Leonard weird breathing-atypical

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He's working harder to breathe. Is is currently on medicines for any respiratory or heart-related health issues? Are you hearing any noises when you ratphone him? How is his appetite? Sorry if I've missed any earlier threads with this info; haven't been online for a bit.
 
He needs a vet and meds immediately
As said above, he is having major problems breathing

You can try baytril + azithromycin (10 mg/Ib, by vets prescription from a pharmacy), orally twice a day (+ add doxy to these 2 if they do not work)
He may need Lasix if fluid is building up in or outside of his lungs
and Dex might help if it is a tumour, or p. abscesses (etc) as Jorats suggested in the other thread

If you have time and the antibiotics don't work, you may want to test dose with benazepril for a heart problem

Is he able to eat? Hydrated?

I hope that meds will help

Otherwise there is a thread in the reference section on how to have rats humanely put to sleep :(
 
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I was afraid of heart failure. He is well hydrated so I may try a dose of lasix on him to pull the fluid (if any) off his lungs and heart. Thanks.
 
I just gave him a test dose of 1mg/kg. Little man was at least warmer today. I found him cuddled up with a couple of the nakie girls on the heated pad, which he usually won't get on. :)
 
Also I should mention that he finished a round of antibiotics a few days ago. He and his sister had some minor symptoms when Amy was sick and I almost lost her. He had definite juicy lungs then. Now they are perfectly clear.
 
Then the lasix removed fluid from somewhere that was impeding his breathing; could be heart, could also be scar tissue somewhere that's allowing leakage of fluids to build up. Continue with the lasix, but perhaps ask for an xray to take a look at the heart? One of my boys is helped with lasix; vet says sometimes a lung with scar tissue can be 'leaky'.
 
An xray will only show if the heart is enlarged, etc
There are heart problems that will not show up on an xray
test dose with benazepril. If it helps, then he has a heart problem and atenolol is added and he stays on these 2 meds and Lasix for life
and an xray is done to see if the heart is enlarged
If it is enlarged then digoxin is added

But an xray is likely a good idea to see if there is something else in his chest, what his lungs look like etc too
 
Thanks everyone. My vet is calling in a bunch of good heart meds and he will be going in for an xray the beginning of next week. I will update!
 
A little late on the update...sorry about that.

He has early CHF and is now on daily lasix. He is doing great right now :)
 
Great news that the Lasix is helping and that you know what is wrong :)

He likely needs to also be on benazepril and atenolol.
And since (I assume) he has an enlarged heart, digoxin will need to be added as his heart disease progresses.

I hope he does well and has months or years of good quality time left
 
He just left me today. I had to increase his lasix every other week. He had a couple of bad episodes in the last week. We had a very long cuddle session last night and I found him lying in the cage in partial rigor when I got home from work. Glad I got some last kisses in.
 

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