How young is too young to dose?

[mercurydust]

Okay, we have been going through the mite yikes and Lily seems to be mite free...hopefully because all of her scabs are healing and no new sores have appeared. Lucy and Cordi are only in the 3 to 3 and a half month stage of life. So they are still small. Would flea and tick drops do them harm because they are not fully grown ?

 

[lilspaz68]

If you are talking about Revolution they are old enough to dose, but if you are talking about something you buy at the petstore, I have heard horror stories where adult rats have died after treatment.

 

[Cityratt]

If you are talking about Revolution they are old enough to dose, but if you are talking about something you buy at the petstore, I have heard horror stories where adult rats have died after treatment.

adult rats, and CATS and small misdosed dogs (end rant...)

 

[mercurydust]

That's scarey, but yea I was talking about revolution. But one of my vets where I work told me that revolution isn't very good, it has been linked to a lot of health problems in cats after extended dosage. They need to get it together and come out with a flea/tick/mite medicine specifically for rats. :wallbang:

 

[jorats]

What kind of problems in cats?

 

[mercurydust]

She didn't specify exactly what kind of health problems it may have caused because we only talked in passing I didn't have time to get the details. It's confusing because I read on a list it is one of the best flea and tick meds because it doesn't contain any organophosphate insecticides which can be very harmful to animals and people. When I go back to work I will get the dish-hopefully she wasn't trying to downplay Revoliton to get me to buy the Advantage which is the only flea and tick med that they sell. It's like a double edged sword here....so frustrating. anic: But my babies are worth it.
:hugs:

 

[lilspaz68]

Good thing rats aren't cats eh? :wink2:

Rats tolerate Revolution very well, I have dosed a baby as young as 3 weeks, and quite a few at 5 weeks old, so 3 months plus is a walk in the park

 

[mercurydust]

Thanks for the replies-it seems I can only get straight answers from you guys on here. More evidence that vets need more rat education-I wish someone smarter than myself would just develope meds that are rat specific...is it that hard? LoL :gaah:

 

[lilspaz68]

Thanks for the replies-it seems I can only get straight answers from you guys on here. More evidence that vets need more rat education-I wish someone smarter than myself would just develope meds that are rat specific...is it that hard? LoL :gaah:

I don't think there is one rat-specific medication out there right now, everything is off-label use

 

[mercurydust]

And another question-for future reference...Ivermectin. Is the kind of ivermectin that you can get at the Tractor Supply Store that is intended for horse deworming the correct kind? Or is their a specific kind of Ivermectin that I should use?

 

[lilspaz68]

Thats the stuff, but make sure you know how to use it properly. Adults get a piece the size of an uncooked grain of rice, babies get 1/2 that.

 

[jorats]

Oral ivermectin from the vet with prescription is very safe to use with proper dosing, same as the Revolution. But most vets like to inject the ivermectin, giving it to them orally is better.

 

[theratlady]

i have dosed rats as young as 1wk old because the babies were polluted with lice. i used a 27guage needle and brought a tiniest drop to the end(not even a drop) and dabbed behind the ear on each baby. they didnt even seem to know except they had no more lice in 24hrs.