Need medication advice for URI

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Megan Fleischman

Megan Fleischman

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Joined
Apr 15, 2019
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0
Location
Washington
Two of my three girls are sneezing A LOT. It was mild a month ago, and Baytril from the vet didn’t seem to do anything. Now sneezing is much worse and I am taking the girls back to the vet. Which medication should I ask for? I think I’ve read Doxycycline, and perhaps another antibiotic simultaneously. Also, should I medicate the third girl pre-emptively? Thanks in advance for any advice!
 
If the Baytril didn't do anything it might be because an outside source is causing the sneezing. Is their bedding dusty or mildewed? Do you have any mold in the room they are in? Did you recently get a new pet? The vet will probably recommend better options for antibiotics if it is a URI.
 
No new pets or mold so far as I’m aware. Bedding is washed weekly litter daily. We live in a dry climate. There’s porphyrin on my white rat’s head chronically (can’t see it on my black rat but I’m sure it’s there too).
 
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It was only a week, I can’t speak to the dosage per weight. As I don’t know the weight of my girls.
 
Ok we know your problem now ...


1). It was amoxicillin, which should only be used in very very mild infections.
2). it was only for 7 days nowhere near long enough to cure an active infection. It probably suppressed the symptoms but didn't kill the infection.
You need a very very minimum of 2 weeks with 3 weeks being better as a course of treatment.

Any clue how much your rats weighed at the time? I can double check the doses as I have the concentration.
 
Amoxicillin??? For 7 days??? Unless your vet made a follow up appt for the 7th day, i would find a new vet. I generally only even use Amoxicillin to treat secondary infections, or, in the case of an unknown type of bacteria, to eliminate that possibility. So if i get no response after trying the usual ABs, i i treat with Amoxicillin just to make sure its not a secondary infection that is escaping detection. I dont often have my vet run tests to determine the exact bacterium, so we usually end up diagnosing by trial and error, unless the situation is critical, that is.
 
Last edited:
Rocket99 said:
Amoxicillin??? For 7 days??? Unless your vet made a follow up appt for the 7th day, i would find a new vet. I generally only even use Amoxicillin to treat secondary infections, or, in the case of an unknown type of bacteria, to eliminate that possibility. So if i get no response after trying the usual ABs, i i treat with Amoxicillin just to make sure its not a secondary infection that is escaping detection. I dont often have my vet run tests to determine the exact bacterium, so we usually end up diagnosing by trial and error, unless the situation is critical, that is.
Click to expand...
the vet did schedule a follow up after 7 days but I didn’t take them because the symptoms were gone
 
lilspaz68 said:
Ok we know your problem now ...


1). It was amoxicillin, which should only be used in very very mild infections.
2). it was only for 7 days nowhere near long enough to cure an active infection. It probably suppressed the symptoms but didn't kill the infection.
You need a very very minimum of 2 weeks with 3 weeks being better as a course of treatment.

Any clue how much your rats weighed at the time? I can double check the doses as I have the concentration.
Click to expand...

I will ask for a longer course of meds, which should I request?

Unfortunately I didn’t write down their weights, and Their weights may have changed since then. We are headed in to the vet on Tuesday
 
Megan Fleischman said:
the vet did schedule a follow up after 7 days but I didn’t take them because the symptoms were gone
Click to expand...
7 days is not long enough. If the symptoms were gone or lessened, then the vet most likely would have then given you more Amoxicillin. If the symptoms were NOT gone (or less), depending on several other factors, he would have started him on a different antibiotic. Either way, he would STILL be on antibiotics. You need to get in there immediately to see your vet!!!
 
Yes, I’m afraid I’ve been waiting too long, and there is only a vet that sees rats at the clinic two days a week so had to wait a few more days once I finally got my butt in gear and called :(
 
Ok, this time around vet gave me Baytril for the girls. There are 28 individually dosed syringes for each of the two sneezers (Twice a day for two weeks). I’m only on dose three for each and it is so difficult to get them to take it! I tasted it and it is extremely bitter. I wasted two doses on Cocoa because she dodged it twice!! I even thought I’d try to train them that if they drink it they get a fancy treat (piece of a pecan), but it’s not helping.

Any advice for administering oral meds to squirrelly ratties?
 
Sure, try adding it to a few tablespoons of Chocolate Ensure. Most of my guys go crazy for it. But yea, Baytril is very bitter. Never give syringes of meds directly into their mouths, you could cause them to choke and die. At least not until you have experience with that technique. Mixing it into Ensure is so much easier. And safer.
 
Another flavor you could cut it with is meat or fruit flavored baby food. I syringed little dots of baby food onto a piece of parchment paper and froze it. I just grab a dot and mix it with meds!
 
I syringe meds into reluctant rats all the time. I have a method I use that I made a video of on youtube for a friend. I can link it if you get to that point. But definitely try using a strong sweet food or syrup to cover the taste. Do you have a mg/ml on the baytril?
 

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