On going resp. disease *updated after vet visit*

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M

meghan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2008
Messages
426
Location
Peterborough, ON
Suki has had a resp illness for several months now. She is around 27 months old and has been on Baytril and Doxy since her first diagnosis. The meds have been working fine up until a few days ago. I'm taking her back to the vet on Monday.

I'm just wondering what kind of things they might suggest for us to do. Are there alternative medication combos that we can try? At what point has it gone too far?

She was my first heart rat and its going to be so devastating to lose her, especially since I only have two left and after she goes Dora will be all by herself. I won't be getting anymore because I find it too hard to take the pain of their illness and short lives. My heart just can't take it. Plus with my daughter becoming a toddler, I can't give them enough time and thats not fair to them.

If anybody has had experience with this I'd love to hear it.
Thanks!
 
Baytril (10 mg/454.4 g twice a day) + azithromycin (5 - 15 mg/454.4 grams, twice a day) is an effective combo.

You may want to try a test dose of enalapril (0.25 mg/454.4 grtams, twice a day) as the respir. symptoms may be worse due to a heart problem.
If she is conjested, then she likely will need lasix (a diuretic, begining dose is 1 - 2 mg/454.4 grams twice a day)
If enalapril helps, then atenolol (1 mgh/454.4 grams twice a day) is added. If her heart is enlarged, then digoxin (0.0025 mg/454.4 grams, twice a day) is added.
(info. from the Rat Health Care book, http://www.ratfanclub.org)
 
Zithro is usually recommended more for younger rats. SQ makes a good point of possibly trying heart meds to see if there is a different underlying issue.

Good luck finding a solution for her!
 
Would the baytril + zithro combo be suitable for a rat approaching 1.5 years? My Rocky has a very very stubborn URI, and baytril + doxy doesn't seem to be doing the trick anymore!
 
We got zithro at the vet today. I asked him if it should be given with anything and he said no.

But he said exactly what you did Shelagh, that you're just trying to make her comfortable, not cure her.

Oh, and he said he wasn't too happy with her weight and that it isn't helping her breathe any better, but he agreed that its hard to put her on a diet when her sister is so tiny.
 
well, at this point hun, i'd let her live her days out happy as a pig in mud!
Keep her comfy, and don't stress her out to much by too many changes...

Their new tunnel will make them HAPPY!!!

Did you see Dr.Hsaio? OR Dr. "J" as i'm to call him, :giggle:
 
No, I was really hoping we would see him. I really liked him.

We saw Dr. Maser (sp?). He was nice and took time to explain things to us.
 

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