need advice for my new senior rattie!

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bruxxy

bruxxy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2007
Messages
668
Location
Toronto
On Friday I adopted 2 senior females from a woman who didn't know anything about rats but couldn't keep them anymore and needed to find them a good home. When she brought them to my quarantine house I noticed that one of them (Sally) was really malnourished and quite skinny, the other one (Betty) seemed to be ok. Sally's breathing was really raspy and it was quite obvious that she had been suffering with a URI for quite some time. I told the woman who was giving them to me and she gave me some money to take her to the vet. Anyways I went to the vet yesterday and the vet discovered that not only did she have a serious URI but she was also being eaten alive by lice...poor baby :(
We both decided that due to her age condition that it would be best to have her put to sleep.

So here is my problem....her cage mate Betty is already showing obvious signs of depression, shes really stressed out from being taken to a new home and because she is also older and probably also has a URI, I was wondering what approach I should take. I'm planning on introducing her to my other 5 females. I'm treating her for the lice today and I will make sure that it is cleared up before she is put with my females... but my question is, should I put her in with my other females ASAP and how long does lice medication take to work...I believe it its revolution that the vet gave me. any other advice would be great!!
R.I.P. Sally <3
 
Betty is surely going to be stressed out no matter what, but I would continue her quarantine. She's probably lice free in about 10 days or whenever the eggs hatch and babies are affected by the revolution.
Is she being treated for the URI? Baytril? Is she's being treated, then she should be ok with the other rats.
I've read in a few places that once your on meds, you aren't contagious.
 
Betty was treated with something for a URI that she had in the past although I'm not sure what meds were used. I didn't even think about putting her on URI meds since she was already treated for it but I guess she probably got the infection again while living with Sally. I'll take her in to the vet and get some URI meds for her too and hopefully that will help.
 
Bruxxy, are you taking her to High Park?

With Revolution its very fast. Within a few days the lice are gone. Poor old gal, she will need help with her URI for sure. At the very least baytril, but if its severe you should get baytril/doxy.

What is her breathing like? Is it just noisy or is she rocking and her flanks are heaving? Any porphyrin?

Next time contact me with your sick girl, we might have sorted something out than being pts...I have brought some very sick old rats back to health before.
 
I took her to kipling/bloor vet clinic to see Dr.Sohal.

Betty's breathing seems fine...shes at my boyfriends house for quarintine and he hasn't noticed anything but he also hasn't really taken her out of the cage because she is really scared. I'm going over there tonight so
I will take her out and see how her breathing is.

I probably would have tried to save Betty but she was unsocialized and scared of people so it probably would have been too stress full for to be given medication twice a day.

What would be the best way to give Betty her meds? My rats are fine to give meds to but I have a feeling Betty will try to bite me. Should I wear gloves?
 
bruxxy said:
I took her to kipling/bloor vet clinic to see Dr.Sohal.

Betty's breathing seems fine...shes at my boyfriends house for quarintine and he hasn't noticed anything but he also hasn't really taken her out of the cage because she is really scared. I'm going over there tonight so
I will take her out and see how her breathing is.

I probably would have tried to save Betty but she was unsocialized and scared of people so it probably would have been too stress full for to be given medication twice a day.

What would be the best way to give Betty her meds? My rats are fine to give meds to but I have a feeling Betty will try to bite me. Should I wear gloves?
Click to expand...

Is Betty the PEW girl who was in the bottom carrier, who did the lip smacking? I seriously think she was related to the 3 girls I got from the THS.
She needs at least baytril at this point. I think she would be fine to hold and give meds to. She seemed like a sweet girl who wouldn't bite. If she nips you just slow down and try to let her relax a little before handling. I often "ask" rats if I may pick them up. You can always put her meds in a tiny bit of flavoured baby cereal and let her eat them that way.
 
No I didn't bring Betty with me. The PEW was my girl Lily. Shes about a year and a bit and she was also there for a URI which is being treated.
I got her as a baby a while back although I can't remember exactly when but she was with about 10 other babies so its quite possible.

I think I'll try the baby cereal thing first since I don't want to stress her out.
 
:) :)

he gave me a mixture of things that I hadn't heard of before but I am new to rat medicine and the only one I know of is baytril. I know there was baytril in it though but there were also one or 2 other kinds of meds I think.
 
It could be anyone of those...I have no idea but I'm going to talk to him again soon so i'll find out. I
 

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