling well. So when we went I wasn't surprised she was dehydrated. The vet took skin above her shoulder blades pulled and turned and it took a very long time to get it back into it's original position. Now I know it's something to look for. She said to try and get her to drink, watery babyfood, apple juice because of the electrolytes. Just to get fluids into her.
 
Henry is still bleeding but after talking it over with our vet, mamarat decided to have him neutered. Males have 4 sex organs and when they get an infection in there, it's hard to treat because it just moves from one place to the next. A neuter shrinks all four which should make it easier to treat. She was also able to get a sample of his urine and it will be cultured. Henry was neutered last Friday and is doing very well.
 
The nasty little bug is Enterococcus faecalis. We will be given amoxicillin to be given to those that bleed. This bacteria can cause an epididymal infection in males. Which could be why Henry has stopped bleeding since his neuter. A neuter shrinks away the four male sex organs.
This bacteria is also very resistant to meds so lets keep our fingers crossed that we've caught the culprit and this is the end of it all. :joy:
 
According to the sheet Shelagh referenced, combos of penicillins and aminoglycosides work best. So like amoxi[clavamox]/Gentamicin[Amikacin] could be a ticket. Hope the new meds help!
 
Oh lord, I surely hope that they have found the cause (and only cause) of this awful tragedy. And that the amoxicillan is the total cure for it if god-forbid it should resurface there or at anyone's house.

So Henry has stopped bleeding altogether? :happydance: Is he on the amoxicillan now?
 

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