Increasingly bad Myco flareup?

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untempered

Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2020
Messages
6
Location
Madison
Hi friends! I've been lurking on this forum for a while and I figured it was time I made an account to ask questions about my rat (since I was trying to search for the answers!) About 2 weeks ago, my 2y4m old rat Yoshi began making some URI sounds. I started him on some Baytril and Doxy I had at home and called the Vet, who was unable to get him in for 5 days. When I took him in, they told me he only had sounds on the left side and it sounded like a light Myco flare up, but if the antibiotics didn't work, to call back and we'd check his heart. I swapped to the Baytril they gave me (which I'd later realize was a bit of an oversight, since they dosed him at 5mg 2x a day (he's 720g). I continued him on doxy (10mg/kg).

By the end of the weekend, the sounds were gone, but he didn't seem much better energy-wise. I called back on Monday, but, again, they couldn't get me back in until Friday. On Tuesday, Yoshi started leaving small drops/puddles of bright red blood from his penis. I panicked and started some amoxi, but not much changed and I couldn't find any information on why he would have bright red blood (I think now it might be a genital myco flare up).

He started with labored breathing (no gasping, just abdominal) on Thursday and I got real worried and took him into the Emergency Vet, who was, to put it mildly, unhelpful. On Friday morning, I took him to the normal vet and they sent me home with furosemide and enalpril, telling me he now had some fluid around his lungs. They told me the blood from the urinary tract appeared to be irritation and it would go away. I called back today since the heavy breathing continued (although his energy level did increase some after the new meds). Today he's back to being more withdrawn. I asked for another antibiotic or to get more Baytril and they told me no, and also refused to give me a bronchodilator, telling me it would make his heart worse. They didn't really have much to say about his genitals, just to wait it out. I'm at the end of my rope here and have a couple questions:

1. Could all this just be caused by the dose of Baytril being too low? (I just realized it today!)
2. Is there a pain killer I can give him that's compatible with all this? The emergency vet gave me some metacam and this vet gave me gabapentin, but both appear online to not be compatible with his issues (especially the gabapentin!)
3. Do you have any recommendations?

TLDR, Rattie starts out with URI sounds 2 weeks ago. Starts on Baytril and Doxy, go to vet after 5 days, told it's mild, and then they only give me Baytril (and, I don't realize this, cut his does to 5mg/kg). 5 days later, he appears to be bleeding from the genitals. I take him back in on Friday due to labored breathing and they tell me it's heart failure. After 4 days on Enalpril, I call back about the bleeding and the continued labored breathing but get no help. Wondering what I can do.
 
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did you increase the dose of baytril once you realized? I prefer 15 mg/kg BID for baytril myself. The bright red blood could definitely be a genital myco flareup, or it could be a UTI. I would give ghe metacam for discomfort, up his dose of the baytril and see how he does.
IF he had heart issues or fluid buildup the lasix (furosemide) would've helped fast (its a diuretic) and the enalapril in combination with the lasix would've shown some serious improvement now. If you aren't seeing anything, I would stop the lasix at least as its hard on a sick rat and can make them dehydrated if they don't need it.
 
Thank you! Yes, I upped it last night and he's now had 2 doses at 15mg/kg.

Oh gotcha, so with the Lasix, after 4 days I should see no more labored breathing (or significantly decreased?) if it's working? His energy levels seem a little better, but the abdominal breathing is still present. I'll try a day off of it to see if it helps for sure.

If the increased Baytril works, how long do you think it will take to see improvements? Thanks so much!
 
Oh man ok, cool. Glad to hear that it won't be within a day. Hoping the increase in baytril does it! For now, I skipped his midday Lasix dose and am monitoring closely to make sure he's not getting worse. I'll report back with how things turn out!
 
Unfortunately, Yoshi was PTS today after a CT scan showed his left lung was no longer operational and his right lung only had 25% capacity. He also had a mass pushing against his trachea :( It all seemed to escalate so fast and nothing really helped, unfortunately :( Thank you for your help here!
 
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