My baby's all congested

[TheHermit]

Lilly's been sneezing again, and today she rubbed her face against my hand I felt a runny nose. I looked closer and sure enough, she's got goobers all over her nose! It's all clear, but when she's sitting on my shoulder I can hear that extremely soft rumble. I recently read another thread for the same kind of thing - Lilly just wanted to go sleep in the drawers when I let her out this morning, and even though I moved her a few times, she always ended up sleeping in the same spot - sneezing, congestion, lethargic. She doesn't feel overly warm.
We did get a new heater in the last week or so, and my boyfriend himself has an ear infection and swollen throat because the air keeps everything in place. We're just about to go out to get a humidifier, so I'm hoping she'll clear up a bit over night, and just in case she's received a chunk of 90% dark chocolate.

The other thing is, we have ZERO funds at the moment for a check-up. If it were seriously urgent we would scrape up the funds and go get help. If she's still sniffly and her nose is still running tomorrow, is there an antibiotic I can pick up that will help? I live in Oakville so if anyone in the GTA knows a place that can supply what Lilly might need, it'd be great to know!

 

[hopefloats]

Any time i have had sneezy rats they need meds. It can turn into pneumonia fast and then it gets ugly. humidifier will help but she most likely will need some sort of antibiotic.

 

[lilspaz68]

when you say pick up an antibiotic? Do you mean going to a store and buying one? In that case, no you cannot buy rat-appropriate antibiotics in any store. I would advise starting to scrape up funds just in case you have to run to the vet on Monday.

 

[Aida]

Hmm...
She sounds kind of bad, the runny nose seems to be really runny. When Matilda got a upper respiratory, it was only a bit. She also slept a lot in one spot, and made funky whistling noises. She was perscribed baytril and doxycyciline. If you know what it is, and what the meds needed for it are(you might want to make sure- take pictures/videos and show us-incase you suscpect something that this isn't.), you could call your vet and ask that she just write out a perscription/sell you the meds without a visit, she might. Mine told me that if Matilda dosen't get better after the drugs, she can check her out again/give me more meds, and not charge me for the visit.

I also know that lots of perscription drugs that are illegal to sell without perscriptions, can be legally purchased from the internet. (I have a link to a place that sells doxy. in powder form for parrots) However, my vet said that a lot of those aren't checked by the Drug and Food laws/etc., so you have to be VERY careful where you're buying from. Also, if they come in pills for parrots, it would be very hard to measure how much to give your rat. Ecpecially since the drug isn't evenly distributed throught the pill, and you may just be givving her a muffler.

Please get well soon, Lilly! Your mommie's worried sick and hanging on a financial thread!

 

[TheHermit]

I wasn't sure where I would find antibiotics for Lilly, since this is only my second batch of rats, so I'm sorry if I seem stupid or irresponsible. Condescension could be taken down a notch.

I moved her out of the room and into the main room where it is much, much less dry, before we left. Came back from picking up the humidifier and her nose is dry already and her nostrils are wide open and she seems eager to come out. Keeping her out of the room until tomorrow and keeping an eye on her to make sure it's not just the room - as soon as that runny nose comes back I'm calling.
And by "extremely soft rumble" i meant that gross noise anyone makes with a stuffed up nose, not a rumble in her chest. Should have specified. If I heard a real rumble I would've just called the vet.

 

[Aida]

I wasn't sure where I would find antibiotics for Lilly, since this is only my second batch of rats, so I'm sorry if I seem stupid or irresponsible. Condescension could be taken down a notch.

I moved her out of the room and into the main room where it is much, much less dry, before we left. Came back from picking up the humidifier and her nose is dry already and her nostrils are wide open and she seems eager to come out. Keeping her out of the room until tomorrow and keeping an eye on her to make sure it's not just the room - as soon as that runny nose comes back I'm calling.
And by "extremely soft rumble" i meant that gross noise anyone makes with a stuffed up nose, not a rumble in her chest. Should have specified. If I heard a real rumble I would've just called the vet.

Don't worry about it, I prefered taking Matilda to the vet instead of giving her antibiotics myself, too. It was too risky, and i'm not expirienced enough to feel safe about it.

Anyways, I'm happy she's feeling better!

 

[TheHermit]

Sorry to anyone offended by my attitude in my last post, I was... probably just not supposed to be replying to anything at that moment.

Alright so now this humidifier is here and apparently it's filtered by Arm&Hammer. Also it's not supposed to be on any water-perishable surface or to be placed in a closed room.
Kind of scared to have this any where near my rats.

 

[Aida]

Sorry to anyone offended by my attitude in my last post, I was... probably just not supposed to be replying to anything at that moment.

Alright so now this humidifier is here and apparently it's filtered by Arm&Hammer. Also it's not supposed to be on any water-perishable surface or to be placed in a closed room.
Kind of scared to have this any where near my rats.

Maybe it would be better, and less... scary to just put their cage in the bathroom and tell everyone to take hot showers? I read that it works like a humidifier somewhere.

 

[TheHermit]

LOL I wish I could, but my bathroom is where I use my "teenage female products" (hair spray, makeup, etc, etc) and I keep the door closed and fan on all times because of that, and the other bathroom... if I did that no one would be able to reach the shower bloody tiny apartment bathrooms.
I've been sitting in the same room as the girls and the humidifier (it's in the main room with the girls, who will be moved when the CN arrives) and there's been 2 sneezes in two hours, and my own nose feels a little soothed haha. No chemically smell or tingly in my nostrils or throat so its looking alright so far. They are by the window where there is a crack - off to the side so they don't get a draft but close enough to have the most airflow in the room, just in case.

Miss Lilly's nose has been dry and her nostrils look all wide open and free since we moved her out of the bedroom so I'm just happy for that.

 

[mamarat]

That's good news for your sweetie.