When they refuse the meds?

[Melissa's ZOO]

So Lilly has been congested for weeks off and on, I have been giving her Baytril but on some days she just flat out refuses to eat it no matter what I put it in oatmeal, peanut butter, strawberry quick, spaghetti sauce, cheese, and baby cereal. Scruffing her is a no go she fights tooth and nail. Last night she was not well she was all puffed out got into it with anyone who crossed her path and her breathing was slightly labored and a little louder than usual. But she refused to take her meds again. She seems to really only want to eat it in the morning.

So, can I just double dose her in the morning? She is probably 20 months give or take a month.

This morning she was fine ate her medicine laced oatmeal and pancake syrup and then ran off to explore. I told her if she did not stop scaring me I was going to do something to her I did not know what but something.

 

[Godmother]

it sure makes sense to give them meds when they are the hungriest. I save treats such as peas until after med time.

I had a fussy rat for whom I had to do elaborate things to disguise medication. What finally worked like a charm was a bit of home-made chicken stock with some Lyle's Golden Syrup to sweeten it. When she got tired of that I added a bit of Rice Dream and baby cereal.

Once I found a winning mixture I made up a larger quantity of it. Then i could quickly set out a bit of it and add the meds. This really helps when I have a few to medicate before I get out the door to work in the morning!

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

That's my problem she takes her dear sweet time in the morning, I have to put a little on my finger shove it in her face, she eats it, tuns off, I put her back on the block shove more in her face she eats and runs off. It is just a never ending cycle with her.

Do you think the humidifier is making her worse. It is automatic and set at 50%?

 

[SQ]

If you are thinking about doubling her dose, you should talk to a vet to see if it would be ok.

My understanding is that baytril needs to be given twice a day.

 

[mamarat2]

Yah I would definitely talk to the vet about doubling the dosages. The reason why it is given twice a day is to keep the medication levels in their blood at the same levels all day long (24 hours). Just like when we are given antibiotics to take twice a day or three times a day, it is to maintain a certain level of the drug in your system to fight off and kill the bacteria. If the med levels drop there is a chance the bacteria can multiply back up in number in that timeframe and then each time the med levels drop significantly.

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

I figured that, and that is why she is not getting better she won't take the meds at night for some reason she just refuses and I have wasted so much of the meds trying to get her to eat it. Good thing the vet will let me purchase more from him. She will do good for awhile and then she feels a little better and just refuses and then gets worse again.

Last night I thought she was going to die she looked awful all puffed out labored breathing and just angry she gave me that look like "if you touch me I will bite you." I slowly touched her and she calmed down a bit. Her puffiness comes and goes. Do you think she has just had it with the young ones and that is why she stays like that. Last night she was charging at them and shoving them off the top shelf of the FN.

The vet said try to give her half the dose when I get home and half before I go to bed and maybe she will eat it. If not put it in butter and smear it on her ear so she has to clean it off?

 

[mamarat2]

Yah I know Debbie D suggests stuff like putting it in butter and rubbing it on them, that way they will clean it off. Just have to make sure that the rat that needs the meds cleans it off herself@!

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

Yeah, if I have to result to the butter thing I will do it at the end of playtime and put everyone up that way she is all alone and has no choice. She is a stubborn little booger. The rest would kill to get what I am offering her, they all wait at the bottom of the cage sniffing and watching "like let me the hell out I will gobble it up for her."

 

[SQ]

Smearing meds in stuff behind ears didn't work for my rats.
Little buggers didn't care. :roll:

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

I figure she will wipe it off, taste it and then wipe her hands on the carpet I can so see her doing that.

I used to put her hands in whatever it was I wanted her to eat thinking she would clean it off, nope she just wiped it on the ground and went on about her business.

 

[Godmother]

Melissa, you said that

Last night she was charging at them and shoving them off the top shelf of the FN

It's worrying that she is that aggressive to the other rats. Is she in severe pain? Might she have neurological problems also? Or some other systemic problem like kidney failure? Maybe one of the more experienced ratty owners would have an opinion on this.[/quote]

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

I wonder that as well, I am going to take her back in on Friday it is the soonest I can get her there.

As soon as I pet her she puts her fur back down. So I am leaning more towards her just not wanting to put up with the young ones, she does not do it towards Flower, Clover or Ivy but they groomer her nicely. The young girls full on pounch on her like they do to everyone else.

She is also the rat I thought was going blind and she now has a pretty visible catarc in her right eye.

I don't know really she scares me when she acts like that, like I will wake up and she will be gone and then an hour later she is out running and playing with everyone. Maybe she's playing me for a fool to get attention and yummy treats when she will eat them. :wink:

edit: she does not act like she is in pain, she never makes a noise and never refuses for me to pick her up. I feel her tummy often to make sure there is no mass or anything like that or that she is bloated. She had gas one night a few months back, took her to the vet the next morning of course she was all better by then, so that was our only conclusion as he did not feel anything and said everything looked and felt normal.