Puzzling respiratory issue: ideas, anyone?

[Godmother]

Stella and Charlene, just over two years old, started making intermittent breathing noises just after their sister Georgie died at the end of January.

I put them on Baytril immediately and took them to the vet. Their lungs sounded clear and he wasn't sure what the noises meant. We did a trial of Zithro. The noises continued, so I took them back for a recheck. This time Stella's lungs had some sounds, but Charlene's were still clear. We switched the Zithro to Clavamox. Still no improvement. They had X-rays recently (I was concerned that they might have had heart issues like Georgie); Char's heart was normal, Stella's was slightly larger but not impinging on the trachea or lungs.

I recall that some of you have talked about rats who were chronically wheezy and unresponsive to abs. What did you do?

Tonight I saw Charlene hiccupping, so I am sure that she has a Myco flareup. The only thing I can think of is to try six weeks of Doxy/Baytril. Ideas welcome!

 

[SQ]

... or Baytril + zithro

 

[lilspaz68]

Linny went to see Dr Munn yesterday. Nice strong heart. It seems she has severe pulmonary abscesses and lung scarring. She is on rescue shots (dex/gentocin) every 2nd day, and doxy twice a day. I am going to try her on zithro/baytril next week if this doesn't do much. She's only 20 months old, and we have been fighting this for 4 months.

There's nothing more I can do. Her sister Suri is totally healthy.
Then there's Kittie and Nasty Asti from the Tiki rescue in Welland. Kittie especially is always noisy. Meds don't seem to actually cure her, but just keep it down. She's now 13 months old.

It all depends on the rat and the immune system. I would advise the baytril/zithro long-term and see how that helps.

Narrow heads can cause serious sinus issues, and I have noticed that rescues lately have very very narrow heads, so we may just see an upswing of nasal/respiratory issues in the future. :sad3:

 

[jorats]

I'd definitely would add dex and also doxy... In some of mine, I've seen the doxy do wonders when it was just nasal.
But I would continue doing different combos.

 

[Godmother]

Thanks. I will get some Doxy tomorrow. I'll also ask my vet about the Gentomycin. They will probably be on Baytril for life at this rate. I just hate to hear them breathing like that, even though it is not all the time. They are otherwise very healthy; the vet commented on their lush fur.

On the downside, it seems as if suddenly everybody is ailing. Last night I saw Jesse hiccupping. Poor sweetie has always been fine til now. I think that I am going to buy some shares in the companies that make Baytril, Zithro & Doxy!

 

[ryelle]

Are rats hiccuping a normal thing for a rat?

 

[Godmother]

ryelle, hiccupping is not normal. I believe that it is a sign of a Mycoplasma flareup. Most of mine stop doing it once they've been treated with Baytril/Doxy or Baytril/Zithromycin. One of my elderly rats (almost 35 months) continues to have some hiccups despite treatment.

Regarding Stella & Charlene, the X-ray showed nothing abnormal in their lungs.... yet. I hope that I can get this under control. I don't think it is the heart; Lasix didn't help. I am afraid to try Pred because of its effect on the immune system.

thanks for the suggestions. I will keep trying the combos.

 

[lilspaz68]

I have had many rats who hiccupped off and on all their life and never got sick (Moth's a good example, resp only in the last month of her 37 month life). So I don't believe hiccupping is a sign of a myco flareup myself.

 

[Godmother]

lilspaz, that would be such a relief if hiccups did not necessarily mean Myco flareups. I don't worry if I see a rat do it once, but if it becomes a daily occurrence I panic and reach for the abs.

 

[jorats]

Same here, I've had plenty of rats do the hiccuping and not become ill either.
But I do know what you mean, too much of it and it is worrisome.
Many times I've read where once symptoms of myco is noticeable, it's already progressed too far. It's so hard to tell when to and when not too medicate.

 

[ryelle]

Thanks for the info. I find my rats hiccup ocasionally, not that often to worry about though :?

My friend had a rat that had seriously loud wheezing. He was rushed to the vet asap but the meds never seemed to stop it :? No idea what it was